The Catcher in the Rye-Q.6

Why do we still read this book today? Is it's sole purpose in this existence to torture the minds on overly asked questions towards high school students? No, I do not think so. This book was different than the others. Holden Caulfield is a teenager which automatically makes him an extremely easy character to relate to. It is a classic coming of age story in which all people can relate to at some point in their lifetime. He seems to be a normal teenager with all of the problems he is having. Teenagers have problems and then they try to fix them. This is the whole entire life of a teenager! Even though he thinks that he does not really act his age, he really is. We are the moodiest people on the planet as a collective group! The message of this book, growing up to fast, is best told by a teenager. If it were told from the perspective of an adult I think that it would have a sense of maturity that teens do not have yet. When Holden tells the story teenagers that are teens now can relate to it and adults that were teens at some point can relate to it. I think that writing it this way makes for a more whimsical story that is humorous and fun to read. He is also pretty crass which leads to that little bit of spice and attitude people like their characters to have in a novel. All of the things I just listed make for a great novel. It has a great coming of age story, funny characters, real scenarios, and it seems just like a true story! I think that it will forever be held as a classic. All teenagers should read this as their right of passage into the world just so they know that they are not alone in this struggle.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye-Q.4

The hero in The Catcher in the Rye is the main character, Holden Caulfield. Holden is not much of a hero to anyone else but himself in this story. He does not help anyone or save anybody. He is focused only on himself. Because the story is all about him finding his way in life I think this is a good thing. If had been focusing all of his energy on other people his life would probably still be a mess. As for being a hero, he does not have many heroic traits. He is one of the most straight forward characters I have read about. He tries to be real at all times and thinks that everyone is a 'phony.' But at the same time he is very caring and loving towards his sister, Phoebe, and he does show real emotion about the loss of his brother, Allie. At other times he can be rude and crass but then switch to caring and sympathetic. When describing Holden it almost feels as though he is bi-polar, but then I remember that he is a teenage boy. If Holden was not the hero I think that Phoebe could be the closest thing to it. She shows Holden love and patience and he learns a lot from her. Heroes do not always have to be the most obvious character in the book and Phoebe could be an example of that.

That being said, Holden has a very unclear mind. He is never sure of what he wants to do and he can not get away from his own thoughts. School does not help him and the relationship with his parents is hard enough. If this book were based on a true story, I would have recommended that Holden see a therapist or a guidance counselor. I loved reading about the heroic journey that Holden went on to save himself.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye-Q.3

You can tell that J.D. Salinger knows a lot about human nature by the theme that he addresses in this novel. From the time we are born until it is time for us to leave our parents and go conquer the world on our own, most of us have been cared for and we have had a lot given to us by our caretakers. I think that a lot of people take this for granted and they think that it is their natural born right to have someone take care of you. Of course, a baby can not feed and clean itself, but you get the idea. Kids do not realize what they have while they have it. Teenagers on the other hand are starting to begin that process of seeing that they will have to take care of someone someday too. That is what being an adult is all about; taking care of other people. Unless you are a hit man everyone has a job on this planet that is to benefit others. When teenagers start getting jobs and their classes are harder they start to see what life is really like, leading to that feeling of never wanting to grow up. I personally know how hard it is to go through this transition. All adults want us to think about anymore is college and the ACT and what we want to be when we grow up and on and on and on. It is hard to think about all of those things when you are just trying to get by today without messing something up. I am not trying to make it sound like my life is terrible, because it is not, I am just saying this is how it is for most teenagers and I completely understand where Holden is coming from. The valuable theme and lesson that I got out of this book is to enjoy these high school years while we can and do not be such a grump when it does come time to think about adult things. It is going to have to happen sooner or later. The phrase YOLO does not seem to apply here, so how about 'You only go through high school once?' Maybe it will catch on...

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye-Q.2

Although there are many conflicts in the book The Catcher in the Rye, the main conflict must be the struggle that Holden faces on his path to growing up. This conflict is internal and is easy to point out because the narrator is speaking in first person. The basics of the whole thing are that he is not ready to transition from childhood to adulthood and take on all of the extra responsibilities that it will entail. Because of the pressure of the situation, Holden starts resenting people, not caring about school, and failing out of different schools. I understand where he is coming from though. His life has been very difficult with the loss of his brother, Allie, his bad relationship that he has with his parents, and the fact that he feels different from the rest of the world. The biggest cause of his conflict is obviously the death of his brother. He misses him so dearly and he wishes that he could be back. I think that having Allie back would keep Holden in a better place because he seems to have had such a great impact on his life.

This particular conflict had an excellent gain in the end. Holden finally realizes that he is not alone in the world and that people really do care for him. Phoebe, his sister, and Mr. Spencer have the greatest impact on Holden. Even though Holden decides not to become an adult these two characters were very important in the decision that he made. They showed him how to be himself again and they truly listened and cared about what he was feeling. He did lose his mind a little bit throughout the process, but I do not think it matters because the gain is so much more important than the little bit of sanity he lost on his way there.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.

The Catcher in the Rye-Q.1

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is a novel about a boy named Holden Caulfield who does not want to grow up and does everything he can to try and stop it from happening. Everyone in life has to grow up at some point and this book is the story of how Holden tries to find his way through that difficult time in is life. Through Holden's thoughts and ideas we can start to see the values and attitudes that J.D. Salinger had when writing this book. I believe that Salinger is trying to say that he understands teenagers and the fact that they want to be a kid forever. I think about this all of the time and it almost tortures me. Salinger is trying to make sure that the reader knows we do not have to attack this beast we call 'growing up' all on our own. We have adults in our lives that are there to push us along the way. Even though we do not always remember, our elders went through the same struggle as a teenager. Two of Holden's teachers in the novel are there for Holden and try to push him but he does not always see it that way. To have people like that in your life is very valuable. Holden will eventually come to see how important those teachers actually were in his development from a teenager into an adult.

