week 7- cultural commentary

Throughout my novel, the differences between men and women was often brought up.  Eliza dresses as a man at first to cover her identity, but soon she realizes that there are many things she can do in men's clothing that she couldn't as a lady.  

"She kept wearing men's clothing because it contributed to the invisibility so necessary in the quixotic mission Tao Chi'en had enrolled her in" (360).

Eliza finds it easier to find jobs and travel as inconspicuously as possible when she is dressed as a man.  People assume she is either a very young boy or a homosexual man.  Either way, she gains the sympathy of others and her comrades feel protective towards her.  

She must also dress in men's clothing because there are very few women in California.  Most of the women are prostitutes.  As Eliza wants to keep her identity hidden, she cannot risk being seen by many people.  If she stayed dressed as a woman, it would be difficult to remain hidden.  

"I see very few women in the mines, but there are some with enough pluck to accompany their husbands in this dog's life. [...] Men are willing to walk miles just to see a woman up lose.  A girl sitting in the sun outside a tavern will within minutes have a collection of pouches of gold on her knees, gifts from besotted men grateful for the provocative sight of skirts" (279).

So, in America in the mid-nineteenth century, women were scarce and seen very differently than men.  Because the population is more or less 50/50 men and women in America, no one gender is seen as more important. When men far out numbered women, women were seen as  highly valued commodities.

The Chinese also have a different view of men and women.  Tao Chi'en loved his wife and loves Eliza, but he still doesn't believe them to be his equals.  

"Better a deformed son than a dozen girls as wise as Buddha" (163).

"A woman is a creature useful for work, motherhood, and pleasure, but no ultivated and intelligent man would try to make her his companion his friend [...]" (317).

"You said that Chinese men expect women to serve them" (375).

Tao Chi'en comes to realize that women are more than wives.  They can be friends and coworkers.  Tao Chi'en and Eliza grow an odd relationship in America where they are completely equal.

Chinese culture has an odd view of women just like old American culture did.  Chinese people saw women as simply people born to bear children and become concubines if not married. Women were treated as objects, not people.  So, both Americans and Chinese viewed women very differently than they are seen today.  

week 7- free response

I think earlier in my blogs I declared that Eliza was my favorite character, but after finishing my book, Tao Chi'en is by far the best character.  He is the most level-headed character in the entire novel.  He seems incredibly wise and all-knowing, but he grows intellectually and in his emotions.

He grows intellectually through medical knowledge.  He still uses old Chinese tricks like pins and needles and magical herbs.  However, he finds out how to amputate and perform surgery.  He needs to learn these things in America to widen his outreach to patients.  Practicing both Chinese and American techniques brings both cultures to his office.  This is not his only motive in learning though.  Tao Chi'en truly loves to learn!  He wants to gain wisdom and knowledge through any means possible.  I love this about him.  

He also grows emotionally by figuring out how the relationship between men and women should be.  Growing up in China, he is told that women are disposable and only good for being wives or concubines.  He sees his sister sold into slavery and often sees dead baby girls around the streets.  Although no one directly tells Tao Chi'en how worthless women are, subliminally he is shown how they are of no use.  Most of his thoughts as a young lad were over women.  Tao Chi'en planned on arranging a marriage for himself with a girl with little feet.  His single thoughts about the girl were how she had to have beautiful little feet.  After meeting Eliza, Tao Chi'en comes to see how important and useful women are.  They are more than their feet.  There is a brain as well as a body.  Eliza is strong willed and acts as his equal.  This shows him

 how they can be equal partners in a relationship.

Week 6- Free Response

Dear Isabel Allende,

I have recently finished your book Daughter of Fortune and I enjoyed it greatly! However, I do have some questions about the character Joaquin Murieta and the singsong girls.

His life is obviously a bit sketchy since it is all recorded by a reporter who has never even met him. I had the feeling while reading your book that Murieta didn't even exist. I thought this because he and his group was uncatchable and they seemed to move impossibly quickly from one town to another. Another part suggesting this made up villain was when he was supposedly killed. Their were no witnesses to say otherwise and the description of the posse was rather vague. However, I think I was proven wrong when Eliza went to see Murieta's decapitated head. When she saw it she proclaimed, "I am free" (399). I assume that this meant that Murieta's head was indeed the one of her first love. This would of course mean that Murieta was a real person. So, I'm a little bit confused about his existance.

I was also curious about the singsong girls. Was slavery really so prominent in California in the mid-1800's? Were there really Chinese slaves called the singsong girls? I have a hard time imagining the government so corrupt. I suppose I can see a little bit of slave trading occurring, but you wrote about it as if it happened in large amounts. Could the California government really ignore such a big problem? Getting beyond the trading of slaves, I was also curious about the conditions these girls lived in. Is your writing based on factual accounts? The brothels were disgusting. So many girls packed in such a small space and then brainwashed and drugged to perform! I was also taken aback at how they were then silently left to starve or be killed after they were no longer useful. Perhaps this only happened in a few places and you wrote about the worst scenario a prostitute could be in. I sure hope this is the case, because I was horrified at your account of the singsong girls.

Other than these few questions, I was incredibly pleased with your book. I would like to read more books by you, but I have heard that they are sad. Perhaps you could write another book with a happy ending like The Daughter of Fortune!

Sincerely,
Megan

Week 6- Cultural Commentary

Tao Chi'en and Eliza are worried that they will be an odd pairing. This is of course because Tao is Chinese while Eliza is Chilean. This would not be a problem in present day America, but in the mid nineteenth century I guess the couple would turn a few heads.

Most people at this time would marry within their class and race. Tao and Eliza break both of these unwritten rules. Tao is a middle class "doctor" and Eliza is descended from a well-off English family. They don't find this a problem in America however because Eliza is living more or less the life of a poor traveler. When she begins to live with Tao, she fits right in with his living conditions. Their differences in race are also manageable. Eliza spends a good deal of her time pretending to be Tao's deaf and dumb younger brother. Most people believe her to be Chinese. It is understandable that Eliza and Tao became a couple because they jumped through the hoops set by society to come closer together.

