The big day has finally arrived. Alice pampers Bella all day long complete with facials and manicures. Rosalie, Bella's other future sister-in-law who has always had a strained relationship with Bella, even offers to do her hair. Bella is taken back by this little gesture but greatly appreciates it. As Bella awkwardly puts on her wedding dress, her mother gushes over how beautiful she looks and gives her two hair combs with sapphires placed on them: "something blue."
Okay so I have ten minutes until The Bachelor comes on so this is going to be short and sweet. Basically Edward and Bella have a very traditional wedding and reception even though their lifestyle together will be anything but traditional. Kind of ironic. She walks down the aisle clinging to her father's arm because she's too awkward and clumsy to walk (please, come on, get a hold of yourself) as she intently stares at Edward. They say traditional vows finishing with "I do" although they change the "'til death do us part" to a more appropriate "for as long as we both shall live" which if all goes well is forever. The ceremony is followed with a traditional reception complete with all of the greetings of congratulations, eating the wedding cake, and a first dance. I'm excited to see how the wedding is portrayed in the movie coming out this fall mainly because I want to see her dress. I'm a girl and thats all I care about of course.
Well, irrational, dramatic, stupid girls fighting over the marriage proposal from a guy they've known for six weeks is calling my name. The show is unbelievably cheesy yet I love it and can't get enough...much like the Twilight Saga.......
Monday, February 21, 2011
Breaking Dawn pg. 1-38
So I just started the fourth installment of the "Twilight Saga" last week. This is pathetic because I read the first three books one after another and the fourth one, Breaking Dawn, has been sitting on the top of one of my closet shelves for the past two or three years. I loved the first three books but could never bring myself to pick up the last one. If this doesn't tell you how much I dislike reading then I don't know what will.
Breaking Dawn begins like the first three books with Bella talking about death. Imagine that. She finally agreed to marry Edward in the previous book in return for eternal life as a vampire. Alice, her upbeat future sister-in-law, is in charge of the wedding plans of course while Bella dreads it all. Of course. Bella comes home from the gas station to find Charlie, her father, all dressed up in his tux for his final fitting. Charlie, understandably, is not too thrilled about his eighteen-year-old daughter getting married right out of high school. In fact, the only reason he approved the engagement was because he was sure that Bella's mother would greatly disapprove. Little did he know that she would gush with happiness in hearing the good news.
Anyway, if you have read this series you will understand that the characters have not changed one bit; Charlie still keeps to himself as he plunges through the awkwardness between him and his daughter, Alice is still peppy and tries to push Bella into situations she would usually defer from, Edward is still annoying and overly protective of his love, and Bella--Bella is just as annoying and awkward and stubborn and frustrating and clueless as she is in the first three books. These characters lack true depth and I can't stand most of them yet I continue to read the books and fall in love with the movies. I don't know what it is but I can't get enough.
Breaking Dawn begins like the first three books with Bella talking about death. Imagine that. She finally agreed to marry Edward in the previous book in return for eternal life as a vampire. Alice, her upbeat future sister-in-law, is in charge of the wedding plans of course while Bella dreads it all. Of course. Bella comes home from the gas station to find Charlie, her father, all dressed up in his tux for his final fitting. Charlie, understandably, is not too thrilled about his eighteen-year-old daughter getting married right out of high school. In fact, the only reason he approved the engagement was because he was sure that Bella's mother would greatly disapprove. Little did he know that she would gush with happiness in hearing the good news.
