The Scarlet Letter by Arthur Miller
Summary: Chapter 4-5
The next day Hester is visited by that same man in the crowd, who she recognizes for some reason. The stranger who comes to visit her is actually a doctor who insisted that he check and make sure the baby is not affected by its' mother's wrong-doing. Hester finally recognizes him to be her long lost husband, who she thought died at sea. Her husband asks her who the father is, but she still will not let out the name of her partner in crime. Hester agrees not to tell anyone in the village that her ex-husband is alive and living among them, since she is so good at keeping secrets. She finally gets out of prison and decides to stay in the village in which she committed her sin of adultery, instead of returning home to her birth place. The magistrate allowed her to buy a home and live in the town, but she will remain to be shunned from everybody. Her seamstress work in the village was doing really well, leaving her very busy. She spent her time making money to support her child, making clothes for the poor, and giving all her extra money to the poor. This sure sounds like a woman who is trying to turn her life around. No matter what people thought of her she just kept going believing herself to be a martyr trying not to feel vulnerable toward the devil. The scarlet letter on her chest is acting as a symbol in everyone's' hearts that she has sinned. "O Fiend, whose talisman was that fatal symbol, wouldst thou leave nothing , whether in youth or age, for the sinner to revere?" She believes that her sin was way worse than any other sin and that only she can be the guilty one. This is really sad because people are still looking down on her even though she is working, her business is great, she's feeding her kid, and she is even giving to the poor. Yet those puritan snobs just keep staring at her as if she was a museum exhibit. The theme in this chapter is faith and how it can affect people. For example, the people who are really pious look down on and make fun of Hester because she has committed a sin and therefore should not be part of the society. Another example is that Hester recovers from her downfall and she is now a working mother who is trying to get her life straight, by trying to live a better faith or at least trying to do some good that would get her back on God's side according to the puritans who believed everything was bad back then.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Grapes of Wrath Blog Reflection
Comparing and Contrasting:
The Grapes of Wrath book vs. The Grapes of Wrath movie.
We have just finished reading and watching The Grapes of Wrath. I have read this story twice and I understand the physical and emotional suffering on this journey to find work and shelter. After reading this, I understood more about the Dust Bowls during the Great Depression, and the hardship and abuse these farming families endured to survive. I like reading John Steinbeck novels because he writes his books from his perspective on significant historical periods and by doing that he makes it personal so that it is easier for us to understand and feel what the characters had to go through. The thing about movies and books is that there is a distinct difference between the two.
The movie begins the same as the book does with the owner's telling the tenant farmers to leave the property, for it is owned by the bank, and they can do whatever they want with the land. I would like to point out the distinct difference in the movie, which is that the events do not take place in the correct chronological order. There were a few examples such as the government camp and Tom getting into trouble with the law, and the fact that the movie skipped so many of the truly emotional parts of the story. In the book, the Joads find out about the government camp first and travel there where they find that they are actually being treated like normal individuals, before Tom finds Casy, witnesses his death, and supposedly kills Casy's murderer. The emotional parts that were missing from the movie were like when Ma Joad had to throw away some of her memorable possessions, when the kids who are mostly all grown up reminiscent about the good times on the farm, when the dog was run over by a car and when grandfather was really sick and Mr. Wilson and his wife Sairy let him lay in their tent, as he peacefully died from a stroke.It also talks about in the book how the Wilson's and the Joads carpooled to various places before they went their separate ways. And the last scene, with the unfortunate death of Rose of Sharon's baby and the inevitable flood. By the way, here is some more things they didn't show Rosaharn being pregnant, but then again it was the forties and a woman couldn't be shown on TV with a pregnant belly. These emotional scenes in the book represented the circle of life and death due to their unfortunate losses of their farm, their family members, and the connection they used to have as a family. I don't know why they had to switch up the movie and take out the important scenes, but sometimes they have to do that so that the movie isn't like four hours long. Today, they split movies that are based off books that have important events and plots.
