Wednesday, September 25, 2013
English IV Question 1- Due 9/26
First of all, what book are you reading? Then, tell me about the main character(s) of your books--their names, personality traits, motivations, inner qualities. Why do they do what they do? What is the conflict they encounter along the way? How do they react to this conflict? Are their actions justified? Do you admire or disapprove of them? Are they realistic; do they remind you of people you know?
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I'm reading A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers. The main character's name is Dave because the book is a sort of fictionalized autobiography. It's confusing. He's sarcastic and funny, but also burdened and confused. His parents died when he was in his early twenties, leaving him to raise his 8 or 9 year old brother, Toph, with some help from his sister, Beth. So most of his motivations have to do with Toph. He has a job so he can help provide for Toph. He goes out at night to have some time away from Toph so he doesn't lose his temper as easily. He comes home early on those nights because he's worried about Toph. I think Dave is as much Toph's parent as he is his brother. Not only in the legal sense, but also in the way that he takes such good care of him. I like Dave. I don't like everything that he does, but he usually rights the wrongs and starts over again, and this makes him very realistic. He does remind me of someone I know. It's almost scary how much they resemble each other.
I am reading Plain Truth by jodi Picoult. There are really two main characters, Katie Fisher, and Ellie. Katie fisher, unknown by an other character in the book, has just given birth in the barn on the farm. Katie is part of an amish family and things like this were not heard of. Katie is very sweet and loving. Ellie is an attorney that that has taken on some big cases. She often has nightmares strangely about cases that she has already had or will have. Ellie has a short temper because of all of her stress. Right at the beginning of the book they have both encountered some kind of a problem. Katie has just given birth, and now the farms hands have found a baby wrapped in clothes in the toolshed of the barn, dead. Ellie is dealing with a huge case and could possibly take on another one. For the most part they can both handle their problems but get short and act weird when confronted by certain people. Right now not knowing their full reaction to all the conflicts that are going on around them it is hard to tell whether I like them or not. Katie and Ellie are both very realistic. I do know people kind of like them. Maybe not to the extent of a dead baby but by the way they have acted you can tell that these could easily be made into a real human being.
I’m reading Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass. The main character of the book is Frederick Douglass, a mulatto slave living during the 1800’s. Douglass desires to be free, but he isn’t just a careless slave who runs away whenever. Frederick Douglass was a very smart man; he made sure to plan most things about before trying to accomplish them. Douglass is strong-willed and will fights for what he wants. His main goal is to become free and change his life around, so he does what he does to accomplish that. Douglass encounters many conflicts on his path to freedom, which all link back to him being a slave. He had to work hard every day to please someone who tortured him and worked him too hard. Douglass was tried mentally and physically every day he was a slave, and though sometimes he lost it, he always pulled himself back together and did what had to be done. His actions are very admirable and completely justified. It was normal for a slave to act up once in awhile, but most of the times they tried to be obedient, which is what Douglass set out to do. Douglass’s actions are very realistic of the time. He showed how how most slaves living in the North went about life. Frederick Douglass, in a way, reminds me of Nelson Mandela. Douglass and Mandela were both forced to go through tough times, and they both worked for their innermost desires until they achieved their dreams.
I am reading Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult. So far in my book there are 4 main characters Jack St. Bride, Addie Peabody, Roy Peabody, and Gilliam Duncan. All we know about Jack St. Bride so far is that he was in prison, had a phd in History, and now works at Addie Peabody's dinner as a dish washer. Addie Peabody is owner of a dinner called Do-or-Diner she took over the restaurant after he mother died however her father Roy Peabody started drinking after his wife's death and now his daughter takes care of him. Gillian is the daughter of Abose the richest man in town all we know about her is her and her friends like to try and do magic. The reason Abose takes care of her father is because their would be no one else to do it and he would die. In the beginning of the book we learn that Addie's biggest conflict at the moment was her dish washer and refrigerator were broken and she had her customers have a contest to see who build the best snow man inside. I approve of how Addie handles everything that is thrown at her in her life. The two people I disapprove of the most are Jack and Roy because they are both in some way hurting Addie by not telling her the truth. My characters so far do not remind me anyone I know yet but that could be because I do not know everything about them yet.
