Interview With the Vampire
By: Anne Rice
Terri Thampan 804
So, recently a lot of stuff happened in my book. Like the attempted Murders of Lestat! We still don't know if he's survived the last murder "attempt" as in he hasn't made another appearance yet to say that he's still alive. Claudia and Louis go around looking for other vampires; find some that are absolutely barbaric (as in they just attack and kill and don't even seem to be capable of thought); go back to France, this time Paris, and meet some vampires that can actually think!
So as I read on, I started to realize that my suspicions about the book were slowly being answered. This book is about gay vampires. I thought so. I was sort of rooting for Lestat and Louis as like they had a kid together (A.k.a Claudia)! Also, Louis is starting to take back his harsh judgments about Lestat. Then, the whole Armand (the oldest vampire in the vampire group that can think) is in love with Louis made me think one thing; Louis is a player. He is capturing hearts left and right! And he's not even trying! Plus, he actually is a very thoughtful character, as he is a very human vampire.
What I really wanted to talk about was Claudia. Claudia was turned at a very young age. She will forever remain a child because of that. And though her body stays the same, her mind is starting to grow. She grows enough to try and kill one of her father figures, and that's when we first find out that Claudia isn't truly a little girl. She's intelligent and is on a quest for knowledge about her kind. And then, when her hopes are crushed by the barbarians she finds in Europe, and the mindless socialites (mindless in the sense as they don't truly think deeply, they aren't that intelligent, they're just like nobles who think themselves better than everyone else) apart from Armand who apparently just wants her dead, and that causes her to grow too in a sense. She starts acting different, and she starts displaying maturity in a different way.
I find it a saddening thing, what has happened to Claudia. It would come eventually, but she soon becomes a woman. And the sad thing is, she is a woman in a child's body. She has never experienced life, for she was dead before she could truly live. She is stuck as a child, and longs for what she cannot have. What she sees are women who are much younger than her (She's been a vampire for quite a while) who have bodies that she herself wants and longs for. She wants to look like an adult so that people stop treating her as a child. It's really easy to relate to her, as in most kids want to be treated equally with adults, especially teenagers. This is a woman who is older than most adults alive, but because she is in the body of a child, she is treated as a child, and no one truly takes her seriously. I myself feel for Claudia because she finds that her state is fragile and needs to be protected and somewhat useless as it can't truly fight, for she has such tiny appendages (I think she was turned at the age around 6 years). This longing for a better, more mature body is what drives her to hate Louis as much as she loves him. It's a very sad thing, and a very unhappy ending. I guess for vampires, long lives can make one unhappy, and then unhappy endings arise from an ever growing and maturing mind.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Interview with the Vampire AGAIN
Interview with the Vampire
By: Anne Rice
Terri Thampan 804
So like, I'm back to reading this book! Yay me! Now that I've begun rereading it (I've started off a bit before the part where I left off before so I could get back into the book)I started to realize things I didn't realize before. During my many adventures on youtube, I learned that the very idea of what a vampire does is considered sexual and dark. Apparently one of the first vampires pretty much turned away from God and the church because his wife committed suicide and they couldn't bury her there because she died by suicide or something like that. The person also explained about how sexual the very concept of elongating fangs piercing flesh and bodily liquids being swapped was a very sexual thing. The person also recommended the Anne Rice series and so, knowing that I had enjoyed it before (before the gore-ishness got to me, I can probably cope now) I decided to read it again. Well, I wasn't so naive as I was before.
As I started reading the book, I suddenly got a taste of how erotic, as the back cover would say, the book is. After reading "Pride and Prejudice" I found the book much easier to read and more fun to enjoy, as it had a very beautiful writing style that I hope one day to also obtain. Though, reading this one line made me want to burst out laughing, as it was describing Lestat drinking the blood from a human boy. Now, it's not that the scene is funny, but it was written in such an erotic way, I being a teenager was helpless from the giggles. Showing the line to my fellows/classmates, I got pretty, let's say "Loud", responses. Most of them took the whole sentence the wrong way and completely thought I was reading... porn.
Well, despite my embarrassment, it really brings up a valid point. Anne Rice had a very good reason to write the drinking of blood in such an erotic way. It was to show how intimate it was to take the blood of another. It brought up how intimate vampires as creatures are. They live off the very liquid life essence of a human. In taking the human's blood, or even an animal's blood, they sort of become one with that creature, they take that creature into themselves, and it's as if that creature becomes a part of them. It reminds me of the anime/manga Bleach where when a hollow tries to become stronger, it has to eat other souls and hollows to survive, to take that Hollow's power and make it their own by eating it and making it become a part of itself.
