1) I think I would probably end up staying with him. Jane is very in love with Rochester and if I were, in her position, I wouldn't be able to just walk away from him. I think if the circumstances were different, then she'd have more of a reason to leave and be done with him, but it's not completely his fault.
2) I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would. At first, I thought I wouldn't like it because of the writing style and the language. But once I started reading it and the story started picking up, I wanted to keep reading. I got used to the writing style and that made it a lot easier to read. I think one thing that really made the book as good as it was, is Jane's personality. It's interesting to keep reading about her and what she's going to do, because she acts differently then the typical governess is supposed to. She has a lot of independence.
3) I do think this book should continue to be taught in College Literature. It gives us a new perspective on reading, one that many of us haven't really experienced. The writing style is different and at times difficult to understand, but that's the point. This is a class that is meant to prepare us for the readings we will face in college and I think Jane Eyre is a good book to help expose us to that reading level.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Jane Eyre: Social Classes
Throughout Jane Eyre, we see the common theme of social class. It's everywhere! We see Jane's side, being the poor orphan who has no social status and then we also see the other side with the people she lives with. Bronte did a good job of portraying what it was like living in the Victorian times. Since Jane was sent to Lowood as a child she learned her manners, education, and discipline -all things the typical aristocrat were expected to know. But being a governess, she was still considered to be part of the servant or lower class. Back then, social class pretty much determined everything. With the position Jane was in, she didn't really have any power anywhere she went. Her understanding of this double standard became evident when she started having feelings for Rochester because they were obviously from two seperate classes. While she contains the knowledge and the manners to match Rochester, they are not socially equal.
An example from the book where Jane speaks out about social prejudice was in chapter 23 when she said to Rochester, "Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you—and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you."
Social class had such a major impact on the lives of people living in the Victorian era. It played a part in pretty much everything. Today, its not as important to us. Sure, it plays its part in some situations, but it doesn't have quite the same impact on us.
An example from the book where Jane speaks out about social prejudice was in chapter 23 when she said to Rochester, "Do you think, because I am poor, obscure, plain, and little, I am soulless and heartless? You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you—and full as much heart! And if God had gifted me with some beauty and much wealth, I should have made it as hard for you to leave me, as it is now for me to leave you."
Social class had such a major impact on the lives of people living in the Victorian era. It played a part in pretty much everything. Today, its not as important to us. Sure, it plays its part in some situations, but it doesn't have quite the same impact on us.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Catcher In The Rye
I'm going to start off by saying I'm glad we are done with this book!
When we first started it, I wasn't really interested and it wasn't grabbing my attention whatsoever. I didn't necessarily think it was a bad book, just boring. It was hard for me to get into it so the first couple nights of reading were hard because I had to make myself sit down and read it. As we got further into it, it was easier for me to read in some ways. Holden still drove me crazy with his repetitiveness and his depressing attitude towards everything. I couldn't stand the way he hated absolutely EVERYTHING. I found it to be very annoying. But as we read, he became more and more odd so it wasn't quite as difficult to sit down and read it because I wanted to figure out what was going on with this guy. Another aspect of the book that kept me reading was the climax of the story. Some may ask, what climax? That's what I was saying too. I didn't really know where this story was going. There didn't seem to be much of a point to it. All it was to me was a bunch of random memories, people, and stories that didn't really connect. So I was hoping that as I kept reading, everything would come together and we would reach the climax. But to me, there really wasn't much of a climax. The story seemed pretty flat. The one major highlight of the book for me was when Holden was with his sistor at the carousal and he finally said he was happy. FINALLY! For once in this book he was hating the world.
Overall, it wasn't necessarily a bad book, it just wasn't the book for me. I'm glad we are done with it.
