Wednesday, February 23, 2011
I Need A Job
For the past couple of weeks I have been trying to find a job, however, I have had no success. I have put in applications, but no place has called me yet for work. Yesterday I stopped at Eddie Merlot and Aboite Steak and Seafood Grill and picked up applications. I'm hoping that I get a job at Eddie Merlots because it's nice and pays more than minimum wage. It would be nice to receive a job at Aboite Steak and Seafood Grill also because it is less than 1 minute away from my house so I would save money on gas. Either way, I need money.
2.23 Diction Exercise
A Farewell to Arms
a) bed, swiftly, powdered, rich, flashes, channels, boulders, stirred, plain
b)
b)
- Level of Diction: Down to earth, hoi polloi like language
- Concreteness: solid, image provoking
- Music: non musical, dry of melody
- Connotation: Contradiction between war and nature, mood for war, comparative
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 281-302 (End), By Tobias Wolff
SUMMARY:
On page 302, Toby learns that the Welch's end up requesting that Toby not work on their farm which is far worse for Toby than actually working on it. Things end up getting even worse a few weeks later when the sheriff arrived at the Bolger's door telling them that Chuck may be charged with rape. Chuck learns that a girl, Tina, was pregnant with his child and that if he doesn't marry her that her father will charge him and he will go to jail. Although Chuck is afraid of jail he never gives in to the idea of marrying her because he envisions a much happier future for himself. Luck goes Chuck's way as the sheriff comes to the Bolgers to inform them that a friend of his will be marrying Tina. Chuck rejoices and hugs Toby as if they were friends.
In Toby's life things start to turn out for the better as well when he gets a call from Mr. Howard informing him that he had won the scholarship for Hill prep school. Toby was happy to be leaving and Mr. Howard told Toby that he would like to take him to his tailor to get him outfits for school. Toby concurred and was excited to start his new school. Before this could happen, however, Chuck had to drive Toby to Seattle to meet up with his dad and Geoffrey for the summer. Toby had a plan of his own, and decided to get back at Dwight for all the troubles he had caused him by stealing all of his guns and pawning them at a shop on the way. Toby then describes getting fitted at the tailor and it is a lengthy process in which Mr. Howard picks out multiple fabrics and pieces of clothing for Toby to put on. Toby then looks at himself in the mirror at the new boy he has become.
Next, Toby then describes in a few paragraphs his future life. Toby explains that his mother had gotten a job in Seattle, and Dwight had been arrested for trying to strangle his mother. He also says that he does not do well at Hill and was only accepted by his English teacher who saw hope in Toby. Toby ends up getting kicked out of Hill and decides to join in the military as he said he knew he always would. Toby then goes back to his scene in the car with Chuck and describes that they had both been so triumphantly joyful to be free of all their troubles that they sang and sang the whole way home, and sums up his memoir by his happy memory of singing.
REACTION:
Wow, this book was definitely a great read. I enjoyed it more than the last book I read, The Road, mainly because the story just keeps on going and is always exciting. Tobias Wolff was able to take a non fictional account of his life and turn it into an adventure that seems not even believable. I think that I enjoyed this book so much due to the fact that it is reliable. Although the time period is 50 years ago from today, it appears that society still has most of all of the same views that it had then as well. When I read Toby's life I picture me in his place and imagine myself doing all the funny and almost criminal things that he did. It also makes me feel happy that his mother was able to keep up with such a moving life and be safe. I would absolutely recommend this book to a friend, family member, extc.
On page 302, Toby learns that the Welch's end up requesting that Toby not work on their farm which is far worse for Toby than actually working on it. Things end up getting even worse a few weeks later when the sheriff arrived at the Bolger's door telling them that Chuck may be charged with rape. Chuck learns that a girl, Tina, was pregnant with his child and that if he doesn't marry her that her father will charge him and he will go to jail. Although Chuck is afraid of jail he never gives in to the idea of marrying her because he envisions a much happier future for himself. Luck goes Chuck's way as the sheriff comes to the Bolgers to inform them that a friend of his will be marrying Tina. Chuck rejoices and hugs Toby as if they were friends.
In Toby's life things start to turn out for the better as well when he gets a call from Mr. Howard informing him that he had won the scholarship for Hill prep school. Toby was happy to be leaving and Mr. Howard told Toby that he would like to take him to his tailor to get him outfits for school. Toby concurred and was excited to start his new school. Before this could happen, however, Chuck had to drive Toby to Seattle to meet up with his dad and Geoffrey for the summer. Toby had a plan of his own, and decided to get back at Dwight for all the troubles he had caused him by stealing all of his guns and pawning them at a shop on the way. Toby then describes getting fitted at the tailor and it is a lengthy process in which Mr. Howard picks out multiple fabrics and pieces of clothing for Toby to put on. Toby then looks at himself in the mirror at the new boy he has become.
Next, Toby then describes in a few paragraphs his future life. Toby explains that his mother had gotten a job in Seattle, and Dwight had been arrested for trying to strangle his mother. He also says that he does not do well at Hill and was only accepted by his English teacher who saw hope in Toby. Toby ends up getting kicked out of Hill and decides to join in the military as he said he knew he always would. Toby then goes back to his scene in the car with Chuck and describes that they had both been so triumphantly joyful to be free of all their troubles that they sang and sang the whole way home, and sums up his memoir by his happy memory of singing.
REACTION:
Wow, this book was definitely a great read. I enjoyed it more than the last book I read, The Road, mainly because the story just keeps on going and is always exciting. Tobias Wolff was able to take a non fictional account of his life and turn it into an adventure that seems not even believable. I think that I enjoyed this book so much due to the fact that it is reliable. Although the time period is 50 years ago from today, it appears that society still has most of all of the same views that it had then as well. When I read Toby's life I picture me in his place and imagine myself doing all the funny and almost criminal things that he did. It also makes me feel happy that his mother was able to keep up with such a moving life and be safe. I would absolutely recommend this book to a friend, family member, extc.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 241-280, By Tobias Wolff
SUMMARY:
On page 241, Toby is greeted with phone call from a Mr. Howard who was a Hill School alumni and was interested in Toby for the school. He asked Toby if they could talk soon, and Toby agreed and suggested that they speak at the Concrete drugstore. Toby describes Mr. Howard as wearing a suit and tie, but instead of being irritated by it, he wore it with swagger. Mr. Howard conducted an informal interview with Toby in which he asked him questions about school and life, and Toby lied but responded with ease. Mr. Howard explained to Toby that Hill is not for everyone and that he might end up regretting the decision if he was chosen to go there, but Toby explained to Mr. Howard that he was set on going if he had the chance. Mr. Howard gave Toby his business card and explained to Toby that there were other boys that they were looking at for scholarship as well, and that he would let him know in a little while.
After the meeting, Toby is in shop class and is sawing a board while talking to a friend. Next thing he knows, Toby has a sharp pain and sees the tip of his finger on the floor. Toby recalls being in extensive pain and being rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery. When he woke up Toby had a large bandage from his wrist to his finger and was eventually let out. When at home, Toby got into a struggle with Dwight which lead to Toby falling down on his finger and crying in extreme pain. Toby's mother decided that this was the last straw and that Toby would be leaving and when she could she would get a job in Seattle.
Toby's mother talked to a family named the Bolgers whom were a religious family except for their son Chuck who was Toby's age. Chuck was crazy and would go on wild rampages once he consumed alcohol, but he would never hurt Toby. Mr. Bolger was a pastor and applied religion in his life but did not force it on Toby. Toby explained how the church ceremonies would go, and then how Chuck would get drunk every night. One night, Toby, Chuck, and some other boys wanted to go to another town and back, but they had no gas. Chuck said he knew where to go, and the boys trudged along the muddy farmland to the Welch's farm. The Welch's were an extremely poor family, and Chuck and the boys siphoned gas out of the truck and returned home. The next morning, Mr. Bolger woke up the boys and told them to come to the kitchen now. He explained that the trails were obvious last night and made them go over and apologize to the Welchs. Chuck apologized but Toby could not because he felt so bad for the Welchs. As a result, Mr. Bolger told Toby that he would be forced to work on the Welch;s farm and help them with anything they needed.