The problem with their assumed eventual marriage is that they can't keep their different races a secret forever. Eliza returns to wearing her dresses at the end of the book. When she isn't in men's clothing and doesn't have her hair cropped short, one can quite easily see that Eliza is indeed a Chilean women and not a Chinese boy.

I don't know how people will react to their marriage, but I'm sure Eliza and Tao will overcome the reactions. They have both gone through a lot in their lives to reach California and build respectable lives for themselves. They shouldn't have a problem getting past another step in the staircase of life.

Week 5- Free Response

I adored the book Daughter of Misfortune! I really enjoyed how the ending wasn't too perfect. I often am bothered when books or movies end with a too happy ending. Life never really works out the way you want it to, so books and movies should reflect real life in this aspect. In Daughter of Fortune Eliza doesn't get everything she expects in life, but things do work out in her favor. She finds a man, finds her family, and finds something to do with her life.

Throughout the book she is always searching for something. Most of the time she is on the road or moving from place to place in order to find what she is looking for. At the very beginning of the book Eliza wonders a lot about where she came from and who her family is. Her thoughts then become overtaken by her boyfriend Joaquin. When he leaves, Eliza stows away to America to find him. As she is on this search across California, she begins to wonder what has become of her life. She feels most at home when taking care of the sick, but even this does not satisfy her. So, on Eliza's trek across California, she tries to find all three of these things and live a fulfilled life.

By the end of the novel Eliza finds all that she is looking for. Although she does find a man, her family, and a purpose in life, none of these things end up how she expected. Eliza wants Joaquin and searches for him for years, but eventually she comes to terms with the fact that she doesn't love him anymore, she only loves the idea of being in love. Once Eliza has this revelation, she stays with Tao Chi'en (who she should have been with all along!). Her purpose in life also becomes apparent. Tao and Eliza find a way to save many young girls' lives. They buy sex slaves and rehabilitate them to live normal lives. Eliza's family comes as a bonus at the end of the book. Eliza seems to be living happily, but little does she know, her aunt (and adoptive mother) is coming to America to find her! It is assumed that Eliza will be reunited with her true family and live happily ever after.

So, all in all, Eliza's life works out quite well. This all happens in an unexpected way, and Eliza will still have trials to face with her dangerous job of saving poor souls and her odd pairing with Tao. Again, I must reiterate how great this book was! I recommend it to anyone interested in a variety of things from romance stories to cowboy tales. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I have!

Week 5- Cultural Commentary

In general, modern people have a different feeling about money than people did in the nineteenth century. People were eager to flood California for this so called gold that lay everywhere. Today, no one would be so naive as to believe that gold is so easy to get. People know that things that sound "too good to be true" probably are too good to be true. Most people today are suspicious of a good deal. That's why we comparison shop. One deal may sound great, but it's not good until we can see that it is truly a good deal. Impulse buys aren't that common of an occurrence. You have to think through a purchase until you can go through with buying it. People are also pretty loyal to their families that they won't run away for gold. I can't imagine my dad or any of my friends' dads leaving for money. Of course, this obviously isn't everyone's parents, but still, I don't believe a majority of fathers would leave their family in dire straights so that they could benefit from the gold rush.

In 1849, people fled from every continent in the world to get California's gold. These Argonauts truly thought that they would become rich from this gold. They didn't realize how difficult it would be to find the gold. With poor communication and tabloid newspapers, no one knew that the gold wasn't that easy to get. The newspapers wrote headlines that sold, so they sometimes wrote lies about California to sell. People must have been easily swayed and jumped on board a ship to get rich quick. They would do this regardless of their families as well. Men would leave their wife and children with no way of making money just to get to California.

Week 4- Free Response

The Daughter of Fortune focuses a lot on relationships and the hoops someone will jump through for love. Eliza runs away from her family and chases after her "one true love" Joaquin. Seriously, how can she possibly love him. So, this is how they meet. Joaquin works for Eliza's uncle, so he swings by her house to do some work. She serves him lemonade and falls madly in love. Of course, Joaquin feels the same way about Eliza after there first meeting. From then on, they meet in a shack and have sex. They then begin doing it in the attic of Eliza's house during the night when no one will hear them. There relationship is founded on very little other than sex. I don't know how grounded there love really is.

After a while, their secret relationship must be ended as Joaquin heads to California to participate in the gold rush. Despite the fact that Joaquin picked gold over his "love", Eliza feels obligated to find him in America. She is now carrying his child as she stows away on a ship and nearly dies. Eliza has a still birth and lives to see California. Once she steps on land, her first thoughts are of Joaquin. I have little faith in her actually finding him.

Do they really love each other then? Eliza goes through Hell to get to America and become closer to Joaquin. She leaves her family, leaves behind her riches and comfortable house, she leaves her friends, she illegally stows away on a ship, she nearly dies, and yet she still only thinks of finding Joaquin. I can't decide if she loves him or not. I can't imagine any other reason to go through such horrors unless there really is true love.

My writing probably sounded sort of bitter, but I can't wrap my mind around love at first sight stuff. I believe you come to love someone through a closer relationship based conversations and shared experiences. Eliza and Joaquin share little other than sex, but maybe that's enough in this case.

Week 4- Cultural Commentary

For this post I'm just going to make a list of interesting cultural differences I found in the reading.

• Tao Chi'en and the two black people aboard the ship don't have cabins and can't sit at the dining table. People of nationalities other than white are looked down upon. This is probably due to the fact that the "white man's burden" is an ideology floating around Europe at this time.

• Tao Chi'en finds the act of drinking milk repulsive. His reasoning for this isn't explained.
  

• Opium is used medicinally to ease Eliza's pain and make her voyage to America easier. Eliza (a British woman) thinks this will make her mad, but Tao Chi'en convinces her that if used sparingly it will ease her journey. The triangular trade of Opium to China popularizes the drug, so Tao Chi'en is very familiar with it.