Though with a hollow, all they have to do in their time is kill or be killed. They can't really do anything besides that for entertainment and it makes me wonder what would happen if a hollow finally killed and absorbed the last remaining hollow by itself. What would it do then? There would be nothing left to fight, and then would it die without a reason for existence? Though, it probably wouldn't happen, as hollows are made from spirits of humans who stay too long in the human world or something like that, Bleach got very confusing after a while and wasn't truly planned out, making many of the points made earlier in the show not make sense as new info keeps popping up. But the same sort of applies to vampires. They live off seducing, as most of the time they do seduce their victims, humans, and getting intimate with them before stealing the life out of the human. One there are no more humans or things with blood, what will they do next? They do live eternally... according to Lestat. The same question could be asked to humans, what are we going to do when we run out of food, but we humans also die pretty easily, and then there aren't as many people eating... unlike with vampires who can't really die.
I feel like something that's brought up a lot in the book is also another reason why the very act of drinking blood is so intimate. Vampires are supposed to be solitary creatures yet, Lestat was apparently lonely. Lestat, Claudia, and Louis, they needed company. I feel like this really goes into the human nature, we humans are social creatures. Though Vampires are given new natures, they can't really always shake off their human nature, even when they are turned at a young age with no human nature to experience. They want companionship. This longing for companionship might be why vampires have to drink blood. Somewhere deep inside them, though they think they're happy, they want to become a human again. So they drink blood, because it is such an intimate act, especially with a human. They know everything about a human when they drink that human's blood. They aren't as alone as they were a minute ago. It's a temporary fix for what they truly long for.
By: Anne Rice
Terri Thampan 804
So like, I'm back to reading this book! Yay me! Now that I've begun rereading it (I've started off a bit before the part where I left off before so I could get back into the book)I started to realize things I didn't realize before. During my many adventures on youtube, I learned that the very idea of what a vampire does is considered sexual and dark. Apparently one of the first vampires pretty much turned away from God and the church because his wife committed suicide and they couldn't bury her there because she died by suicide or something like that. The person also explained about how sexual the very concept of elongating fangs piercing flesh and bodily liquids being swapped was a very sexual thing. The person also recommended the Anne Rice series and so, knowing that I had enjoyed it before (before the gore-ishness got to me, I can probably cope now) I decided to read it again. Well, I wasn't so naive as I was before.
As I started reading the book, I suddenly got a taste of how erotic, as the back cover would say, the book is. After reading "Pride and Prejudice" I found the book much easier to read and more fun to enjoy, as it had a very beautiful writing style that I hope one day to also obtain. Though, reading this one line made me want to burst out laughing, as it was describing Lestat drinking the blood from a human boy. Now, it's not that the scene is funny, but it was written in such an erotic way, I being a teenager was helpless from the giggles. Showing the line to my fellows/classmates, I got pretty, let's say "Loud", responses. Most of them took the whole sentence the wrong way and completely thought I was reading... porn.
Well, despite my embarrassment, it really brings up a valid point. Anne Rice had a very good reason to write the drinking of blood in such an erotic way. It was to show how intimate it was to take the blood of another. It brought up how intimate vampires as creatures are. They live off the very liquid life essence of a human. In taking the human's blood, or even an animal's blood, they sort of become one with that creature, they take that creature into themselves, and it's as if that creature becomes a part of them. It reminds me of the anime/manga Bleach where when a hollow tries to become stronger, it has to eat other souls and hollows to survive, to take that Hollow's power and make it their own by eating it and making it become a part of itself.
Though with a hollow, all they have to do in their time is kill or be killed. They can't really do anything besides that for entertainment and it makes me wonder what would happen if a hollow finally killed and absorbed the last remaining hollow by itself. What would it do then? There would be nothing left to fight, and then would it die without a reason for existence? Though, it probably wouldn't happen, as hollows are made from spirits of humans who stay too long in the human world or something like that, Bleach got very confusing after a while and wasn't truly planned out, making many of the points made earlier in the show not make sense as new info keeps popping up. But the same sort of applies to vampires. They live off seducing, as most of the time they do seduce their victims, humans, and getting intimate with them before stealing the life out of the human. One there are no more humans or things with blood, what will they do next? They do live eternally... according to Lestat. The same question could be asked to humans, what are we going to do when we run out of food, but we humans also die pretty easily, and then there aren't as many people eating... unlike with vampires who can't really die.
I feel like something that's brought up a lot in the book is also another reason why the very act of drinking blood is so intimate. Vampires are supposed to be solitary creatures yet, Lestat was apparently lonely. Lestat, Claudia, and Louis, they needed company. I feel like this really goes into the human nature, we humans are social creatures. Though Vampires are given new natures, they can't really always shake off their human nature, even when they are turned at a young age with no human nature to experience. They want companionship. This longing for companionship might be why vampires have to drink blood. Somewhere deep inside them, though they think they're happy, they want to become a human again. So they drink blood, because it is such an intimate act, especially with a human. They know everything about a human when they drink that human's blood. They aren't as alone as they were a minute ago. It's a temporary fix for what they truly long for.