RESPONSE:
This section was both funny and sad. As it went on it got funnier and funnier, but when it came up to the Welch's farm it became a sorry full story. Toby's devious ways of tricking people and cheating allows him to receive awareness from a Hill alumni which is quite funny to me. This could almost never happen nowadays. However, I felt very sad for the Welch family when Toby described them as being so ashamed of the boys because they had stolen from them when they were so vulnerable and clearly not going to make it much farther. This part has really made me think about classes in life and how to see things through other people's perspectives.
On page 241, Toby is greeted with phone call from a Mr. Howard who was a Hill School alumni and was interested in Toby for the school. He asked Toby if they could talk soon, and Toby agreed and suggested that they speak at the Concrete drugstore. Toby describes Mr. Howard as wearing a suit and tie, but instead of being irritated by it, he wore it with swagger. Mr. Howard conducted an informal interview with Toby in which he asked him questions about school and life, and Toby lied but responded with ease. Mr. Howard explained to Toby that Hill is not for everyone and that he might end up regretting the decision if he was chosen to go there, but Toby explained to Mr. Howard that he was set on going if he had the chance. Mr. Howard gave Toby his business card and explained to Toby that there were other boys that they were looking at for scholarship as well, and that he would let him know in a little while.
After the meeting, Toby is in shop class and is sawing a board while talking to a friend. Next thing he knows, Toby has a sharp pain and sees the tip of his finger on the floor. Toby recalls being in extensive pain and being rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery. When he woke up Toby had a large bandage from his wrist to his finger and was eventually let out. When at home, Toby got into a struggle with Dwight which lead to Toby falling down on his finger and crying in extreme pain. Toby's mother decided that this was the last straw and that Toby would be leaving and when she could she would get a job in Seattle.
Toby's mother talked to a family named the Bolgers whom were a religious family except for their son Chuck who was Toby's age. Chuck was crazy and would go on wild rampages once he consumed alcohol, but he would never hurt Toby. Mr. Bolger was a pastor and applied religion in his life but did not force it on Toby. Toby explained how the church ceremonies would go, and then how Chuck would get drunk every night. One night, Toby, Chuck, and some other boys wanted to go to another town and back, but they had no gas. Chuck said he knew where to go, and the boys trudged along the muddy farmland to the Welch's farm. The Welch's were an extremely poor family, and Chuck and the boys siphoned gas out of the truck and returned home. The next morning, Mr. Bolger woke up the boys and told them to come to the kitchen now. He explained that the trails were obvious last night and made them go over and apologize to the Welchs. Chuck apologized but Toby could not because he felt so bad for the Welchs. As a result, Mr. Bolger told Toby that he would be forced to work on the Welch;s farm and help them with anything they needed.
RESPONSE:
This section was both funny and sad. As it went on it got funnier and funnier, but when it came up to the Welch's farm it became a sorry full story. Toby's devious ways of tricking people and cheating allows him to receive awareness from a Hill alumni which is quite funny to me. This could almost never happen nowadays. However, I felt very sad for the Welch family when Toby described them as being so ashamed of the boys because they had stolen from them when they were so vulnerable and clearly not going to make it much farther. This part has really made me think about classes in life and how to see things through other people's perspectives.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 166-200, By Tobias Wolff
On page 166, Toby is at the fair for the Boyscouts and is playing one of the games at the fair. Toby's original plan was to use the money he had taken to go with Arthur to Alaska, but this plan was foiled when Toby gambled all his money on the game. Toby and Dwight left the fair and went home. In the next scene Toby is walking up to the house and sees a large dog in the utility room. Dwight let's Toby in the house. and when Toby goes to his room, he notices that his Winchester rifle is gone. He is angry at Dwight and Dwight claims that he'll get it back but he never did. Later that year Toby and Dwight take the dog hunting, but it turns out that the dog is far to afraid of the gun to provide any assistance. After the dog gets into some trouble with the neighboring people's cats, Dwight is forced to take the dog, Champ, on a ride up the mountains with his gun, and Toby never saw the dog again.
Then, Toby begins telling the reader that he is now a sophomore at concrete and after midnight would take Dwight's car out on joy rides. This plan was working well until one night he got stuck in a ditch. The car was stuck good and Toby began walking home. Toby got lucky though because on his way home a man drove by and was able to pull the car out of the ditch, and Toby got back home in time to not be noticed. His escape was ruined though when Dwight ran into the man at a meeting and the man told him the story of what he did earlier. Dwight made sure Toby learned his lesson by giving him a good beating.
Toby next goes into his sophomore year at Concrete. He tells the reader that he ended up once again getting involved with the wrong crowd. They intended to get him drunk and get with the ladies, as of which Toby accomplished one of. One night during a basketball game, Toby and his friends went outside and drank. Toby got drunk and ended up falling off a tree branch and down a long fall until resting in a field of ferns. His friends could not find him, but Toby stayed there all night because he enjoyed the harmony of nature. Time goes on and Toby describes how his brother is a student at Princeton. Toby devises to get to Princeton by writing a fake check while at a Boy Scouts meeting. After creating a library card Toby tries his I.D. and check at a local store. The woman becomes suspicious and Toby leaves, but the women follows him out and tries to chase him down. Toby escapes and changes into his Scout's uniform and returns to the banquet. Toby checks people in and notices the same lady approaching. He acted causal and the women didn't notice him as he ushered her into the hall. He knew he had gotten away.
RESPONSE:
This was definitely my favorite portion of the book that I have read so far. I say this because I feel that I can more directly relate to his stories now since I am of similar age. I can clearly picture him hanging out with his friends and fooling around as I do, although I do not drink myself, but I can understand his circumstances and actions. Another reason I found this passage so interesting is that for the first time since I starting reading This Boy's Life, a feeling of suspense is created. When Toby is being chased down by the store clerk I found it impossible to put down the book because I had to see what would happen next and if Toby would get away with it and continue his luck spree. I hope that the rest of the book is as exciting as this section.
Then, Toby begins telling the reader that he is now a sophomore at concrete and after midnight would take Dwight's car out on joy rides. This plan was working well until one night he got stuck in a ditch. The car was stuck good and Toby began walking home. Toby got lucky though because on his way home a man drove by and was able to pull the car out of the ditch, and Toby got back home in time to not be noticed. His escape was ruined though when Dwight ran into the man at a meeting and the man told him the story of what he did earlier. Dwight made sure Toby learned his lesson by giving him a good beating.
Toby next goes into his sophomore year at Concrete. He tells the reader that he ended up once again getting involved with the wrong crowd. They intended to get him drunk and get with the ladies, as of which Toby accomplished one of. One night during a basketball game, Toby and his friends went outside and drank. Toby got drunk and ended up falling off a tree branch and down a long fall until resting in a field of ferns. His friends could not find him, but Toby stayed there all night because he enjoyed the harmony of nature. Time goes on and Toby describes how his brother is a student at Princeton. Toby devises to get to Princeton by writing a fake check while at a Boy Scouts meeting. After creating a library card Toby tries his I.D. and check at a local store. The woman becomes suspicious and Toby leaves, but the women follows him out and tries to chase him down. Toby escapes and changes into his Scout's uniform and returns to the banquet. Toby checks people in and notices the same lady approaching. He acted causal and the women didn't notice him as he ushered her into the hall. He knew he had gotten away.