My book is called Thirteen Reasons Why. The main characters are Hannah Baker, a girl who committed suicide and recorded tapes listing the reasons and people who led her to her choice of committing suicide. The second main character is Clay Jensen who is currently listening to these tapes that Hannah had sent to him. Clay is listening to these tapes and realizing how horribly and taken advantage Hannah is treated. When Clay hears how people treated and what they did to Hannah he realizes how mean and cruel these people that he has know really are. I don't admire or disapprove of Hannah , but I wish she wouldn't of let these people get to her the way she did, I have been in her same shoes and I know how she felt but I dealt with it a different way and she should have too. Clay I don't approve of him because he obviously negatively impacted Hannah because he's somewhere on these tapes but I haven't figured out what he did yet. These people remind me of every day people because there are people that are like those on the tape and are mean and mistreating of their peers around them and don't eve n realize it. There are also people that are just like Hannah who commit suicide or get really close and they feel the need to end their lives because of all the harsh things that their peers do.
I'm reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. The main characters so far are Mr. and Mrs. Shelby, a slave trader, Eliza, George and Uncle Tom's family. Mr. and Mrs. Shelby are supposed to be really good people. The slave trader is sort of sneaky and a tacky person. George and Eliza are married; Eliza works for the Shelbys and George lives on a different plantation down the road. Mr. Shelby got into some kind of trouble and is going have to give Tom, his best slave, to the slave trader. The slave trader also wants Eliza and her baby. The slave trader is blackmailing Mr. Shelby into giving up some of his best slaves. It hasn't said what Mr. Shelby has done yet, but Mr. Shelby hasn't told anyone that he's probably going to have to sell Tom and Eliza.
I'm reading "Lord of the Flies" by William Golding. The story takes place on an island that a bunch of kids on a plane crash into. the 4 main named characters that I've encountered so far are Ralph, Jack, and Piggy. There are a lot more kids on the island, but those are the main ones so far. Ralph is the current leader of the group, with Jack leading the hunters, and Piggy complaining about what Jack and Ralph are doing. As i've already said, they are stuck on an island, and no-one knows they are there. There might be something/someone else on the island, children are lazy and unfocused, making poor workers, and they've already messed up signaling a passing ship. They aren't reacting very well, and I imagine they are going to start offing each other soon. I disapprove of their choices, but it's understandable. They are kids after all.
I am reading a sad book called death be not proud and it is about a boy who has a brain tumor and he is dieing and he does not have much time left and he knows it and he is going to live life to the fullest before he dies
I'm reading Slaughterhouse V by Kurt Vonnegut. The main character is Billy Pilgrim, and the book is written in first person as an account of Billy attempting to write his own book about what happened during WWII in Dresden. So far he's trying to get his old war buddy to help him write the book.
I am reading the book, The Sea Wolf, by Jack London. So far there is a character telling the story, but I don't believe that he is the main character. His name is not given, but he is a very relaxed and calm person. In one situation, he was on a sinking boat full of screaming women. He was able to keep the people calm just by being calm himself. I think that when he stays calm in bad situations, it gives other people hope because they think that if he is not worried about the situation then they are going to be ok. Inside, I think he is worried about what is going on, but he just doesn't show it. I think that he could be a realistic character because I think a lot of people can do what he does.
I am reading The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The main character is Tom Joad, who was released from prison after serving four years for being accused of manslaughter. He wants to get back home to work on his family farm. On his way home, he meets a friend, and they return to Tom's home to find his and all farms nearby deserted. So far, I approve of the actions of the main character, because he wants to get back to what his life used to be before he had to go to prison.
I am reading Moby Dick by Herman Melville. The book starts off with narrator Ishmael talking. He decides he wants to go to sea, but he doesn't want to pay to be on a ship, so he becomes a sailor. He has always been fascinated with the sea, so he signs up to go whaling. The only person thats a main character that I have met so far is Ishmael. The main character is poor, but he loves the sea and ocean, so he chooses to be a sailor because he gets paid to be one.
I'm reading Life as we knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer. The book sort of reminds me of that new show called under the dome, but in the book it is no dome that changes people's life, it's that the moon was knocked closer to earth and this forces people to go with electricity, food, heat, shops, ect. The characters are pretty general. They are just regular families trying to figure out how to survive. But the main character is Miranda. The book is told from her point of view because she writes her experiences down in a journal. So far, Miranda seems to be a nice and admirable teenager trying to figure out how to deal with the massive changes.
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