Thursday, March 21, 2013
Post Mortem
Post Mortem
by: Patricia Cornwell
Terri Thampan 804
So, I'm currently reading a new book! I don't usually like posting a post without finishing a book, but ah well. This book is told from the perspective of a- I think it's a medical forensic examiner (I'm not really good at telling which job is whose when the book has a ton of different people and jobs) named Kay Scarpetta. The grounds of Richmond, Virginia are suddenly not as safe as they used to be. Women are getting brutally raped and murdered inside their very own homes! It's up to the police to find the serial rapist murderer and stop the crimes.
Now, what I really like is that this book is written by a woman who was in the police force, well something to do with crime investigation and stuff. She knows what she's talking about- hopefully- or at least I think she does. Because she's lived the life of a policewoman, or something like that, she knows how it would typically be, and all those little details are what makes it important. I like Kay's character as it's a character that's not very sun-shine-y, but very passionate in her views, but smart enough not to act out on her feelings or views in bad situations. That is a real character to me. If someone was truly in such a dreary job such as this one of course they might be a little bit wiser, death is a very solemn thing after all, or at least not so happy-go-lucky. If anything they would be kinda quirky, sarcastic, have a dry sense of humor or something, but I may just be stereotyping. Truth is, having such a depressing job like that really changes people, and it sort of makes you want to appreciate the people who are really out there doing those jobs.
I like how there's a variety of people. And in the case or a serial rapist murderer, a variety of people is exactly what needs to be brought up. There are a variety of people in this world, and many people we don't know who live in our very own city or neighborhood. When we go through this kind of mass affecting crime, it really puts into perspective how many people there are in the world and that anyone could be a victim, anyone could get attacked, and it's happening all around the world. It's actually very scary...
Anyways, I really like how the case is developed.
Mostly, at the moment there is but one suspect, and he's pretty much having all this evidence pinned against him. Kay doesn't really think it's him though. What makes this case so special is that the rapist doesn't have to worry about getting caught by leaving- uhh... seminal fluid/sperm. He's a non-secreter which means the DNA in his sperm doesn't match with the DNA within his other bodily fluids... or something like that. That makes it really hard to tell who the rapist is. Non-secreters can be either gender- I think, most likely.
But what really sort of goes through my head is how do we truly know who's the criminal. The book talks about how many read the stories in the news and then think they did the crime though they did nothing. It can be psychological and mostly is. Someone who did the crime is "different" in the head, and then there are people who may not have done the crime but take the blame because they think they did the crime. It makes you wonder. Sometimes crime doers don't get caught unless there's a stroke of luck evidence. It makes you wonder what kind of criminals are still loose because the evidence pointed towards an innocent. It's quite a scary thought. But the story also has a lot to do with back stories. Everyone has them, it's what makes us humans. And mostly, what causes a criminal to be "messed up" in the head is because of back stories. Abused children are most likely to become child abuses, it's all psychological, and it's all kind of scary. Humans interact with other humans, we help form the other, and form ourselves. Who we are, what we become, it is all because of others and our interactions with them.
by: Patricia Cornwell
Terri Thampan 804
So, I'm currently reading a new book! I don't usually like posting a post without finishing a book, but ah well. This book is told from the perspective of a- I think it's a medical forensic examiner (I'm not really good at telling which job is whose when the book has a ton of different people and jobs) named Kay Scarpetta. The grounds of Richmond, Virginia are suddenly not as safe as they used to be. Women are getting brutally raped and murdered inside their very own homes! It's up to the police to find the serial rapist murderer and stop the crimes.
Now, what I really like is that this book is written by a woman who was in the police force, well something to do with crime investigation and stuff. She knows what she's talking about- hopefully- or at least I think she does. Because she's lived the life of a policewoman, or something like that, she knows how it would typically be, and all those little details are what makes it important. I like Kay's character as it's a character that's not very sun-shine-y, but very passionate in her views, but smart enough not to act out on her feelings or views in bad situations. That is a real character to me. If someone was truly in such a dreary job such as this one of course they might be a little bit wiser, death is a very solemn thing after all, or at least not so happy-go-lucky. If anything they would be kinda quirky, sarcastic, have a dry sense of humor or something, but I may just be stereotyping. Truth is, having such a depressing job like that really changes people, and it sort of makes you want to appreciate the people who are really out there doing those jobs.