RESPONSE:
This was definitely my favorite portion of the book that I have read so far. I say this because I feel that I can more directly relate to his stories now since I am of similar age. I can clearly picture him hanging out with his friends and fooling around as I do, although I do not drink myself, but I can understand his circumstances and actions. Another reason I found this passage so interesting is that for the first time since I starting reading This Boy's Life, a feeling of suspense is created. When Toby is being chased down by the store clerk I found it impossible to put down the book because I had to see what would happen next and if Toby would get away with it and continue his luck spree. I hope that the rest of the book is as exciting as this section.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 201-240, By Tobias Wolff
SUMMARY
On page 201, Toby talks about the letters he receives from his brother Geoffrey who is a t Princeton. Then he accounts Dwight's over reaction to an "empty" mustard jar that Toby threw away and shoves Toby's face in it to prove a point. After Toby cleaned it out, Dwight smacked him across the face. Feeling upset, Toby called his brother and told him what had happened, and Geoffrey said that Toby needed to leave immediately, and came up with an idea to send him to boarding school. Toby informed Geoffrey with lies about his life to give him a better chance of getting into a school. Geoffrey sent out information to Toby about schools he should apply to, and Toby sent mail for applications; however, Toby's grades and social life were completely off from expectations. Toby's dad then called the house a few days later explaining to Toby about how everything would work if he got accepted into a boarding school, and that he would come down and stay with him and Geoffrey for the Summer.
A little while later, Toby went down to Seattle to take the standardized tests. He then goes into detail explaining how he was mastering the test and all of its tricks and curve balls it tries to throw at you in the verbal section. A few weeks later, Toby is in school when Arthur gives a folder to Toby containing transcript forms, and blank paper. Toby used these materials to compile a fake school life where he received all A's and had recommendations from his teachers. With all of this, Toby sent in the applications. Toby then goes off into a quick tangent explaining how he and Arthur were forced to fight each other in the school gym, and Arthur kicks the crap out of him. Next, Toby explains that he did well on his tests, but he ended up getting rejection letters from all the schools he applied to.
REACTION:
I think that this section was one of the parts of the book that I can relate to most. I'm also in the process of trying to find the right schools to go to and which one is most economically practicable; however, my intentions and transcripts are not false. I enjoy this book mostly due to the fact that it's almost not believable that Toby can accomplish so many things by cheating a system. Wolff's ability to comically entertain the reader while telling his life story is what makes me keep reading on.
On page 201, Toby talks about the letters he receives from his brother Geoffrey who is a t Princeton. Then he accounts Dwight's over reaction to an "empty" mustard jar that Toby threw away and shoves Toby's face in it to prove a point. After Toby cleaned it out, Dwight smacked him across the face. Feeling upset, Toby called his brother and told him what had happened, and Geoffrey said that Toby needed to leave immediately, and came up with an idea to send him to boarding school. Toby informed Geoffrey with lies about his life to give him a better chance of getting into a school. Geoffrey sent out information to Toby about schools he should apply to, and Toby sent mail for applications; however, Toby's grades and social life were completely off from expectations. Toby's dad then called the house a few days later explaining to Toby about how everything would work if he got accepted into a boarding school, and that he would come down and stay with him and Geoffrey for the Summer.
A little while later, Toby went down to Seattle to take the standardized tests. He then goes into detail explaining how he was mastering the test and all of its tricks and curve balls it tries to throw at you in the verbal section. A few weeks later, Toby is in school when Arthur gives a folder to Toby containing transcript forms, and blank paper. Toby used these materials to compile a fake school life where he received all A's and had recommendations from his teachers. With all of this, Toby sent in the applications. Toby then goes off into a quick tangent explaining how he and Arthur were forced to fight each other in the school gym, and Arthur kicks the crap out of him. Next, Toby explains that he did well on his tests, but he ended up getting rejection letters from all the schools he applied to.
REACTION:
I think that this section was one of the parts of the book that I can relate to most. I'm also in the process of trying to find the right schools to go to and which one is most economically practicable; however, my intentions and transcripts are not false. I enjoy this book mostly due to the fact that it's almost not believable that Toby can accomplish so many things by cheating a system. Wolff's ability to comically entertain the reader while telling his life story is what makes me keep reading on.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Fort Wayne Finally Gets The Recognition It Deserves
Its official, Fort Wayne is finally internationally known as this was the number 1 watched video in the United States on February 11. Proud to be an AMERICAN.
Jeopardy Challenge!
Last night (and continuing tomorrow and the next day) Jeopardy came on like it always has at 7:30. This time, however, it was a special featuring the two best jeopardy players, Ken Jennings and Bryan Rutter. The new contestant was a super computer named Watson. THe show was interesting as it explained Watson's thinking process and at the end it was tied Bryan Rutter:5,000 and Watson:5,000. Tune in tonight on channel 2 at 7:30 to see how it compares tonight.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Close Reading #1
Count Chocula
Etymology 3
Close Reading #1
13 February 2011
Gene Kelly vs. Fred Astaire
In the scene “Moses Supposes”, Gene Kelly's fluid tap dancing, playful facial expressions, and clownish actions presents a more entertaining and comical viewing than Fred Astaire's “Night and Day.” For much of the scene “Moses Supposes,” Gene Kelly's legs move rapidly as they tap dance and synchronize to the orchestra music played in the background portraying his athletic and entertaining abilities. On the other hand, Fred Astaire's scene “Night and Day” lacks the overall wow factor due to a lack of rapid movement caused by Astaire's constant stiff upper body. Along with the dancing in the scenes, the playful facial expressions that Gene Kelly provides creates a fun-filled mood for the audience while Fred Astaire's more serious tone may establish a less interesting viewing experienc, yet Fred Astaire's constant use of vibrato while singing greatly competes with the voice of Gene Kelly. Kelly takes the cake in the end, however, by his comical storyline in which both Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor stack numerous amounts of items in the room on their vocal instructor which exudes a humorous situation unlike Fred Astaire's storyline that relates to those affiliated with romanticism. Both scenes were greatly made, but “Moses Supposes'” incorporation of humor and plot trumps “Night and Day's” affectionate outcome.
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 131-165, By Tobias Wolff
SUMMARY:
On page 131, Toby begins by informing the reader that his mother had joined the rifle club and encouraged other mothers to join as well. Toby says that his mother was an expert shot and would always win, but Dwight was always a loser and would choke. He became grim we he lost his meetings and one day on the drive back home after Dwight lost he was a sore loser and mimicked the family. He forcefully got out of the car at the tavern and went in to drink while Toby's mother eventually went in after him. While this occurs, Toby goes through a series of short side note stories. Toby tells the reader that he was a liar and a thief. He'd began stealing money from paper customers on his route. Dwight complained to Toby about his attitude, but Toby no longer felt guilt.
Next, Toby comes back to the scene of him and Pearl waiting for Dwight and his mother in the tavern. He brings up that him and Pearl, his step sister, would constantly try to annoy each other by any means possible. He accounts all the songs he listened to with her on Seattle Bandstand. Dwight eventually returned from the tavern with Toby's mother, and she was pleading with him to give her the keys. Dwight would have none of it, and he started the car and recklessly drove home while the family hysterically begged him to stop.
Later, Toby describes his plan for leaving Chinook. He informs the reader that he had written a letter to his uncle in Paris about how horrible things were for them, In response, his uncle sent a check and asked that Toby live with them in Paris for a year. This plan was set, but then later they received another letter from him stating that they had changed their mind and urged that he be adopted to them and stay for 5 years. This commitment upset Toby and he no longer wished to live in Paris. The next scene is started off by saying that time has passed and Nora graduated from Concrete high and now has a job down in Seattle. She has met a new man named Kenneth and she brings him in for Christmas. After a plethora of heated arguments, Norra and Kenneth depart after Christmas and they eventually get married.
Toby is now a freshman at Concrete high, but he does not want to be there. He has devised a plan to runaway to Alaska and has saved up a total of 81 dollars that he has stolen from his customers. At first Toby didn't want Arthur coming, but as the day drew nearer, Toby decided he could. The day of execution was to be on the day that all the scout teams got together on The Gathering of Tribes. Toby competed and lost in the swim meet and at the end of this section went over to talk to Arthur.
