Soooo I either have to describe my favorite website or my favorite book and I don't know what to do. Honestly, and this may sound shocking coming from a teenager, but I am hardly ever on the computer. It's true. I hate sitting down here in my basement on this thing. Especially late at night because the toy/storage room is right next to me and it always makes weird sounds and sometimes the door just randomly opens on its own. Not to mention my brother thinks its hilarious to sneak up behind me and scare the crap out of me after I've been reading a book about a serial killer. Anyway, the only reason I'm ever on this thing is to create new posts for this never ending blog or to check facebook like once a week and thats it. I'm busy enough as it is with homework, and work, and sports, and babysitting that I hardly find time to sleep. Therefore, its easy to understand that I don't have enough time to just roam the web and find awesome websites.
The second half of my dilemma is that I particularly don't like reading. This is probably due to the fact that I am to busy reading a book for a.p. lit and another book on top of that for etymology. I don't like reading to begin with. Reading one book for a.p. lit is hard enough let alone another one for etymology. By the time I get my other start homework, eat dinner, and then finish homework it's like nine o'clock already. And I'm one of those people where if I start reading that late at night I'm gonna be asleep in fifteen minutes. Or else I find myself re-reading the same paragraph over and over again because I'm in that state in between awake and asleep.
So after thinking about this I have decided to go with "describe your favorite book". My favorite book would have to be Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None." I haven't actually read the book since Mr. Bray's sixth grade "language arts" class but I do remember it being really really good. If I remember right it is about these ten people staying at a mystery person's beach house on an island and one-by-one they are killed off. It may sound kind of gruesome for a group of sixth graders however the deaths were tasteful and the descriptions weren't too gory. I love murder mysteries so that plays a big role as to why I like the book so much. The more I sit here and talk about it the more I want to bring in down from the top shelf in my closet and crack it open. I may just have to do that for my next etymology book.
Monday, January 31, 2011
The Devil in the White City pg. 198-242
The beginning of 1893 was looking to be a promising year for Holmes. His pharmacy scams were taking off, his apartment complexes on the second floor were all set up, he had produced his own pill for curing alcoholism, and he now had two homes. Yeah, it was all looking good until the police started showing up to his drug store more frequently on the accounts of Julia Conner and Emeline Cigard. The parents of these two young women had separately hired "eyes" to dwell in Chicago searching for their beloved daughters. This cause Holmes to fret quite a bit until he pieced together that neither of the families suspected him to have anything to do with the disappearance of their daughters.
With this newly found information, Holmes quickly returned to his old ways. He was falling behind in paperwork and records at the drug store since the unfortunate disappearance of Emeline and was in desperate need of a new secretary. Fortunate enough for him, he knew the perfect girl to contact.
Her name was Minnie Williams. She had inherited what would be around $1.5 to $3 million in today's currency from her uncle after his passing. Unlike Holmes's past interests, Minnie was by no means gorgeous. She was plain and slightly overweight, but she had money...and lots of it. Holmes was able to overlook her appearance as he was driven by the wealth he would inherit if he were to marry her and she were to mysteriously die some time afterwards.
This is exactly what Holmes did. He convinced Minnie to come to Chicago to work for him, they eventually fell in love (well she did at least) and got married. It wasn't too long after their intimate wedding at the court house that Minnie became jealous of all the other younger, more attractive women that would fawn over her husband at the drug store. However, she was so happy to be with him and to have her sister in town that she soon got over her "absurd" feelings. Holmes had charmed Minnie's sister, Annie, by taking the two girls to the World Fair many times a week. The three enjoyed riding their bikes in the White City and admiring the magnificent architecture.
There have been no signs as to how he is going to kill Minnie and Annie or if he is going to kill them at all. I found this section quite interesting mainly because he has kept the two girls around longer than twenty pages or so haha and according to him they aren't even that attractive which goes against his taste. It will be interesting to see how much longer Holmes will keep them around and whether or not he will follow his redundant routine of killing.
With this newly found information, Holmes quickly returned to his old ways. He was falling behind in paperwork and records at the drug store since the unfortunate disappearance of Emeline and was in desperate need of a new secretary. Fortunate enough for him, he knew the perfect girl to contact.
Her name was Minnie Williams. She had inherited what would be around $1.5 to $3 million in today's currency from her uncle after his passing. Unlike Holmes's past interests, Minnie was by no means gorgeous. She was plain and slightly overweight, but she had money...and lots of it. Holmes was able to overlook her appearance as he was driven by the wealth he would inherit if he were to marry her and she were to mysteriously die some time afterwards.
This is exactly what Holmes did. He convinced Minnie to come to Chicago to work for him, they eventually fell in love (well she did at least) and got married. It wasn't too long after their intimate wedding at the court house that Minnie became jealous of all the other younger, more attractive women that would fawn over her husband at the drug store. However, she was so happy to be with him and to have her sister in town that she soon got over her "absurd" feelings. Holmes had charmed Minnie's sister, Annie, by taking the two girls to the World Fair many times a week. The three enjoyed riding their bikes in the White City and admiring the magnificent architecture.
There have been no signs as to how he is going to kill Minnie and Annie or if he is going to kill them at all. I found this section quite interesting mainly because he has kept the two girls around longer than twenty pages or so haha and according to him they aren't even that attractive which goes against his taste. It will be interesting to see how much longer Holmes will keep them around and whether or not he will follow his redundant routine of killing.
The Devil in the White City pg. 162-192
With the absence of Julia Conner, Holmes is in desperate need of a new, attractive, young woman to consume his time and ice-cold, blue gazes. This is where Emeline Cigrand comes into play.
Holmes's assistant Benjamin Pitezel was sent to Dwight, Illinois to take the Keely cure for alcoholism. Upon his return, Pitezel describes Emeline as a young woman of great beauty. This was all Holmes needed to hear before he called her up to offer her a job as a secretary in which she would make twice her earnings at Keely's. It was an offer she could not refuse.