This novel was written in first person to express the direct thoughts of the main character, Holden. The reader receives a better insight to what he is thinking at all times by using this form of narration. With a different type of narrator I think that the reader would become bored and the story would not be as appealing as it is in the style which it has been written in.

Salinger, J. D. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston: Little, Brown, 1951. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Clarisse

Although Clarisse was not in the novel Fahrenheit 451 for very long she had a great impact on the rest of the story. Something that sets her apart from all of the other characters in this story is that she is so young. The greatest thing of all though is that she is a thinker. Her whole family is made of thinkers and this is so strange in their world! She reminds me Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter. They are both such free spirits. Clarisse is important because she has such a big impact on Guy Montag's life. When she disappeared I was sad because I thought she could have been such a great influence on Montag's whole life change throughout the story.

When I started reading this novel I thought from the beginning that it was all going to be a doom and gloom setting the whole entire time. I was pretty much correct. The only real joy that I notice is when Clarisse is around. She cares about what the weather is doing and she is curious about Montag. She seems to be the most unique character Montag comes across. She is definitely my favorite character and she was a great influence on Montag!

Her most unique quality of all though is that she has the capability to think for herself! The other humans that surround her do not think for themselves at all which means her personality, self-awareness, and confidence must be pretty high! The kids at her school are probably the worst of all. They are mean and nasty and terrible influences on a girl that has such a pure mind. She had so much potential to be a great human being and I am sure she could have changed other lives as well. I wish Clarisse would not have gone missing from the story!

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Tone

The tone of Fahrenheit 451 is rather dark and depressing. The events in the novel lead the reader to feel like the mood and tone is very dim. The subject matter is very dark and there is no way of lighting the mood up. When talking about suppressing someones thoughts and inner most being people tend to not be as cheery. We also tend to believe that fire is supposed to mean warmth and unity but in this case it means taking away freedom of thought and being unique. They burn books in this novel so that the citizens will not be offended by the writings that have been published over the years. Personally I think that this is just the government trying to control every aspect of their lives. This quote that I found seems to point out exactly what I mean when I say the tone of this book is gloomy. "The room was blazing hot, he was all fire, he was all coldness; they sat in the middle of an empty desert with three chairs and him standing, swaying, and him waiting..."(Bradbury 99) This quote is just so depressing! It does not give you warm fuzzy feelings inside when you read it. Nothing gives you a warm fuzzy feeling inside when reading this. Unless you are a demented person, this book has no humor in it whatsoever. After doing all of these blogs I have officially decided that I have not read a single book that I have loved since starting Honors English. I hate reading things that are dark and sad when there is already enough of that in not just my life, but the whole world, that we should not have to fill our minds with it.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Q.7

What techniques does the author use to engage the audience and make the story effective? In Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury uses different techniques to engage the reader. Considering that this book is not a light read like the other novels I have blogged about so far Bradbury needed to come up with different ways of keeping the reader coming back for more. Because it has a more meaningful plot and theme the reader can try to relate their own life to Guy Montag's life. Guy Montag's struggles are easy for someone to think about. If you have ever felt oppressed or like your opinions did not matter this book is something that you could relate to. The reader begins to cheer Guy Montag on in his hope to become America's Next Top Model. (Heehee. I just had to do it!) The reader has to finish the story to see if he completed his goal of including books and personal thoughts back  into daily life! Along with other parts of the book you could probably classify it as suspense and mystery as well. There is never a slow moment in this novel because it always has you guessing about what is coming next. The concept is also something very different compared to other books that are considered classic novels. In most books we read they encourage thoughts, or at least they do not hold them back. Also, most people that are reading this book are reading because they enjoy reading so having the theme of the book be about not reading is an interesting concept to most people. How many times can you put the word 'reading' into one sentence? I can do four. Whaddup. Overall the reader keeps opening up their copy of Fahrenheit 451 because it has mystery and a theme to relate to. Ray Bradbury did a great job of keeping the reader interested in this novel.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Q.6

Why do we still read this book? What is so timeless about its message and characters? What can we learn from reading this novel? All of those questions prove very good points. Why do we still read any pieces of literature from the past? What makes them so important that we must keep reanalyzing them over and over again? Some books are just very well written while others are fun to reread multiple times or some may teach us an important lesson.This particular book has a lesson to it. It is telling us that technology is consuming our lives and we need to stop and think about what we are doing sometimes. In Fahrenheit 451 they burn books so people will not think for themselves as much. In their setting being unique was wrong and discouraged. Last year in English 232 we read a novel called 1984 by George Orwell. These books are similar in the fact that both settings discourage thinking on your own and no one tries to stop the government! Then comes along Guy Montag in Fahrenheit 451 and Winston Smith from 1984. They think differently than everyone else around them. They are the heroes of the story because they try to make a change in society. Their plans might not have been fully executed to how they wanted them to end but they tried to make the change they wished to see in the world (See what I did there with that famous quote and stuff? Eh? Eh? Ok...) People love to read about dramatic changes and heroes! It inspires them to do more with their lives which is what was not allowed in Fahrenheit 451. People also are getting caught up with technology in today's society which leads me to believe that Ray Bradbury could see the future... This book is good for teenagers to read today so that they can put down their phones for two seconds and maybe stop to smell the roses.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Q.5&Q.8

Because Fahrenheit 451 is written as a futuristic novel you would naturally think that you would not be able to see any types of relationships in society that reflected on the time that it was written. That is not true though, you can tell that it was written in the fifties. Everything in the novel is exaggerated of course but you can tell that Ray Bradbury pulled inspiration from things that he was seeing in his own life.

