Social Action Question: Whose Perspective is Missing?
I just started reading The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. So far in the book, Holden has been kicked out of his boarding school and is visiting his former history teacher, Mr. Spencer, that he really likes. In the conversation, Mr. Spencer asks him why he failed history, and Holden replies with an answer that he thinks Mr. Spencer would like, but one that he doesn't give much thought to. Mr. Spencer also asks Holden what he would do in his place, as a teacher. Holden just dismisses it, acting careless. In this conversation, and throughout the first few pages of the book, I feel that it's all through Holden's naive, careless eyes. In this situation, I think that Mr. Spencer's perspective is missing.
First of all, I think a reason that Mr. Spencer's point of view is missing is because Holden is not letting it come through to him. Mr. Spencer has wise words to tell, but Holden is just focused on little things, like how uncomfortable and awkward he feels talking with him. Holden is dismissing Mr. Spencer's perspective on things as an older man, and his advice. I think J.D. Salinger did this on purpose. We get a glimpse into how Holden will be in the rest of the book. He sees things with one side, and he doesn't notice the true importance of mentoring and guidance. By not having Holden listen and take Mr. Spencer's advice, we get the sense of who is Holden is and who he's going to be. We see that the rest of the story is going to be told from a teenager's point of view. Holden's lack of listening is part of his personality.
This situation can be compared to the world. Holden is like a young child who is supposed to be listening to their parent, or like a bored student who is supposed to learn something from an older person or mentor. He doesn't pay attention to what he can learn. Mr. Spencer is a big archetype in the book, and gives good constructive criticism on how Holden can improve. It's like in life, when you wish that you listened to someone in the past because now you need the information they were giving you. A message here is that we should listen to the advice we are given, because it may give us knowledge to move forward. Who knows, maybe later in the book Holden will start to appreciate 'old' Spencer, and the knowledge and thought he has given to him. Holden had the chance to do well at school, but he didn't. Now he has the chance to get more help on how to do better in the future from a man he looks up to, but he is dismissing the opportunity by only looking at the conversation from one naive side.
As the readers, we are starting to get an idea of Holden at the beginning of the book. We know that Holden is a reluctant-to-learn teenager, and that he looks at the world with only his two individual eyes. I think J.D. Salinger purposefully left out the mentor point of view of Mr. Spencer by having Holden not pay attention to his bright words. I think this was because we start to see Holden as an unwilling character, and that gives him more of a chance to learn a big lesson at the end. It gives the readers something to think about as we go forward into the book.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Finding Yourself
I am currently reading Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littman. In the book the main character, Justine, struggles with her identity. She doesn't know who or what she's supposed to be. Issues and themes I've noticed through out the book include religion, sibling problems, mother/daughter relationships, and love. One big issue that I've been thinking a lot about is "finding yourself."
First of all, Justine is unhappy being Jewish, and she wants to explore other religions. She tries out being Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and then settles on being Christian, like her best friend, Mac. She goes to Mass with her, and secretly practices confession and communion in her closet. When her mom finds out that she wants to be Catholic, she is upset because Justine's not practicing the religion she was born with. Justine must then decide what and who she should pray to, and who she's meant to be.
Another thing that goes along with the theme "finding yourself" is that Justine feels very uncomfortable being in her family. She feels that her mom loves her older sister Helena more than her and that her dad loves her little brother Jake more than her. She feels trapped being the middle child, like there's no one to listen to her. I would feel the same way if I was in that position. I think it's important for parents to give an equal amount of attention to each of their children, so they don't feel jealous of another sibling.
Someone who helps Justine "find herself" is her grandmother, also known as Bubbe. She is the only one that Justine feels she can relate to. After Bubbe has a stroke, Justine visits her room every day and worries about her. Justine looks up to Bubbe, because she knows she is very strong, since she survived the Holocaust when she was younger. Justine's grandmother is her mentor, her role model, and the only one who really listens to her. When Bubbe dies, Justine must find the courage in herself to make it through life, following her grandma's wisdom and advice.
I have not finished the book yet, but I know that Justine has learned more about herself so far. After Bubbe had her stroke, Justine learns to value the important things in her life, like her friends, and most of all, Bubbe. When Bubbe dies, she notices how short life is, and that she should live it feeling comfortable with herself. I hope that by the end of the book Justine finds who she wants to be, whether that means converting to Christianity or staying Jewish.
First of all, Justine is unhappy being Jewish, and she wants to explore other religions. She tries out being Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, and then settles on being Christian, like her best friend, Mac. She goes to Mass with her, and secretly practices confession and communion in her closet. When her mom finds out that she wants to be Catholic, she is upset because Justine's not practicing the religion she was born with. Justine must then decide what and who she should pray to, and who she's meant to be.