Of course it did not take long for the relationship between her and Holmes to surpass that of an employee and an employer. The spent many hours with each other riding bicycles through the park and observing the World Fair as it was being built. Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence, residents of Holmes apartment complex, soon noticed the loving relationship between him and Emeline and could not deny that they were meant for each other.
However, Mrs. Lawrence, who became good friends with Emeline, soon became suspicious when the young girl brought a Christmas gift to her three weeks in advance. Emeline had claimed that she was going to spend the holidays with her family in Lafayette, Indiana and didn't want to wait to give them the gift. A plausible explanation thought Mrs. Lawrence.
It was not long before the Lawrences had noticed the disappearance of Emeline. Holmes used his wit yet again to cover up another one of his murders by telling the couple that Emeline had run off and gotten married to a man with the name of Robert E. Phelps. In actuality, Holmes had sealed her in the air-tight, soundproof vault. To speed up her suffocation process, Holmes had added a layer of acid to the vault floor which further converted the available oxygen into carbon dioxide. Three years later, police would have discovered the footprint of Emeline engraved on the door as she furiously attempted to open it. They obviously were too late. After her death, Holmes had shipped Emeline to Chappell for her to be converted into an articulate skeleton in which he routinely sold to the college.
Holmes's assistant Benjamin Pitezel was sent to Dwight, Illinois to take the Keely cure for alcoholism. Upon his return, Pitezel describes Emeline as a young woman of great beauty. This was all Holmes needed to hear before he called her up to offer her a job as a secretary in which she would make twice her earnings at Keely's. It was an offer she could not refuse.
Of course it did not take long for the relationship between her and Holmes to surpass that of an employee and an employer. The spent many hours with each other riding bicycles through the park and observing the World Fair as it was being built. Dr. and Mrs. Lawrence, residents of Holmes apartment complex, soon noticed the loving relationship between him and Emeline and could not deny that they were meant for each other.
However, Mrs. Lawrence, who became good friends with Emeline, soon became suspicious when the young girl brought a Christmas gift to her three weeks in advance. Emeline had claimed that she was going to spend the holidays with her family in Lafayette, Indiana and didn't want to wait to give them the gift. A plausible explanation thought Mrs. Lawrence.
It was not long before the Lawrences had noticed the disappearance of Emeline. Holmes used his wit yet again to cover up another one of his murders by telling the couple that Emeline had run off and gotten married to a man with the name of Robert E. Phelps. In actuality, Holmes had sealed her in the air-tight, soundproof vault. To speed up her suffocation process, Holmes had added a layer of acid to the vault floor which further converted the available oxygen into carbon dioxide. Three years later, police would have discovered the footprint of Emeline engraved on the door as she furiously attempted to open it. They obviously were too late. After her death, Holmes had shipped Emeline to Chappell for her to be converted into an articulate skeleton in which he routinely sold to the college.
The Devil in the White City pg. 102
Here was one of the creepiest passages I have read so far:
One night during this period Holmes asked Ned a favor. He led him to the big vault and stepped inside, then told Ned to close the door and listen for the sound of his shouting. "I shut the door and put my ear to the crack," Ned recalled, "but could hear only a faint sound." Ned opened the door, and Holmes stepped out. Now Holmes asked Ned if he would go inside and try shouting, so that Holmes could hear for himself how little sound escaped. Ned did so but got back out the instant Holmes reopened the door. "I didn't like that kind of business," he said.
Why anyone would even want a soundproof vault was a question that apparently did not occur to him.
The Devil in the White City pg. 121-152
Holmes is such a freak. I honestly don't know how to say that in any other way. I mean, this very attractive mountebank not only traps people in insurance scams but then he turns around and murders them in order to cash in on the profit of their life insurance policies. Yeah, thats really bad but that isn't why I call the phyisician/entrepreneur/serial killer a freak. The man is a freak because of the inhumane actions he carries out with his victims after killing them.
Ned is a young jeweler with a wife named Julia and a daughter named Pearl who moves his family to Chicago in 1891 in the search of opportunity--an kind of opportunity at all. He soon found himself managing a jewelry counter that occupied one wall of Holmes's drug store and for once in his life he saw the future gleam. The back story is pretty boring and rambles on for a few pages however it begins to take form of a potential murder when Holmes's catches a glimpse of the "tall and felicitously proportioned" Julia.
To make a long story short, Holmes seems inordinately attentive to Julia. Different parts of this section concerning Holmes's intense glares towards Julia and their flirtatious work ethic imply that a secretive liaison between the two is occurring right in front of her plain, insecure husband's face. Once Ned finally snaps and can't put up with the arguments between him and his wife anymore, he ends the marriage and leaves for Iowa, leaving Julia and his daughter in the care of Holmes.
This story becomes especially eary when Julia informs Holmes that she is pregnant and that he has no other choice but to marry her. He reacted to her proposal of marriage with warmth but insisted that he would only marry her on one condition--she was to have an abortion....on Christmas Eve. He was a physician and had executed the operation before: he would use chloroform and she would feel no pain whatsoever. Its not hard to guess what happens next. Holmes of course kills Julia by suffocating her with the chloroform drenched rag and then easily performs the same method on her daughter Pearl.
The whole scenario becomes even freakier when he offers Charles Chappell thirty-six dollars to cleanse the bones and skull and RETURN to him a FULLY ARTICULATED SKELETON! Chappell completes his work and returns the skeleton to Holmes who then turns around and sells it to Hahneman Medical College in Chicago for a great profit.
Okay, seriously, that's soooo messed up! Most have seen a skeleton in a doctor's office or a science room but those are made of plastic and have no emotional effect on us. But could you imagine personally knowing someone, hearing that they've been murdered, and then look at their skeleton? I definitely could not imagine that and if you can then you are a freak too.
Ned is a young jeweler with a wife named Julia and a daughter named Pearl who moves his family to Chicago in 1891 in the search of opportunity--an kind of opportunity at all. He soon found himself managing a jewelry counter that occupied one wall of Holmes's drug store and for once in his life he saw the future gleam. The back story is pretty boring and rambles on for a few pages however it begins to take form of a potential murder when Holmes's catches a glimpse of the "tall and felicitously proportioned" Julia.