When we first started it, I wasn't really interested and it wasn't grabbing my attention whatsoever. I didn't necessarily think it was a bad book, just boring. It was hard for me to get into it so the first couple nights of reading were hard because I had to make myself sit down and read it. As we got further into it, it was easier for me to read in some ways. Holden still drove me crazy with his repetitiveness and his depressing attitude towards everything. I couldn't stand the way he hated absolutely EVERYTHING. I found it to be very annoying. But as we read, he became more and more odd so it wasn't quite as difficult to sit down and read it because I wanted to figure out what was going on with this guy. Another aspect of the book that kept me reading was the climax of the story. Some may ask, what climax? That's what I was saying too. I didn't really know where this story was going. There didn't seem to be much of a point to it. All it was to me was a bunch of random memories, people, and stories that didn't really connect. So I was hoping that as I kept reading, everything would come together and we would reach the climax. But to me, there really wasn't much of a climax. The story seemed pretty flat. The one major highlight of the book for me was when Holden was with his sistor at the carousal and he finally said he was happy. FINALLY! For once in this book he was hating the world.
Overall, it wasn't necessarily a bad book, it just wasn't the book for me. I'm glad we are done with it.
Bloggin' On Holden
One part of the story that really stood out to me was when we were introduced to the character of Ackley. Right away Ackley seems kind of odd. Holden says, "he was a very peculiar guy" and it shows. In the first paragraph of Ackley coming in, it's just full of judgemental thoughts from Holden. One thought that stuck out and was kind of gross was the whole thing about the teeth. Holden mentioned that in all the time of rooming next to him, he never once saw Ackley brush his teeth. That's just really gross. Throughout the time that we get to know Ackley as a character, he comes off as being really odd and socially awkward. He doesn't really follow the typical social rules that most people follow, like not just walking in on someone, or good hygiene. It seems as though he is not all there in the way he acts.
I chose this part of the story because it caught my attention as something interesting and kind of funny. I mean, he has this weird neighbor that cuts through the bathroom at least 5 times a day and just walks into his room for no reason. It's just so random but entertaining. It shows us how Holden interacts with other people that he has to deal with on a daily basis instead of just Mr. Spencer. When Holden talks to Mr. Spencer, he seems pretty immature, but when he is with Ackley he seems to be more mature for the most part.
After reading more about Ackley, I started wondering if there was something more to the story. Is there something that's actually wrong with him? Or is he just really weird? With the way he interacts with Holden and the way he makes him repeat everything twice and how he never really got the hint to leave, it just seems like there has got to be something wrong with him because he can't be that oblivious to everything going on.
I chose this part of the story because it caught my attention as something interesting and kind of funny. I mean, he has this weird neighbor that cuts through the bathroom at least 5 times a day and just walks into his room for no reason. It's just so random but entertaining. It shows us how Holden interacts with other people that he has to deal with on a daily basis instead of just Mr. Spencer. When Holden talks to Mr. Spencer, he seems pretty immature, but when he is with Ackley he seems to be more mature for the most part.
After reading more about Ackley, I started wondering if there was something more to the story. Is there something that's actually wrong with him? Or is he just really weird? With the way he interacts with Holden and the way he makes him repeat everything twice and how he never really got the hint to leave, it just seems like there has got to be something wrong with him because he can't be that oblivious to everything going on.
Visions of Childhood
While reading The Sutton Pie Safe, I got the idea that the author was trying to give the image of childhood through how the characters interacted with each other. The one quote in the story that really stood out to me was, "you ought not try to buy what hasn't been put up for sale." I think a main point of this short story was to appreciacte the things you do have and pay attention to your words and actions because you don't know who they may affect.
In Every Little Hurricane, the main character Victor had to deal with a lot of family issues and drama. This little boy didn't really get a chance to enjoy his childhood because he has to deal with his family who are always loud, drunk, or fighting. Victor had to grow up pretty quickly in order to handle those situations on his own, which no child should have to do. While most children can go to their parents bedroom at night and expect to find comfort with them, Victor has to walk in to find his parents passed out on the bed. He tries to find comfort in the little things like just being in between them, even if they aren't able to calm him down. No kid should have to deal with that. I think in this story, the author is trying to show the darker side of childhood that may not be the desired way to grow up, but there are so many out there that have to go through issues like Victor.
The story we read was Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? This short story has the darkness of the past story and takes it to a whole new disturbing level. In this story, the author is trying to relate more to the early teenage years more than being a little kid. Having been through it, we all know how difficult it can be to go through those years. We've all done things that may have pushed the limits, or break the rules. It's part of growing up. The main character, Connie, is just the typical teenager in my eyes. She's got an attitude like many of us did at that age and she's just trying to see what she can get away with. Connie has the attitude that she's on top of the world and nothing bad can ever happen to her, until she meets Arnold Friend. And we all know how that turns out. But what I think the author is trying to get across in this story is that nobody is invincible like they might think they are. When deciding to do things, we all need to think about the possible consequences.
