Tone ,Meaning and purpose

 Author's note:  In class we were given  an assignment to identify the tone,meaning and purpose, about a specific passage from the novel  Christmas Carol.

“It is a fair, even-handed, noble adjustment of things, that while there is infection in disease and sorrow, there is nothing in world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor.” Pg.73 Stave Three

 Among all three Staves I have read, a passage written in Stave Three caught my attention by its tone and its meaning. The meaning goes far beyond than just humor and having a good laugh every now and then. The passage conveys the loneliness and depression Scrooge feels, “That while there is infection in disease and sorrow”. Within those few words, it clearly shows the tone of Scrooge, which is lonely and cold. In contrast, the nephew represents the part of the passage that states, “There is nothing in the world so irresistibly contagious as laughter and good humor”.   As you can tell the tone is different from the start of the passage to the end of the passage. The purpose of this passage is to show the contagious of infection is of sorrow in comparison to the

The Gift of Friendship

Annemarie was like any other ten year old girl of her time, she enjoyed spending time with friends, telling bedtime stories to her younger sister and loved competing in the after school Friday races. On the outside, Annemarie acted brave, as if nothing was wrong but on the inside all she could do was think of everything that was wrong since the Holocaust arrived. After sacrificing the little things she knew she could not deal with giving up her best friend.  Number the Stars by Lois Lowry puts in simple words how important friends are when life has turned unfair.

 Ellen Rosen and Annemarie Johansen were the best of friends.  Over the years the two girls created a bond that couldn’t be replaced.  Their friendship is the main theme within the book.  While Ellen and her family had nowhere to go, Annemarie’s family took Ellen in as one of their own.  Even though Ellen is finally safe, she lives in fear of losing her family and being caught by the soldiers.  Despite the worry and fear she carried, Annemarie was always there for Ellen and would do anything to make her happy because that is what friends are for.

 Friendship is something that can’t be replaced, the theme of friendship occurs in variety of novels such as “The Summer I Turned Pretty”, By Jenny Han.  Isabel and Taylor had been friends since their childhood and they shared memories that will live with them forever. When Isabel’s closest family friend Susannah passes away, she doesn’t know where to go or how to act.  Isabel thought no one could understand even Taylor. However Taylor was with her every step of the way even if she didn’t realize it. Taylor did everything she could to help Isabel overcome the loss and to remember the happy memories she had with Susannah. Taylor’s and Isabel friendship only grew when Isabel realized how lucky she was to have someone by her side the entire time just like Annemarie was for Ellen when Ellen felt like she was  alone.

   “Friendship is celebrating the good times, struggling through the bad times, and being there for all the time”.  Whenever I think of a friend or best friend, this quote comes to mind. After finishing the novel I found this quote to be very true to the friendship theme. Best Friends are always there even when you don’t see it, as Annemarie was for Ellen.   Friendship is one of the most important relationships to have within our lifetime. Without friendship, life would be boring, difficult and long.  Meanwhile, life with friendship is exciting, enjoyable and endless.

  Whenever people think of the word relationship, some may consider it to be boy friend/girl friend or marriage.  However friendship is the most relevant relationships to share amongst someone.  Number the Stars by Lois Lowry has proven when life turns unfair, it is our friend who remind that there is always light at the end of the tunnel.

  

Character Analysis

As far as I am in the novel of Number the Stars,   it’s hard to say that any of the characters are dynamic. Annemarie is the ten year old of the Johansen’s family she is young but yet knows enough to know the world currently isn’t safe or her.  Her behavior is expected of any girl living through the Holocaust; it seems to me like she misses all the little things, such as eating a full meal or being able to go outside without the worry of world. Now all those little things were taken away from her because of the Holocaust. Annemarie is a static character; her beliefs in God remain the same, values as well.   It’s very clear that Annemarie and her family have no respect for the German nation; never will they side with them unless it’s for their own safety or if their lives are at risk. Therefore they are all static characters.  