To make a long story short, Holmes seems inordinately attentive to Julia. Different parts of this section concerning Holmes's intense glares towards Julia and their flirtatious work ethic imply that a secretive liaison between the two is occurring right in front of her plain, insecure husband's face. Once Ned finally snaps and can't put up with the arguments between him and his wife anymore, he ends the marriage and leaves for Iowa, leaving Julia and his daughter in the care of Holmes.
This story becomes especially eary when Julia informs Holmes that she is pregnant and that he has no other choice but to marry her. He reacted to her proposal of marriage with warmth but insisted that he would only marry her on one condition--she was to have an abortion....on Christmas Eve. He was a physician and had executed the operation before: he would use chloroform and she would feel no pain whatsoever. Its not hard to guess what happens next. Holmes of course kills Julia by suffocating her with the chloroform drenched rag and then easily performs the same method on her daughter Pearl.
The whole scenario becomes even freakier when he offers Charles Chappell thirty-six dollars to cleanse the bones and skull and RETURN to him a FULLY ARTICULATED SKELETON! Chappell completes his work and returns the skeleton to Holmes who then turns around and sells it to Hahneman Medical College in Chicago for a great profit.
Okay, seriously, that's soooo messed up! Most have seen a skeleton in a doctor's office or a science room but those are made of plastic and have no emotional effect on us. But could you imagine personally knowing someone, hearing that they've been murdered, and then look at their skeleton? I definitely could not imagine that and if you can then you are a freak too.
All the Pretty Horses pg. 100-132
Where to start. I was beginning to get really bored with this book. Like really bored. So bored that I fell asleep reading it during etymology last Thursday (sorry Mr. Hill). I just find the sequence of events concerning John Grady and Rawlins' travels to be redundant and uninteresting. Not to mention I know very little about Mexico and its history let alone the language, therefore I get lost in those passages talking about the mountains and dialogues spoken in the native language. However, it is required of me to log about this section so here we go.
Part II begins with John Grady and Rawlins living Grady's dream of being a cowboy and working on a ranch. John Grady quickly proves himself to be a virtuoso (VOCAB WORD!) horseman as he breaks a total of sixteen horses in only three days. The success of the two boys along with all the attention they bring to the ranch greatly impresses the ranch's foreman, Armondo, and his brother, Antonio. With this success, John Grady is promoted by the ranch owner, Don Hector. His new title is unknown, however with the promotion John Grady is moved into his own room in the stables leading to more time with the owner's daughter, Alejandra.
Alejandra invites John Grady to a dance at the local grange hall where the two teenagers strike up their first in depth conversation. It may not have been much, talking about John Grady's past and what not, but you could tell there was a spark between the two and that there will be future encounters based on Alejandra's closing remarks to the conversation:
The fact that Alejandra plants the idea that Lucia is prettier than she is into John Grady's mind acts as a tool to fish for comments. Its almost like she expected John Grady's response to the judgement of Lucia's appearance. Also, Alejandra warns John Grady to watch what he says to her. What I took from that comment was that either Alejandra is connected with another boy--which is unlikely because wouldn't he be at the dance with her?--or that her father would not accept a relationship between his aristocratic daughter and one of his simple workers. Either way, I found this section of the reading to be the most interesting. It was a nice break from all the ranch and horse talk. It was nice to unfold the beginning of Alejandra and John Grady's relationship.
Alejandra and John Grady meet once again in the stables when she demands to ride the stallion bareback and for John Grady to take her horse back to the stables. John Grady is hesitant at first but is unable to deny the wish of the one he loves. While sneaking Alejandra's horse back into the stables he is observed by a shadowy figure. This mysterious figure is not identified because John Grady refuses to turn around and is determined to get out of there.
Hopefully the next section of reading continues the development of John Grady and Alejandra's relationship because I was instantly bored again once the story deferred away from the two characters.
Part II begins with John Grady and Rawlins living Grady's dream of being a cowboy and working on a ranch. John Grady quickly proves himself to be a virtuoso (VOCAB WORD!) horseman as he breaks a total of sixteen horses in only three days. The success of the two boys along with all the attention they bring to the ranch greatly impresses the ranch's foreman, Armondo, and his brother, Antonio. With this success, John Grady is promoted by the ranch owner, Don Hector. His new title is unknown, however with the promotion John Grady is moved into his own room in the stables leading to more time with the owner's daughter, Alejandra.
Alejandra invites John Grady to a dance at the local grange hall where the two teenagers strike up their first in depth conversation. It may not have been much, talking about John Grady's past and what not, but you could tell there was a spark between the two and that there will be future encounters based on Alejandra's closing remarks to the conversation:
"I will introduce you to my friends. I will introduce you to Lucia. She is very pretty. You will see."
"I bet she aint as pretty as you."
"Oh my. You must be careful what you say. Besides it is not true. She is prettier."
The fact that Alejandra plants the idea that Lucia is prettier than she is into John Grady's mind acts as a tool to fish for comments. Its almost like she expected John Grady's response to the judgement of Lucia's appearance. Also, Alejandra warns John Grady to watch what he says to her. What I took from that comment was that either Alejandra is connected with another boy--which is unlikely because wouldn't he be at the dance with her?--or that her father would not accept a relationship between his aristocratic daughter and one of his simple workers. Either way, I found this section of the reading to be the most interesting. It was a nice break from all the ranch and horse talk. It was nice to unfold the beginning of Alejandra and John Grady's relationship.
Alejandra and John Grady meet once again in the stables when she demands to ride the stallion bareback and for John Grady to take her horse back to the stables. John Grady is hesitant at first but is unable to deny the wish of the one he loves. While sneaking Alejandra's horse back into the stables he is observed by a shadowy figure. This mysterious figure is not identified because John Grady refuses to turn around and is determined to get out of there.