• Besides using Opium, Tao Chi'en uses old Chinese cures. He uses herbs, teas, and acupuncture to cure her from her fever after her miscarriage.

• Tao Chi'en doesn't believe Eliza has a very good chance of finding her love or of marrying him. No one will want her for a wife after having a miscarriage. Today, many people overlook these faults when looking for a spouse. I suppose back then, however, a miscarriage meant the woman isn't a virgin. I don't understand how this is a problem though since Eliza's love is the one who got her pregnant in the first place. He is well aware that she is no longer a virgin!
  

• Tao Chi'en is persuaded to help Eliza once Lin (his late wife) appears to him. He believes this happens every once in a while, but never before this encounter was he positive she was visiting him. Tao seems to be a little bit superstitious.
  

• He also believes that if he lets Eliza die her ghost will haunt him for the rest of his life. Again, Tao's superstitiousness is revealed.
  

• Captain Katz doesn't like women aboard his ship. He doesn't explain his reasoning but I assume it has to with either bad luck or the fact that the women passengers are prostitutes.
  

Week 3- Free Response

Dear Isabel Allende,

I'm in the middle of your book Daughter of Fortune at the moment. So far I've found the book very interesting and attention getting. However, I wonder how far from history you've taken your writing. Did you do research before writing about the previous century? There are multiple characters who have love affairs. Was this a common occurrence back then? I can't imagine this happening so loosely. Obviously, it is looked down upon and the affairs are hidden, but were they common? I also wonder about Tao Chi'en's childhood. Did you give a true description of Chinese culture and the mindset of the people? They seemed to be very unforgiving, harsh, practical people. But were they really this way?

Other than my questions about the accuracy of the story to the time period, I really enjoy reading this book. My favorite character so far is Eliza. Eliza is such a free spirit and knows herself so well. She does what she wants when she wants and I envy her for such freedom. Sometimes Eliza's free spirit is irritating. She's so consumed with her own wants, she forgets about others. When she leaves to find Joaquin she doesn't even pause to think about her "family" and how they will feel about her absence. Perhaps I'm missing the point though and her unwavering thoughts on one goal is what is so great. She is so determined to reach her goal, she will do anything. Even if this is the point you are trying to make, I still dislike her lack of courtesy and selfless thought. She also knows herself well because she knows how to control herself. I loved how you described her as being able to become invisible. As long as she acts silent and inconspicuous, no one notices her presence. If only people could really do such a thing!

Thank you for this great book! I really hope that the rest can live up to the beginning!

Sincerely,
Megan Fetterman

Week 3- Cultural Commentary

Well, today's post is not about Chilean culture, but actually Chinese. Tao Chi'en is hiding Eliza so that she can stow away to America. He's originally from China. What I find so interesting about his childhood is the little value children carry. Today there is an overpopulation problem in China, but I didn't realize this started all the way back in 1800's.

The quote that most caught my attention:

"[...] it was not unusual to find newborn baby girls thrown like garbage into the street or floating in the canals, often chewed on by dogs or rats. No one wanted them, they were disposable. [...] 'Better a deformed son than a dozen girls as wise as Buddha,' was the popular saying (162-163)."

I had to read this paragraph twice to make sure I got it right the first time. I suppose it's a very rational way to look at families. Why have children that will contribute very little to the household. They don't bring in any money unless they're sold, but even then the child would have to be brought up until a certain age. Overpopulation and scarcity of money could easily drive someone to dispose of their girl child. I still can't believe that this actually happened!

Not only girls had to go through separation with their families. Tao Chi'en actually got sold to slave traders. He was a fourth son and therefore worth very little. Like a girl, a fourth child only makes another mouth to feed.

I hope that the world never resorts to such atrocities ever again. We are headed towards overpopulation with the growing population of recent decades, but I hope that we've found better ways to deal with such problems.

Week 2- Free Response

Eliza amazes me. She decides to travel to California looking for Joaquin. She leaves with only a suitcase full of a dress, love letters from Joaquin, jewels that were saved for her dowry, and some cash. Eliza abandons the family that took her in as a baby and she leaves Mama Fresia. I can't imagine leaving all that you know and are accustomed to just to find your love. I don't think Eliza realizes how much Mama Fresia and perhaps even the Sommers love her. She thinks first of her love for Joaquin before thinking about how much she will be missed and how important she is to others in Chile. Mind you, I don't believe Eliza is selfish, just blinded. She can't see beyond Joaquin. He becomes her life and when he leaves so does her reason to live.

Although I understand Eliza's need to follow Joaquin and regain her life. I just can't imagine myself taking on such a risky mission. I would consider others while making my decision to go to California. I would think about how much my family would miss me and really how much I would miss them. Although Eliza can probably get on without Jeremy and John Sommers, she does have a special connection with both Rose and Mama Fresia. Sometimes Rose isn't the best mother figure, but she did raise Eliza from a baby. Eliza must love her for all of the effort Rose put into her. When Rose wasn't around, Mama Fresia brought up Eliza. They share an especially strong bond. Mama Fresia is her protector and confidante. When Eliza gets pregnant she tells only Mama Fresia and when she decides to go to California she only tells Mama Fresia. How can Eliza forget so many important people in her life to chase just one?

Maybe I just don't have anyone I feel so strongly about as Eliza cares for Joaquin so I can't relate. However, I don't know if such love even exists. It's often written about, but hardly ever does one hear about love in reality that compares to the love in books. I don't know. Perhaps I just haven't lived long enough to see true love, but I do hope that I am proved wrong and love like that of books is in our world.

World Issues

I'm going to write about human trafficking and the modern slave trade.