In the fifties everyone wanted to very hip. This is not the same type of hip we think of today. They were not trying to see who wore the best plaid shirt to school that day or who had the brand new skinny jeans from their favorite hipster store. Everyone was trying to be the same. Many families dreamed of having that perfect home with the white picket fence and the two children who would grow up to be the brightest children in their class. In a warped sense Bradbury was comparing the two worlds and it all kind of made sense. In the novel everyone wanted the brand new screens and if you did not have one you were almost below the people who did have them. Being weird and different was not something was praised in the fifties or in Fahrenheit 451. Being unique is something so special and I feel bad that people did not start to realize this until many years later. At one point Clarisse said she is afraid to go to school because the other students scare her. That has been an issue since schools were invented until now and probably in the futuristic time period of this novel. Overall I can see what Ray Bradbury was trying to portray in Fahrenheit 451. He did a good job expressing the times then and what he thought the future would look like.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Q.4

In the novel, Fahrenheit 451, the hero is the protagonist. Having the main character of the story be the hero is very common in almost every piece of literature. Guy Montag is the unusual hero of this story. He does not seem as though he has any heroic qualities. Once he starts to think though, that is when the hero comes in. A person in this story at this time would have been thought of as crazy if they thought the things that Guy Montag did. If this novel was non-fiction Ray Bradbury saw Guy Montag as someone with redeeming and heroic qualities.

From the start we can see that Montag has trouble 'controlling' his thoughts. He could not figure out why he had all of these things running through his mind. I can see how that could be frustrating. When he meets Clarisse I think it is a relief to him because now he knows that he is not the only one with these types of thoughts. She peaks his interest in this subject and he wants to know more about it. A real hero keeps himself informed at all times. Soon after he meets Clarisse he starts questioning his profession and his marriage. He does not want to admit it but I do not think he really loves his wife. She seems so opposite of him. Montag needs to be married to an older version of Clarisse. I think that if he had the right spouse she could have been his sidekick and they could have taken back knowledge and educated people on why thinking really is a good thing! Even though Guy Montag is considered the hero, he is really only a hero to himself. He could have done so much more and the book would have been amazing!

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Q.3

What universal themes does this book address? What does the author understand about human nature? Fahrenheit 451 was first published in 1953 and is a futuristic novel. Scarily enough, it is probably one of the most true futuristic novels ever written. The book is obviously exaggerated and extreme compared to today's society, but the television aspect of it is almost dead on. Fahrenheit 451 discusses the nature of thoughtless people and mindless televisions programs. When is was written the first televisions were being made so Ray Bradbury was a very smart man! He could see that nothing would ever be the same again. Television made everything easier. Getting the news was easier, hearing new music was easier, and you did not have to wait until Sunday more to get your favorite comics anymore. Things came to life in a box in your home at any time that you wanted it! Today's society is even worse with television. Not necessarily as bad as in the novel but you probably get what I am saying. Now we have reality t.v. shows which showcase hours and hours of mindless and senseless thoughts and acts for people to view and record! Now, I am going to admit that I do watch Keeping Up with the Kardashians, but if you can recognize what is real and what is just for show I think it is alright to watch it sometimes. I do not think a child should be watching this particular reality show not only because of the more mature subject matter, but because I believe you should form your own thoughts and opinions on the world before watching a show like that. If you did not have much knowledge about the world yet then you would think that everything they are saying is true and that you should buy all of their products and follow their examples. Even though I hope our world never becomes as extreme as the one we read about in this book, Ray Bradbury did an excellent job describing what life will start to become in the near future.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Q.2

Unlike the other two books I have blogged about his summer Fahrenheit 451 has an internal conflict. Some may say that it is external, between Guy Montag and the world. I do not see it that way though. He is confused in life and this novel is a lot about how he tries to solve that confusion. As I explained in my last post, the story is written in a third person limited perspective. Because of this we read about Guy Montag's thoughts and his thoughts only. A lot of the time we find Montag questioning why he does what he does, which is burn books. He knows that it is not really the right thing to do but he does it anyways because it is his duty and he does not want look weird and be an outcast in society. Occasionally Montag will steal a book that is going to be burned and bring it back to his home and put it away in a secret stash of books that he owns. After he steals the bible though everything changes. It sets off a trigger that makes the course of the book. The cause of the conflict is not very clear. I was going to say that he put it upon himself, but then I thought of Clarrise and the influence she had on him. Everyone knows that the government also plays a large part as well. It is probably a mixture of all of these things. As for the gains, in the end I think Montag gained a self-awareness that most people never reach in their lives. He is very inspirational in that way. The losses are obviously physical, but they were mental at the same time. The world lost a lot of books during this time which is obviously the physical part, but Montag also lost his way a little bit. In the end he found it and it turned out to be okay.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451-Q.1

Ray Bradbury's values and attitudes are very easy to spot in one of his most famous novels, Fahrenheit 451. This story is basically a futuristic novel about how addicted people are to their televisions. People in the story have lost their own personal thoughts and no longer read books. Guy Montag, one of the main characters, has begun his quest to answer the question 'why?'  It is not socially acceptable anymore to have your own thoughts and have open discussions with. Then he meets Clarrise. Her family still talks. They talk about everything you could imagine. This is super weird for the time that they are living in. Ray Bradbury is trying to show the reader that the value of thought and discussion are very important. Without your own unique beliefs everyone begins to become the same. Throughout the story firemen would start the fires instead of put out the fires as we know in real life. They would start fires on piles of books that were deemed unsuitable for humans to read. If they contained anything that had a unique opinion it would be burned. I think showing the burning of the books to the reader who is, you know, reading a book, has the purpose showing them that their own thoughts would not be valued in a society like the one in Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury also shut down the idea to many media personnel that this novel was not about a controlling government, but I think it can be looked at in both lights.