I like how there's a variety of people. And in the case or a serial rapist murderer, a variety of people is exactly what needs to be brought up. There are a variety of people in this world, and many people we don't know who live in our very own city or neighborhood. When we go through this kind of mass affecting crime, it really puts into perspective how many people there are in the world and that anyone could be a victim, anyone could get attacked, and it's happening all around the world. It's actually very scary...
Anyways, I really like how the case is developed.
Mostly, at the moment there is but one suspect, and he's pretty much having all this evidence pinned against him. Kay doesn't really think it's him though. What makes this case so special is that the rapist doesn't have to worry about getting caught by leaving- uhh... seminal fluid/sperm. He's a non-secreter which means the DNA in his sperm doesn't match with the DNA within his other bodily fluids... or something like that. That makes it really hard to tell who the rapist is. Non-secreters can be either gender- I think, most likely.
But what really sort of goes through my head is how do we truly know who's the criminal. The book talks about how many read the stories in the news and then think they did the crime though they did nothing. It can be psychological and mostly is. Someone who did the crime is "different" in the head, and then there are people who may not have done the crime but take the blame because they think they did the crime. It makes you wonder. Sometimes crime doers don't get caught unless there's a stroke of luck evidence. It makes you wonder what kind of criminals are still loose because the evidence pointed towards an innocent. It's quite a scary thought. But the story also has a lot to do with back stories. Everyone has them, it's what makes us humans. And mostly, what causes a criminal to be "messed up" in the head is because of back stories. Abused children are most likely to become child abuses, it's all psychological, and it's all kind of scary. Humans interact with other humans, we help form the other, and form ourselves. Who we are, what we become, it is all because of others and our interactions with them.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Flowers in the Attic
Flowers in the Attic
By: V.C Andrews
Terri Thampan 804
I have recently read, "Flowers in the Attic". Now, I went into the book with fairly lukewarm expectations and the knowledge that the book contained incest. Incest, for those who don't know, is when family members love each other, but not in a family way. As in, the want to date their brother, sister, uncle, aunt, cousin, maybe even their mother or father, you get my point. Now kiddies, incest is kind of frowned upon in some places, but there are also places that think it is in the right to marry your own cousin (as in, social standing and stuff).
The book's basically about these four kids: Christopher, Catherine, Cory, and Carrie, the last two are twins (Chris 14, Cathy 12, Cory and Carrie, 5). Now, there daddy died, and that's when their whole live goes to heck. The mom has too much debt piled up, so she is forced to ask for help from her parents, which means returning back from the exile she was given when she was pretty much "Disinherited" for doing something B-A-D. To get back into her Father's good graces (she was his favorite, and he had a fortune) she had to hide her kids up in the attic room until he died and gave her and her kids the money.
The book isn't so bad. If anything, it just has some boring parts in the beginning where I just don't care. I didn't get to reading the second book because I was content with the first one, and the second one, in my opinion, was pretty much over doing it a bit; plus it was kind of boring.
In my opinion, the only reason why I didn't truly dislike the main character was that she grows up. She grows up from being a bit obnoxious and spoiled into a more mothering type of person. If anything, the only reason I didn't hate her in the beginning is because she was such a cynical character. She was so suspicious and always thought of the worst case scenarios. That's what I liked about her, as messed up as it sounds.
As the story goes on, you can't help but get impatient with the mother, and then just go on to hating her. I feel like she was sort of too in love with the Dad to really let her true colors show, as she wanted to always make him happy (which doesn't sound like real love if she can't act like herself). But then, when he dies, it's revealed: she's never truly grow up. She had such a childish reaction when her kids asked her when they were going to get out, and stared at her with anything less than love. She freaking buried her self into the bed, and started bawling her eyes out while saying how her kids were so mean to her and she flailed her arms around pounding the bed. That was the most annoying thing to read. She's a grown woman, and needs to act like one, not some spoiled little baby. But it was like she was freaking decreasing in age, and getting more self-centered. That really annoyed me, because I would prefer a story where the mother's love would keep them going on, because in the beginning she at least had some motherly instincts. I don't thing hanging out with your dad (the mom's dad not the Daddy who died /kids' dad) will make you stop having those instincts.