Bottle Caps was an interesting short story. It was kind of weird. What I got out of this story was that kids can find enjoyment out of the littlest things, like making a graveyard for insects. When you're young, you will do just about anything for entertainment and I think that's pretty cool. They don't over think everything, they just do whatever to have fun.
In the story For Esme - With Love and Squalor, they portrayed childhood through a young girl growing up during war-time. This girl is incredibly smart for her age and she knows it. Salinger shows how two different kinds of people can connect in this story. It's kind of an odd connection because it is this young girl and this older guy who decide to stay in touch with each other after talking for only a short time in a coffee shop. What I got out of this was how people can connect and form relationships growing up.
The movie I chose was A Cinderella Story. I chose this movie because it is about a girl who's dad died when she was young and she had to grow up with her stepmom and stepsisters who she didn't like. It was really tough for her growing up because she was treated unfairly and she had always wanted to to Princeton for college but she had to work for her money to get there. A lot of us have people who are willing to help us out but she didn't. She had to overcome a lot of things and work hard to get what she wanted. It kind of relates to Every Little Hurricane in the way of being an unfair way for a kid to grow up.
In Every Little Hurricane, the main character Victor had to deal with a lot of family issues and drama. This little boy didn't really get a chance to enjoy his childhood because he has to deal with his family who are always loud, drunk, or fighting. Victor had to grow up pretty quickly in order to handle those situations on his own, which no child should have to do. While most children can go to their parents bedroom at night and expect to find comfort with them, Victor has to walk in to find his parents passed out on the bed. He tries to find comfort in the little things like just being in between them, even if they aren't able to calm him down. No kid should have to deal with that. I think in this story, the author is trying to show the darker side of childhood that may not be the desired way to grow up, but there are so many out there that have to go through issues like Victor.
The story we read was Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been? This short story has the darkness of the past story and takes it to a whole new disturbing level. In this story, the author is trying to relate more to the early teenage years more than being a little kid. Having been through it, we all know how difficult it can be to go through those years. We've all done things that may have pushed the limits, or break the rules. It's part of growing up. The main character, Connie, is just the typical teenager in my eyes. She's got an attitude like many of us did at that age and she's just trying to see what she can get away with. Connie has the attitude that she's on top of the world and nothing bad can ever happen to her, until she meets Arnold Friend. And we all know how that turns out. But what I think the author is trying to get across in this story is that nobody is invincible like they might think they are. When deciding to do things, we all need to think about the possible consequences.
Bottle Caps was an interesting short story. It was kind of weird. What I got out of this story was that kids can find enjoyment out of the littlest things, like making a graveyard for insects. When you're young, you will do just about anything for entertainment and I think that's pretty cool. They don't over think everything, they just do whatever to have fun.
In the story For Esme - With Love and Squalor, they portrayed childhood through a young girl growing up during war-time. This girl is incredibly smart for her age and she knows it. Salinger shows how two different kinds of people can connect in this story. It's kind of an odd connection because it is this young girl and this older guy who decide to stay in touch with each other after talking for only a short time in a coffee shop. What I got out of this was how people can connect and form relationships growing up.
The movie I chose was A Cinderella Story. I chose this movie because it is about a girl who's dad died when she was young and she had to grow up with her stepmom and stepsisters who she didn't like. It was really tough for her growing up because she was treated unfairly and she had always wanted to to Princeton for college but she had to work for her money to get there. A lot of us have people who are willing to help us out but she didn't. She had to overcome a lot of things and work hard to get what she wanted. It kind of relates to Every Little Hurricane in the way of being an unfair way for a kid to grow up.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Childhood Memory
When I was younger, both my grandma and my grandpa died in the same year. That was really the first experience I had with death involving someone close to me. I felt like I did some growing up during that time because it was a difficult time for my family and I learned to appreciate things a lot more. When you're young, you go through life somewhat oblivious to things and you tend to take things for granted. That year I really learned to appreciate the people and things in my life because you never know when they'll be gone.
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