Point of View

Throughout the novel of Number the Stars, readers are told about Annemarie Johansen's childhood from the author’s point of view.  Even though, the novel   isn't told in first person, the narrator does a decent job of   including important details that are more likely noticeable when told through first person. Such as, characters actions, personalities and emotions. If the author never mentioned the character's reactions to events within the novel, it would be a very boring read.  Chapter five called “Who is the Dark Haired one?"  Is a perfect example of how the author brings each character's reactions into play.   “This is the Johansen apartment”, requested the deep voice of a Danish Solider, frightening the Johansen’s family. Papa answered “What do you want? Is there something wrong?" Meanwhile the entire family has awakened, this causes the mother to be irritated with the soldiers from the very start. “Then will you be so kind as to tell me where the Rosen's are," demands the soldier. “I assume they are home, and sleeping.” “It is four in the morning, after all." After reading the conversation she has with the soldiers, her tone is very noticeable and I can already infer she is furious with the Nazi’s but doing her best not to show it for the safety of her family.

     Since the narrator/author does a fine job of describing each character and their motives, I can’t imagine the story being told better if told in first person, because I like being aware of every individual’s personalities, instead of just one in particular.   I believe Ellen telling the story in her words would be just as interesting and go in just as much depth about the everyday fear she has to live in, just because of her religion.

Reflection on Life of Pi

  Authors note: In class we were given a statement that Yann Martel had said in his interview about "Life of Pi". After reading the statement we had to write a response or  reflection on what the quote means to us.

              Pi  wanted to create an interesting atmosphere for all readers. His concept of his writing is difficult to comprehend at the beginning, though as you read on you will find all the symbolism that there is to know.  His symbolism includes animals, religion and the idea of being stuck on a lifeboat for 227 days which is all more interesting.  After reading the author's interview, I uunderstood the purpose of the perfect metaphor. I never thought animals and humans could relate to each other in the way they are meant to in the book.

Proud

America is still considered to be a young country compared to others.  Among most girls my age, I couldn’t be more proud of our country. It has faced and overcame its hardships by sticking together and fighting until the end. There are many things that go into making a country like ours. I am proud its success and the people we see everyday making it a better a place. I am proud that I can wake up every morning knowing that I will be okay and that I have a roof over my head.  However what I take most pride in is our freedom. Sharing my own beliefs, my own opinions and my own values is important to me. I realize that everyone I am surrounded by has the same rights as me and we all have the tendency to take those rights for granted. I am proud that our country realized the importance of having freedom and the positive impacts they have on our country.

Fear

 Paragraph-   Fear, it's flowing through my blood , drowning  me with every step I take. Practically suffocating me.  What I am about to do next  may change my life forever  but fear is in the way , saving me from the risk but if I never try I will never know. Fear is in control and there is no way to stop it now.

Short story: conclusion

      The  queen was furious when she  found out her son was madly in love with a girl that  he  was forbidden to  even look at. The queen  wasn't okay with this at all, she thought her son had gone crazy. She decided  to make plans to kill the beautiful Snow White, therefore  she  planned to  bring Snow White a freshly new  picked apple  however it was poisoned. While the queen was  on her way to deliver the apple she became very hungry  and started to become dizzy and light headed. Eventually she realized her only hope of making it was to eat the apple, I mean she figured it couldn't be that bad. She spoke to soon and before you know it the queen had taken the first bite.

Short Story hook

 Sensei- Chin-Chin was an old kung-fu warrior of his generation, he in fact was the best. Now at 75, he is and retired and living in Lake Park, Alaska. He was a master of yoga in North Korea and is currently working on finishing his novel that he has spent over two years writing. You may ask how he ended up in Alaska, well to begin he wanted to find an escape from reality and this was the only place available. He  spends his days at the local high school natatorium; he suffered from a severe cas of hypothermia while swimming laps and doing water aerobics. Unfortunately for him he can never swim again because they realized not  only did he have hypothermia, he was diagonosed with a deadly allergy to chlorine. It looks like  his swimming  days are done.