Anyway, if you have read this series you will understand that the characters have not changed one bit; Charlie still keeps to himself as he plunges through the awkwardness between him and his daughter, Alice is still peppy and tries to push Bella into situations she would usually defer from, Edward is still annoying and overly protective of his love, and Bella--Bella is just as annoying and awkward and stubborn and frustrating and clueless as she is in the first three books. These characters lack true depth and I can't stand most of them yet I continue to read the books and fall in love with the movies. I don't know what it is but I can't get enough.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Departure by Alexandra Felix
I was reading through some of the three-minute stories and stumbled upon "Departure" by Alexandra Felix. The premise of Round 6 is for the authors to write a story that can be read in three minutes or less in which one of the characters tells a joke and the other cries. The first two that I read were well written and thoughtful however they both obfuscated the story with their creative yet abrupt writing style. The third story I read, "Departure", was interesting, thoughtful, and had some heart in it, as if the author was recounting an actual event in her life. The story begins with her describing the meticulous action that is needed to sneak out of bed in the middle of the night without waking her husband and the excuses that could be used to explain her midnight walk. I don't want to spoil the ending but I will say that she is greatly torn when her little boy comes into the kitchen to tell her a simple joke. It is definitely worth taking three minutes out of your chaotic day to read, so check it out:
DEPARTURE by Alexandra Felix
Even if he did wake up, you could always tell him that you couldn't sleep, that the next-door cat is in heat again and the wailing on the rooftop was unbearable, that maybe you'd heat up a glass of milk, watch 15 minutes of the Weather Channel until you drift into sleep.
It's a hot night, and the sheets are light enough to peel away without making a fuss. Your movements are slow, as if your body were a machine just starting up, processing its functions, its endless list of obligations. You roll onto your side, extend one leg stiffly out over the edge, allow it to float parallel to the floor.
You glance back at your husband. Tufts of curly hair poke out from the blanket, only the top part of his face visible. Two eyes, closed and fluttering, the bridge of his thin nose. Your heart beats against your chest like a tiny hammer, and you wonder when he's going to pop open his eyes, snatch you by the wrist, say "how can this be so easy for you?"
Slide your other leg over, pause when your husband's foot jerks, then, with gentle force, slip down to the floor, rise, and watch how the lines of white moonlight filter through the crooked blinds, scatter onto the bed like tiny ghosts replacing you.
You leave the door ajar, just a crack, then glide down the staircase, dart into the kitchen around the corner. You lean against the wall near the window, lift the blinds to let the orange streetlight flood in. Two temples of greasy Chinese food sit on the counter. A Snickers wrapper, too. He's been cheating, you think. You shake your head, resist the urge to find another word.
The microwave clock reads 2:08. You rub windowsill dust between your fingers, peer up and down the street, until, finally, at 2:16, a car turns onto your block, flashes the brights once, then parks a few houses down.
Don't just run out the door. Stop when you catch your reflection in the hallway mirror, and take a few seconds to fix your hair, scrape the dry toothpaste from your lip. Something shuffles behind you. You spin around and see your son standing there in a pair of his favorite footie pajamas, dazed, rubbing his eye.
"Why you awake?" he asks. You tap your finger against your mouth to keep him hushed, kneel next to him.
"Why are you awake?" you repeat.
He looks down at his feet, then back up again, asks if you want to hear a joke.
Your throat burns. Yes, but only if he's very quiet and promises to sleep right after. He nods.
"Will you remember me tomorrow?" he asks.
"Yes, of course," you say. He searches for the words in his head, blinks, continues.
"Will you remember me in a week?" You stare back at him. He knows. How does he know?
"Of course I will," you say. "Don't be silly"
"Knock knock," he interrupts.
"Who's there?"
He laughs. "Momma, you forgot me already!"
A few seconds pass and he's still smiling, satisfied with the joke. You want to laugh, tell him that you can't wait to tell Daddy the joke tomorrow over breakfast. He'll love it. Really, it was that good.
But you say nothing. Instead, you pull him by the front of his pajamas, thrust your face into his small chest as if he were a tissue. When he hears you whimper, he thinks you're laughing.
He smiles, tries to see your face.
DEPARTURE by Alexandra Felix
Even if he did wake up, you could always tell him that you couldn't sleep, that the next-door cat is in heat again and the wailing on the rooftop was unbearable, that maybe you'd heat up a glass of milk, watch 15 minutes of the Weather Channel until you drift into sleep.