I would say that they book was way better than the movie. I don't know if it was the time period or what in which it was filmed, but I just prefer the book because all the events that I felt were the most important were not included in the movie.
The Grapes of Wrath book vs. The Grapes of Wrath movie.
We have just finished reading and watching The Grapes of Wrath. I have read this story twice and I understand the physical and emotional suffering on this journey to find work and shelter. After reading this, I understood more about the Dust Bowls during the Great Depression, and the hardship and abuse these farming families endured to survive. I like reading John Steinbeck novels because he writes his books from his perspective on significant historical periods and by doing that he makes it personal so that it is easier for us to understand and feel what the characters had to go through. The thing about movies and books is that there is a distinct difference between the two.
The movie begins the same as the book does with the owner's telling the tenant farmers to leave the property, for it is owned by the bank, and they can do whatever they want with the land. I would like to point out the distinct difference in the movie, which is that the events do not take place in the correct chronological order. There were a few examples such as the government camp and Tom getting into trouble with the law, and the fact that the movie skipped so many of the truly emotional parts of the story. In the book, the Joads find out about the government camp first and travel there where they find that they are actually being treated like normal individuals, before Tom finds Casy, witnesses his death, and supposedly kills Casy's murderer. The emotional parts that were missing from the movie were like when Ma Joad had to throw away some of her memorable possessions, when the kids who are mostly all grown up reminiscent about the good times on the farm, when the dog was run over by a car and when grandfather was really sick and Mr. Wilson and his wife Sairy let him lay in their tent, as he peacefully died from a stroke.It also talks about in the book how the Wilson's and the Joads carpooled to various places before they went their separate ways. And the last scene, with the unfortunate death of Rose of Sharon's baby and the inevitable flood. By the way, here is some more things they didn't show Rosaharn being pregnant, but then again it was the forties and a woman couldn't be shown on TV with a pregnant belly. These emotional scenes in the book represented the circle of life and death due to their unfortunate losses of their farm, their family members, and the connection they used to have as a family. I don't know why they had to switch up the movie and take out the important scenes, but sometimes they have to do that so that the movie isn't like four hours long. Today, they split movies that are based off books that have important events and plots.
I would say that they book was way better than the movie. I don't know if it was the time period or what in which it was filmed, but I just prefer the book because all the events that I felt were the most important were not included in the movie.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Scarlet Letter IRA#7
The Scarlet Letter
Chapter 1-3: Summary
The story starts out talking about the history of moving into the new colony of Massachusetts. It concentrates mainly on the aftermath of the witch trials and the extreme religiosity of the puritans. There is talk about the harsh punishments for those who disobey God and the law. The second chapter discusses the reaction of the town folk when a woman named Hester Prynne, walks out of the gallows with a baby in her arms and a red letter "A" embroidered on her breast. This woman has committed Adultery, (hence the capital letter A), and is forced to stand around the marketplace in the village, and show off her shame to everyone. The pious women of the colony believe that Hester's punishment wasn't serious enough for her actions. In the story, it talks about the magistrates giving Hester a misdemeanor instead of death because she supposedly lost her husband at sea and was extremely lonely. The ministers of the church ask the adulterer who the father is, but she refuses to name the culprit who helped her sin against God. This foreshadows that the father has to be someone in the church or a very rich individual. As the story goes on, she looks in the crowd and finds a Native American with a white man who is dressed in traditional native attire. After they have been exchanging looks for long time, the mysterious man asks about the women with the red "A" and the infant. The mysterious man and Hester seem to recognize each other, but I still don't know why. The man is definitely not an inhabitant of this colony because he does not know the actions of the poor Hester Prynne, and must result to listening to rumors. Then Hester was moved back to her prison cell.