The narrator of the book is written in third person limited omniscient. This shows all of Montag's thoughts but  no one else. I wish that we also would have been able to see into the  minds of the characters with a non-limited third person narrator. Overall I did understand what Ray Bradbury was trying to get across to the reader.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Books, 1991. Print.

The Moon is Down vs. The Old Man and the Sea

If I were to make a venn diagram to compare and contrast the novels The Moon is Down and The Old Man and the Sea I would have something to write in every section. Let's start with the simple things that are similar. Both books were written by male authors, John Steinbeck and Ernest Hemingway. The two men are considered two of the greatest authors of all time. Their work was very influential. The next similarity is that the plot of both stories has to do with fighting to get what you want. Some people might contrast the theme or plot of the story because one is about war and the other is not, but I see similarities in them. Santiago, from The Old Man and the Sea. is similar to Mayor Orden and the townspeople in The Moon is Down. They are both willing to fight to the death for what they want of believe in. In contrast I think that The Old Man and the Sea is overall a much more calm novel. I know, I know... He is fending of a giant marlin for three days straight and it is so suspenseful and cool! I guess you could say that... From a comparison point of view I believe that The Moon is Down is much more suspenseful and adds more mystery. A small difference between the two is that Santiago has to work by himself to catch his fish but the town can work together to fight off the invaders. If Santiago would have had the boy with him his trip would have been much easier. Overall I enjoyed reading The Old Man and the Sea better than The Moon is Down. I have come to realize over the years that I do not enjoying reading heavier theme and plot based novels. The Old Man and the Sea has just the right amount of adventure and symbolism to interest me.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Mayor Orden

As I said previously Mayor Orden is the leader of the 'good guys.' In the beginning of the The Moon is Down the reader may observe that Mayor Orden does not have very good leadership skills and is kind of silly or strange. The first time he enters the novel he is late and he is scratching himself. This, of course, is not foreshadowing of his future leadership skills during the course of the plot. When Mayor Orden meets Colonel Lanser for the first time, Mayor Orden seems very confused as to why his town is being invaded with soldiers. When he is this slow to react about the situation the reader might begin to wonder how he was ever elected mayor in the first place. When Colonel Lanser started moving his headquarters into the mayor's home, is when two things really started happening. The mayor's home as described in the beginning of the book was warm and grand. His house was probably the biggest and most beautiful in the whole town. When the Colonel and his men began to move their base in the scene started to change a little bit. The mayor's home became more gloomy and cold feeling. It was like he had no more control. That takes us to the second thing that happened! Mayor Orden begins to take control of his town and becomes a great leader to his people. He has his own thoughts and ideas on what to do about the invasion and he begins to listen to the citzens ideas so they can work together and fight off the invaders once and for all! In the end Mayor Orden is the greatest leader the town could have asked for. He was strong, he had great ideas, and he would have done anything to please the people of his town. He left a great legacy behind him in his death.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Colonel Lanser

Colonel Lanser is a very important character in the novel, The Moon is Down, and can almost be considered the antagonist. He is the leader of the invaders and is in contact with Mayor Orden. If you split the characters into two groups Colonel Lanser would be the head of the 'bad guys' and Mayor Orden would be the head of the 'good guys'. Colonel Lanser is one of the first characters introduced when the invaders, well, start their invasion. He has an all business attitude and he does not like to be questioned by his soldiers. We soon find out that he has been in another war before. Having gone through this before Colonel Lanser knows that nothing good comes from war. In a way I do not think he believes in it. He knows that being the Colonel is his job, but that is all he sees it as. He understands that it probably will not last long anyhow so he wants it to go as smooth as possible. I think that Colonel Lanser works directly under the ringleader of this war, or Hitler, what ever floats your boat. He knows that he must follow orders exactly and abide by any rules that he is given. He is a very disciplined man who seems perfectly fit for the job. Because Colonel Lanser is such a powerful character in this book I think he could have had some serious say in how the invasion turns out. We never really found out what happens at the end of the novel, but I am just going to pretend that if there is ever a sequel  Colonel Lanser is going to step up to the man and join the townspeople in getting back their freedom! John Steinbeck really should have capitalized on that idea...

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Q.8

How accurately does this novel reflect events in history? The Moon is Down is a piece of historical fiction. This means that most of the characters and events in the story are made up but the plot is based on something that actually occurred in history. Even though it was fictional it was still used as propaganda during World War II as I said in a previous post. It encouraged people to fight back against the Nazis who invaded their towns.

A relationship that John Steinbeck portrayed very well in this book is the relationship between Colonel Lanser and his soldiers. He was hard on them and he pushed them as hard as he could. This was true for armies then and now. Colonel Lanser also referred to them mainly as 'soldier.' He probably did this to keep his authority over them and so he made sure that they knew they were not friends. A quote I stumbled across from the book is a great example of this. "You're not a man anymore. You are a soldier. Your comfort is of no importance and, Lieutenant, your life isn't of much importance.(Steinbeck 99) This truly means that they are soldiers now, and soldiers only.

Another strong relationship is the one between Mayor Orden and the citizens. The townspeople and the mayor seemed to have a good relationship. It is one that most politicians cannot achieve with the people today. They used compromise and they worked everything out as a team. Having a mayor like that in that type of situation would be so great. He understood them and listened. Mayor Orden also communicated well with Colonel Lanser. John Steinbeck did an excellent job describing all of the relationships in the book so that the reader has a clear idea of what life was really like back then.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Q.7

It is common for historical fiction war novels to involve suspense, drama and mystery to attract the readers attention. John Steinbeck is no exception to this norm. He used all of those things, plus more, to engage his audience and keep readers coming back for more. Just like in a real war you never know what is coming next and you always have to stay on your toes. Your mind must be thinking two steps ahead at all times, especially if you are in a leadership position. The suspense and drama comes into play when Molly hides a kitchen knife underneath her skirt just as Lieutenant Tonder comes to knock on the door. Steinbeck leaves you wondering why she did that. The audience does not find out until about two chapters later that Lieutenant Tonder actually was killed, in a comment made by Colonel Lanser. The reader just had to keep reading to find out if he was really killed!