Unlucky

It was like any other day for Tom, waking up in the hospital bed and doing the normal everyday tasks that were ahead of him. Get up, eat then patiently wait for the nurse to check his vitals and slowly fall back to sleep again. When he was at the age of forty he lost his whole family in a tragic car accident, which only left him alive with a few broken bones. Now at the age of 88, he is dying of liver failure. This is a life no one would dream of having, however   he has managed to find a positive side to it with the help of Sally. Over the months spent in the hospital, Tom and Sally grew to know each other more and more.  He knows he is lucky to have her there for him: she’s all he’s got left to live for.  They created a bond no one could replace and it certainly wasn’t love but it was friendship, a valued friendship.

While Tom spent his days at the hospital, Sally spent all her life taking care of horses. Sally could not live without them, especially Rider.  Rider had long black hair that whipped through the wind, and remarkable size seizing anyone who stepped foot in his path. Sally wasn’t like other moms or wives, she had lived a long fulfilled life traveling overseas and working endlessly.  Her youngest son Troy recently left the house for collage in Madison. She used to go to every Friday night football game at Waterside High: her son Eric was the starting quarterback and he was very good indeed.  It hasn’t been easy since her kids have been out of the house.  Though she has found ways to cope while her sons were living their lives without her; she joined book clubs, she spent her Friday nights volunteering at the football games and varsity basketball games. Sally also volunteered at her church “Sheppard of the Hills” she was the youth director of Sunday school which kept her busy.

Sally  woke  up one  October morning feeling a slight cold, it was getting chilly outside and the leaves were starting to shed ,one tree to the next. She was happy that winter was just around the corner because it was her favorite season. She loved the smell, the sound and taste of winter.  Even her husband shared the love for winter with her. Her house was filled with Christmas accents here and there, tints of green and red spread throughout the house.  She walked downstairs preparing to leave for work, the news was shouting in the background like a little kid trying to grab his mother’s attention. Flood flash   warning signs were appearing on the screen in her area and already an accident was reported close to her job.   This frightened Sally but she was determined to make it to work in time to see Tom since he has been in a five hour surgery. She was informed earlier in the morning that the surgery wasn’t going as well as planned, this also worried Sally. Tom had just awakened from what to him felt like a very long nap, he was happy to see Sally in the recovery room.   A bouquet of flowers was grasped in her hands waiting to give them to him and a red box of chocolates neatly placed on the end of couch. They chatted for a while and then Sally was on her way home.

                                                                                                                                                                                                             She had reached the crosswalk and started to stroll carefully across.  All of the sudden Sally was knocked down by a big SUV that drove through the stoplight, furiously backed up and rolled over Sally for the second time. This stunned nearby drivers and they quickly dialed 9-1-1. The woman was severely injured, from what they could see in the dark frigid night. The ambulance hurried to the incident, and what they saw was something they never had seen before. She was brutally wounded from head to toe with bruises and scars covering her fragile body. The ambulance quickly rushed her to the hospital, of which she had worked at. Tom had just awoken from his nap, he felt rested and relieved. Though something didn’t feel right to him, something was missing and he knew exactly who it was. It was Sally, and he was surprised she wasn’t there even though he had just seen her an hour or so ago, but he was on heavy pain medication which left him a little confused. As he was walking down the hallway to the bathroom, Tom spotted  a women brutally hurt. She was being carried away on a stretcher, as he the strecther came closer he realized the women wasn't just any women it was Sally.  The ambulance found out her identity by an elderly man who said she currently works here and he claimed that it was his  nurse. Sally was in immediate care and soon to be whisked away to surgery. After four days, Sally didn’t wake up from the surgery. Ten days passed and still nothing, she was officially in a coma.  On October 31^st Sally had awoken from the dark and opened her eyes finding herself in a hospital bed, she was as white as everything around her. Feeling tangled in endless amount of monitors and cords surrounding her upper body.  Troy glanced up at his mom to see that her eyes were open. Inside he felt relieved .He cautioned the nurses and doctors immediately.  Sally sat motionless with no expression; all she wanted to see was her husband and children.  A week passed and after she had woken up she was feeling much better, all   she remembered was feeling like she was in a tunnel. Sallly counted down the days until she left the hopsital. After  six long  months she was finally released from the torture and the pain.  She felt completely healed though her life will never be the same. Sally now only uses her left hand to write since she lost her right hand in the accident, which was her stronger hand. She has contuined life on with her horses and hopes of never returning  to that awful day of October 7th, the day her life changed for good.