In the story, I believe that I can relate a few things to this story. For example, the politics of the today is basing on their issues on religion and other social issues.The issue of religion definitely plays an important issue today in presenting a tiny hatred toward women who believe in premarital sex and use birth control. When I think of Hester and every one of those men and women giving her a terrible name, it makes me sad because you shouldn't think of her as a bad person, even though one time she wasn't very responsible, you should just be glad that she is taking care of the baby and is trying to do her best to raise it.
Chapter 1-3: Summary
The story starts out talking about the history of moving into the new colony of Massachusetts. It concentrates mainly on the aftermath of the witch trials and the extreme religiosity of the puritans. There is talk about the harsh punishments for those who disobey God and the law. The second chapter discusses the reaction of the town folk when a woman named Hester Prynne, walks out of the gallows with a baby in her arms and a red letter "A" embroidered on her breast. This woman has committed Adultery, (hence the capital letter A), and is forced to stand around the marketplace in the village, and show off her shame to everyone. The pious women of the colony believe that Hester's punishment wasn't serious enough for her actions. In the story, it talks about the magistrates giving Hester a misdemeanor instead of death because she supposedly lost her husband at sea and was extremely lonely. The ministers of the church ask the adulterer who the father is, but she refuses to name the culprit who helped her sin against God. This foreshadows that the father has to be someone in the church or a very rich individual. As the story goes on, she looks in the crowd and finds a Native American with a white man who is dressed in traditional native attire. After they have been exchanging looks for long time, the mysterious man asks about the women with the red "A" and the infant. The mysterious man and Hester seem to recognize each other, but I still don't know why. The man is definitely not an inhabitant of this colony because he does not know the actions of the poor Hester Prynne, and must result to listening to rumors. Then Hester was moved back to her prison cell.
In the story, I believe that I can relate a few things to this story. For example, the politics of the today is basing on their issues on religion and other social issues.The issue of religion definitely plays an important issue today in presenting a tiny hatred toward women who believe in premarital sex and use birth control. When I think of Hester and every one of those men and women giving her a terrible name, it makes me sad because you shouldn't think of her as a bad person, even though one time she wasn't very responsible, you should just be glad that she is taking care of the baby and is trying to do her best to raise it.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Anonymous?
Anonymous Blog Reflection
I never knew that there was so much conspiracy about who actually wrote these beautifully written pieces of works such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and many others. During our freshmen year we are taught that William Shakespeare, a penniless individual, wrote these plays. There is so much information about him that makes us believe that he is the mastermind behind these well-known works of literature. There is another theory, stating that a royal individual wrote these and let Shakespeare take the credit. When you watch the movie Anonymous you see the background of the royal characters, including one special royal: the Earl of Oxford. The Earl of Oxford is supposedly the author of these plays. He wishes to publish them, but there is a strict rule about royals writing and publishing them. The beginning talks about the messenger, who carries supposedly Shakespeare's plays, locking them away so nobody could find them, thinking that they were destroyed. Then it talks more about the childhood of the future Earl of Oxford and how he loved to write and recite poetry, but was never allowed to do any of that. He asks the messenger to take all of his plays and to give them to someone who can bring them to life. The person who puts together the production is said to be an ordinary actor named Will who can read, but cannot write. In the movie, you could see the connection, but then you have to think, that you will see more information on Shakespeare, than the Earl of Oxford. This movie has really opened by eyes and I keep wondering if William Shakespeare, the one playwright who we have known for his comedies and tragedies, is a fraud. I am still unsure on this issue and maybe in the future there will be more information that will crack the seal off of this controversy and mystery. Overall, I liked the movie because it made me really think about the possibilities.