Another thing that goes along with the theme "finding yourself" is that Justine feels very uncomfortable being in her family. She feels that her mom loves her older sister Helena more than her and that her dad loves her little brother Jake more than her. She feels trapped being the middle child, like there's no one to listen to her. I would feel the same way if I was in that position. I think it's important for parents to give an equal amount of attention to each of their children, so they don't feel jealous of another sibling.
Someone who helps Justine "find herself" is her grandmother, also known as Bubbe. She is the only one that Justine feels she can relate to. After Bubbe has a stroke, Justine visits her room every day and worries about her. Justine looks up to Bubbe, because she knows she is very strong, since she survived the Holocaust when she was younger. Justine's grandmother is her mentor, her role model, and the only one who really listens to her. When Bubbe dies, Justine must find the courage in herself to make it through life, following her grandma's wisdom and advice.
I have not finished the book yet, but I know that Justine has learned more about herself so far. After Bubbe had her stroke, Justine learns to value the important things in her life, like her friends, and most of all, Bubbe. When Bubbe dies, she notices how short life is, and that she should live it feeling comfortable with herself. I hope that by the end of the book Justine finds who she wants to be, whether that means converting to Christianity or staying Jewish.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
A New Heart
I just finished reading the book In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth. In the book, Eagan, a talented figure skater, dies. Her heart then goes to Amelia, who has suffered heart disease for several years. Eagan, although dead, is a big part of the book. In the afterlife, she re-lives memories from her former life, including scenes from her complicated relationship with her mother. Amelia, happy to live, feels guilty that she is alive and that her donor is dead. I've noticed that throughout the book, each girl has affected the other's life in many ways.
Amelia affects Eagan's life by acting as the settler between Eagan and her mom. Before she died, Eagan had a fight with her mother. This complicated past kept her from moving on to heaven. Amelia then goes to meet her donor's parents, and when she does, Eagan's mother does not want to see her. In the end, Amelia does meet Eagan's mom, and she is able to reassure her that Eagan knew that her mom loved her, because she feels it in her heart. Amelia affected Eagan's life, or afterlife, by settling the rocky relationship she had with her mother. Amelia knew this was the right thing to do. I look at this as a way she was thanking Eagan. Amelia got a new life, and Eagan got to move on to a new part of her life beyond death.
Eagan has greatly affected Amelia's life by giving her a second chance to live. Amelia is grateful and feels very lucky, but she is also sad. She doesn't get why her family should celebrate her new life while another family is mourning a tragic loss. She then decides to meet her donor's family, Eagan's parents. This brings her a little more peace, knowing where her heart is coming from. She is relieved that the family is coping and that they're okay. Amelia also starts developing characteristics of Eagan, like her love for ice skating and purple things. Amelia feels weird at first, but then she realizes it brings a connection between them. I'm glad that Amelia feels Eagan. It's like Eagan is still on earth, as a part of Amelia.
In conclusion, Amelia has affected Eagan's life by letting her be at peace and comfortable with herself. Eagan has affected Amelia's life by giving her a second chance at life. This is fiction and we can't be sure of this ever happening in real life, but I'm happy it ended up this way for the characters.
In A Heartbeat is a great book about loss, joy, and second chances. It has taught me a lot more about the complex idea of heart transplants. I never new they were so complicated and that they took the patient and the donor's family on such a long journey that affects them so much.
Amelia affects Eagan's life by acting as the settler between Eagan and her mom. Before she died, Eagan had a fight with her mother. This complicated past kept her from moving on to heaven. Amelia then goes to meet her donor's parents, and when she does, Eagan's mother does not want to see her. In the end, Amelia does meet Eagan's mom, and she is able to reassure her that Eagan knew that her mom loved her, because she feels it in her heart. Amelia affected Eagan's life, or afterlife, by settling the rocky relationship she had with her mother. Amelia knew this was the right thing to do. I look at this as a way she was thanking Eagan. Amelia got a new life, and Eagan got to move on to a new part of her life beyond death.
Eagan has greatly affected Amelia's life by giving her a second chance to live. Amelia is grateful and feels very lucky, but she is also sad. She doesn't get why her family should celebrate her new life while another family is mourning a tragic loss. She then decides to meet her donor's family, Eagan's parents. This brings her a little more peace, knowing where her heart is coming from. She is relieved that the family is coping and that they're okay. Amelia also starts developing characteristics of Eagan, like her love for ice skating and purple things. Amelia feels weird at first, but then she realizes it brings a connection between them. I'm glad that Amelia feels Eagan. It's like Eagan is still on earth, as a part of Amelia.
In conclusion, Amelia has affected Eagan's life by letting her be at peace and comfortable with herself. Eagan has affected Amelia's life by giving her a second chance at life. This is fiction and we can't be sure of this ever happening in real life, but I'm happy it ended up this way for the characters.