Now the grandmother is a more likable character if anything. I think the author was trying to make it show from how the kids see it, but inadvertently made the mother into someone who doesn't seem like a true character; but this doesn't seem the case with the grandmother. The grandmother is strict and seems to look down on males. If I were to guess, she probably got forced into the marriage with the Grandfather (mother's dad) and most likely just wanted to be a nun- albeit a man hating nun. It makes me wonder what happened to make this woman into such a man hater. I mean, it says her favorite kids were her boys, but she pretty much disses all men and seems to hate the Grandfather. I wonder if she got raped or something, if it was a man who caused her great trauma. More likely, a guy caused her great trauma to make her hate them so. Is it weird to say that I want to know more about the Grandmother's story. I actually think that would be an interesting concept, hearing the tale of an old person with much life experience, as they live life. Anyways, I'm getting off topic, the book overall is pretty good. It got interesting near the end. It's a good read, but not quite up to Room's standard though. ;D
By: V.C Andrews
Terri Thampan 804
I have recently read, "Flowers in the Attic". Now, I went into the book with fairly lukewarm expectations and the knowledge that the book contained incest. Incest, for those who don't know, is when family members love each other, but not in a family way. As in, the want to date their brother, sister, uncle, aunt, cousin, maybe even their mother or father, you get my point. Now kiddies, incest is kind of frowned upon in some places, but there are also places that think it is in the right to marry your own cousin (as in, social standing and stuff).
The book's basically about these four kids: Christopher, Catherine, Cory, and Carrie, the last two are twins (Chris 14, Cathy 12, Cory and Carrie, 5). Now, there daddy died, and that's when their whole live goes to heck. The mom has too much debt piled up, so she is forced to ask for help from her parents, which means returning back from the exile she was given when she was pretty much "Disinherited" for doing something B-A-D. To get back into her Father's good graces (she was his favorite, and he had a fortune) she had to hide her kids up in the attic room until he died and gave her and her kids the money.
The book isn't so bad. If anything, it just has some boring parts in the beginning where I just don't care. I didn't get to reading the second book because I was content with the first one, and the second one, in my opinion, was pretty much over doing it a bit; plus it was kind of boring.
In my opinion, the only reason why I didn't truly dislike the main character was that she grows up. She grows up from being a bit obnoxious and spoiled into a more mothering type of person. If anything, the only reason I didn't hate her in the beginning is because she was such a cynical character. She was so suspicious and always thought of the worst case scenarios. That's what I liked about her, as messed up as it sounds.
As the story goes on, you can't help but get impatient with the mother, and then just go on to hating her. I feel like she was sort of too in love with the Dad to really let her true colors show, as she wanted to always make him happy (which doesn't sound like real love if she can't act like herself). But then, when he dies, it's revealed: she's never truly grow up. She had such a childish reaction when her kids asked her when they were going to get out, and stared at her with anything less than love. She freaking buried her self into the bed, and started bawling her eyes out while saying how her kids were so mean to her and she flailed her arms around pounding the bed. That was the most annoying thing to read. She's a grown woman, and needs to act like one, not some spoiled little baby. But it was like she was freaking decreasing in age, and getting more self-centered. That really annoyed me, because I would prefer a story where the mother's love would keep them going on, because in the beginning she at least had some motherly instincts. I don't thing hanging out with your dad (the mom's dad not the Daddy who died /kids' dad) will make you stop having those instincts.
Now the grandmother is a more likable character if anything. I think the author was trying to make it show from how the kids see it, but inadvertently made the mother into someone who doesn't seem like a true character; but this doesn't seem the case with the grandmother. The grandmother is strict and seems to look down on males. If I were to guess, she probably got forced into the marriage with the Grandfather (mother's dad) and most likely just wanted to be a nun- albeit a man hating nun. It makes me wonder what happened to make this woman into such a man hater. I mean, it says her favorite kids were her boys, but she pretty much disses all men and seems to hate the Grandfather. I wonder if she got raped or something, if it was a man who caused her great trauma. More likely, a guy caused her great trauma to make her hate them so. Is it weird to say that I want to know more about the Grandmother's story. I actually think that would be an interesting concept, hearing the tale of an old person with much life experience, as they live life. Anyways, I'm getting off topic, the book overall is pretty good. It got interesting near the end. It's a good read, but not quite up to Room's standard though. ;D
Thursday, March 7, 2013
Room
Room
By Emma Donoghue
Terri Thampan 804
I have recently read an amazing book called "Room". It was so good, I literally didn't stop- couldn't stop- reading until I had finished the last page, having read the whole book in one day. It's told from the perspective of a little boy named Jack who has just turned five years old. His world is turned upside down as his mom decides it's time to tell him the truth; there was a world outside of Room. To Jack, Room is his entire world; this small 11-by-11 foot is all he has ever known, and he doesn't know how to act now that his mom wants to break free.
First of all, this book is a very emotional book. It deals with the overwhelming feelings of a little boy who has finally came out into the world, and doesn't know what to expect. I think it was beautifully well written, especially with how confused it makes Jack, as well as scared as he doesn't truly know what's real or isn't real.