I never knew that there was so much conspiracy about who actually wrote these beautifully written pieces of works such as Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and many others. During our freshmen year we are taught that William Shakespeare, a penniless individual, wrote these plays. There is so much information about him that makes us believe that he is the mastermind behind these well-known works of literature. There is another theory, stating that a royal individual wrote these and let Shakespeare take the credit. When you watch the movie Anonymous you see the background of the royal characters, including one special royal: the Earl of Oxford. The Earl of Oxford is supposedly the author of these plays. He wishes to publish them, but there is a strict rule about royals writing and publishing them. The beginning talks about the messenger, who carries supposedly Shakespeare's plays, locking them away so nobody could find them, thinking that they were destroyed. Then it talks more about the childhood of the future Earl of Oxford and how he loved to write and recite poetry, but was never allowed to do any of that. He asks the messenger to take all of his plays and to give them to someone who can bring them to life. The person who puts together the production is said to be an ordinary actor named Will who can read, but cannot write. In the movie, you could see the connection, but then you have to think, that you will see more information on Shakespeare, than the Earl of Oxford. This movie has really opened by eyes and I keep wondering if William Shakespeare, the one playwright who we have known for his comedies and tragedies, is a fraud. I am still unsure on this issue and maybe in the future there will be more information that will crack the seal off of this controversy and mystery. Overall, I liked the movie because it made me really think about the possibilities.
Thursday, February 16, 2012
IRA#7 Angela's Ashes
Angela's Ashes: The Ending
Summary : Chapter 11-18
Frankie finds out that the truth of his birth while looking in an old chest. He figures out that he was born before his parents married, and he thinks he's going to limbo when he dies. At eleven, Frankie is learning more about sex and it's temptations which foreshadows sin. The main character finds a job working for a coal factory helping out a neighbor, but has to quit eventually due to his health and his mother. The children's father sends a letter saying that he will be coming for Christmas, but everyone has a bit of a negative attitude when it comes to the father (including me). After going to the train station, they don' find him and expect that he got drunk and fell asleep. The next day, he comes home surprising everybody. The big question, the whole reason Malachy Sr. went to England, "Where's is the money". I believe that by knowing the current knowledge of this book, you would have realized that he spent the money on booze. Later, their no-good father leaves for London. Hopefully he will bring home the bacon! (Expression). Of course he won't this family barely has enough food to feed themselves, there is no way he will bring them money in time because he will be tempted to spend it. Too bad there wasn't an Alcoholic's Anonymous because that guy needs it. The McCourt's continue their poor, poverty-stricken life, bringing sick people and animals home, learning about the difference between lice and flees, figuring out that by helping others ,it affects not only those who are worse off than you, but yourselves., and living in their home on the brink of being evicted. A few days later, the boys were running around and they knocked over the beams that holding the entire house together. Soon they are evicted and forced to live with their cousin Laman , living in his loft obey his every command. I mean what would you do. You are desperate and your own mother can't fit you into her home. Soon Malachy is accepted into the Irish army band, Frank is encouraged to stay in school, but he rather work and be the man of the house, and Angela is feeling like her children are flying the nest. At the age of fourteen, Frank is out of school and he is working as a telegram delivery boy. There were many who believed that he could be better than this, but this is what he wanted to do. The main character delivers telegrams to various places including a teenage girl who suffers from consumption (TB). Frankie commits his first sin by letting a girl take advantage of him sexually. That moment he discovers his first love, and is scared for the outcome of her condition. A few weeks later, he finds out that Theresa didn't make it. Frank makes a deal with Laman that he will take care of him, but in return he would like a bike to carry his telegrams. He's starting to think that all the abuse he takes from this man isn't worth it. After being drunk on the job, Frank loses his job and finds a new one working at Eason's , as a paperboy. A few years later, Frankie and Malachy decide to move back to New York.
Reflection and Recommendation
The main themes covered in this book were religion, hardship, poverty, and alcoholism, and temptation. I will tell you the truth and say that this book was really sad. It makes you be thankful for what you have, and feel bad for those who don't have as much as you do. After reading this story, and picturing the poverty, hardship, and the death of your little children, I don't know if I would be able to take it. This family went through a lot. This reminds me so much of the Joad family in Grapes of Wrath and how they lived through poverty, hardship, and death. These novels sound like they may be the same, but they're not. Angel's Ashes is a memoir written by the author who experienced every word in this book, whereas Steinbeck just talks about the historical period and adds his own characters. Overall pretty sad book, but some the most sad and realistic books turn out to be good books. This book allowed me to see what it was like for the foreign countries during the Great Depression.