RESPONSE:
This section of the book was a little less interesting than the other parts in my opinion. It did not contain any exciting events and portrayed a numerous amount of events that took place over a longer span of time. I also became excited that Toby would change perspectives by moving to Paris, but in the end it turned out that he would not be going. I also felt that the side note about Nora was quite depressing as she became an addicted smoker and a dreary person. The section was not all bad, however, for I did enjoy Toby's plan to run off to Alaska and I hope that he executes this plan in my further reading.
On page 131, Toby begins by informing the reader that his mother had joined the rifle club and encouraged other mothers to join as well. Toby says that his mother was an expert shot and would always win, but Dwight was always a loser and would choke. He became grim we he lost his meetings and one day on the drive back home after Dwight lost he was a sore loser and mimicked the family. He forcefully got out of the car at the tavern and went in to drink while Toby's mother eventually went in after him. While this occurs, Toby goes through a series of short side note stories. Toby tells the reader that he was a liar and a thief. He'd began stealing money from paper customers on his route. Dwight complained to Toby about his attitude, but Toby no longer felt guilt.
Next, Toby comes back to the scene of him and Pearl waiting for Dwight and his mother in the tavern. He brings up that him and Pearl, his step sister, would constantly try to annoy each other by any means possible. He accounts all the songs he listened to with her on Seattle Bandstand. Dwight eventually returned from the tavern with Toby's mother, and she was pleading with him to give her the keys. Dwight would have none of it, and he started the car and recklessly drove home while the family hysterically begged him to stop.
Later, Toby describes his plan for leaving Chinook. He informs the reader that he had written a letter to his uncle in Paris about how horrible things were for them, In response, his uncle sent a check and asked that Toby live with them in Paris for a year. This plan was set, but then later they received another letter from him stating that they had changed their mind and urged that he be adopted to them and stay for 5 years. This commitment upset Toby and he no longer wished to live in Paris. The next scene is started off by saying that time has passed and Nora graduated from Concrete high and now has a job down in Seattle. She has met a new man named Kenneth and she brings him in for Christmas. After a plethora of heated arguments, Norra and Kenneth depart after Christmas and they eventually get married.
Toby is now a freshman at Concrete high, but he does not want to be there. He has devised a plan to runaway to Alaska and has saved up a total of 81 dollars that he has stolen from his customers. At first Toby didn't want Arthur coming, but as the day drew nearer, Toby decided he could. The day of execution was to be on the day that all the scout teams got together on The Gathering of Tribes. Toby competed and lost in the swim meet and at the end of this section went over to talk to Arthur.
RESPONSE:
This section of the book was a little less interesting than the other parts in my opinion. It did not contain any exciting events and portrayed a numerous amount of events that took place over a longer span of time. I also became excited that Toby would change perspectives by moving to Paris, but in the end it turned out that he would not be going. I also felt that the side note about Nora was quite depressing as she became an addicted smoker and a dreary person. The section was not all bad, however, for I did enjoy Toby's plan to run off to Alaska and I hope that he executes this plan in my further reading.
My Weekend
My weekend was an epic adventure with Frankie Zirille, Kyle O'Malley, and Alex Dickson. This passage will focus mainly on Saturday because Friday I studied for the ACT and no one wants to hear about that. I woke up on Saturday morning and took the ACT, and after that is where my fun began. I called up all of my friends and we met up at Kyle Lake's house. On arrival, I witnessed an air hogs air pressure powered helicopter fyling down to its demise and crashing into the asphalt road. Pieces were everywhere, but the sound of cheering overrode the crash. After Kyles, we embarked on our way to Arbys where we ate and took part in teenage shenanigans. Then we met up with more friends and watched a movie at Nick Bernardini's house. Alright, so I know my post is boring and it's supposed to be an epic weekend, but it makes me feel better if I call it exciting because it was pretty lame.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 107-130, By Tobias Wolff
SUMMARY:
On page 107, Toby is in the middle of chatting with some other friends during his paper route he picked up. While they are talking Toby notices Arthur, the uncoolest boy in sixth grade, walking his dog towards them. Toby then describes Arthur is being very clever and smart and one of the boys that Toby feels he should be friends with, but Toby thought too much about what others would think of him. Arthur passes by and since he knew they were talking about him, he said a sly remark about Toby's pee colored hands from the nuts he had to husk. In response Toby called him a fatso and Arthur came back with another comment. It was Toby's next response when things escalated because Toby called him a sissy. This was a word that Arthur affiliated with bad memories and so he snapped. Arthur gave a right hook to Toby's ear and the fight began.
Toby fell on the gravel and Arthur came up and kicked Toby in the stomach. Toby was stunned, but he got up and saw Arthur running at him. Toby was surprised when he hit Arthur in the eye which started closing up instantly. They both rushed each other and wrestled until they fell down a muddy embankment. They rolled down into a wet boggy swale and wrestled around. They both grew tired and Arthur began walking up the hill and so did Toby. At the top Arthur turned around and impaired that Toby take it back, and eventually Toby concurred.
Unlike most fathers would react when they here the news of their son getting in a fight, Dwight was triumphantly pleased with Toby and made him retell the stories multiple times. Dwight was so proud that he took Toby into the utility room to teach him some fighting skills. Dwight taught Toby two techniques in which he can defend and inflict pain on his opponent. A little while later one afternoon, Toby was on his paper route again and saw Arthur walking his dog. When they got close Arthur stopped and said hello, and instead of confrontation, Arthur let Toby pet his dog and showed him some cool tricks.
In the next chapter Toby describes his step brother Skipper's car. It was a 1949 mustang. Skipper would work on that car every night and put a lot of hard work into it. He would show Toby all the new parts he was putting in and what his ideas were for the finished product. Skipper finished it all except the leather interior and told Toby he was going down to Mexico to get it finished. Toby was excited about possibly going to Mexico with Skipper, but instead, Skipper took his friend Ray. When Skipper left Toby began to have other things on his mind. He though about cars, his father, and hitchhiking. Toby began hitchhiking down to nearby towns and would try to go farther every time. He would be home in time for dinner though so his parents would never know. One day though Skipper returned from Mexico. When Toby and the family looked outside they saw Skipper's car, but the paint was dull and all the metal utilities were beaten up. Skipper explained that they had gotten caught in a sandstorm and it ruined the car. Toby said this was one of two times that he had seen Skipper become emotional.
RESPONSE:
This section was much more action packed than the other readings I have done. The fight that Toby gets in makes me sort of want to get in a fight. I've never gotten in a fight, but I have always thought that just one "friendly" fight outside of school wouldn't be that bad. It's kind of an irrational thought, but it has always been something I have thought about. I found it also pretty humorous when I learned Dwight's reaction to the fight was that he was proud. My dad wouldn't be too mad but he would not be proud about it. I felt like Dwight was trying to live his past back in Toby's story. The car also intrigued me because I think it's a real skill to be able to fix something up like that. This section was an easy read because I found myself having similar thoughts and ideas as the main character Toby did.
On page 107, Toby is in the middle of chatting with some other friends during his paper route he picked up. While they are talking Toby notices Arthur, the uncoolest boy in sixth grade, walking his dog towards them. Toby then describes Arthur is being very clever and smart and one of the boys that Toby feels he should be friends with, but Toby thought too much about what others would think of him. Arthur passes by and since he knew they were talking about him, he said a sly remark about Toby's pee colored hands from the nuts he had to husk. In response Toby called him a fatso and Arthur came back with another comment. It was Toby's next response when things escalated because Toby called him a sissy. This was a word that Arthur affiliated with bad memories and so he snapped. Arthur gave a right hook to Toby's ear and the fight began.