I really sympathize with the Mother because she is a woman who is trying to get the most for her son. She had to try and teach him as best as she could in such a small environment. I feel bad for her as she has such an overwhelming task, but not even a friend to comfort her, or at least somebody. She is completely shut off and doesn't know how else to deal with this situation and is stressed out. I think this is why sometimes she tells Jack things that parents wouldn't normally tell their children. She hasn't really got anyone to talk to so she's just dying to have a normal age level talk with someone else, to talk about what she thinks about things and current events that she hears about.
I also really like how Jack changes. He starts to open up to new ideas. He starts to realize that there is a world beyond Room. I like how in the beginning when he just turns five he feels so big and important. I think it shows a huge contrast as he soon wishes to wait until he is six for something I shall not spoil. I think we all sort of feel like Jack, once we get even a year older we feel like we can do whatever, that we are on top of the world. But that's just the thing, most of the time, once we actually realize how much responsibility is given the us as we grow up, we start to get scared. So that leaves us to the question, what do we do when we become adults and the responsibility is seemingly endless? We can't hide forever, and once we take the responsibility we start to mature, which is what happened to Jack.
Overall, I really love this book. I think it was well written and has excellent character growth. I like the second part more than the first though, but if you plan on reading it it's u to you to decide. Here's a little teaser: The ending made me want to cry; but whether that's a good thing or not, you find out.
By Emma Donoghue
Terri Thampan 804
I have recently read an amazing book called "Room". It was so good, I literally didn't stop- couldn't stop- reading until I had finished the last page, having read the whole book in one day. It's told from the perspective of a little boy named Jack who has just turned five years old. His world is turned upside down as his mom decides it's time to tell him the truth; there was a world outside of Room. To Jack, Room is his entire world; this small 11-by-11 foot is all he has ever known, and he doesn't know how to act now that his mom wants to break free.
First of all, this book is a very emotional book. It deals with the overwhelming feelings of a little boy who has finally came out into the world, and doesn't know what to expect. I think it was beautifully well written, especially with how confused it makes Jack, as well as scared as he doesn't truly know what's real or isn't real.
I really sympathize with the Mother because she is a woman who is trying to get the most for her son. She had to try and teach him as best as she could in such a small environment. I feel bad for her as she has such an overwhelming task, but not even a friend to comfort her, or at least somebody. She is completely shut off and doesn't know how else to deal with this situation and is stressed out. I think this is why sometimes she tells Jack things that parents wouldn't normally tell their children. She hasn't really got anyone to talk to so she's just dying to have a normal age level talk with someone else, to talk about what she thinks about things and current events that she hears about.
I also really like how Jack changes. He starts to open up to new ideas. He starts to realize that there is a world beyond Room. I like how in the beginning when he just turns five he feels so big and important. I think it shows a huge contrast as he soon wishes to wait until he is six for something I shall not spoil. I think we all sort of feel like Jack, once we get even a year older we feel like we can do whatever, that we are on top of the world. But that's just the thing, most of the time, once we actually realize how much responsibility is given the us as we grow up, we start to get scared. So that leaves us to the question, what do we do when we become adults and the responsibility is seemingly endless? We can't hide forever, and once we take the responsibility we start to mature, which is what happened to Jack.
Overall, I really love this book. I think it was well written and has excellent character growth. I like the second part more than the first though, but if you plan on reading it it's u to you to decide. Here's a little teaser: The ending made me want to cry; but whether that's a good thing or not, you find out.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
"A Child Called It" By Susana Rojas
Link to Susana's Blog Post: http://susanarojas808.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-child-called-it-by-dave-pelzer.html
I have decided to review Susana's review on the book "A Child Called It," because I thought it was well written in the way that she truly showed off her ideas. She starts off the post talking about the author and main character of the book, Dave Pelzer, and his situation. She described some of the ways his mother used to torture him, and about how he was so confused about his mother's sudden change in her attitude towards him.
I like how Susana sort of shows her sympathy for the author and the ordeals he had to go through. I also like how she states her opinion on the dad. How she thinks that the dad was the sort of man who cared for his son the most. That he cared for his son and did all he could for Dave. That he ended up having no choice.
But this opinion is also the reason why I wanted to write this blogpost. I felt like this was one blogpost I could share my opinions that differ as I have already read the book and realized how sad it was. I have to disagree with Susana's idea that the father truly cared for the son and was a good father but simply had no choice in the whole thing. I feel like she is putting him (the dad) in a very sympathetic light which I can't help but completely disagree with.
I agree with Susana that the father does sort of seem like the good guy, but that image doesn't really last long for me. I mean, I feel bad for the dad as he obviously never realized what was going to happen with his marriage, or else I think he would of married someone else. I think it was a very valiant deed he did, staying with his wife for so long even though he knew how she was, and trying to protect Dave, but at the same time I find him a very cowardly person.