Summary : Chapter 11-18
Frankie finds out that the truth of his birth while looking in an old chest. He figures out that he was born before his parents married, and he thinks he's going to limbo when he dies. At eleven, Frankie is learning more about sex and it's temptations which foreshadows sin. The main character finds a job working for a coal factory helping out a neighbor, but has to quit eventually due to his health and his mother. The children's father sends a letter saying that he will be coming for Christmas, but everyone has a bit of a negative attitude when it comes to the father (including me). After going to the train station, they don' find him and expect that he got drunk and fell asleep. The next day, he comes home surprising everybody. The big question, the whole reason Malachy Sr. went to England, "Where's is the money". I believe that by knowing the current knowledge of this book, you would have realized that he spent the money on booze. Later, their no-good father leaves for London. Hopefully he will bring home the bacon! (Expression). Of course he won't this family barely has enough food to feed themselves, there is no way he will bring them money in time because he will be tempted to spend it. Too bad there wasn't an Alcoholic's Anonymous because that guy needs it. The McCourt's continue their poor, poverty-stricken life, bringing sick people and animals home, learning about the difference between lice and flees, figuring out that by helping others ,it affects not only those who are worse off than you, but yourselves., and living in their home on the brink of being evicted. A few days later, the boys were running around and they knocked over the beams that holding the entire house together. Soon they are evicted and forced to live with their cousin Laman , living in his loft obey his every command. I mean what would you do. You are desperate and your own mother can't fit you into her home. Soon Malachy is accepted into the Irish army band, Frank is encouraged to stay in school, but he rather work and be the man of the house, and Angela is feeling like her children are flying the nest. At the age of fourteen, Frank is out of school and he is working as a telegram delivery boy. There were many who believed that he could be better than this, but this is what he wanted to do. The main character delivers telegrams to various places including a teenage girl who suffers from consumption (TB). Frankie commits his first sin by letting a girl take advantage of him sexually. That moment he discovers his first love, and is scared for the outcome of her condition. A few weeks later, he finds out that Theresa didn't make it. Frank makes a deal with Laman that he will take care of him, but in return he would like a bike to carry his telegrams. He's starting to think that all the abuse he takes from this man isn't worth it. After being drunk on the job, Frank loses his job and finds a new one working at Eason's , as a paperboy. A few years later, Frankie and Malachy decide to move back to New York.
Reflection and Recommendation
The main themes covered in this book were religion, hardship, poverty, and alcoholism, and temptation. I will tell you the truth and say that this book was really sad. It makes you be thankful for what you have, and feel bad for those who don't have as much as you do. After reading this story, and picturing the poverty, hardship, and the death of your little children, I don't know if I would be able to take it. This family went through a lot. This reminds me so much of the Joad family in Grapes of Wrath and how they lived through poverty, hardship, and death. These novels sound like they may be the same, but they're not. Angel's Ashes is a memoir written by the author who experienced every word in this book, whereas Steinbeck just talks about the historical period and adds his own characters. Overall pretty sad book, but some the most sad and realistic books turn out to be good books. This book allowed me to see what it was like for the foreign countries during the Great Depression.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
IRA#6
Angela's Ashes
Chapter 8-10