Humane Treatment Award

               Thank you, oh thank you so much for the Humane Treatment award. Over the years I have come to realize that animals are just as important as humans. Ever since I was young I always lived with dogs, cats and just about every farm animal you could think of.  Growing up in a house of five helps with learning responsibility and teaches hard work. As of course I was the youngest of four boys and the only girl too. My brothers and I raised the animals, though I had more interest in taking care and treating them than they did.   Animals are similar to friends; always there to talk to and listen to anything you have to say.

                 As I became a teenager, my understanding of animals became more important after researching animal cruelty for a science project. I knew it was my job to do something about the issue.  Of course one teenage girl couldn’t change the world, so as a result, I created an organization called “Against Animal Cruelty”. I only started with my two good friends, then it multiplied and before you know it, by high school there were over thirty students in the organization (A.A.C.). The word spread about the club and already it was too much for me to handle so I decided to set it aside and focus on being accepted to college.

                 Animals were still part of my everyday life; I just wasn’t able to volunteer as much as I wished.  Meanwhile school was becoming a huge factor to my future; I had to put my dreams on hold.  With all my hard work, I was honored a full-ride scholarship to Norte Dame. From then on, I found my career in the education branch.  I became a sixth grade teacher and I couldn’t have made a better decision.  I learned through my students about what really matters in life, especially been given the privilege to teach Panchito english, he didn’t know a word so it was a tough start.  He was a Mexican boy and a  Bracero, I knew he was going to have to work again so I did my best do give him the finest education he will ever have. The feeling of helping someone or an animal is one of the greatest experiences among us.  I am glad to have be a volunteer to our local Humane society, and I am honored to be given this award and for all of you out there always follow your dreams no matter how big or how small.

               

Chapter of the Shakers

Imagine waking up everyday knowing that this day is going to be just like yesterday with the exception of what you wear; what you eat. Unlike most of us, Rob lives by the same day to day routine: get up, get dressed, eat, and work, soon followed by lunch, more work and finally bed time. This is the lifestyle of what most considered a life of a Shaker. Simply put in six words, “Hands to work, heart for God”: this quote refers to the shaker practice.  The author, John Newton Peck clearly proves that anyone can live in simplicity, however most choose not to because it’s takes commitment and hard work.

Among everyday citizens the Shakers, are one of the most hardworking and selfless groups of people. Within everything they do, it’s devoted to God, which is easier said than done. The shaker religion came from Mother Anna Lee, a woman of reason and hard work; she stood for what she believed in and was relentless. The very first Shaker community was in Lebanon, New York and still exists to this day. Being a Shaker boy, as Rob was, he came to realize that his ways are different from the rest of the world. He was taught many lessons by, his father was Haven Peck, unfortunately his father didn’t receive any formal education and that’s what made his father understand the importance of having an education, instead of living by experience and learning lessons by mistakes. However they balance each other out, you can’t live a well rounded life only being book smart and not be aware of what the real world has to offer. Meanwhile trying to go on in life without knowing your ABC’s and 123’s isn’t going to get you very far.