If I remember correctly, I think Dave pretty much feels betrayed when his father leaves. I think that's when I started to strongly dislike the dad, when he left the family, but didn't take Dave with him. It was the thing that enraged me the most. He knew how his son was treated, yet he didn't save him! Why not? What kind of father is he?!
This is the point where many would argue that the father was also suffering. But here's where I explain more. You can tell a lot about a person by their actions. By simply his actions, I can tell that the father is cowardly, weak willed, and probably blamed his son for his ruined marriage.
Why is the dad so weak willed? Well, his wife has been bossing him around. I think in a healthy relationship, the partners have to think of each other as equals, meaning no one bossing the other. He let her boss him around, but he could have been more aggressive. Not hitting aggressive, but less passive, as in sticking up for himself and not letting his wife mistreat him and his son! We usually hear about Wives getting abused by their husbands, but this is one of those cases where the husband is pretty much getting pushed around by the wife. Now, in concerns to physical strength, I think the Dad would be able to take on the mom, as men are built to be stronger, and the mom wasn't really fit. But that doesn't mean he should abuse her, just not to let her push him around, especially when it came to the well-being of his family.
I think the Father is a coward because he doesn't ever tell anyone about what his wife is doing, or tell his wife off for mistreating her child. I mean, he could have gotten his wife in jail and had to raise the kids, but he could also worry about the way they would be affected having their mother gone. But may kids don't have mothers and turn out fine. I think he might have been scared of having to take care of so many kids (which is why he should have stopped having kids with the woman!) and didn't even think about how his kids could be negatively affected by having their mother abuse one of their brothers.
If anything, I'm still annoyed he never took Dave with him. I think he does blame the arguments with his wife on Dave, as he was usually the one who caused the fights (his treatment). But if anything, I think I dislike him because he chose himself over a child, his own child. I find that the biggest act of cowardice and it disgusts me. To abandon the child who hopes you will save him. It disgusts me, and shows a lot about a person.
Over all, I think Susana had a very nice blogpost which I could easily talk back to and share opinions with, and if anything I think she can add a bit more content by putting in more of her thoughts about the text.
I have decided to review Susana's review on the book "A Child Called It," because I thought it was well written in the way that she truly showed off her ideas. She starts off the post talking about the author and main character of the book, Dave Pelzer, and his situation. She described some of the ways his mother used to torture him, and about how he was so confused about his mother's sudden change in her attitude towards him.
I like how Susana sort of shows her sympathy for the author and the ordeals he had to go through. I also like how she states her opinion on the dad. How she thinks that the dad was the sort of man who cared for his son the most. That he cared for his son and did all he could for Dave. That he ended up having no choice.
But this opinion is also the reason why I wanted to write this blogpost. I felt like this was one blogpost I could share my opinions that differ as I have already read the book and realized how sad it was. I have to disagree with Susana's idea that the father truly cared for the son and was a good father but simply had no choice in the whole thing. I feel like she is putting him (the dad) in a very sympathetic light which I can't help but completely disagree with.
I agree with Susana that the father does sort of seem like the good guy, but that image doesn't really last long for me. I mean, I feel bad for the dad as he obviously never realized what was going to happen with his marriage, or else I think he would of married someone else. I think it was a very valiant deed he did, staying with his wife for so long even though he knew how she was, and trying to protect Dave, but at the same time I find him a very cowardly person.
If I remember correctly, I think Dave pretty much feels betrayed when his father leaves. I think that's when I started to strongly dislike the dad, when he left the family, but didn't take Dave with him. It was the thing that enraged me the most. He knew how his son was treated, yet he didn't save him! Why not? What kind of father is he?!
This is the point where many would argue that the father was also suffering. But here's where I explain more. You can tell a lot about a person by their actions. By simply his actions, I can tell that the father is cowardly, weak willed, and probably blamed his son for his ruined marriage.
Why is the dad so weak willed? Well, his wife has been bossing him around. I think in a healthy relationship, the partners have to think of each other as equals, meaning no one bossing the other. He let her boss him around, but he could have been more aggressive. Not hitting aggressive, but less passive, as in sticking up for himself and not letting his wife mistreat him and his son! We usually hear about Wives getting abused by their husbands, but this is one of those cases where the husband is pretty much getting pushed around by the wife. Now, in concerns to physical strength, I think the Dad would be able to take on the mom, as men are built to be stronger, and the mom wasn't really fit. But that doesn't mean he should abuse her, just not to let her push him around, especially when it came to the well-being of his family.