Something that stands out in a very obvious and extreme way is the parachutes that the town received. It is probably hands down the most mysterious part of the whole novel. Who would send such a thing? Why did they send them to that particular town? Included in the parachute package was one stick of dynamite and a piece of chocolate. Why did the people who sent these packages decide on these two items? The mystery keeps you wondering the whole time. I personally thought it was a very interesting way to add drama and mystery to the novel. Steinbeck was also pretty descriptive with his language. He wrote this story wonderfully.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Q.6

Most books that we still read today are read because of their amazing writing, awesome plot, descriptive language, or they are very easy to relate to. The Moon is Down is unique in that it really is not thought of a classic novel and it is not even Steinbeck's most popular book. So, why do we still read this novel in Mr. Langley's English 332 class? I believe that we still read it today because it holds so much truth. Many books written about this subject were more fiction than historical. I think that Steinbeck took this opportunity to write a novel about what was really happening in the world. People from countries all over the world, mostly the United States of America and Western Europe, were influenced by the story. It made people more aware of what the current state of the world was and it also had the capability to show educated people more about the invasions that were taking place all over Western Europe. In today's society when we learn about World War II we mainly learn about the Holocaust, but that really was not uncovered until the end of the war. What the war was really about is not described in detail until high school or maybe even college.

Having the war as the topic of the book is also very easy to relate to for some people in today's society. We are currently an active country in the War on Terror and soldiers, military families, or war buffs alike are probably very interested in this book because it can give people an idea of what the citizens of other countries are going through. Because America has not been invaded for a while I think that people are very interested in how it all works. The last time our country was attacked was almost eleven years and the war has not been on our home land. Most people are just very curious and want to know how life was for different people all over the world.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Q.5

It is quite interesting that John Steinbeck never mentioned a setting in his novel, The Moon is Down. More often than not the author informs the reader of the setting, which includes location and time period. The reader can think that everything that Steinbeck wrote was a figment of his imagination or they can take his writings and think about the time period it was written in. The Moon is Down was published in the year of 1942. If you have taken a basic history class on the United States of America then you probably know that World War II was also going at the same time Steinbeck released this novel. As a reader I now think that the setting is taking place in Western Europe somewhere between the years of 1939 and 1945. Although many people thought of this piece as propaganda Steinbeck may not have wanted to describe the setting because he did not want to be sought out during that difficult time.

Considering the intense nature of the book I do think it reflects correctly on the World War II era. It was a very dark and confusing time in everyone's life. Towns being invaded during the war was very commonplace. Hitler's Nazi Regime was very influential during this time in Western Europe which leads me to believe that the were the ones invading the town in The Moon is Down. What makes this book different than all of the other books written about this event is that it is a little more over the top. In real life the citizens were much too intimidated by the government that they were living in to take action and fight the soldiers back. In this novel I would consider the townspeople to be the heroes and heroines of the story!

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Q.4

The more I blog, the more I realize what my life's passion is. Wait, what? You think that blogging is my life's passion?! Heavens no! I just keep realizing that I would much rather be doing that than this! Silly people who read my blog...

When I read the synopsis of The Moon is Down I thought that the hero was going to be blatantly obvious. It really was not though. After thinking it through I found that I usually think there should be just one hero, but in this case it was a whole group of people! The townspeople of the story saved the day for themselves and got work DONE! Woo! As I said in my response to question number three, the people of the town worked together to reach their common goal. As a hero you can not always work alone. All of the greats have sidekicks. What would Batman be without Robin? Probably sad, but that is beside the point. The people in the story come together and work hard for something the believe in with all of their hearts!

Of course at first they are not very good at doing this because they have never had to fight off invaders before. Everything in life is new to you at some point. I guess that is just a roundabout way of saying the first time is never easy. For example: Jenni and I went to drum major camp this summer and thought it was going to be the best thing EVER. It turns out we were wrong. Our first two days were horrendous and we wanted to leave so badly but we knew we could not do that so we stuck to it and finished out the week strong! And by strong I mean with more toned calves and sweet sock tan lines. We never actually know if they finish clearing out the soldiers but we do know that they deserve our respect for being that courageous and awesome!!!

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Q.3

Okay, in my last blog I talked about the font being all funky, but it looked fine after I posted it. Silly, Blogger! Tricks are for kids!

The main reason John Steinbeck wrote The Moon is Down was so it could be used as a piece of propaganda. It was written during World War II and was meant for the people of Western Europe. The theme of this piece is all about rising above evil rulers and fighting for what you believe in. Fight for your rights! The theme of the book does not only apply to the characters in the book but it also applies to people all over the world. If you have read the news or traveled in the last few months you may have seen people protesting with signs promoting the slogan 'OCCUPY.' These people are standing up for themselves against people whom they think are not doing good things. Now I am not going to get into the whole 'occupy' movement because this is not history class, but I think you understand where I am going with this.

You can also see how much John Steinbeck knew about people and their feelings towards the war. He could tell what effects the war had on people and their surroundings. He did a great job of showing this through each of the individual characters. The invaders are obviously very confident and think that they know exactly what and why they are doing what they are doing, but they start to falter when the townspeople begin their rebellion stage. I am sure that Steinbeck wanted to show people of the world that they are not the only ones suffering through this. Invasion was common during World War II and he wanted to make people feel as normal as possible.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Q.2

For some unbeknownst reason Blogger is not letting me do anything with my font type anymore so my blogs will forever be in this odd font... And now let's get you back to your regular programming!