Hopefully the next section of reading continues the development of John Grady and Alejandra's relationship because I was instantly bored again once the story deferred away from the two characters.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
All the Pretty Horses Discussion Response
I found one of the more interesting points that we discussed on Wednesday to be the character of Blevins, the relationships between him, John Grady, and Rawlins, and his significance as a foil in All the Pretty Horses. As we all tried to find a black and white way as to how Blevins foils John Grady and Rawlins, it became apparent that there wasn’t any. As opposed to Ralph, Piggy, and Jack in Lord of the Flies, there is no continuum of western extremes to apply to John Grady, Rawlins, and Blevins. Autumn Biddle noted that the simple conversations between John Grady and Rawlins emphasized their friendship where as the tension between Rawlins and Blevins demonstrates their mere toleration of one another. I agree with her thought and would like to complete the triangle of relationships by saying that although Blevins tends to be stubborn and cause trouble for the other two boys, John Grady demonstrates a sense of sympathy for Blevins. On page 79, Rawlins tries to convince John Grady to leave Blevins behind while they have the chance. John Grady replies, “I wouldn’t leave you and you wouldn’t leave me.” The fact that John Grady is concerned about Blevins after knowing him only for a short while confirms that although he has his heart set on being a rugged cowboy, that heart is kind.
If Blevins is the ultimate western cowboy complete with a gorgeous horse and expert shooting skills and John Grady is more of the western hero holding onto but slowly letting go of civilization then Rawlins would be expected to be the character completely against riding off into the distance. However, much like Katherine said, Rawlins is not that extreme. He may be the voice of reason, continually trying to send Blevins home so he and John Grady don’t get killed, but he never suggests that they go home themselves. Sure he may just be on this journey for the support of his friend, but he isn’t opposed to sleeping under the starts and hunting his own food.
If Blevins is the ultimate western cowboy complete with a gorgeous horse and expert shooting skills and John Grady is more of the western hero holding onto but slowly letting go of civilization then Rawlins would be expected to be the character completely against riding off into the distance. However, much like Katherine said, Rawlins is not that extreme. He may be the voice of reason, continually trying to send Blevins home so he and John Grady don’t get killed, but he never suggests that they go home themselves. Sure he may just be on this journey for the support of his friend, but he isn’t opposed to sleeping under the starts and hunting his own food.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Farewell to "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches"
I kind of have a soft spot for former President George W. Bush. This is probably because during the eight years he was in office quite frankly I was too young to give a darn about government and politics. Anyway, I used to watch Letterman just for this segment and I was very sad when it ended. However, this farewell video had my brother and me crying because we were laughing so hard. If you think this is funny check out the daily George W. Bush quotes on the right side of my blog.
Miranda Lambert Virginia Bluebell
Okay so you can make fun of me all you want, but I absolutely love country music. Miranda Lambert has recently become one of my favorites. I got her new cd "Revolution" for Christmas and I have been listening to it nonstop since. This is one of my favorites. Her voice is so pure and simple in this song and the lyrics are so thoughtful and sweet. Hope you enjoy and don't be surprised if my blog overflows with her videos along with those of my other favorites.
The Obligation to Be Happy by Linda Pastan
It is more onerous
than the rites of beauty
or housework, harder than love.
But you expect it of me casually,
the way you expect the sun
to come up, not in spite of the rain
or clouds but because of them.
And so I smile, as if my own fidelity
to sadness were a hidden vice—
that downward tug on my mouth,
my old suspicion that health
and love are brief irrelevancies,
no more than laughter in the warm dark
strangled at dawn.
Happiness. I try to hoist it
on my narrow shoulders again—
a knapsack heavy with gold coins.
I stumble around the house,
bump into things.
Only Midas himself
would understand.
The title says it all. There will be numerous times in our lives when we will face the obligation to be happy. Working at a country club, I know this feeling quite well. It doesn’t matter how rude a member is being; if they aren’t happy with something, it is your job to slap that phony smile on your face and make it all better. That is an obligation to be happy in a moment of anger and frustration. There is also an obligation to be happy in a moment of being put on the spot. For example, there was a wedding at the country club this past summer—one of many. However, this particular wedding was the ugliest wedding I had ever seen! The hideous purple and green (lime green might I add) decorations made me wonder if the bride was color blind or if the groom got a hold of the fabric swatches. Anyway, after getting the Veranda room set up for the reception dinner, the mother of the bride waltzed into the room and was absolutely gushing. She then proceeded to say, “It looks fantastic! Don’t you just love it?!” A co-worker of mine glanced over at me as they tried not to explode with laughter, for just minutes earlier I was going on and on about how horrendous the room looked, drenched in Barney Purple and Nickelodeon Slime Green. However, I had no other choice but to push my personal opinions aside and slap that phony smile back on my face and tell her what she wanted to hear: “It’s just so lovely and chic. Very nice taste.”
It comes about in circumstances such as these when “you expect [happiness] of me casually, the way you expect the sun.” Sadly, society has placed the burden of masking our true emotions in order to fulfill proper social etiquette. The comparison of happiness to “a knapsack heavy with gold coins” emphasizes that happiness can be gilded in different situations. Sure, you may have all these gold coins, but what good are they if you have nothing to buy with them and if they are creating strain on your back? The same goes for happiness. Others may envy your happiness however, how do they know that you are genuinely happy? How do they know that it is just an act that is genuinely eating at your heart and soul? The truth is that they don’t know. The obligation to be happy will live on through the human existence as a defense mechanism. For if someone pretends to be happy, they may eventually believe that they are happy—even if deep down inside they are not.
than the rites of beauty
or housework, harder than love.
But you expect it of me casually,
the way you expect the sun
to come up, not in spite of the rain
or clouds but because of them.
And so I smile, as if my own fidelity
to sadness were a hidden vice—
that downward tug on my mouth,
my old suspicion that health
and love are brief irrelevancies,
no more than laughter in the warm dark
strangled at dawn.