Toby fell on the gravel and Arthur came up and kicked Toby in the stomach. Toby was stunned, but he got up and saw Arthur running at him. Toby was surprised when he hit Arthur in the eye which started closing up instantly. They both rushed each other and wrestled until they fell down a muddy embankment. They rolled down into a wet boggy swale and wrestled around. They both grew tired and Arthur began walking up the hill and so did Toby. At the top Arthur turned around and impaired that Toby take it back, and eventually Toby concurred.
Unlike most fathers would react when they here the news of their son getting in a fight, Dwight was triumphantly pleased with Toby and made him retell the stories multiple times. Dwight was so proud that he took Toby into the utility room to teach him some fighting skills. Dwight taught Toby two techniques in which he can defend and inflict pain on his opponent. A little while later one afternoon, Toby was on his paper route again and saw Arthur walking his dog. When they got close Arthur stopped and said hello, and instead of confrontation, Arthur let Toby pet his dog and showed him some cool tricks.
In the next chapter Toby describes his step brother Skipper's car. It was a 1949 mustang. Skipper would work on that car every night and put a lot of hard work into it. He would show Toby all the new parts he was putting in and what his ideas were for the finished product. Skipper finished it all except the leather interior and told Toby he was going down to Mexico to get it finished. Toby was excited about possibly going to Mexico with Skipper, but instead, Skipper took his friend Ray. When Skipper left Toby began to have other things on his mind. He though about cars, his father, and hitchhiking. Toby began hitchhiking down to nearby towns and would try to go farther every time. He would be home in time for dinner though so his parents would never know. One day though Skipper returned from Mexico. When Toby and the family looked outside they saw Skipper's car, but the paint was dull and all the metal utilities were beaten up. Skipper explained that they had gotten caught in a sandstorm and it ruined the car. Toby said this was one of two times that he had seen Skipper become emotional.
RESPONSE:
This section was much more action packed than the other readings I have done. The fight that Toby gets in makes me sort of want to get in a fight. I've never gotten in a fight, but I have always thought that just one "friendly" fight outside of school wouldn't be that bad. It's kind of an irrational thought, but it has always been something I have thought about. I found it also pretty humorous when I learned Dwight's reaction to the fight was that he was proud. My dad wouldn't be too mad but he would not be proud about it. I felt like Dwight was trying to live his past back in Toby's story. The car also intrigued me because I think it's a real skill to be able to fix something up like that. This section was an easy read because I found myself having similar thoughts and ideas as the main character Toby did.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 51-106, By Tobias Wolff
SUMMARY
On page 51, Toby and his mother run into a man on the beach and his name is Gill. Gill invites Toby's mother and Toby back to his house an so they go back and Gill promises to give Toby a new bike. Later in the night, Toby's mother goes on a date with Gill, but when she comes home she is crying. Toby didn't ask any questions, but he knew that he was not going to receive the bicycle that Gill promised.
In the next chapter, Toby explains that his mother, Marian, and Kathy decided to rent a house together. Toby's mother ends up buying a house that is in major need of repair; the front door was broken, the stairs were collapsed to the porch, and the wallpaper was falling off. Toby then goes into a future outlook explaining that Kathy soon had a baby boy. Marian suspected and basically knew that Toby had two personalities and when she questioned Toby about his whereabouts Toby lied. Marian would try to convince his mother but she would not believe her, and she did not believe in hard discipline because Rosemary's father was very stern. Toby then describes his adventures with Silver and Taylor such as breaking windows during both day and night, and worse criminal acts such as stealing. Stealing ended up being an addiction to Toby.
A few months later, Toby introduces the reader to Dwight. Dwight was an oddly dressed mechanic who would come by on the weekends to take his mother out on dates. Dwight would commute 3 to 4 hours every weekend from a town called Chinook to Seattle to see Toby's mother. Things began to become routine and Dwight invited them for Thanksgiving. They agreed and went to Thanksgiving in Chinook with Dwight and his family. Dwight had a senior named Skipper who worked on cars, a junior daughter named Norma who Toby had a crush on, and a young daughter named Pearl who Toby didn't like very much. This scene of Thanksgiving just provided the reader with a lot of characterization on Dwight and his family, but it went well for the most part.
In the next chapter, Toby is in the bathroom smoking a cigarette with Taylor, Silver, and two members referred to as weed fiends. Toby is telling them about a made up story that he blew off a turkey's head in Chinook and Taylor calls him out. The next lines are filled with an argument between the boys in which the f-word is used in almost every empty space between a sentence where it could fit and have a chance of making sense. Angered by his friend Taylor's remark, Toby etches the line "F*!K OFF" (Not censored in the book) into the freshly painted wall of the boys bathroom. Later in the day, the vice principal pulls Toby out of class and has two eye witnesses, the weed fiends, who claim that he did the obscene gesture. Toby lies constantly and his mother is brought into the school. After headed debate and multiple lies from Toby, they eventually see the principal of the school who eventually concurs with Toby's mother and lets him off with nothing. When they got home Toby's mother told Toby that Dwight thinks he should live with him and go to school in Chinook and Toby agrees because he feels that he has too.
After this scene, the next chapter portrays Dwight recklessly driving down a curvy road with Toby in the car. Dwight calls out Toby calling him a hotshot and explaining to Toby that he had heard all the stories from Marian about his behaviors. Dwight continues arguing and tells Toby that he is in for a whole nother ball game. Dwight kept his word and hard work and discipline were soon implemented in Toby's life. Dwight forced Toby to husk horse chestnuts every night in the utility room, made Toby pick up a paper route, and join the Boy Scouts. Although Toby was constantly put to work and wasn't connected with Dwight, he still told his mom that things were ok so that she would be happy. Toby did end up enjoying Boy scouts, however, for he began reading and became intrigued in the books he received about stories of boy scouts doing extraordinary things. Toby's mother finally decided that it was time to quit her job and come up to Chinook to live with Dwight and Toby, and so the chapter ends with Dwight painting the whole house white for the arrival of Toby's mom.
RESPONSE: This book is easy to relate to. I enjoy reading this book to here of all the adventures that Toby has in his life. One scene I thought provided some in depth incite was the bathroom scene. The ribald dialect spoken between the characters greatly helped portray the way in which Toby lives his life outside the comfort of his mother. I'd guess the F word was used 15-20 times in this little scene and it provided a sort of comical scene to the story. I also thought that the principal scene was going to end up bad for Toby because he was continuously digging himself further into a hole by lying over and over, but in the end he somehow managed to crawl back out barely escaping the wrath of the vice principal. If I wouldn't have known the genre of this book I would have believed it to be fiction because Tobias Wolff's style of writing is very entertaining and is not dreary or slow like most of the non fiction accounts I have read. I am greatly pleases with this reading selection I've picked out right now.
On page 51, Toby and his mother run into a man on the beach and his name is Gill. Gill invites Toby's mother and Toby back to his house an so they go back and Gill promises to give Toby a new bike. Later in the night, Toby's mother goes on a date with Gill, but when she comes home she is crying. Toby didn't ask any questions, but he knew that he was not going to receive the bicycle that Gill promised.
In the next chapter, Toby explains that his mother, Marian, and Kathy decided to rent a house together. Toby's mother ends up buying a house that is in major need of repair; the front door was broken, the stairs were collapsed to the porch, and the wallpaper was falling off. Toby then goes into a future outlook explaining that Kathy soon had a baby boy. Marian suspected and basically knew that Toby had two personalities and when she questioned Toby about his whereabouts Toby lied. Marian would try to convince his mother but she would not believe her, and she did not believe in hard discipline because Rosemary's father was very stern. Toby then describes his adventures with Silver and Taylor such as breaking windows during both day and night, and worse criminal acts such as stealing. Stealing ended up being an addiction to Toby.