Here are my sources:

"Trafficking in Persons Report" from the State Department accessed on SIRS
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-5301&artno=0000263327&key=&type=ART&shfilter=U&sound=no

"Sold into Slavery" from Christian Century accessed on SIRS
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-5301&artno=0000270593&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=Sold%20into%20Slavery&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y

"The New Global Slave Trade" from Foreign Affairs accessed on SIRS
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-5301&artno=0000256516&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=The%20New%20Global%20Slave%20Trade&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y

Week 2- Cultural Commentary

The Chileans are also very different from our culture and that of the British because they are a very superstitious people. Miss Fresia, a Chilean woman, is the housekeeper for the Sommers family. The reader sees the culture of Chile compared to the British.

When Miss Rose gets seriously sick with an upset stomach then a headache followed by temporary blindness. Mama Fresia attempts to help Rose recover by lighting black candles and fanning the smoke from burning sage everywhere. She then puts a dead lizard in a bottle of brandy. Rose has cloths dowsed in green tea put over her eyes. Although there is no evidence that this "witchery" actually cures Rose, she does recover within 48 hours.


Mama Fresia does many more superstitious things throughout the book. The most interesting medications Mama Fresia uses are those to cause Eliza to bleed away her child. Eliza has to drink chicken crap dissolved in black beer, soak in sulfur baths, and apply mustard compresses to her stomach. When this doesn't work, Mama Fresia speaks to a machi who tells her how to give Eliza an abortion. She has to recite and incantation and can only perform the ceremony on Friday night.


The Chileans also have religious superstitions. During the Cristo de Mayo I discussed in one of last weeks blogs, a Christ statue on a column is taken through the processions. His crown of thorns is around his neck because last time the crown was placed correctly on his head an earthquake began. Since then, the crown remained around the statue's neck.

Week 1- Free Response

There is a lot of discussion about sexual promiscuity in this book. I believe many people believe such topics are new to our era, but things like that were going on a long time ago. I don't know how common it was though because this book is a work of fiction, but I'm sure some people participated in acts that were greatly disapproved of.

Miss Rose is an unmarried woman and plans to stay that way. She had an encounter with a married man who sang tenor in the opera, Karl Bretzner. She was just a teenager and admired Bretzner and attended all of his shows until he took notice of her and invited her to his private dressing room. Pretty quickly, some stuff happened and Rose was "tainted". She had to hide the matter and she moved with her brother to Chile.

One of Rose's brothers, John, also has sex although he isn't married. "[...] the girl could imagine him carousing with some of his flighty women friends, the ones who said hello in the street when Miss Rose wasn't with them." Prostitutes are mentioned hanging around the docks and that happens to be where John spends most of his time when he's visiting Chile.

Eliza also has a love affair when she's just a teenager. She meets Joaquin Andieta and they have secret meetings every Wednesday night when no will notice Eliza's absence. When he goes off to California to join the gold rush, she realizes that she is pregnant.

Again, this kind of promiscuity could just be in this book to make a good story, but I'm sure some people were like this in the mid-1800s.

Week 1- Cultural Commentary

Chile is full of English people living off of the sea industry. There are very large cultural differences between the Chilean people and the English. "They [the English] formed a small nation within the country, with their own customs, cults, newspapers, clubs, schools, and hospitals [...] (p 15)."

The religious beliefs of the two groups differ. Jacob Todd is involved in a bet where he has to go to Chile and sell a bunch of Bibles before the year ends. No one believes he will be able to sell them in the Catholic country. When he arrives in Chile, indeed he has a hard time getting his Protestant ideas around. However, his British friends support his idea to try to convert some indigenous tribes. The British also like to hear his sermons he preaches. As it turns out, Todd doesn't try very hard to sell his Bibles, but the one time he does try, no one buys.

The Chileans are very Catholic people. They hold Catholic festivities during Holy week and on religious holidays. Because that year there were incredible devastating floods, a lot of people show up to the processions. "[...] but on this occasion they had become massive rallies imploring heaven to bring an end to the storms (p 32)." The festival is described as eccentric and really quite crazy. There are people praying, singing, fasting, punishing themselves, etc.

This is obviously a little big off base from how we celebrate our religion. I assume Britain is a bit more moderate in its religion as we are. The British in Chile were probably appalled at the spectacle. Eliza Sommers goes with Mama Fresia to the Cristo de Mayo even though here patroness forbid it. Her patroness, Miss Rose, is very English and doesn't want Eliza exposed to the Catholic rituals. There is no mention of any English at the festivities besides Eliza.

Fourth Quarter Outside Reading

For fourth quarter I'm going to read Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende. It's about a young Chilean girl who travels to San Fransisco during the Gold Rush. My mom recommended this book, so I believe it will be good. I like how it isn't just about the culture of Chile, but it will also be the reaction of the Chilean culture to American culture. Often it's difficult to read books by foreign authors because it's hard to relate to such different experiences. But, in Daughter of Fortune, the culture difference will be more manageable because the story is set in a familiar setting.

Week 7- Entry B

I would highly recommend you to read Peace Like a River. I have never read a book that has such a satisfying ending. With most books and movies, once they are over, I wish there were more. I need a sequel to find out what happens to the characters after the narrative. In this book though, Leif Enger neatly wraps up the plot. He then adds a little bow on the package to satisfy the readers; he explains the characters' futures after their adventures.
I didn't expect Peace Like a River to have such an adventurous plot. The title doesn't depict a crazy trek to South Dakota to find Davy, a fugitive from the law. I was pleasantly surprised to read a book full of action and excitement. Even when the characters are cooped up inside a house the reader gets to read some action through Swede's poems about Sunny's life. After finishing this book, I wonder if this poetry paralleled the narrative. I think if it does, that's very clever.
My only confusion throughout the book was the importance of miracles. The dad seems to be able to connect with God and make special things happen around him. He couldn't do these miracles once he met Roxanna. The narrator, Rube, believes that this is because God traded the miracles for a new mother, Roxanna. I don't know why I think the miracles stopped occurring. The only explanations I can come up with are because the miracles were fantasized in the first place or Ruben's explanation. I'm not partial to either of these ideas.
I wish there were spark notes on this book so I could better understand the themes of this book. If you were to ever have a book club, Peace Like a River would be a perfect book to read. It's interesting enough that people will actually read it and there is a lot to discuss. Even if you aren't in a book club, definitely read this book! I hope you enjoy it!