Happiness. I try to hoist it
on my narrow shoulders again—
a knapsack heavy with gold coins.
I stumble around the house,
bump into things.
Only Midas himself
would understand.
The title says it all. There will be numerous times in our lives when we will face the obligation to be happy. Working at a country club, I know this feeling quite well. It doesn’t matter how rude a member is being; if they aren’t happy with something, it is your job to slap that phony smile on your face and make it all better. That is an obligation to be happy in a moment of anger and frustration. There is also an obligation to be happy in a moment of being put on the spot. For example, there was a wedding at the country club this past summer—one of many. However, this particular wedding was the ugliest wedding I had ever seen! The hideous purple and green (lime green might I add) decorations made me wonder if the bride was color blind or if the groom got a hold of the fabric swatches. Anyway, after getting the Veranda room set up for the reception dinner, the mother of the bride waltzed into the room and was absolutely gushing. She then proceeded to say, “It looks fantastic! Don’t you just love it?!” A co-worker of mine glanced over at me as they tried not to explode with laughter, for just minutes earlier I was going on and on about how horrendous the room looked, drenched in Barney Purple and Nickelodeon Slime Green. However, I had no other choice but to push my personal opinions aside and slap that phony smile back on my face and tell her what she wanted to hear: “It’s just so lovely and chic. Very nice taste.”
It comes about in circumstances such as these when “you expect [happiness] of me casually, the way you expect the sun.” Sadly, society has placed the burden of masking our true emotions in order to fulfill proper social etiquette. The comparison of happiness to “a knapsack heavy with gold coins” emphasizes that happiness can be gilded in different situations. Sure, you may have all these gold coins, but what good are they if you have nothing to buy with them and if they are creating strain on your back? The same goes for happiness. Others may envy your happiness however, how do they know that you are genuinely happy? How do they know that it is just an act that is genuinely eating at your heart and soul? The truth is that they don’t know. The obligation to be happy will live on through the human existence as a defense mechanism. For if someone pretends to be happy, they may eventually believe that they are happy—even if deep down inside they are not.
All the Pretty Horses: Favorite Quotes of Part I
Some of these quotes I took note of due to their beauty or sensible message behind them. However, a majority of these quotes just made me chuckle a bit. Enjoy!
"What he loved in horses was what he loved in men, the blood and the heat of the blood that ran them. All his reverence and all his fondness and all the leanings of his life were for the ardenthearted and they would always be so and never be otherwise." pg. 6
"Son, not everybody thinks that life on a cattle ranch in west Texas is the second best thing to dyin and goin to heaven." pg. 17
"...he watched the play with great intensity. He'd notion that there would be something in the story itself to tell him about the way the world was or was becoming but there was not. There was nothing in it at all." pg. 21
"Looking over the country with those sunken eyes as if the world out there had been altered or made suspect by what he'd seen of it elsewhere. As if he might never see it right again. Or worse did see it right at last. See it as it had always been, would forever be." pg. 23
"His father smoked. He watched him.
You still seein that Barnett girl?
He shook his head.
She quit you or did you quit her?
I don't know.
That means she quit you.
Yeah." pg. 24
"You got a lot more reason for leavin than me.
What the hell reason you got for stayin? You think somebody's goin to die and leave you somethin?
Shit no.
That's good. Cause they ain't." pg. 26
"Rawlins studied him. Your name ain't Blivet is it?
It's Blevins.
You know what a blivet is?
What.
A blivet is ten pounds of shit in a five pound sack." pg. 46
"I got dogbit by a bulldog took a chunk out of my leg the size of a Sunday roast." pg. 63
"Can you ride or not? said Rawlins.
Does a bear shit in the woods? Hell yes I can ride." pg. 66
"They could hear the rain coming down the road behind them like some phantom migration." pg. 69
"You never know when you'll be in need of them you've despised, said Blevins.
Where did you hear that at?
I don't know. I just decided to say it." pg. 72
"Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I'd made before it. You understand what I'm sayin?" pg. 79
"You think God looks out for people? said Rawlins.
....I'd say He's just about got to. I don't believe we'd make it a day otherwise." pg. 92
"What he loved in horses was what he loved in men, the blood and the heat of the blood that ran them. All his reverence and all his fondness and all the leanings of his life were for the ardenthearted and they would always be so and never be otherwise." pg. 6
"Son, not everybody thinks that life on a cattle ranch in west Texas is the second best thing to dyin and goin to heaven." pg. 17
"...he watched the play with great intensity. He'd notion that there would be something in the story itself to tell him about the way the world was or was becoming but there was not. There was nothing in it at all." pg. 21
"Looking over the country with those sunken eyes as if the world out there had been altered or made suspect by what he'd seen of it elsewhere. As if he might never see it right again. Or worse did see it right at last. See it as it had always been, would forever be." pg. 23
"His father smoked. He watched him.
You still seein that Barnett girl?
He shook his head.
She quit you or did you quit her?
I don't know.
That means she quit you.
Yeah." pg. 24
"You got a lot more reason for leavin than me.
What the hell reason you got for stayin? You think somebody's goin to die and leave you somethin?
Shit no.
That's good. Cause they ain't." pg. 26
"Rawlins studied him. Your name ain't Blivet is it?
It's Blevins.
You know what a blivet is?
What.
A blivet is ten pounds of shit in a five pound sack." pg. 46
"I got dogbit by a bulldog took a chunk out of my leg the size of a Sunday roast." pg. 63
"Can you ride or not? said Rawlins.
Does a bear shit in the woods? Hell yes I can ride." pg. 66
"They could hear the rain coming down the road behind them like some phantom migration." pg. 69
"You never know when you'll be in need of them you've despised, said Blevins.
Where did you hear that at?
I don't know. I just decided to say it." pg. 72
"Ever dumb thing I ever done in my life there was a decision I made before that got me into it. It was never the dumb thing. It was always some choice I'd made before it. You understand what I'm sayin?" pg. 79
"You think God looks out for people? said Rawlins.