A few months later, Toby introduces the reader to Dwight. Dwight was an oddly dressed mechanic who would come by on the weekends to take his mother out on dates. Dwight would commute 3 to 4 hours every weekend from a town called Chinook to Seattle to see Toby's mother. Things began to become routine and Dwight invited them for Thanksgiving. They agreed and went to Thanksgiving in Chinook with Dwight and his family. Dwight had a senior named Skipper who worked on cars, a junior daughter named Norma who Toby had a crush on, and a young daughter named Pearl who Toby didn't like very much. This scene of Thanksgiving just provided the reader with a lot of characterization on Dwight and his family, but it went well for the most part.
In the next chapter, Toby is in the bathroom smoking a cigarette with Taylor, Silver, and two members referred to as weed fiends. Toby is telling them about a made up story that he blew off a turkey's head in Chinook and Taylor calls him out. The next lines are filled with an argument between the boys in which the f-word is used in almost every empty space between a sentence where it could fit and have a chance of making sense. Angered by his friend Taylor's remark, Toby etches the line "F*!K OFF" (Not censored in the book) into the freshly painted wall of the boys bathroom. Later in the day, the vice principal pulls Toby out of class and has two eye witnesses, the weed fiends, who claim that he did the obscene gesture. Toby lies constantly and his mother is brought into the school. After headed debate and multiple lies from Toby, they eventually see the principal of the school who eventually concurs with Toby's mother and lets him off with nothing. When they got home Toby's mother told Toby that Dwight thinks he should live with him and go to school in Chinook and Toby agrees because he feels that he has too.
After this scene, the next chapter portrays Dwight recklessly driving down a curvy road with Toby in the car. Dwight calls out Toby calling him a hotshot and explaining to Toby that he had heard all the stories from Marian about his behaviors. Dwight continues arguing and tells Toby that he is in for a whole nother ball game. Dwight kept his word and hard work and discipline were soon implemented in Toby's life. Dwight forced Toby to husk horse chestnuts every night in the utility room, made Toby pick up a paper route, and join the Boy Scouts. Although Toby was constantly put to work and wasn't connected with Dwight, he still told his mom that things were ok so that she would be happy. Toby did end up enjoying Boy scouts, however, for he began reading and became intrigued in the books he received about stories of boy scouts doing extraordinary things. Toby's mother finally decided that it was time to quit her job and come up to Chinook to live with Dwight and Toby, and so the chapter ends with Dwight painting the whole house white for the arrival of Toby's mom.
RESPONSE: This book is easy to relate to. I enjoy reading this book to here of all the adventures that Toby has in his life. One scene I thought provided some in depth incite was the bathroom scene. The ribald dialect spoken between the characters greatly helped portray the way in which Toby lives his life outside the comfort of his mother. I'd guess the F word was used 15-20 times in this little scene and it provided a sort of comical scene to the story. I also thought that the principal scene was going to end up bad for Toby because he was continuously digging himself further into a hole by lying over and over, but in the end he somehow managed to crawl back out barely escaping the wrath of the vice principal. If I wouldn't have known the genre of this book I would have believed it to be fiction because Tobias Wolff's style of writing is very entertaining and is not dreary or slow like most of the non fiction accounts I have read. I am greatly pleases with this reading selection I've picked out right now.
New York Times Peer Pressure Driving Article
Link: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/teenagers-friends-and-bad-decisions/?src=me&ref=general
This is a very interesting article on teen driving. Temple University conducted studies on the effects of teenage, college, and adult subjects on their inclination to take risks while driving while under the observation of their peers. The studies found that teenagers have a much higher need to feel to impress their friends by running yellow lights and increasing their rates of crashing even when there friends are watching from another room. This study helped provide new information on peer pressure and its effects on teens. I can definitely agree with this article because I myself have definitely made decisions while driving with friends that I would not have done if I was alone. I recall running yellow, sometimes even red lights, and also speeding on roads that I would not have sped on if I was by myself. Overall, I believe their results absolutely concur with my thoughts on driving with friends.
This is a very interesting article on teen driving. Temple University conducted studies on the effects of teenage, college, and adult subjects on their inclination to take risks while driving while under the observation of their peers. The studies found that teenagers have a much higher need to feel to impress their friends by running yellow lights and increasing their rates of crashing even when there friends are watching from another room. This study helped provide new information on peer pressure and its effects on teens. I can definitely agree with this article because I myself have definitely made decisions while driving with friends that I would not have done if I was alone. I recall running yellow, sometimes even red lights, and also speeding on roads that I would not have sped on if I was by myself. Overall, I believe their results absolutely concur with my thoughts on driving with friends.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 16-50, By Tobias Wolff
SUMMARY:
On page 16, Roy is introduced back into the story. I failed to mention in my earlier post, but Roy is the man that Toby's mother ran from in Florida. Roy lives with the two once again and begins to develop an urge for Uranium himself. Roy is skeptical about Toby's mom due to the fact that she left him in Florida so Roy decides to follow Rosemary (Toby's mother's name) home from work without her knowing. One day, however, Roy waits outside for Toby's mother to come out of work, but she never shows. Roy then proceeds in driving down the road and eventually ending up back home to find Rosemary cooking dinner on the stove. He then asks her how work was and she replies that it is busy. Roy gives her a cunning smile and says " Even the boy knows what you are up too" and with that remark he leaves the room.
Next, Toby is baptized and faced with the obstacle of confession. Lacking anything to say, Toby leaves his first session with the priest and talks to Sister James who told him that when she was little she used to steal money and talk bad about people behind their backs. Toby then cunningly goes into the confessional and tells the priest that he steals money from his mother and also talks badly about people behind their backs. Toby finishes his confession and leaves.
In the next scene, Toby receives a .22 rifle for his Easter present from Roy. Toby loves the rifle and although he is not allowed to get it out when Roy and his mother are gone, he does it anyways. At first, Toby used to just clean the gun, but overtime it turned into Toby masquerading around the apartment in Roy's army gear and aiming at potential targets outside the window. One day, Toby was playing this game and saw Sister James approach the apartment. She came up to the door and slipped an envelope addressing Toby's mother since Toby had not been going to archery. Taking precautionary actions, Toby burns the letter and rinses it down the drain, and says that he never saw Sister James again.
One day, Roy left for a fishing trip, and when Toby came home after school his mother already had all the bags packed. Toby and his mother departed for Seattle that night. Toby describes his boyhood in Seattle, and he describes that they now live in a boarding house with only two other women in the complex Marian and Kathy. Toby bets in the wrong crowd with two boys Terry Taylor and Terry Silver. They would go around breaking windows and dropped eggs at cars over buildings. Toby lived two worlds by being the semi bad kid with his friends and the good child with his mom.
RESPONSE:
This book is great. Its a nonfiction memoir but it reads like a fantasy story. I thought it was quite comical when Toby listened to Sister James and then used her old sins as his sins for his confession. This was the first glimpse at Toby's swindling side who enjoyed cleverly tricking others and preforming illegal acts. I was thrown off by this side of Toby because before this I saw him as a good mom's kid, but when this scene happened it made this book a lot more enjoyable and a quicker read. Great book so far.
On page 16, Roy is introduced back into the story. I failed to mention in my earlier post, but Roy is the man that Toby's mother ran from in Florida. Roy lives with the two once again and begins to develop an urge for Uranium himself. Roy is skeptical about Toby's mom due to the fact that she left him in Florida so Roy decides to follow Rosemary (Toby's mother's name) home from work without her knowing. One day, however, Roy waits outside for Toby's mother to come out of work, but she never shows. Roy then proceeds in driving down the road and eventually ending up back home to find Rosemary cooking dinner on the stove. He then asks her how work was and she replies that it is busy. Roy gives her a cunning smile and says " Even the boy knows what you are up too" and with that remark he leaves the room.
Next, Toby is baptized and faced with the obstacle of confession. Lacking anything to say, Toby leaves his first session with the priest and talks to Sister James who told him that when she was little she used to steal money and talk bad about people behind their backs. Toby then cunningly goes into the confessional and tells the priest that he steals money from his mother and also talks badly about people behind their backs. Toby finishes his confession and leaves.