I think the Father is a coward because he doesn't ever tell anyone about what his wife is doing, or tell his wife off for mistreating her child. I mean, he could have gotten his wife in jail and had to raise the kids, but he could also worry about the way they would be affected having their mother gone. But may kids don't have mothers and turn out fine. I think he might have been scared of having to take care of so many kids (which is why he should have stopped having kids with the woman!) and didn't even think about how his kids could be negatively affected by having their mother abuse one of their brothers.
If anything, I'm still annoyed he never took Dave with him. I think he does blame the arguments with his wife on Dave, as he was usually the one who caused the fights (his treatment). But if anything, I think I dislike him because he chose himself over a child, his own child. I find that the biggest act of cowardice and it disgusts me. To abandon the child who hopes you will save him. It disgusts me, and shows a lot about a person.
Over all, I think Susana had a very nice blogpost which I could easily talk back to and share opinions with, and if anything I think she can add a bit more content by putting in more of her thoughts about the text.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
by: Jane Austen
Terri Thampan 804
I have recently read the book "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. It's one of the classics, and I only read it because I heard it was one of the best romances ever, and since young females such as myself are pretty much "fangirling" over famous, not well written romances, ahem Twilight, I decided to read a supposedly well written romance.
I absolutely love this book! The main character is a girl, well woman, name Elizabeth Bennet, and she is of the age where getting married should soon happen before she becomes a "old maid", so like, in her early twenties. She is a very smart, witty, polite, and humorous woman. The book itself is about how she and Mr. Darcy fall in love. I think the romance in the book was very well written as right from the beginning Elizabeth sort of hates Mr. Darcy, but over time and the course of the book learns to love and respect him. This really does show off love to me as most of the time, isn't love kind of unexpected? Love doesn't happen so quickly like what happens it today's romance novels, and it takes time to be a strong bond. Most books today are very fast paced, and the events usually happen very quickly, but in this book it went like how time usually can go, it goes by quickly yet slowly, and not everything has to do with the love interest. This passage of time made the love grow more gradual, and seem very, very realistic.
I also liked the character of Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth''s father. He is the one whom Elizabeth takes after in personality. I think this is why she (Elizabeth) is his favorite daughter. I found his character amusing, as I think he's the type of man who thinks of others as purely something for entertainment. He is entertained by them, and so he doesn't truly care about anything else. But that also makes me think of his marriage. It was said in the book that the mother's idiocy was what caused the little sense of affection he had for her (the mother) to disappear early in their marriage. I think he really sort of stayed with the mother as she made him amused with her stupidity, and maybe he liked her beauty. I think that the marriage was really bad, both to Mr. Bennet and his daughters. At one point, Elizabeth is pretty much humiliated at the fact that her Father just lets her mother and 3 other sisters besides her oldest sister, Jane, run amok and not really discipline them in the ways to behave, thus reflecting badly on her (Elizabeth) and her family.
by: Jane Austen
Terri Thampan 804
I have recently read the book "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen. It's one of the classics, and I only read it because I heard it was one of the best romances ever, and since young females such as myself are pretty much "fangirling" over famous, not well written romances, ahem Twilight, I decided to read a supposedly well written romance.
I absolutely love this book! The main character is a girl, well woman, name Elizabeth Bennet, and she is of the age where getting married should soon happen before she becomes a "old maid", so like, in her early twenties. She is a very smart, witty, polite, and humorous woman. The book itself is about how she and Mr. Darcy fall in love. I think the romance in the book was very well written as right from the beginning Elizabeth sort of hates Mr. Darcy, but over time and the course of the book learns to love and respect him. This really does show off love to me as most of the time, isn't love kind of unexpected? Love doesn't happen so quickly like what happens it today's romance novels, and it takes time to be a strong bond. Most books today are very fast paced, and the events usually happen very quickly, but in this book it went like how time usually can go, it goes by quickly yet slowly, and not everything has to do with the love interest. This passage of time made the love grow more gradual, and seem very, very realistic.
I also liked the character of Mr. Bennet, Elizabeth''s father. He is the one whom Elizabeth takes after in personality. I think this is why she (Elizabeth) is his favorite daughter. I found his character amusing, as I think he's the type of man who thinks of others as purely something for entertainment. He is entertained by them, and so he doesn't truly care about anything else. But that also makes me think of his marriage. It was said in the book that the mother's idiocy was what caused the little sense of affection he had for her (the mother) to disappear early in their marriage. I think he really sort of stayed with the mother as she made him amused with her stupidity, and maybe he liked her beauty. I think that the marriage was really bad, both to Mr. Bennet and his daughters. At one point, Elizabeth is pretty much humiliated at the fact that her Father just lets her mother and 3 other sisters besides her oldest sister, Jane, run amok and not really discipline them in the ways to behave, thus reflecting badly on her (Elizabeth) and her family.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)