....I'd say He's just about got to. I don't believe we'd make it a day otherwise." pg. 92
All the Pretty Horses pg. 31-59
Well hello again. It's been a while since I've updated my thoughts on McCarthy's novel "All the Pretty Horses" (It wouldn't let me italicize or anything so I'm sorry). This is really pathetic, but I am just now posting about the section section that we read. I had this section read on time I promise, but I am horrible at keeping up with my posts. Anyway, here it is.
After reading this second section I found myself enjoying the book much more. McCarthy has finally started identifying who is talking and to whom they are talking too. This has made a big difference for me and has really helped me comprehend the story.
I also enjoyed this section because it began to introduce us into the uncivilized west and the "cowboy" personalities of both John Grady and Rawlins. The two boys sleep under the stars, catch their own food, and put up with the other's raillery. I especially enjoy Rawlins comments directed towards Blevins, the thirteen-year-old boy who has been following them on their trail. For example:
I honestly was laughing so hard when I read this and that's because it sounds like some smart ass comment my grandpa would make (he's a farmer if that helps you understand a little better haha).
Anyway, I find Blevins to be an interesting character. He's only a child and can act really immature at times, such as when he fell off the bench during dinner and was too embarrassed to sleep in the Mexican family's home. However, his mysterious manner makes him seem more mature and grown up. But then he pulls a stunt such as waking up the whole village while stealing back his horse. If he was the mature character I sometimes think him to be, you would think he would have been more careful and thought his plan out a bit more. This sudden heroic action of saving his horse does provide and example of his typical western hero side though.
Part I wraps up with John Grady and Rawlins landing their dream job of working on a ranch and settling into their new lives as cowboys, complete with a chica who just happens to be the daughter of the ranch's foreman.
After reading this second section I found myself enjoying the book much more. McCarthy has finally started identifying who is talking and to whom they are talking too. This has made a big difference for me and has really helped me comprehend the story.
I also enjoyed this section because it began to introduce us into the uncivilized west and the "cowboy" personalities of both John Grady and Rawlins. The two boys sleep under the stars, catch their own food, and put up with the other's raillery. I especially enjoy Rawlins comments directed towards Blevins, the thirteen-year-old boy who has been following them on their trail. For example:
Rawlins studied him. Your name ain't Blivet is it?
It's Blevins.
You know what a blivet is?
What.
A blivet is ten pounds of shit in a five pound sack.
I honestly was laughing so hard when I read this and that's because it sounds like some smart ass comment my grandpa would make (he's a farmer if that helps you understand a little better haha).
Anyway, I find Blevins to be an interesting character. He's only a child and can act really immature at times, such as when he fell off the bench during dinner and was too embarrassed to sleep in the Mexican family's home. However, his mysterious manner makes him seem more mature and grown up. But then he pulls a stunt such as waking up the whole village while stealing back his horse. If he was the mature character I sometimes think him to be, you would think he would have been more careful and thought his plan out a bit more. This sudden heroic action of saving his horse does provide and example of his typical western hero side though.
Part I wraps up with John Grady and Rawlins landing their dream job of working on a ranch and settling into their new lives as cowboys, complete with a chica who just happens to be the daughter of the ranch's foreman.
"It's an easy job. One street goes uptown, one goes downtown."
Hyman Bloom and Andrew Vollo | StoryCorps
I found Bloom, a retired New York taxi cab driver of 30 years, and his (what I believe to be) unintended humor, surprisingly refreshing. There were times during this short interview that I caught myself laughing out loud. The wit, or wisdom even, of this elderly man is simple and sensible yet intriguing and can put a smile on anyone's face.
Thursday, January 20, 2011
All the Pretty Horses 20 Questions
SETTING
1. How would the story differ if it took place in the wild west rather than the west in the 1950s?
CHARACTER
2. Describe the relationship between Rawlins and Blevins. What do you think their relationship symbolizes?
3. Which characteristics does Blevins demonstrate of a stereotypical cowboy?
4. What is John Grady's motivation for going to Mexico? What about Rawlins or Blevins?
5. Do you believe Blevins could jeopardize the safety of John Grady and Rawlins by traveling with them?
6. Why does Blevins freak out about the thunderstorm?
7. What does John Grady's love for horses have to do with the story thus far?
8. Do you think that the boys leaving home is a sign of maturity or immaturity? Why or why not?
9. Do you think that Rawlins truly wants to leave Blevins behind? Why or why not?
ACTION
10. How would the boys' adventure be different if John Grady could not speak Spanish?
11. Why do you think Blevins left home again?
12.Do you think that Rawlins' attitude affects the other two boys? Why or why not?
13. What risks do John Grady and Rawlins take by letting Blevins travel with them?
14. How does Blevins loose his clothes?
15. Why does the Mexican man want to buy Blevins?
16. How do you think the boys' families are reacting to their disappearance?
17. In what condition do you think John Grady and Rawlins will find Blevins in? Do you think they will be reunited with him at all?
STYLE
18. How does McCormac's narration style compare and contrast to the narration style of The Lord of the Flies?
19. Which literary techniques does McCormac use to develop his characters?
20. What themes are present in the story thus far?
1. How would the story differ if it took place in the wild west rather than the west in the 1950s?
CHARACTER
2. Describe the relationship between Rawlins and Blevins. What do you think their relationship symbolizes?
3. Which characteristics does Blevins demonstrate of a stereotypical cowboy?
4. What is John Grady's motivation for going to Mexico? What about Rawlins or Blevins?
5. Do you believe Blevins could jeopardize the safety of John Grady and Rawlins by traveling with them?
6. Why does Blevins freak out about the thunderstorm?
7. What does John Grady's love for horses have to do with the story thus far?
8. Do you think that the boys leaving home is a sign of maturity or immaturity? Why or why not?
9. Do you think that Rawlins truly wants to leave Blevins behind? Why or why not?
ACTION
10. How would the boys' adventure be different if John Grady could not speak Spanish?
11. Why do you think Blevins left home again?
12.Do you think that Rawlins' attitude affects the other two boys? Why or why not?