John Steinbeck did not waste any time uncovering the conflict in The Moon is Down. The reader knows right away on the first page that a group of invaders has come in and taken over a village. "By ten forty-five it was all over. The town was occupied, the defenders defeated, and the war finished." (Steinbeck 1) So far this book sounds pretty intense. And it is. Now, the invaders say that they do not mean to harm anyone or anything, but does anyone really believe that? I would not have.(Steinbeck 14) They just invaded their village! They took away their freedoms and privacy!

The cause of the conflict is shown right away by stating that there are invaders. Obvi nobody wants their home invaded so this causes an issue. Plus they were invaded by soldiers. If they were invaded by cute bunnies and kitties and doggies I do not think anyone would have had an issue with that. The situation was also escalated by the soldiers trying to implement rules that, understandably, no one wanted to follow.

There really is not much of a gain in this book except for a mental gain. The town works so hard to get their freedom back. They put their minds together and band together as a community to reach their common goal.

There are also losses in the novel which include abstract losses and physical losses. The townspeople are so distraught when their town was taken over that most of them have sense that they no longer have freedom. This would be very hard to deal with. Sadly, there are also a few casualties in the novel as well. It is ridiculous that people have to die this way in real life too.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down-Q.1

When an author writes a piece of literature their own thoughts, ideas, and values go into the composition. John Steinbeck is no exception to that theory. He used his great writing skills and fame as a platform to tell people how he felt about the war and society. His values and attitude were able to shine through this The Moon is Down. This novel was written during World War II and you can tell that John Steinbeck was an Ally supporter. He was aware of what was going on in the world and he kept himself informed and educated on the war that was growing. Steinbeck also showed that people can come together for a common goal and try to solve a problem no matter the greatness or severity of the issue.

This being said, John Steinbeck was a huge supporter of freedom. He supported his country and his fellow citizens. Steinbeck never actually went into battle but he used The Moon is Down as a piece of propaganda almost. The definition of propaganda is as follows: "Official government communications to the public that are designed to influence opinion. The information may be true or false, but it is always carefully selected for its political effect." (propaganda) Steinbeck was not a political figure but he did have an influence on the nation or world because so many people read his literature.

The Moon is Down is written in the third person omniscient point of view. Hey! That is just like The Old Man and the Sea! This is an excellent choice of narrator for this novel because it gives you a chance to get inside the heads of multiple different characters. Because the opinions in this book vary so dramatically it is good to have a third person narrator in this case because we are able to understand each side of every person's story. Even though we might not always agree with every character in a novel we should at least hear them out.

"propaganda." The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005. 17 Aug. 2012.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Final Thoughts

And so The Old Man and the Sea has come to a close. But really, I actually closed the cover on that short little book that took up part of my summer. Was that passive aggressive? Even though this particular novel was not the worst summer reading assignment that I have read it was still typical of what we talk about in school English classes. Having to answer the same exact questions over and over again can be boring and redundant. If we have to do homework on our summer vacation then at least make it light and maybe even a little bit fun. Plus, has any one else thought about the kids who are not in honors English? Would you not think that the kids who struggle in this subject need to be refreshing their minds? Personally I think that it should be a school wide policy to do summer homework.

Now that my rant is over I can tell you how I really felt about the book. Thank you Ernest Hemingway for writing this novella! It was short and sweet and to the point. With the use of short and declarative sentences the reader knows exactly what is going on and there is no beating around the bush. Some of the other books we read in class or in the summer are ridiculously involved and confusing. *Clears throat* Excuse me Great Expectations I am singling you out. I am just not sure how people read that book for enjoyment. The Old Man and the Sea is also teenager friendly. It is one of the easier classics to analyze and discuss. Santiago is also easy to relate to because he has a struggle that he has to resolve on his own. Almost every that has lived past thirteen has had to solve or fix something on their own at some point in their life. It is how we learn and grow. Ernest Hemingway did a great job writing this novella.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Manolin

In The Old Man and the Sea there are very few characters. The two characters that the average reader would assume are the most important would probably be the old man the fish that he has found himself struggling with. But do not be to quick to judge a book by it's title! Manolin, the boy or, the old man's apprentice, is a very vital character in this novella. Ernest Hemingway, with his declarative sentence structure and what not, directly told us that the old man loves the boy. It does not get much more clear than that folks. The old man teaches Manolin how to fish and that creates a special bond between the two. I know that I can think of a teacher or two who has impacted my life greatly and I would almost consider them 'friends.' The relationship between the boy and the old man if very similar to that teach and student bond that I have experienced myself.

Since the old man is a widower he needs someone in his life to make it meaningful again. His passion lies in fishing but nature can not always give back to you what you give to them. Plus, he is killing the fish. A relationship is not going to last long if you kill one half of the pair. That is where Manolin comes into the picture. He is a human. He needs a teacher and Manolin is the best at what he does. Now, when I say that they have a good relationship I am not talking about that old man and young boy Dateline stuff that makes you never want to go on the internet again. It is more of a grandfather and grandson type of relationship. The boy takes care of the old man when he is tired or sick. When the old man is out on his three day journey he often wishes that the boy were around to help him. This relationship makes the book a little bit more sweet throughout the hard times.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Symbolism

When telling people that I had to read The Old Man and the Sea this summer the majority of responses were advising me to write about Jesus, Christianity, and religion. All I could think was, "It is about an old man. He is out at sea fishing. What does religion have to do with it?" Once I started reading and thinking about those ideas I came to realize that Santiago's story is very similar to the story of Jesus and the people that crucified him. I am going to put this out here now though and say that I am not a religious person so if any of what I write is not one-hundred percent correct all of the time or it is offensive in any way, I apologize now.