In the next scene, Toby receives a .22 rifle for his Easter present from Roy. Toby loves the rifle and although he is not allowed to get it out when Roy and his mother are gone, he does it anyways. At first, Toby used to just clean the gun, but overtime it turned into Toby masquerading around the apartment in Roy's army gear and aiming at potential targets outside the window. One day, Toby was playing this game and saw Sister James approach the apartment. She came up to the door and slipped an envelope addressing Toby's mother since Toby had not been going to archery. Taking precautionary actions, Toby burns the letter and rinses it down the drain, and says that he never saw Sister James again.
One day, Roy left for a fishing trip, and when Toby came home after school his mother already had all the bags packed. Toby and his mother departed for Seattle that night. Toby describes his boyhood in Seattle, and he describes that they now live in a boarding house with only two other women in the complex Marian and Kathy. Toby bets in the wrong crowd with two boys Terry Taylor and Terry Silver. They would go around breaking windows and dropped eggs at cars over buildings. Toby lived two worlds by being the semi bad kid with his friends and the good child with his mom.
RESPONSE:
This book is great. Its a nonfiction memoir but it reads like a fantasy story. I thought it was quite comical when Toby listened to Sister James and then used her old sins as his sins for his confession. This was the first glimpse at Toby's swindling side who enjoyed cleverly tricking others and preforming illegal acts. I was thrown off by this side of Toby because before this I saw him as a good mom's kid, but when this scene happened it made this book a lot more enjoyable and a quicker read. Great book so far.
Potential Colleges I Would Like To Attend:
 |
| North Western |
These are the top four colleges that I would like to go to for school. I aspire to go into a premedical program. Probably majoring in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering. My goal would be to get into either University of Chicago, North Western, or Notre Dame, and I have Indiana University as my back up school. Indiana University does have a good medical program though, and they will end up being the most economically practical choice considering that the other three colleges are prestigious high costing colleges. In order to achieve my goal I need to start doing some more extra curricular activities and do well on my SAT and ACT. I hope things turn out for the best.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Reading: This Boy's Life; pages 1-15, By Tobias Wolff
This story begins with a boy named Toby and his mother waiting outside their nash rambler on the road waiting for the engine to cool down. While standing on the road the two here an air horn in the distance. The sounds gets closer and around to corner a large truck with a trailer on the back is flying down the road pulling its horn. The mother turns to Toby and said "Oh Toby, he's lost his brakes." The truck continued down the highway and when Toby and his mother caught up to it there was a bunch of people huddled over the edge of a cliff where the truck had driven off. People looked down the over hundred foot fall towards the truck, and no one said a word.
Its 1955, Toby explains that they are moving from Sarasota, Florida to Utah because his mother is trying to escape from a man who scares her and to get rich on uranium. It then describes their car journey through small Southern towns as people on their front porch wave and whistle at his mother. Toby then goes into the background of his mother in which he says that she was born in Beverly Hills to a navy officer and paper millionaire father. However right before her Irish father lost all his many he went overseas. The mother then described the Mexican neighbors they had who had struck it rich on oil, and she told Toby that something like that was going to happen to them.
Toby and his mom then arrive and Utah and Toby wants to change his name to Jack. His mom agrees as long as Toby takes catechism classes at the church and so he agrees. Toby's father catches word of this and he and Toby get in a small fit over changing an Irish family name, which turns out it was not at all. In this argument Toby explains his father's false affection for family lineage as he has a fake coat of arms and supposed "antique family furniture." Eventually the father gives in and Toby begins taking catechism classes. Here we are introduced to Sister James, the enthusiastic Church teacher. She makes Toby choose a club to meet in after school and he chooses archery. At first Toby says that they would shoot at targets, but occasionally "miss fire"an arrow towards the neighbor's cats in a field. When the cats became smart and didn't come back Toby and other kids devised a new game. When Sister James was gone the boys went into the forests and hunted each other. Toby explains all the close calls such as when one boy got shot in the wallet, and other tales that would go down as legends. One day, however, when Toby was in the woods playing he heard leaves rustle behind him and when he turned around Sister Jane was standing there. She said, "Games Over" and that was that.
I think that this book is pretty cool so far. The character Toby is somewhat comical which provides for an easy flow in the story and the great use of description makes it easy to paint the setting in my mind. So far the stories that Toby has told sparks child hood memories that I remember having, like playing games with my neighbors, and all the good old outside adventures that I would have with my guy pals before they were lazily forgotten of with a quick flash of my face on a drivers license. The light hearted trip back in time that this book provides is making me want to continue reading it to see where it goes.
Its 1955, Toby explains that they are moving from Sarasota, Florida to Utah because his mother is trying to escape from a man who scares her and to get rich on uranium. It then describes their car journey through small Southern towns as people on their front porch wave and whistle at his mother. Toby then goes into the background of his mother in which he says that she was born in Beverly Hills to a navy officer and paper millionaire father. However right before her Irish father lost all his many he went overseas. The mother then described the Mexican neighbors they had who had struck it rich on oil, and she told Toby that something like that was going to happen to them.
Toby and his mom then arrive and Utah and Toby wants to change his name to Jack. His mom agrees as long as Toby takes catechism classes at the church and so he agrees. Toby's father catches word of this and he and Toby get in a small fit over changing an Irish family name, which turns out it was not at all. In this argument Toby explains his father's false affection for family lineage as he has a fake coat of arms and supposed "antique family furniture." Eventually the father gives in and Toby begins taking catechism classes. Here we are introduced to Sister James, the enthusiastic Church teacher. She makes Toby choose a club to meet in after school and he chooses archery. At first Toby says that they would shoot at targets, but occasionally "miss fire"an arrow towards the neighbor's cats in a field. When the cats became smart and didn't come back Toby and other kids devised a new game. When Sister James was gone the boys went into the forests and hunted each other. Toby explains all the close calls such as when one boy got shot in the wallet, and other tales that would go down as legends. One day, however, when Toby was in the woods playing he heard leaves rustle behind him and when he turned around Sister Jane was standing there. She said, "Games Over" and that was that.
I think that this book is pretty cool so far. The character Toby is somewhat comical which provides for an easy flow in the story and the great use of description makes it easy to paint the setting in my mind. So far the stories that Toby has told sparks child hood memories that I remember having, like playing games with my neighbors, and all the good old outside adventures that I would have with my guy pals before they were lazily forgotten of with a quick flash of my face on a drivers license. The light hearted trip back in time that this book provides is making me want to continue reading it to see where it goes.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Reading: The Road; pages 261-287 (The End), by Cormac McCarthy
On page 261, the lines start out with thoughts inside the father's head in which he is thinking about how he is going to die and what he should say to the boy. It then goes back to the mans actions as he is sorting through their supply of cans making sure they are suitable to eat. They then begin walking back down the coast again and in three days they come across a small port town and looked in a house for food nut found nothing. The father and boy continue wheeling the cart down the town until something whistled past his head. The father dives down and covers the boy with his body, and sees a man in the window with a bow drawn back. The father protects the boy and hears the bow snap followed by a sharp pain in his leg. The father in anger turns around and shoots his flair gun up into the window at the man. The man flails back and screams as the father proceeds in limping to the back of the house and goes up the stairs to find a woman crying in the corner covering the man. The father leaves them there and takes the boy and the cart and continue traveling until they made camp in a store at the end of town. The father then tells the boy to get the first aid kit but the boy does not move and so the father angrily yells at him again to get it. The boy grabs it and gives it to the father who begins stitching his wound up as the boy watches.
They stayed there for the day and the father asks if the boy wants to tell a story but the boy says no. When the father asks why the boy replies its because they are not true because in all the stories they are helping people, but they never actually help people. The father then tries to persuade the boy to tell him a dream or anything but the boy does not want to because there all about bad things. The boy then tells the dad that he hears him get up in the night coughing up blood and that one time he heard him crying.