13. What risks do John Grady and Rawlins take by letting Blevins travel with them?
14. How does Blevins loose his clothes?
15. Why does the Mexican man want to buy Blevins?
16. How do you think the boys' families are reacting to their disappearance?
17. In what condition do you think John Grady and Rawlins will find Blevins in? Do you think they will be reunited with him at all?
STYLE
18. How does McCormac's narration style compare and contrast to the narration style of The Lord of the Flies?
19. Which literary techniques does McCormac use to develop his characters?
20. What themes are present in the story thus far?
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
The Devil in the White City pg. 58-101
Well, it was really hard for me to pay attention to Burnham and his troubles getting the Fair into production but I got through it . Barely. Pretty much it was about twenty pages about boring architecture and the obstacles they face when creating a new building/city. And the list of ongoing architects confused me. I got lost as to which architect was which and which side of the Fair debate they were on. I don't really have anything more to say about this aspect of the book.
Holmes and his story are just starting to get rolling on the other hand. It can be inferred that he killed the old lady that he bought his pharmacy from because he told her loyal customers that she went to California and fell in love with it. Supposedly. The main point of these forty some pages was Holmes and his new project. This project was to create a building with the first floor being retail shops and the second and third floors to be apartment complexes. It would also have a basement for other "material." I personally took this to be dead bodies mainly because Holmes refers to dead bodies as just another type of material in the previous section I read. Anyway, in this basement he has a "kiln" that is approximately eight feet long, three feet wide, and three feet deep in which he will use for his glass shop (one of the retail stores on the first floor). I find it funny that this 3,000 degree Fahrenheit "kiln" is the perfect size and temperature to incinerate a human being.
That's about all that happened in the past fifty pages. It was kind of a slow read but now that I'm cutting out the crap about the architect hopefully it will pick up a little bit. I just looked at the clock and it is 12:oo a.m. which is when I call it quits. My goal for this next week is to not procrastinate (or even just to remember) my blog assignments.
Holmes and his story are just starting to get rolling on the other hand. It can be inferred that he killed the old lady that he bought his pharmacy from because he told her loyal customers that she went to California and fell in love with it. Supposedly. The main point of these forty some pages was Holmes and his new project. This project was to create a building with the first floor being retail shops and the second and third floors to be apartment complexes. It would also have a basement for other "material." I personally took this to be dead bodies mainly because Holmes refers to dead bodies as just another type of material in the previous section I read. Anyway, in this basement he has a "kiln" that is approximately eight feet long, three feet wide, and three feet deep in which he will use for his glass shop (one of the retail stores on the first floor). I find it funny that this 3,000 degree Fahrenheit "kiln" is the perfect size and temperature to incinerate a human being.
That's about all that happened in the past fifty pages. It was kind of a slow read but now that I'm cutting out the crap about the architect hopefully it will pick up a little bit. I just looked at the clock and it is 12:oo a.m. which is when I call it quits. My goal for this next week is to not procrastinate (or even just to remember) my blog assignments.
Oh Jeez. What was I thinking?
At first I was really excited to read this book. I thought the side-by-side story of the architect and the serial killer would be an interesting and new experience. However, I find it really really hard to stay focused when I'm reading about the architect and his life when I could be reading about the next scam or twisted idea the serial killer is working up in his messed up yet clever mind. I'm not big into reading unfortunately. It's all I can do to get through a book for a.p. lit so if I can cut a few corners with my reading in etymology then I will. This leads me to reveal the fact that I will not be reading the whole book. Instead, and in order to help me actually get through the book, I will only be reading every other chapter about the serial killer. I don't know about you but if I had to pick which would be more interesting to read about--an architect and his desire to build a city, or a serial killer and his desire for murder without penalty--I'm definitely going to choose the story about the serial killer. And the fact that this book is fiction makes the life of the serial killer that more intriguing. I don't know why but I feel sick and twisted by saying all this but I also feel that because these events took place over a hundred years ago it practically is fiction to me. Hopefully now that I have lowered my standards (which I don't do too often) I will be able to enjoy the book rather than looking at it as a chore.
The Devil in the White City pg. 35-57
So this next section that I read was another biography however it was about Dr. H.H. Holmes, the serial killer, rather than the architect. This may sound creepy and twisted, but I find the story of serial killers to be quite fascinating, therefore I favored this biography over the other.
It is so interesting to me how investigators look back into the past of a serial killer and find obvious red flags that that person is not normal. For example, Holmes as a child was fearful of the doctor's office (which is ironic seeing as he later becomes a doctor). Two older boys discovered his fear and trapped him in the office and left him there "until [he] had been brought face to face with one of its grinning skeletons, which, with arms outstretched, seemed ready in its turn to seize [him]." As innocent as the story is, it takes a disturbing turn as Holmes insists that "when his eyes settled back upon his captors, it was they who fled." Holmes' response to the raillery of his classmates is the first glimpse of his dark nature.
Twenty years later, Holmes was in desperate need of money for he was staring starvation in the face. He recalled a scam one of his classmates back in medical school had thought of: for one of them to buy life insurance, make the other the beneficiary, and then use a cadaver to fake the one insured. Holmes expanded on this plan by using a "family" of cadavers in order to rake in a higher profit. He and his conspirators would then divide their $40,000 (or more than $1,000,000 in today's society). Holmes takes this plan to a whole other level of creepy when he stores his "portion" of the cadaver family in the Fidelity Storage Warehouse in Chicago and takes the other with him to New York City and stores it "in a safe place." EW. That's disgusting.
Sorry. It gets even weirder. Holmes backed out of the plan because he finally realized how well organized and well prepared the leading insurance companies were to detect and punish this kind of fraud. Actually, he was lying. Because he was a doctor, Holmes knew that (at the time) there was no method that existed for establishing the identities of burned, dismembered corpses. This line out of this section shook me up the most:
On that note I would like to leave you wondering how much creepier this guy can get. I'll have an update in an hour or two seeing as I still need one more post by tomorrow. It's a good thing I'm not a procrastinator or anything.....