Week 7- Entry A

Vocabulary-

(p 214) stave- to move along rapidly

(p 221) sheik- the patriarch of a tribe or family; chief

Figurative Language-

1. (p 223) "And what about Odysseus, rowing down to Hell with a canteen of blood to slake the shade of Tiresius?" This excerpt alludes to The Odyssey.

2. (p 226) "There was one main fissure wide as an automobile but glowing only in occasional patches with the cool radiance of a candlelit pumpkin." This simile compares the light from the fissure to a jack-o-lantern.

3. (p 302) "O be quick, my soul, to answer Him; be jubilant, my feet!" Another allusion references the Bible.

Quote

(p 307) "And I, conversely, shouldn't have lived. Though I sensed this was the case, it was only years later Dr. Nokes would explain why in detail. His forbearance is to his credit. What eleven-yearpold should be told that his lungs only recently lay in literal shreds inside his central cavity? Dr. Nokes saw this fact with his two eyes. He felt it with his fingers. Yet mere hours later it was revealed at the hospital in Montrose that my lungs had not only endured an explosive chest wound but, in fact, seemed none the worse for wear. In fact, reported a perplexed emergency-room physician, it was as though they hadn't been touched. Of course they had been touched; that was the very point."

Another miracle.

Theme-

Love your enemies.

Week 6- Entry B

I'm worried for Davy's faith. There is some foreshadowing that suggests his demise. I think if I were reading this book solely for entertainment, I would have taken no note of these harbingers. However, being on the lookout for things to write about in this blog there were a few pages that sent my spine tingling.

On pages 133 and 134, the Land family comes across a deceased crow lying in the road after being run over by a car. Dad says that he's never seen a roadkill crow. They're bright birds and avoid traffic. A little while later, they encounter another crow pasted to the road.

Perhaps, the crow symbolizes Davy. He's a very bright young man who seems able to care for himself. I just caught myself call him a young man, he's in fact a teenager only sixteen years old. His maturity level made me forget that he is only my age! I assume that the car that ran over the crow is Mr. Andreeson. He is a federal police officer who's only job is to find Davy and enforce "justice". As of now, the fed is the logical fit to match the car, but another person could appear that wants Davy dead as well. Maybe, there is no single person responsible for Davy's downfall. The car could just be the means by which Davy dies. It really doesn't matter what the car represents, the important thing is that Davy will die. I sincerely hope that this isn't the case, but I can't imagine any other need for this passage about the dead crows.

Week 6- Entry A

Vocabulary

(p 130) putrescent- becoming putrid; undergoing putrefaction

(p 135) atrophy- a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage

Figurative Language-

1. (p 132) "The old man's hands looked like suet, hanging there out of his sleeves." His hands are compared to suet in this simile.

2. (p 137) "The man's face was grained as an old board and he had a dark pompadour ideally groomed even at this hour." The man's face is compared to the grain on wood in this simile.

3. (p 146) "Hope is like yeast, you know, rising under warmth." Because the sun is rising, Ruben feels more hopeful. Hope is compared to yeast in this simile.

Quote

(p 129-130) "Understand, this was done on faith alone. Keep in mind we hadn't yet heard from August Shultz; keep in mind we'd had no word at all, no hint of eye nor ear nor tingling spine as to where our boy was aimed. [...] Faith, as Dad saw it, had delivered unto us the Airstream trailer, and faith would direct our travels." I envy the Land family. They are so sure of what they are doing even though they have no concrete guidance or map leading them to Davy's current location. They believe God will tell them where to go. I commend them for their unwavering faith in God. God will guide your heart and mind to lead you to your destination.

Theme-

God will guide your heart and mind to lead you to your destination.

Week 5- Entry B

So far, Peace Like a River is very interesting. I started reading it this past week, and I've been enjoying it a lot! It puts a lot of real life situations into perspective. Family dynamics are explored as well. The narrator is Ruben Land. He lives with his father, his sister Swede, and his brother Davy. At the beginning of the book, they go hunting. Swede and Ruben (being the youngest) normally just accompany Davy and their father. Davy allows Ruben to shoot and kill a bird, so he feels like an adult. Once the family returns home, Ruben quickly finds out what being an adult really means. Davy protects the family by shooting and killing two creeps who dislike the Land family. He doesn't resent his situation because he knows that his family is more important than the law. His outlook on life is very mature for his age. He is sixteen or seventeen years old, but he seems to understand the importances in life far more than even some adults. Davy's decision wasn't a spur of the moment idea. If I was faced with protecting my family, I suppose I would shoot without thinking of the repercussions. I may regret my decision afterwards, but the logical thing to do would be to save the family. However, Davy had the gun by his bed as if he anticipated the arrival of the no-good-doers. I'm sure he thought about the consequences beforehand. I commend him for acting correctly even when the decision was a difficult one to make.

Week 5- Entry A

Vocabulary

(p 53) municipally- of or pertaining to a town or city or its local government

(p 73) meerschaum- a tobacco pipe with a bowl made of a mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, H₄Mg₂Si₃O₁₀, occurring in white, claylike masses

Figurative Language-

1. (p 52) "This, by the way, is the only story Dad ever told us in whispers: how the tornado came cruising up out of the south, birthed from a yellow cloud [...]" The tornado is personified by being birthed from a cloud.

2. (p 52) "[...] how it touched earth at the fringe of town, a pare umbilical rope [...]" The tornado is compared to an umbilical rope in this simile.

3. (p 53) [...] and the tornado came for it in absolute maturity, no umbilical growth now but a strong slender lady hip-walking through the campus [...]" The tornado is now compared to woman in this simile.