Francis is preparing for his confirmation. Before confirmation there is temptation to follow Henry Dooley who everyone calls Quasimodo who does sinful pleasures, and the moms are locking up their kids making sure that they do become him. Then days after confirmation, Francis starts to bleed about everywhere. After going to the doctor, he is diagnosed with typhoid and quickly taken to the Fever Hospital. The main character meets a girl named Patricia Madigan, who is a diphtheria patient. He and Patricia are not allowed to communicate in fear that he may get even more ill, and because he should be praying to God thanking him for helping him get through. Despite the Sister Rita's warnings, the two kids have the orderly Seamus sneak books back and forth as she instills his mind with new types of literature such as The Highway Man. Patricia tells Frances the story of the highwayman, the redcoats, and the woman. The bad thing is that right when he is going to figure the ending of the poem, the nun catches them and Francis is relocated. I find this very sad. He finds a friend that introduces him to the wonderful world of literature, and now he has to go. He is taken downstairs in the hospital where the famine patients in the late 1880's suffered malnutrition and died. You wouldn't think that a bunch of nuns would put you in a place that has so many memories of sickness and death as punishment. The worst thing is that the main character is actually have nightmare of illusions of people lying on the beds and dying. I definitely wouldn't want to be in that room because I would be scared to death where I would join the
couple dozen or more ghosts that haunt that very room Francis is staying in. The nuns explain that the literature that he has been given is pagan. I don't know how that poem written about two lovers who take their own life would be considered pagan, but all right. The theme of sadness continues as Frankie finds out that Patricia dies the next morning. After being the hospital from several weeks to a month, he returns home. He tries to get back into school, but finds out that after being gone for a long period of time, he must be held back. He and Malachy will be in the same classroom despite the fact that Frank has already been confirmed. Think about it! How would you feel if you had to be held back to the same class as your younger brother who is like two years younger than you. The teasing really worries Frank, and he hopes that since St. Francis of Assisi made him healthy again, maybe he can help him with one more thing. The main character is the oldest and is asked to write a paper to talk about what he learned last year when preparing for Confirmation. He write such a well written paper that he gets booted back to his original classroom. You see miracles do happen! Frank is starting to realize that there are three sides to his father and it is more like the Holy Trinity. He reads paper in the morning, works in the afternoon, and then later spends the money on booze. The conditions of their home are not very promising. They are told by an official that they must move. Money is the huge problem around here as we have all known. There are jobs opening up in England in factories making artillery and bombs. Many Irishmen want to leave their families and get jobs, but I find this iron because in these chapters they talk about the horror that the English put the Irish through. Malachy Sr. agrees with Angela that he go to England and get in a job in the factory sending them a little money every now and then. Uh Yeah Right? He has never given any of the money he earned to his family and now he's going to start. I believe this is foreshadows that the money is not going to come as soon as it should leaving the families desperate. The men leave their families with a promise that they will send money, and they will not get mixed up with other women. After a few weeks, the women and children wait for the telegram boy asking him if their husband sent them anything. When there is no word, everyone starts to become a little scared. Francis gets sick again and stays in the hospital. Angela suffers from depression and some sort of disease, while the boys are stealing bread and food so they can eat. After being discovered by a guard, the mom is taken to the hospital and the boys are taken to live at their aunt's. I would say by reading this that their aunt is the meanest person alive. She is like an exact replica of the grandma. The only time the boys are happy is when their uncle Sheehan takes care of them because he is nice to them and makes them laugh. Their father finally comes home, but warns them that he can't be here forever.