It is so interesting to me how investigators look back into the past of a serial killer and find obvious red flags that that person is not normal. For example, Holmes as a child was fearful of the doctor's office (which is ironic seeing as he later becomes a doctor). Two older boys discovered his fear and trapped him in the office and left him there "until [he] had been brought face to face with one of its grinning skeletons, which, with arms outstretched, seemed ready in its turn to seize [him]." As innocent as the story is, it takes a disturbing turn as Holmes insists that "when his eyes settled back upon his captors, it was they who fled." Holmes' response to the raillery of his classmates is the first glimpse of his dark nature.
Twenty years later, Holmes was in desperate need of money for he was staring starvation in the face. He recalled a scam one of his classmates back in medical school had thought of: for one of them to buy life insurance, make the other the beneficiary, and then use a cadaver to fake the one insured. Holmes expanded on this plan by using a "family" of cadavers in order to rake in a higher profit. He and his conspirators would then divide their $40,000 (or more than $1,000,000 in today's society). Holmes takes this plan to a whole other level of creepy when he stores his "portion" of the cadaver family in the Fidelity Storage Warehouse in Chicago and takes the other with him to New York City and stores it "in a safe place." EW. That's disgusting.
Sorry. It gets even weirder. Holmes backed out of the plan because he finally realized how well organized and well prepared the leading insurance companies were to detect and punish this kind of fraud. Actually, he was lying. Because he was a doctor, Holmes knew that (at the time) there was no method that existed for establishing the identities of burned, dismembered corpses. This line out of this section shook me up the most:
"And he did not mind handling bodies. They were 'material' no different from firewood, although somewhat more difficult to dispose of."
On that note I would like to leave you wondering how much creepier this guy can get. I'll have an update in an hour or two seeing as I still need one more post by tomorrow. It's a good thing I'm not a procrastinator or anything.....
Monday, January 10, 2011
The Devil in the White City pg. 1-34
A serial killer on the loose during a time of architectural competition between the individual states as well as between countries. The United States was out to upstage Paris and its newest architectural wonder, the Eiffel Tower. What better timing than that of the four hundred year anniversary since the discovery of the New World? It was up to Burnham and Rook, the top team of architectures in Chicago, to create an entire city in what seemed to be an impossible window of time. The challenge of this vast project is interesting enough to stand on its own however the twist of the serial killer takes the story from interesting to intriguing. Murder mysteries are one of my favorite genres of books. One of my guilty pleasures if you will. So when I heard about how this book told the story of a serial killer at the World Fair and that it was a true story, I simply could not resist.
I was completely entangled in the first couple pages of The Devil in the White City as it started from the end. The broken time line lets you see where the main architect, Daniel Burnham, is after the tragedy of the World Fair and the effect that the tragedy has on him. As I was reading I could not believe that this was a story of non-fiction. Erik Larson's writing style is intriguing and so easily distracts you from the fact that you are reading history. I am not a fan of history at all so being able to read a true story and not feel like I am reading fact stated after fact keeps me interested and wanting to move on and discover what is waiting on the next page.
As the story shifted focus to the beginning of the time line, Larson shifted focus from Burnham and his character to more of a biography of Burnham. At first, it was written like a typical biography. Name. Date of birth. Place of birth. Family. Education. I thought to myself, "okay this is kinda boring but maybe it will get better." And it did. I'm glad I kept reading because even though Larson was describing his architectural accomplishments with his partner Rook (which would be really boring outside of the context of the book), he was also shifting back to his novelistic technique rather than blatantly describing the historical context of the story.
I haven't actually met the serial killer yet however it is a long book and I've only scratched its surface so far. I look forward to the next couple of chapters hoping the thrill of the murders and their cover ups will begin to be revealed.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
All the Pretty Horses pg. 1-30
Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses is a nice break from the poetic and overly-descriptive novels we read during the first semester. The language is simple and easy to understand. The pages are appealing to the eye as they are broken up by short conversations as well as side stories based on different characters and their relationships.
I find this book to be enjoyable so far. In the past I have been intimidated by the books we've read. Sure I say that the long descriptions just bore me, but what I am really saying is that they intimidate me. This is because the extensive vocabulary that is used in literature is hard for me to understand. Going into a new book I try to read for comprehension, but as soon as the author uses words that are not commonly heard in everyday conversation I begin to read for completion. I get intimidated by the work. I feel belittled and therefore not smart when I can't pick up the simple message that the author is trying to convey through the educated text. The straight-forward, simplistic vocabulary that has been used so far in All the Pretty Horses makes me feel better and smarter because I understand what is happening in the novel. I think that McCarthy's language and basic sentence structure makes it easier for his readers to understand the story. It's nice to read a book by an author who doesn't need frilly vocabulary to decorate his work; his lack of frilly vocabulary is what makes the story relatable and appealing to most people.
Having said that, I personally do not like the way McCarthy choses to start All the Pretty Horses. I feel as if I was just thrown into the middle of the novel and I am expected to know who each of the characters are, how they are related to one another, and why their relationships with each other are the way they are. It's confusing and difficult to follow. I caught myself having to go back and re-read pages in order to figure out if I was stilling reading about the father and the son or the mother and the son. Although I hate long descriptive paragraphs of irrelevant subjects such as the furnishings of a room or the season of the year, it would have been nice to have some basic description concerning who the characters were or even the plot of the story. All I got out of reading the first thirty pages was that there is a boy named John Grady Cole who lives in San Angelo, Texas and seems to have an estranged relationship with his father.
As you can see, I have a love-hate relationship so far with this book. I love the basic language but I hate not knowing what I am reading about. I'm lost as to how this story became and where it's going. However, I kind of enjoy that mysterious aspect of it as well. It is too soon to tell if I will like this book or not but it will be interesting how it all plays out and I can't wait for that to happen.
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