They leave the store two days later and continued walking but finding nothing on their path. After a few days the father takes his stitches out and then coughs up blood. The story continues describing their travel and the father's troubles as he is forced to rest and is continually coughing, and there is little to no more conversation between he and his boy. It describes the two walking past dead trees and burned cities. Winter was upon them and it was cold as they continued walking, for that was all that they could do. The father and boy kept walking and went inland and within two days they came back to a road and walk ten miles in two days until they came to a crossroads. The father coughed until he could not cough anymore and knew that this was here he would die. The boy's eyes were welling as he knew his Papa was dieing. The father laid back in the grass and did not want anything to cover him and refused to eat the last can of food they had which was peaches. The father took the boys hand and told him that the boy would be alright because he would be lucky as they had been. He tells the boy to do everything they had done and to find the good guys. The boy is crying and telling the father that he wants to go with him but the father says that he can't but that the boy can talk to him when he is gone and that the boy will hear his father. The father then falls asleep as the boy watches him and when the father awakes in the night coughing blood the boy is still there watching him. The boy then proceeds in questioning the dad if he remembers the little boy they saw and the father does. The boy then asks if he thinks he is alright and the father says that he thinks the little boy is alright and that goodness will save him. The little boy slept close with his father that night but when he woke in the morning the father was stiff and cold. The boy tried calling the father's name over and over but there was no reply. The boy stayed there lamenting for three days and then walked back onto the road.
When the boy approached the road he looked down the way and saw a man coming his way. The boy didn't even try to run and just watched as the man carrying a shotgun came closer. The man has been watching the father and boy for sometime and asks if the boy would like to come with him and his wife who had a little boy and girl. The boy asks if the man is carrying the fire and the man confused at first realizes what he was asking and said yes. The boy then went back to his father and said goodbye and cried for a little while and told him that he would talk to him every day. The boy then rose and went back to the road with the man and the woman.They then set back off on the road. The woman would talk to the boy about God sometimes, but to the boy the best thing was to talk to his dad.
This book was phenomenal. I have never felt more realness of the characters than when I was reading this book. Cormac McCarthy's description of an obliterated world with a small sense of goodness in a boy and his father is breathtaking. The hardest part that I had with this book was reading through the section where the father dies because I have never read anything where the good guy dies in the end and it startled me, and I felt the emotions that the little boy was going through. One thing I thought interesting in The Road, was that when the father found the safe haven in the ground the boy chose for their first meal to be a can of peaches, and when the father was dieing the last can of food left that they had together was also a can of peaches. The other thing about this book that I thought was interesting was the allusion to God. There are doubters such as the old man who didn't believe in God and would eventually die, and then there was the father and the boy who did and had constant luck which helped them survive. The father told the boy that goodness and luck will happen to them, and on the third day after the father (Sign of hope and goodness) died, the boy went to the road and went in to the company of another good family; Almost like how in the bible Jesus died, and then rose on the third day. This book is full of lessons in life, like to appreciate what you have, and is overall a masterpiece of literary fiction in my opinion.
They stayed there for the day and the father asks if the boy wants to tell a story but the boy says no. When the father asks why the boy replies its because they are not true because in all the stories they are helping people, but they never actually help people. The father then tries to persuade the boy to tell him a dream or anything but the boy does not want to because there all about bad things. The boy then tells the dad that he hears him get up in the night coughing up blood and that one time he heard him crying.
They leave the store two days later and continued walking but finding nothing on their path. After a few days the father takes his stitches out and then coughs up blood. The story continues describing their travel and the father's troubles as he is forced to rest and is continually coughing, and there is little to no more conversation between he and his boy. It describes the two walking past dead trees and burned cities. Winter was upon them and it was cold as they continued walking, for that was all that they could do. The father and boy kept walking and went inland and within two days they came back to a road and walk ten miles in two days until they came to a crossroads. The father coughed until he could not cough anymore and knew that this was here he would die. The boy's eyes were welling as he knew his Papa was dieing. The father laid back in the grass and did not want anything to cover him and refused to eat the last can of food they had which was peaches. The father took the boys hand and told him that the boy would be alright because he would be lucky as they had been. He tells the boy to do everything they had done and to find the good guys. The boy is crying and telling the father that he wants to go with him but the father says that he can't but that the boy can talk to him when he is gone and that the boy will hear his father. The father then falls asleep as the boy watches him and when the father awakes in the night coughing blood the boy is still there watching him. The boy then proceeds in questioning the dad if he remembers the little boy they saw and the father does. The boy then asks if he thinks he is alright and the father says that he thinks the little boy is alright and that goodness will save him. The little boy slept close with his father that night but when he woke in the morning the father was stiff and cold. The boy tried calling the father's name over and over but there was no reply. The boy stayed there lamenting for three days and then walked back onto the road.
When the boy approached the road he looked down the way and saw a man coming his way. The boy didn't even try to run and just watched as the man carrying a shotgun came closer. The man has been watching the father and boy for sometime and asks if the boy would like to come with him and his wife who had a little boy and girl. The boy asks if the man is carrying the fire and the man confused at first realizes what he was asking and said yes. The boy then went back to his father and said goodbye and cried for a little while and told him that he would talk to him every day. The boy then rose and went back to the road with the man and the woman.They then set back off on the road. The woman would talk to the boy about God sometimes, but to the boy the best thing was to talk to his dad.
This book was phenomenal. I have never felt more realness of the characters than when I was reading this book. Cormac McCarthy's description of an obliterated world with a small sense of goodness in a boy and his father is breathtaking. The hardest part that I had with this book was reading through the section where the father dies because I have never read anything where the good guy dies in the end and it startled me, and I felt the emotions that the little boy was going through. One thing I thought interesting in The Road, was that when the father found the safe haven in the ground the boy chose for their first meal to be a can of peaches, and when the father was dieing the last can of food left that they had together was also a can of peaches. The other thing about this book that I thought was interesting was the allusion to God. There are doubters such as the old man who didn't believe in God and would eventually die, and then there was the father and the boy who did and had constant luck which helped them survive. The father told the boy that goodness and luck will happen to them, and on the third day after the father (Sign of hope and goodness) died, the boy went to the road and went in to the company of another good family; Almost like how in the bible Jesus died, and then rose on the third day. This book is full of lessons in life, like to appreciate what you have, and is overall a masterpiece of literary fiction in my opinion.
2 Websites I Enjoy
1: Goodmusicallday.com Although I would not recommend playing these songs in school due to some songs having explicit lyrics, this website is a place that I go to constantly to hear new up and coming artist. It contains mainly Hip Hop songs, however, and is targeted more towards high school and college students.
2. Todaysbigthing.com This website contains the funniest videos that are posted on the web for that day. I can't be sure if they are all school appropriate but I haven't seen any that would be too bad. If your trying to get a quick laugh, see something cool, or just find a video to share with friends, I would recommend this site.
2. Todaysbigthing.com This website contains the funniest videos that are posted on the web for that day. I can't be sure if they are all school appropriate but I haven't seen any that would be too bad. If your trying to get a quick laugh, see something cool, or just find a video to share with friends, I would recommend this site.
POEM
A World of Light
If I close my eyes now, I can still see them
canopied by the visor of my sunhat:
three children islanded on a narrow rim
of earth between the huge crack-willow that
they squat before, hushed, poised to net a frog,
and the pond the frog will jump to (it got away)
a glass its dive will shatter.
The unbroken image
pleases my mind’s eye with its density,
such thick crisscross of tree-trunk, earth, and tall grass
I see no breach, no source for the light that steeps it
but a blue burning in the pond’s green glass.
The grass withered, the tree blew down, earth caught
the frog, the children grew. Sky’s ice-blue flame
teased along the wick it would consume.
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