It's a hot night, and the sheets are light enough to peel away without making a fuss. Your movements are slow, as if your body were a machine just starting up, processing its functions, its endless list of obligations. You roll onto your side, extend one leg stiffly out over the edge, allow it to float parallel to the floor.
You glance back at your husband. Tufts of curly hair poke out from the blanket, only the top part of his face visible. Two eyes, closed and fluttering, the bridge of his thin nose. Your heart beats against your chest like a tiny hammer, and you wonder when he's going to pop open his eyes, snatch you by the wrist, say "how can this be so easy for you?"
Slide your other leg over, pause when your husband's foot jerks, then, with gentle force, slip down to the floor, rise, and watch how the lines of white moonlight filter through the crooked blinds, scatter onto the bed like tiny ghosts replacing you.
You leave the door ajar, just a crack, then glide down the staircase, dart into the kitchen around the corner. You lean against the wall near the window, lift the blinds to let the orange streetlight flood in. Two temples of greasy Chinese food sit on the counter. A Snickers wrapper, too. He's been cheating, you think. You shake your head, resist the urge to find another word.
The microwave clock reads 2:08. You rub windowsill dust between your fingers, peer up and down the street, until, finally, at 2:16, a car turns onto your block, flashes the brights once, then parks a few houses down.
Don't just run out the door. Stop when you catch your reflection in the hallway mirror, and take a few seconds to fix your hair, scrape the dry toothpaste from your lip. Something shuffles behind you. You spin around and see your son standing there in a pair of his favorite footie pajamas, dazed, rubbing his eye.
"Why you awake?" he asks. You tap your finger against your mouth to keep him hushed, kneel next to him.
"Why are you awake?" you repeat.
He looks down at his feet, then back up again, asks if you want to hear a joke.
Your throat burns. Yes, but only if he's very quiet and promises to sleep right after. He nods.
"Will you remember me tomorrow?" he asks.
"Yes, of course," you say. He searches for the words in his head, blinks, continues.
"Will you remember me in a week?" You stare back at him. He knows. How does he know?
"Of course I will," you say. "Don't be silly"
"Knock knock," he interrupts.
"Who's there?"
He laughs. "Momma, you forgot me already!"
A few seconds pass and he's still smiling, satisfied with the joke. You want to laugh, tell him that you can't wait to tell Daddy the joke tomorrow over breakfast. He'll love it. Really, it was that good.
But you say nothing. Instead, you pull him by the front of his pajamas, thrust your face into his small chest as if he were a tissue. When he hears you whimper, he thinks you're laughing.
He smiles, tries to see your face.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Just Another Monday.
here we are again. monday. the most dreaded day of the week. so redundant. so...blah. i woke up this morning and looked at the tv for two hour delays. i saw northwest allen county schools passed by and thought we had a chance. unfortunately, we didn't. tired and in desperate need of more sleep, i drug myself to the bathroom that i share with my unorganized and carefree brother to take a shower and brush my teeth and what not. running late like usual i threw on a sweatshirt and jeans and told my brother that he better pick up the pace or he can ask my stepdad for a ride to school...which is not really a question you want to ask him. he managed to get to the garage in time and we were off to school.
i drove extra slow to school this morning mainly because i was scared out of my mind. i had just slide off the road the day before and had to have my car towed out of the ditch. the whole left side was pack with snow but once we got it on the road and my boyfriend drove it down the street a lot of it fell off. i of course made him drive us back to his place cuz there was no way i wanted to drive after that. all was good until we hit about fifty miles an hour. My car started shaking a rattling like crazy which didn't make me feel any better about the situation. my parents ended up driving to his house that way my dad could drive it home. after thawing out in my garage my car ran fine. turns out the snow packed underneath was throwing off the balance of my car and not letting the suspension do what its supposed to. if you can't tell from my lack of auto vocabulary i'm not really into cars and i know close to nothing about them.