Chapter 8-10
Francis is preparing for his confirmation. Before confirmation there is temptation to follow Henry Dooley who everyone calls Quasimodo who does sinful pleasures, and the moms are locking up their kids making sure that they do become him. Then days after confirmation, Francis starts to bleed about everywhere. After going to the doctor, he is diagnosed with typhoid and quickly taken to the Fever Hospital. The main character meets a girl named Patricia Madigan, who is a diphtheria patient. He and Patricia are not allowed to communicate in fear that he may get even more ill, and because he should be praying to God thanking him for helping him get through. Despite the Sister Rita's warnings, the two kids have the orderly Seamus sneak books back and forth as she instills his mind with new types of literature such as The Highway Man. Patricia tells Frances the story of the highwayman, the redcoats, and the woman. The bad thing is that right when he is going to figure the ending of the poem, the nun catches them and Francis is relocated. I find this very sad. He finds a friend that introduces him to the wonderful world of literature, and now he has to go. He is taken downstairs in the hospital where the famine patients in the late 1880's suffered malnutrition and died. You wouldn't think that a bunch of nuns would put you in a place that has so many memories of sickness and death as punishment. The worst thing is that the main character is actually have nightmare of illusions of people lying on the beds and dying. I definitely wouldn't want to be in that room because I would be scared to death where I would join the
couple dozen or more ghosts that haunt that very room Francis is staying in. The nuns explain that the literature that he has been given is pagan. I don't know how that poem written about two lovers who take their own life would be considered pagan, but all right. The theme of sadness continues as Frankie finds out that Patricia dies the next morning. After being the hospital from several weeks to a month, he returns home. He tries to get back into school, but finds out that after being gone for a long period of time, he must be held back. He and Malachy will be in the same classroom despite the fact that Frank has already been confirmed. Think about it! How would you feel if you had to be held back to the same class as your younger brother who is like two years younger than you. The teasing really worries Frank, and he hopes that since St. Francis of Assisi made him healthy again, maybe he can help him with one more thing. The main character is the oldest and is asked to write a paper to talk about what he learned last year when preparing for Confirmation. He write such a well written paper that he gets booted back to his original classroom. You see miracles do happen! Frank is starting to realize that there are three sides to his father and it is more like the Holy Trinity. He reads paper in the morning, works in the afternoon, and then later spends the money on booze. The conditions of their home are not very promising. They are told by an official that they must move. Money is the huge problem around here as we have all known. There are jobs opening up in England in factories making artillery and bombs. Many Irishmen want to leave their families and get jobs, but I find this iron because in these chapters they talk about the horror that the English put the Irish through. Malachy Sr. agrees with Angela that he go to England and get in a job in the factory sending them a little money every now and then. Uh Yeah Right? He has never given any of the money he earned to his family and now he's going to start. I believe this is foreshadows that the money is not going to come as soon as it should leaving the families desperate. The men leave their families with a promise that they will send money, and they will not get mixed up with other women. After a few weeks, the women and children wait for the telegram boy asking him if their husband sent them anything. When there is no word, everyone starts to become a little scared. Francis gets sick again and stays in the hospital. Angela suffers from depression and some sort of disease, while the boys are stealing bread and food so they can eat. After being discovered by a guard, the mom is taken to the hospital and the boys are taken to live at their aunt's. I would say by reading this that their aunt is the meanest person alive. She is like an exact replica of the grandma. The only time the boys are happy is when their uncle Sheehan takes care of them because he is nice to them and makes them laugh. Their father finally comes home, but warns them that he can't be here forever.