In this book the old man represents Jesus and his journey. Manolin, his apprentice, would be consider a follower or disciple if you will. The first real pieces of symbolism that I have put together are the injuries he receives on his hands and back. The hand injuries symbolize the nails that nailed Jesus to the cross. The old man's back injuries are referring to when Jesus had to carry his own cross to the top of a hill. Both men struggled immensely to prove their points. I believe that sharks represent all of the evil people tearing Jesus apart. The sharks play an important role by teaching the reader that no matter how difficult the situation may seem you can always come out on top.

I know that with such a large class there will be a broad variety of opinions and ideas about religion and how The Old Man and the Sea relates to the bible. So with that being said, remember to be tolerant. Everyone is unique and was raised with different values. Even if you go to the same church as someone you know your ideas are probably going to vary on many different topics. It is just a book so let's all get along!

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Q.8

Out of all of the discussion topics listed this one has to be the most irrelevant to The Old Man and the Sea. The story is very good for what it is worth, but as for showing us what life was like during the time period of the novel, Ernest Hemingway could have stepped it up a few notches. The only real clue he gives the reader is when Santiago talks about Joe DiMaggio, the greatest baseball player of all time, and the New York Yankees. There are only a few important characters in the book and the two human characters with speaking lines are both male. This gives the reader no idea how people were to treat each other in a normal social setting. The location part of the setting also gives no hint as to what life was like during in Cuba, where the old man lives.

Although we can't tell much about the historical side of this novel, there is one relationship in the book that is very important and says a lot about the characters. Santiago is an old widower who could very well just be a crotchety old man who keeps to himself and only talks to fish and birds, but that is not how Hemingway saw him. The old man has a soft spot for the boy, whose name is Manolin, and takes him under his wing. In return the boy loves Santiago for all he has done and takes care of him when he is sick. It is an important time in the boys life because he is becoming a man who must find a job and support his family. Learning from Santiago should be any fisherman's dream. Santiago is a master at his craft and knows what's up when it comes to fishing. Using my own knowledge of what that time period was like their relationship seems pretty normal. Santiago is the best journeyman Manolin could have asked for.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Q.7

To make a story more interesting the author must use different writing techniques to engage his audience. Ernest Hemingway must know which ones to use because he did win a Nobel prize in literature among other awards for The Old Man and the Sea. The first of all of his wonderful techniques is the use of short, declarative sentences. As a sixteen-year-old in high school doing summer homework I am forever grateful for this style of writing. Hemingway's prose is very simple so you always know exactly what he is trying to say. Because the sentence structure is set up in this particular way the book can not last any longer than it does. If Hemingway were to expound on each and every statement then I know I would have given up on reading the thing.

Another technique used in The Old Man and the Sea is the use of mystery and suspense. The three day journey keeps the reader on the edge of his or her seat wondering if Santiago will ever make it back to shore! Who will outlive the other? The marlin or the old man? Will the sharks be the demise of both the marlin and the old man? What will happen now that he is back in the same boat, poor and hungry?! (See what I did with that pun about boats? Eh eh?) Anyway, the lesson of the novella could have been extremely boring and cliche if the author did not use suspense. The Old Man and the Sea totally could have been a trilogy.

The book also has a very serious tone to it. Writing or speaking about hard work, determination, and blood and gore does not usually have a light or happy connotation surrounding it. Using an old fisherman instead of a young one could also be why we take the message so seriously. Ernest Hemingway used the right amount of words to get his point across about the serious and mysterious tone of his novella.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Q.6

Why do we still read The Old Man and the Sea? Why do we still read any novel? The answer to that is to understand the lesson or message that the author is trying to portray through his characters. Ernest Hemingway wrote this novel to teach his audience about determination and the will to never give up. For almost everyone in the whole entire universe this lesson is applicable to there life. No matter how much of a privileged life you lead there is a different struggle for everyone. You could be struggling with the loss of someone close to you, keeping your life organized, or competing in something like a sport or a musical instrument. There are also those people who have nothing bad happen to them in life except for getting their phone taken away from them for a few days. Those are the types of people that need to read Santiago's story and understand that the world is so much bigger than they could even fathom.

Even though the type of fishing the old man does is much different than the commercial fishing companies today, he represents that small percent of people who are willing to work hard for what they earn. Reading this book in the modern day, I can see that in today's society Santiago could very well be a person who is homeless and sleeping in front of the Lincoln Library at night. We tend to judge the homeless before we let them tell their stories and some may assume they are lazy and do not want to better themselves. When the old man is being taunted by the young fishermen it is sad because they have never stopped to really listen to all that he has been through in his life.

Reading this book in the modern day can heighten your awareness of how hard you are truly working and how you treat others around you. Respect your elders!

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Q.5

The Old Man and the Sea was first published in 1952. A lot was happening back then. Dwight Eisenhower was elected to be our 34th president, the Olympics were hosted in Helsinki, and my mom was born! Shout out to my mom! Unless these useless pieces of information were not already in my noggin then I could not have told you any of that based on the things we learn throughout the story. Santiago is stuck out in the middle of the ocean with no connection to the real world. It is him, his thoughts, and open oceans and skies as far as the eye can see. (Side note; How did he not get a sunburn while he was out there?!) One thing that makes it clear that the book is set in the 50's is that there are no fisher(wo)men. Back then there were still 'men' and 'women' jobs. The women were expected to cook and clean, take care of the children, and maybe be a telephone operator or secretary if she was feeling ambitious. If someone were to tell a women that was her place in life today all hell would break loose! Sixty years ago life was much different than it is today.