anyway, parking in the junior lot saves me a lot of time compared to when i would park in the sophomore lot. however, when your first period class is on the opposite side of the building and upstairs, it is unlikely that you will make it on time when you are walking out of the parking lot at 7:47. so needless to say i was late but honestly i didnt really care all that much. The rest of my day didn't get much better or anymore exciting. it actually got worse now that i look back on it. one of my good friends dog died over the weekend, livensparger's mom died over the weekend, my other good friend's grandpa was admitted to the hospital over the weekend. it was just one of those days i guess. now that i think about it it wasnt just another monday. i mean yeah mondays suck and are boring and draining. but this monday was just sad. hopefully the week will take a turn for the better by tomorrow.
i drove extra slow to school this morning mainly because i was scared out of my mind. i had just slide off the road the day before and had to have my car towed out of the ditch. the whole left side was pack with snow but once we got it on the road and my boyfriend drove it down the street a lot of it fell off. i of course made him drive us back to his place cuz there was no way i wanted to drive after that. all was good until we hit about fifty miles an hour. My car started shaking a rattling like crazy which didn't make me feel any better about the situation. my parents ended up driving to his house that way my dad could drive it home. after thawing out in my garage my car ran fine. turns out the snow packed underneath was throwing off the balance of my car and not letting the suspension do what its supposed to. if you can't tell from my lack of auto vocabulary i'm not really into cars and i know close to nothing about them.
anyway, parking in the junior lot saves me a lot of time compared to when i would park in the sophomore lot. however, when your first period class is on the opposite side of the building and upstairs, it is unlikely that you will make it on time when you are walking out of the parking lot at 7:47. so needless to say i was late but honestly i didnt really care all that much. The rest of my day didn't get much better or anymore exciting. it actually got worse now that i look back on it. one of my good friends dog died over the weekend, livensparger's mom died over the weekend, my other good friend's grandpa was admitted to the hospital over the weekend. it was just one of those days i guess. now that i think about it it wasnt just another monday. i mean yeah mondays suck and are boring and draining. but this monday was just sad. hopefully the week will take a turn for the better by tomorrow.
All the Pretty Horses pg. 181-217
John Grady and Rawlins are now stranded in a horrid, infested, brutal, and cruel Mexican prison with no sign of how long they will be entrapped there. They spend the first five days fighting for survival and the chance to see daylight one more time. The boys believe that they are being held here until they propose a bribe to the police force because they think the John Grady and Rawlins are rich--which they aren't. Perez, a wealthy prisoner, also asks the two boys for a bribe. When they don't come through--because they can't due to their financial position--Rawlins is knifed in the court yard, taken to the medical ward, and loses contact with John Grady. John Grady goes to Perez a few days later to find out where Rawlins was taken. Perez again asks John Grady to bribe and hints at what will take place if John Grady refuses. Nonetheless, he refuses the bribe and then uses the rest of his money to buy a knife in order to protect himself from the attack that will come at some point or another.
The attack occurs while he is eating in the mess hall. For some dumb reason John Grady thought it would be a good idea to sit with the loner that had black holes for eyes. Good choice John. This creepy guy, who is the assassin, tries to stab John Grady. They fight for a bit and John Grady is greatly injured however he is able to stab the assassin in the heart and break off the blade. As John Grady leaves the mess hall he collapses in the court yard and is taken to the medical ward by none other than Perez's bodyguard. How ironic.
John Grady spends days in the medical ward where he is considered a fasthealer by the doctor. He is released from the hospital with his clothes, an envelop of money, and Rawlins. They later discover that Duena Alfonsa, Alejandra's great-aunt, was the person to bail them out of jail. Pondering their past actions over a meal and coffee, Rawlins--who cries over the death of Blevins--decides that he is going to return home to Texas. John Grady, on the other hand, decides to stay in Mexico in order to reclaim their horses and win over the heart of Alejandra.