Quote

(p 26)

The men who worked the Redtail Mine were fed up with the boss.
They swarmed around his office door like blackflies round a hoss.
"No wages these three months!" one cried. "Ley's hang the lousy rat!
He'll starve our very children, boys, while he himself get fat!"
And true enough, behind the door, a fat man shook and wept;
The wobbling bags beneath his eyes said this man hadn't slept.
A messenger had brought him word that made him feel his age:
Valdez, last night- the third straight month!- had robbed the payroll stage.

I just love the way this poem is written! It is supposed to be written by Swede who is in early elementary school. I have a hard time believing any child could write a poem like this, but I like the book anyways. This poem reminds me of some of O. Henry's short stories. He often writes about the old west, and he has similar word choice. I suppose because O. Henry is one of my favorite authors, this poem appeals to me.

Theme-

The law isn't set in concrete. There are sometimes more important matters that supersede the law. Therefore, the law can't always be followed.

Week 4- Entry A

Vocabulary

(p 48) furtive- taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret

(p 60) benign- having a kindly disposition; gracious

Figurative Language-

1. (p 25) "The lip-like flesh writhed up and then subsided. Kino lifted the flesh, and there it lay, the great pearl, perfect as the moon." The pearl Kino finds in the oyster is compared to the moon in this simile.

2. (p 62) "But the buyer's eyes had become as steady and cruel and unwinking as a hawk's eys, while the rest of his face smiled in greeting." This simile compares his eyes to that of a hawk's.

3. (p 118) " The waving branches of the algae called to it and beckoned to it." The algae is personified as being able to wave and call to the pearl.

Quote

(p 118) "And the pearl settled into the lovely green water and dropped toward the bottom. THe waving branches of algae called to it and beckoned to it. The lights on its surface were green and lovely. It settled down to the sand bottom among the fern-like plants. Above, the surface of the water was a green mirror. And the pearl lay on the floor of the sea. A crab scampering over the bottom raised a little cloud of sand, and when it settled the pearl was gone." This paragraph is a perfect example of Steinbeck's writing style. He describes things so well that I can picture the scene in my imagination. I also loved this particular paragraph because the pearl has caused so much chaos and commotion, but the end of the pearl is very tranquil and relaxing.

Theme-

Just because you can take advantage of someone, doesn't mean you should.

Week 4- Entry B

After finishing Empire Falls, I read The Pearl by John Steinbeck. It was a fabulous book! Last night, as I lay in bed trying to get to sleep, I was listening to the Into the Woods soundtrack. If you've never seen the play or the movie, it's a twisted fairy tale using characters from many classic stories. Anyways, as I was listening to the music, I realized some similarities of themes between The Pearl and Into the Woods.

One of themes both share is the grass isn't always greener on the other side. In The Pearl, Kino tries to improve his life using "the pearl of the world". He wants to sell it and make enough money to buy a rifle, marry his wife, and send his son to school, but the pearl only brings trouble. Kino and his wife Juana are disturbed by robbers trying to snatch the precious pearl. They find themselves fleeing the authorities after murdering a thief and ultimately there baby dies in the chase. The pearl brings evil instead of the expected riches and a better way of living. In Into the Woods, characters have the same glorified feelings. They want to get better lives, but they don't get what they expected. The witch wants to be beautiful, but once she gains beauty, she loses her magic.
Cinderella's evil step sisters also realize that what they were searching for wasn't worth the effort. They were both greedy and wanted Prince Charming, but instead they got blinded by Cinderella's birds. These characters all sing at the end of act 1:

We're/I'm unhappy now, unhappy hence,
As well as ever after.
Had we used our common sense,
Been worthy of our discontents,
We'd be happy.

Both The Pearl and Into the Woods made me think about perspective and point of view as well. Jack from Into the Woods needs to sell his cow, so he trades Milky White for five magic beans. The baker makes this trade believing that the beans are nothing but ordinary. He must do this to get the cow's milk to complete a potion and become fertile to have a child. The baker's wife convinces him that the ends justify the means in this situation. In The Pearl, Kino is ripped off by the doctor and pearl dealers. I know that these people are supposed to be well off and are portrayed as being evil, but what if they needed the money for an important reason? The Pearl is told from Kino's perspective and show the richer men as being selfish, but Into the Woods portrays a similar situation from the other person's side.

You should definately read The Pearl if you like Steinbeck! It's a really quick book that really gets you thinking.

Week 3- Entry A

Vocabulary-

(p 295) entrenched- To provide with a trench, especially for the purpose of fortifying or defending

(p 351) commiserate- to feel or express sorrow or sympathy for; empathize with; pity

Figurative Language-

1. (p 295) "After all, what was the whole wide world but a place for people to yearn for their hearts' impossible desires, for those desires to become entrenched in defiance of logic, plausibility, and even the passage of time, as eternal as polished marble?" Time is compared to marble in this simile.

2. (p 337) "He'd scraped until dark, [...] gouging out rotting wood, half expecting blood to bead up where he'd punctured the church's skin." The church is personified as having skin and blood.

3. (p 351) "They were like ghosts, each inhabiting different dimensions of the same physical space [...]" The Whitings are compared to ghosts in this simile.

Quote

(p 468) "Before long he knew the names of all three librarians, one of whom had confessed that she'd taken him for a professor or a writer researching a book. [...] But to be tole, at forty-three, that he looked like what he'd meant to be only increased Mile's sense of personal failure." Mile's should have done what he wanted to, but instead he got stuck in Empire Falls. He was so close to escaping, but Mrs. Whiting and Grace's sickness brought him back. I just feel so bad for poor Mile's.

Theme-

You can't run away from your life. You have to go and face the problems and figure it out.

Week 3- Entry B

Dear Richard Russo,

Your book was absolutely fantastic! While I was reading, I felt the character's happiness and pain along with them and felt like I was actually in Empire Falls. The book was very realistic and had an ending that actually made sense in today's world. It didn't end happily ever after, but it wasn't a downer of an ending either. I suppose that's how life really works. You get dealt some crappy cards along with the good ones. You can't have a winning hand every time. I still felt a little bit less pleased with the book after finishing it however. I think I just wanted a happy go lucky end to Empire Falls, but it didn't deliver. I do admit that the book all in all was wonderful, but when I finished, I just wasn't in the mood to read anything depressing. Sometimes the beauty of books is that they take you out of our world and put you in a better one, but Empire Falls did the opposite. While reading I just felt more and more sad.