Another one of the very important parts of the novel is the reference to Joe DiMaggio. The old man speaks highly of him and the New York Yankees. Joe DiMaggio is definitely considered to be one of the best baseball players of all time and the old man admires him greatly. At one point in his career DiMaggio had a bum foot but played through it to become the best that he could be. The old man is similar to him in the way that his body and especially his hand gave out during his three day journey and he never complained once. But neither of them gave up and that is what truly matters in the end!

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Q.4

The hero of The Old Man and the Sea is the group of sharks. Just kidding! The book is all about the old man and how heroic and brave he is! After an eighty-four day dry spell the old man is clearly in a situation that no fisherman would what to be in. A journey of three whole days holding onto a 1,500 pound fish is quite the feat. Even though the boy is the only other person who admires him for this it is alright because Santiago is his own hero! He achieved his life long goal of catching a REALLY BIG FISH. The fact that Ernest Hemingway referred to Santiago as 'the old man' for the whole entire length of the novella also proves that he was really old! This means that Santiago is not only a hero for himself anymore but he represents what his generation is still capable of! Old people are highly underestimated.

The hero, or Santiago, represents the abstract idea of courage and determination. He fits the definition of those two ideas perfectly. He is old and frail but he still believes in himself and the power to achieve your goals even at that age. When the old man is out at sea he starts to befriend the marlin on the end of his line. People like to think of their heroes as sane and quick witted. Santiago is befriending a marlin! That is not considered to be normal in this day in age. When this story is being read in today's modern world people may fail to see the value in Santiago's strange heroic ways. He comes off as a crazy old man who fishes every day, has no luck, and talks to nature. This could be why Hemingway designed Santiago the way he did. When we hear anything about old people we forget that they were young at some point too. He may be trying to show us that heroes don't have to look like Chris Hemsworth to teach us an important lesson.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Q.3

A common topic that we discuss as English students is the theme of the passage we have finished reading. In this instance The Old Man and the Sea has a few different themes that are prominent and common throughout literature. Will power, determination, and passion are things that are shown through this story of an old man, a young boy, and the ocean that they are so connected with. The first theme, will power, refers to the discipline and self control that the old man has. He is a fishing expert and he knows that if he sticks to what he knows that it should eventually end in a good result. And it does... Kind of.

Determination is another theme of this story and possibly the most important. The old man is determined the whole time and never gives up. He always has the end result in mind. After an eighty-four day drought it would be very easy to give up on the craft of fishing. But alas! He uses his will power and determination to get through it! The old man is so strong and wise! He also continues on in his pursuit of fish even though all of the other young fishermen make fun of him. Passion also plays a part in his determined personality. If he does not love what he is doing, I am not sure why he is still going at it. He does have to make a living of course, but if he hates fishing so much I am positive that he can find another career that suits his go-get-'em attitude.

Hemingway truly believes in hard work and dedication. His writing in this story shows it a great deal. Having these elements of the story shine are what makes it so easy to relate to. Most people have had to work extremely hard to achieve a goal they have set for themselves. Santiago is a true example of pushing yourself to the best you can be without having someone else babysit you along the way.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Q.2

Because The Old Man and the Sea is a novella it obviously has a conflict, which in turn has causes, gains, and losses. In this particular book it is almost silly how obvious the conflicts actually are. The initial conflict is that the old man has hit a dry spell of eighty-four days. He has not caught one fish in that time and he seems to think that the cause is because he is very unlucky. Although I am pretty sure after going that long without a fish on his hook it has nothing to do with luck and more about what is happening in the natural habitat that he is fishing in. From this initial conflict he has gained extreme patience. As for losses, coming from the mind of a teenager he really did not lose much of anything besides some quality sleep time. He may have lost a little bit of his sanity through the long days as well.

Now comes the big kahuna of conflicts. The old man finally caught the fish of his dreams but it is almost to big to tame! But as I said in my previous blog the old man has incredible will power. He decides to hold on to the fish for dear life. It is going to be a fight to the death. Who will win? You decide! Not really, but that could be fun. The loss in this conflict is obviously blood. Ok, that is only a part of it, because we all know it is the fish. The fish is his dream come true and now a friend in the rough waters of the ocean. Even though his plan was to kill and sell the fish he was saddened by it's demise. In the end the gain seemed worth all of the struggle. The boy now admires and loves the old man for everything he stands for and all of the tribulations that he faced on the sea.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea-Q.1

When it comes down to it all authors, whether they believe it themselves or not, put a part of their own personal beliefs and values into the characters they write about. Ernest Hemingway is no exception to that statement. In The Old Man and the Sea Santiago is a very brave, strong, and hard working old man. Although he has already gone eighty-four days without a significant catch he still gets up before sunrise to venture out to sea and attempt to bring in a nice load of fish. Hemingway obviously values determination and hard work. The old man could be modeled after an inspiration of Hemingway's or maybe it is how he views himself. Either way, the old man is quite the role model. The boy whom he has taught to fish is lucky to have Santiago as his teacher.

As for showing Hemingway's attitude through the novella, well it is very similar to what he values. I think that he shows through his writing that you should never give up and that you always have hope to hold onto. Through his own career you can see that he followed those mantras. Also, the old man believes that he is very unlucky which could mean that Hemingway only believed in true work and not relying on luck.

The Old Man and the Sea was written in third person omniscient which adds to the effect of the story that is being told. I think that this point of view is good for the audience because it shows the thoughts of not only the old man but also the boy. With any other view point we might not have been able to see as far into the minds of each character. Just like in real life a character may not reveal all of his secrets, but an omnipresent narrator can do just that. The narrator also uses short declarative statements to get his point across making this novella easy to understand.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scribner, 2003. Print.