Living in the Shaker religion you learn to confide yourself in God and the long term commitment of Shaker practice. Although there are always going to be the negative side to just about anything,  such as missing out on the opportunity of  voting, which many take for granted and numerous restrictions that are not considered normal to the people outside of the Shaker livelihood. While reading chapter four I didn’t agree with the ideas practiced by the Shakers. Almost everything I do would be considered extra to them, like  even attending a local baseball game. However, many people find certain beliefs to critize in other religions, as in the Hindu culture they praise cows, and to us it sounds funny, but if we grew up with it , praising cows would be normal.

In all walks of life there are always going to be challenges and negative obstacles though in life you reach a point where you will have to sacrifice for someone else’s well being. For me, it was the start of my basketball career in fifth grade and the try-outs for the upcoming  6^th grade select teams were soon to be held. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to try –out because my brother was playing competitive basketball at the time; it would be just too difficult to balance out the same season and same sport for my mom. It was hard for me to comprehend why I couldn’t play, because I was young and didn’t see the  big picture, yet eventually I came to the understanding as I got older. This reminds us of when Rob  sacrificed his arm along with the rest of his body, just to save his neighbor's prize cow. Besides he didn’t even have to, he could of easily walked on by. At his age, most young boys would stroll on by, but that’s what separates Rob from everyone else, because of his religious practice.

As far as I am in this book, chapter four had talked of and about many issues, of not only

HOME

        Maud Martha sat hopelessly on the porch alongside mama and sister Helen. They all thought that this would be the end of their fourteen years in this house with a slim chance of staying. Mama thought of all the memories created in the house: the friendly neighbors and the entertaining parties they shared together. The reality is that if they didn’t receive an extension from the mortgage holders, the whole family will be kicked out on the streets. Unfortunately that’s when it would set in that they are no longer homeowners; just another homeless family. The short story “Home” by Gwendolyn Brooks represents the feeling of waiting and unbearable worry that comes with living paycheck to paycheck.

        All over America today, more families are losing their homes due to job loss or many other causes. According to MMI, one out of five people say that they are only paying for the necessities which includes gas, groceries and paying bills. In “Home” the family had to make do with what they had: a shortage of money causes a shortage of everything. Over 80% of families in America say they are dealing with the effects of our economy, some better than others, though many have the problem of always want, want, want. Most citizens believe what they hear and see in the media, except in reality a majority of us do not have it that way.

        Throughout America people are facing the challenge of keeping a roof over their heads. Just as in the article “How Far Will A Man Go For A Job”, by Jeff Truesdell the author, illustrates that people are traveling great distances just to have a job, not even a decent job. However this situation is better than being one of the many jobless. As sad as it is, the father lives five days a week in a simple Kansas apartment with his brother, miserably five hundred miles from his home in Janesville, Wisconsin. While reading this article I thought of Maud Martha and how she must feel living in worry of her parents losing their jobs. Just as Mike’s two sons think about where they will be if their dad loses his job again. From what I have experienced and learned, the economy has a domino effect, beginning with being in debt, followed by war, soon after it hits close to home and before you know it goes one by one, knocking down whatever lies in its path.

        Beneath the article, I thought of the majority of families in situations similar to the “Hanley’s in Wisconsin. As well as my very own situation, I am aware that I am not the only middle school girl living with a single mother in a suburban lifestyle, also in a difficult economy. Meanwhile, my dad lives in Colorado working for a water and oil transporting company. We find ways everyday to save and cutback. Some adjustments we’ve made are the use of less electricity, shortened showers, and cutoff the short trips to fast food restaurants. There are many other alternatives to saving, such as having a savings account or downsizing to a smaller house even buying a 30 mile per gallon hybrid. The relation between “Home” is that the family will have to find ways to cut back, if they haven’t already.


        The short story “Home” brought about many topics of real life situations and the responsibilities of living paycheck to paycheck. Sometimes when we have less it makes you think what really matters in life. The author “Gwendolyn Brooks” teaches sometimes change is needed and most of the time it’s for the better. Many readers will learn from the short story that life isn’t easy and that you have to be prepared for what’s next, while planning for what’s ahead.