I had high hopes for John Voss, but he disappointed me by making poor decisions. He obviously can't be solely blamed for his social awkwardness and being in generally royally messed up, but I still wanted the best for him. After reading about his past and the way he dealt with his grandmother, I have to admit I cried. I don't like contemplating the existence of anyone that sad in the world, but I suppose those sorts of people are out there. How did you ever come up with such horrifying details to John's life. I don't think I could have come up with anything so unpleasant. Avoiding the news and reading sad books helps me keep up these mildly pleasant thoughts, so I wonder what sort of stuff are you reading?

I am also sad because Miles never got to live the life he truly wanted. It was truly disconcerting to read about Miles dream when he was back at the Vineyard. His dream was obviously a representation of his subconscious mind. How can anyone live their life believing that they killed their mother?

I wonder about what Tick's future will be like. Miles says he will make sure that she gets out of Empire Falls and doesn't carry on the business of the grill, but isn't that a lot like what Grace said? Are you saying that the tradition of staying in Empire Falls will carry on, or are you suggesting that Tick will overcome her family's problems and get out of that little town? I hope that it's the latter. I can't imaging Tick being confined to Empire Falls for the rest of her life!

Thank you for such a great book! I think I may try reading some of your other books as well. It may be a while though. I need to recuperate by reading some happier books!

Week 2- Entry B

I'm kind of frustrated right now. As I wrote in my last blog, I really like the character Miles. After reading further I've come to enjoy his daughter, Tick, and even his soon to be ex-wife, Janine. Miles is so innocent and nice. His mother in law thinks, " (Miles) was about the nicest, saddest man in all of Empire Falls [...] others, like Miles, you just kind of wanted to something nice fore because they were decent and deserved and you knew they'd be appreciative and wouldn't hold it against you for maybe not being so damn beautiful yourself." As I'm reading this fictional work, I want to do something to help Miles! I just want the best for him. He's kind of pitiful and helpless, but that's what attracts the characters in the book and the reader to him. Because I want Miles to be happy, I can't stand seeing him stuck in Empire Falls! He just needs to get out of the little lifeless hole. I can't imagine anyone having to live there. Even Miles' father, Max, wants to leave and go to the Florida Keys. I really dislike Max, but I still want him to escape from the town.

The worst part of all of this is that I think there are people in real life in situations similar to this. Once you're in a small town, it can be difficult to leave on account of economic issues or just fear of the unknown. Miles is stuck in Empire Falls because he is bound to his restaurant and hopes to own it in the future. I think he should high tail it out there and make money doing something else. As his brother David pointed out, the owner of Empire Grill won't die until she's in her nineties. By that time, Miles will be sixty and his daughter will end up owning the restaurant. I don't want Tick stuck with such a profitless bundle of crap! Max can't escape from Empire Falls simply because he lacks finances. He doesn't have a license or a car, so he needs someone else to bum a ride down to Florida.

I sincerely hope that everyone can make lives for themselves elsewhere in the world. Empire Falls is too small for anyone to sanely live their life. Everyone knows everyone else and no ones business is private. However, I doubt this book will end how I want it too. *sigh*

Week 2- Entry A

Vocabulary-

(p 62) antithetical- directly opposed or contrasted; opposite.

(p 62) parochial- very limited or narrow in scope or outlook

Figurative Language-

1. (p 114) "Climb like a monkey." Max is described in this simile as being nimble in his years of age.

2. (p 118) " His brother nodded slowly, as if this whole conversation had already taken place numerous times and there were just one or two minor details he'd failed to memorize." In this simile, the conversation is compared to one that seems to have happened before.

3. (p 132) "Once they turned seventy, they became leaky faucets with slow, incessant drips." Old people are compared to leaky faucets in this simile.

Quote

(p 146) " He becomes a public nuisance every now and then when he tires of being a private one. [...] Your father cares only about your father. I wish that weren't so, but it is, and you're old enough to know it. The sooner you understand it, the better off you'll be." This is the first time that Miles is told straight out about his father's personality. Being only a nine year old, I don't think Miles completely understands who his father is. Max just got arrested for being a public nuisance and cares little about his family. Even as an old man, his actions are only ones that push himself forward.

Theme-

Everyone deserves to be happy at some point in their lifetime.

Week 1- Entry B

I really like the main character, Miles, in Empire Falls. He is a middle aged man that acts more like a child than an adult. He's confused, stressed, and worried about his future. He was promised a long time ago that Empire Grill, a diner restaurant, would be given to him after the death of the owner. The will may be changed by now, so he doesn't know if this is still the plan. The only reason that he sticks around Empire Falls, Maine is because he thinks he will someday own the diner. He finds reassurance in this restaurant that hardly makes any money because he has been working there since he was in high school. He knows his town and his job and is scared of the rest of the world. Last week, Miles and his daughter Tick visited The Vineyard in California where everyone is beautiful and rich. They both adored it there, and Tick even wanted to move there, but I don't think Miles wanted that. He did like the change of scenery, but I don't think he's a strong enough man to move away from the familiarity of Empire Falls.

He is also very unsure and uncomfortable with himself. During his marriage to Janine, he felt happy enough, but everyone else realized the marriage wouldn't work. Even Janine was unhappy with the arrangement, but Miles just didn't get it. Only after splitting up did he realize that it wasn't right. I don't think he's completely gotten over Janine, however, because he makes excuses for her constantly. Because he can't figure out his own emotions, Miles doesn't know who he is.

Miles acts like a teenager in so many ways. I like reading about him, because I feel like I can relate. He doesn't act like most adults in books who always have the answers and are the guides to children. He needs help as he is struggling through a rough patch in life.