In A Heartbeat is a great book about loss, joy, and second chances. It has taught me a lot more about the complex idea of heart transplants. I never new they were so complicated and that they took the patient and the donor's family on such a long journey that affects them so much.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Point of View - Blogpost #2
(My response is answering #6 of the Guided Reading Questions)
On page 102 in the Phantom Tollbooth, Milo remarks that the Point of View, in the Forest of Sight, is beautiful. The humbug doesn't agree. Alec, the boy who grows towards the ground instead of up, says "It's all in the way you look at things." To me, this means that everybody has their own opinions, and it all depends on their prospective of how they look at things.
As I was reading, I annotated that "Everybody looks at things differently." This is true. Nobody sees the world in the exact same way as anybody else. If that were the case, the world would be dull and boring. There would be no debates, no diversity, and no creativity and expression. We'd all be very similar, with the same thoughts.
An example of different points of view comes from the text, on page 108, when Alec is describing a bucket of water. He says, "... From an ant's point of view it's a vast ocean, from an elephant's just a cool drink, and to a fish, of course, it's home." To us, as humans, it's just a simple object filled with something we drink everyday, but it has different uses depending on how small or large you are, or what creature you are.
Another example of this is on page 114 when Milo is talking to the Giant/the Midget/the Fat Man/the Thin Man. He says, "You see, to tall men I'm a midget, and to short men I'm a giant; to the skinny ones I'm a fat man, and to fat ones I'm a thin man." This man of many identities has all these characteristics because people look at him in so many different ways.
Different points of views is also a big part of society today. For example, a student might be very interested about a war or an invasion, but to somebody who experienced it firsthand, it might be a dark time for them to think about. The student is coming at it with excitement and curiosity, but the victim is looking at it with a sad reflection.
Also, on a lighter note, everybody has different opinions. For instance, Milo does not care about time at the beginning of the book, but Tock loves it. This is because Milo has never really seen the importance of knowing what hour or minute it is, but to Tock, it's his whole life. To add on to the topic, one person might not like a book or movie, but to another person, it may be their favorite. One person might like the color purple and the other might despise it. No matter what, people judge things based on the way they see things and their tastes.
In each different land in the Phantom Tollbooth, the people thought of their topics as the most important thing to ever exist. King Azaz of Dictionopolis loved words, the Mathemagician of Digitolpolis was fascinated with numbers, Chroma the Great appreciated colors very much. These people all liked their own specific things because they didn't have the chance to explore the other type of elements of life. At the end of his journey, Milo greatly enjoyed everything, because he was able to experience each and every one of them.
Everybody sees and experiences things differently, and that is where their opinions are formed. Points of view are unique for everybody, because we all have our own two eyes and our own mind.
On page 102 in the Phantom Tollbooth, Milo remarks that the Point of View, in the Forest of Sight, is beautiful. The humbug doesn't agree. Alec, the boy who grows towards the ground instead of up, says "It's all in the way you look at things." To me, this means that everybody has their own opinions, and it all depends on their prospective of how they look at things.
As I was reading, I annotated that "Everybody looks at things differently." This is true. Nobody sees the world in the exact same way as anybody else. If that were the case, the world would be dull and boring. There would be no debates, no diversity, and no creativity and expression. We'd all be very similar, with the same thoughts.
An example of different points of view comes from the text, on page 108, when Alec is describing a bucket of water. He says, "... From an ant's point of view it's a vast ocean, from an elephant's just a cool drink, and to a fish, of course, it's home." To us, as humans, it's just a simple object filled with something we drink everyday, but it has different uses depending on how small or large you are, or what creature you are.
Another example of this is on page 114 when Milo is talking to the Giant/the Midget/the Fat Man/the Thin Man. He says, "You see, to tall men I'm a midget, and to short men I'm a giant; to the skinny ones I'm a fat man, and to fat ones I'm a thin man." This man of many identities has all these characteristics because people look at him in so many different ways.
Different points of views is also a big part of society today. For example, a student might be very interested about a war or an invasion, but to somebody who experienced it firsthand, it might be a dark time for them to think about. The student is coming at it with excitement and curiosity, but the victim is looking at it with a sad reflection.
Also, on a lighter note, everybody has different opinions. For instance, Milo does not care about time at the beginning of the book, but Tock loves it. This is because Milo has never really seen the importance of knowing what hour or minute it is, but to Tock, it's his whole life. To add on to the topic, one person might not like a book or movie, but to another person, it may be their favorite. One person might like the color purple and the other might despise it. No matter what, people judge things based on the way they see things and their tastes.
In each different land in the Phantom Tollbooth, the people thought of their topics as the most important thing to ever exist. King Azaz of Dictionopolis loved words, the Mathemagician of Digitolpolis was fascinated with numbers, Chroma the Great appreciated colors very much. These people all liked their own specific things because they didn't have the chance to explore the other type of elements of life. At the end of his journey, Milo greatly enjoyed everything, because he was able to experience each and every one of them.
Everybody sees and experiences things differently, and that is where their opinions are formed. Points of view are unique for everybody, because we all have our own two eyes and our own mind.
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