Thursday, February 2, 2012
IRA #5
Angela's Ashes
Chapter 6-7
The first chapter starts talking about what it is really like being in a Catholic school classroom. Just by reading this, I can tell that religion is so important in Ireland. The idea of having an extremely strict teacher make you repeat every word that he says makes the entire class seem like some kind of robots. It makes me think about when I have Catechism classes, except the fact that our teachers are way more lenient. There is no punishment for being disruptive or for asking too many questions. The teacher torments the students by taunting them with food, which is extremely low considering that not many of these kids get enough to eat. The torture that is depicted in this story is so cruel. The idea of the teacher peeling a fresh piece a fruit and not giving it to any of the hungry children is just terrible. Only if you are good will you get a piece of the apple. The chapter continues talking about school and it's ups and downs. The thing that it does talk about most importantly is bullying, which is a very scary issue. Basically there is this boy Fintan who is teased and made fun of because he is seen as the outcast, the smart one, and the most religious out the entire class. Francis and his friend Paddy hang out with Fintan, , but they are also teased. After reading this, you could tell that bullying was even an issue back then, but there wasn't anything done about it because everyone thought it was normal. Today in this era, kids are committing suicide because of what is said about them behind their backs. Bullying has an emotional toll on not only the victim, but the bully itself. Who knows what contributes to bullying? Another thing that goes with the idea of school is truancy. Frank skips school to hang about with Paddy where they both go on their way finding food, relaxing, and enjoying their day. However, when the parents find out, things aren't as relaxing and enjoying as they were. The main character is scared what his parents and the church will do to him so he stays at his friend's house. The next morning he picked up by his mom and surprisingly not punished as bad as he should be. When you have your child run away, you sometimes just want to be happy they are home, and lessen the punishment even though they are in trouble. Here is some more information on the children of this era. They were extremely tough. If there was a death or illness in the family, there would be no crying. The entire family helped them get well or made them comfortable. Now for the idea of little kids working, going to school, and doing extracurricular activities. Frankie is forced to get a job with his uncle selling the newspaper. Unbeknownst, he got a job reading stories and the news paper to a crazy old man. However,, this tends to be a conflict, whereas he is being forced to be in the Confraternity by a kid-who-thinks-he's-all-that, who doesn't want to ruin his perfect attendance for it will ruin everything according to him. On the bright side for Frankie, his mom has another baby named Alfonsus. As you can see from this blog, I did not talk about the father at all. Well he is still the worthless, lowlife, piece of crap he was in the last chapters, still drinking away the families income.
Chapter 6-7
The first chapter starts talking about what it is really like being in a Catholic school classroom. Just by reading this, I can tell that religion is so important in Ireland. The idea of having an extremely strict teacher make you repeat every word that he says makes the entire class seem like some kind of robots. It makes me think about when I have Catechism classes, except the fact that our teachers are way more lenient. There is no punishment for being disruptive or for asking too many questions. The teacher torments the students by taunting them with food, which is extremely low considering that not many of these kids get enough to eat. The torture that is depicted in this story is so cruel. The idea of the teacher peeling a fresh piece a fruit and not giving it to any of the hungry children is just terrible. Only if you are good will you get a piece of the apple. The chapter continues talking about school and it's ups and downs. The thing that it does talk about most importantly is bullying, which is a very scary issue. Basically there is this boy Fintan who is teased and made fun of because he is seen as the outcast, the smart one, and the most religious out the entire class. Francis and his friend Paddy hang out with Fintan, , but they are also teased. After reading this, you could tell that bullying was even an issue back then, but there wasn't anything done about it because everyone thought it was normal. Today in this era, kids are committing suicide because of what is said about them behind their backs. Bullying has an emotional toll on not only the victim, but the bully itself. Who knows what contributes to bullying? Another thing that goes with the idea of school is truancy. Frank skips school to hang about with Paddy where they both go on their way finding food, relaxing, and enjoying their day. However, when the parents find out, things aren't as relaxing and enjoying as they were. The main character is scared what his parents and the church will do to him so he stays at his friend's house. The next morning he picked up by his mom and surprisingly not punished as bad as he should be. When you have your child run away, you sometimes just want to be happy they are home, and lessen the punishment even though they are in trouble. Here is some more information on the children of this era. They were extremely tough. If there was a death or illness in the family, there would be no crying. The entire family helped them get well or made them comfortable. Now for the idea of little kids working, going to school, and doing extracurricular activities. Frankie is forced to get a job with his uncle selling the newspaper. Unbeknownst, he got a job reading stories and the news paper to a crazy old man. However,, this tends to be a conflict, whereas he is being forced to be in the Confraternity by a kid-who-thinks-he's-all-that, who doesn't want to ruin his perfect attendance for it will ruin everything according to him. On the bright side for Frankie, his mom has another baby named Alfonsus. As you can see from this blog, I did not talk about the father at all. Well he is still the worthless, lowlife, piece of crap he was in the last chapters, still drinking away the families income.
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