Week 1- Entry A

Vocabulary-

(p 46) nomenclature- (noun) a set or system of names or terms, as those used in a particular science or art, by an individual or community

(p 48) manichaean- (noun) adherent of the dualistic religious system of Manes, a combination of Gnostic Christianity, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and various other elements, with a basic doctrine of a conflict between light and dark, matter being regarded as dark and evil

Figurative Language-

1. (p 50) "To Miles, Father Tom resembled nothing more than a scolded child, convinced against his better instincts by a loving parent that he'd been a bad boy." This simile compares Tom to being like a child.

2. (p 20) "[...] Tick, a rail thin sophomore, lugged all her books in a canvas L.L. Bean backpack and had to lean forward, as if into a strong headwind, to balance a weight nearly as great as her own." Tick leaning forward is used in a simile.

3. (p 69) "Miles was more transparent when he was playing cards. When it came to what he was holding close to his vest, He'd just hang on to it, tight as grim death, and deny it was there, no matter how hard you tried to pry it out of him." How Miles holds his cards is compared in a simile to death's grip.

Quote

(p 29) "Since he and Janine had separated, a separation of different sort had occurred between himself and Tick [...] it troubled him to feel so out of sync. Too often he found himself needing to see her, as if only her physical presence could reassure him of her wellbeing [...]. " Miles is very lonely and his number one love in his life is his daughter Tick.

Theme-

Patience can sometimes bring great opportunities.

Amazing Journey by The Who

Telemachus interests me because he is a new born man. I think it’s interesting how his personality changes drastically just within the first few books. At first, he is just an observer of the suitors and Penelope’s situation. Once Athena comes however, he quickly sees that he must take action to find his father and rid his home of his pestering visitors. He gains courage when he has to speak to Nestor and Menelaus. Telemachus also gains wisdom as he leads a crew across the ocean on a journey to hear news of his father. He has clear connections to Tommy from the rock opera by The Who. Tommy is a deaf, dumb, and blind child who finds eyesight. Tommy is abused and mistreated, but he realizes that he needs to get away from his life, so he gains his senses and leaves home. In a way, Telemachus is blind to the injustice going on around him, but when Athena visits him, he recognizes that he must do something and gains sight.

Deaf Dumb and blind boy
He's in a quiet vibration land
Strange as it seems his musical dreams
Ain't quite so bad.

Before meeting Athena, Telemachus wonders where his father is, but does little to figure anything out. He has happy dreams of the suitors leaving and his father coming home.

All at once a tall stranger I suddenly see.
He's dressed in a silver sparked
Glittering gown
And His golden beard flows
Nearly down to the ground.

After seeing Athena, Telemachus becomes a wiser, more courageous man. He speaks to Nestor, although he says, “How can I greet him, Mentor, even approach the king? I’m hardly adept at subtle conversation. Someone my age might feel shy, what’s more, interrogating an older man”. Telemachus must rise to the occasion, and act more mature than he may really be. Nestor sees him as a fine prince who only deserves the best. He gives him a fabulous meal, great lodging, and a chariot ride to go to Menelaus’s court in Sparta. Because Telemachus acts like a powerful grown man, others perceive him to be this way.

That he is your leader
And he is your guide
On the amazing journey together you'll ride.

Telemachus leads a crew on the ocean to find news of Odysseus. He steps up to be the leader on this amazing journey, this odyssey.

Week 7- Entry B

Throughout the entire book, no one ever believes Jack. He always has outlandish ideas that tend to be correct hypotheses. He has been suspended from the police force, but keeps on doing what he believes is right; he attempts to solve the multitude of intertwining crimes. Jack's wife won't speak to him for a majority of the book and everyone else deems his crazy. Through all of this, Jack still works on the cases in front of him because he knows no one will solve them without his help. Jack tries to save his town of Reading time and time again even though no one thanks him for his hard work.

Jack is not the only selfless character in The Fourth Bear. Ashley also performs a heroic deed. He kills himself to save Reading. To extinguish a cuculear reaction taking place (I don't want to go into details, but if you wonder what this is, you would have to read the book.) he asks Jack to stab him and use his alien watery insides to douse the reaction. Wow. Sacrificing himself for everyone else. That is truly amazing.

As I read The Fourth Bear, I wonder if I could ever do such acts in real life. I suppose I'll never know until I'm in such a position, but I can still imagine. Ashley seems so set in saving Reading and Jack won't stop his job. I don't know if I have as strong backbones as these fictional characters have. I do hope that I would be able to act in a selfless manner like they do if the time should ever arise.

Week 7- Entry A

Vocabulary-

(p 315) cryptozoology- the study of evidence tending to substantiate the existence of, or the search for, creatures whose reported existence is unproved, as the Abominable Snowman or the Loch Ness monster.

(p 307) hull- the hollow, lowermost portion of a ship, floating partially submerged and supporting the remainder of the ship.

Figurative Language-

1. (p 318) " Pippa's pregnant by Peck." This line uses alliteration.
2. (p 294) "[...] Mary resting her head on Ashley's shoulder, his thoughts and memories seeping into her like a warming stew on a cold day." This simile uses as to compare the memories to stew.
3. (p 290) " 'It's a new development,' explained Ashely, pressing the button on and off so fast it sounded like a staccato bumblebee." The sound of the button and a bee are compared in this simile.

Quote

(p 293) "[...] networks are everywhere. The road and rail systems, the postal services, the Internet, your friendships, family, electricity, water- everything on this planet is composed of networks. [...] your bodies use networks to pass information; your veins and arteries are networks to nourish your bodies. Your mind is a complicated network of nerve impulses. It's little wonder that networks dominate the planet- you have modeled you existence after the construction of you own minds." I never thought of our world in this way, but it is so true. It's amazing how we create things to mimic our own ways of thinking. Just today, my French teacher told us how our mind likes to make connections. All of our information stored in our brains are networked together, so the things we create are also like this.

Theme-

Sometimes sacrificing yourself for a greater cause is the right thing to do.