I actually enjoyed this section, especially towards the end of it. The action that accumulated in the prison and the brutal outcome of the dangerous events provided an actual entertaining plot. I also liked how Rawlins and John Grady decided to part ways. Yeah they are best friends and partners and crime, but I feel that with Rawlins gone we can focus solely on John Grady and the results of his journey to Mexico. Hopefully John Grady's character is more clearly developed with the absence of Blevins and Rawlins.
The attack occurs while he is eating in the mess hall. For some dumb reason John Grady thought it would be a good idea to sit with the loner that had black holes for eyes. Good choice John. This creepy guy, who is the assassin, tries to stab John Grady. They fight for a bit and John Grady is greatly injured however he is able to stab the assassin in the heart and break off the blade. As John Grady leaves the mess hall he collapses in the court yard and is taken to the medical ward by none other than Perez's bodyguard. How ironic.
John Grady spends days in the medical ward where he is considered a fasthealer by the doctor. He is released from the hospital with his clothes, an envelop of money, and Rawlins. They later discover that Duena Alfonsa, Alejandra's great-aunt, was the person to bail them out of jail. Pondering their past actions over a meal and coffee, Rawlins--who cries over the death of Blevins--decides that he is going to return home to Texas. John Grady, on the other hand, decides to stay in Mexico in order to reclaim their horses and win over the heart of Alejandra.
I actually enjoyed this section, especially towards the end of it. The action that accumulated in the prison and the brutal outcome of the dangerous events provided an actual entertaining plot. I also liked how Rawlins and John Grady decided to part ways. Yeah they are best friends and partners and crime, but I feel that with Rawlins gone we can focus solely on John Grady and the results of his journey to Mexico. Hopefully John Grady's character is more clearly developed with the absence of Blevins and Rawlins.
All the Pretty Horses pg. 133-181
well it has been about a week since I've read this section so my recap might be a tad bit rough but here we go. When returning the black stallion to the stables, John Grady is spotted by Duena Alfonsa, Alejandra's aunt. She asks to meet with him in the house the next day. After a challenging game of chess, the aunt forbids John Grady from being seen with Alejandra. She claims that her niece has a reputation to uphold and that in Mexico that is all a girl has. However, a couple nights later Alejandra meets John Grady at night and they begin to secretly ride the horses throughout the ranch under the stars and even skinny dip a bit.
Scandal begins when John Grady plays pool with Don Hector who informs him that Alejandra is being sent for schooling in France. He and Alejandra had made love numerous times in the week before and John Grady is crushed to hear the news....and even more hurt when he discovers a week later that Alejandra was not in France but being kept in the ranch house. John Grady and Rawlins believe that Don Hector had found out about the affair and was trekking in the woods to hunt John Grady down and kill him. Fortunately this did not happen however a couple days later John Grady and Rawlins were picked up by the five Mexican soldiers who had previously visited the ranch looking for the two American boys.
The boys are taken north to the city of Encantada where they find Blevins stuck in the same prison as them. Instead of escaping once he regained his horse, Blevins went back to the city to reclaim his gun which ended with him killing a man and landing himself a spot in jail. The local police captain later questions Rawlins, accuses him of murder and impersonation, and then tortures him until he confesses to crimes he did not commit. The captain also questions John Grady but does not torture him. A couple days later, while being transferred to the prison in Saltillo, Blevins is shot and killed by the police force.
I found this section much more interesting than the last. This may be because it gave me answers to questions such as what happened to Blevins, and if the two boys would ever find Blevins again, and what Blevins present condition was. Plus, to be honest, I couldn't stand Blevins. I thought he was annoying and immature and was nothing but trouble for John Grady and Rawlins. With that said, I'm glad that he was killed. I've already read the next section, but if I hadn't I would now be saying how hopefully things will start looking up for John Grady and Rawlins with Blevins out of the picture--but who am I kidding? They are on their way to prison....in Mexico. There's no way things are getting better for them at this point.
Scandal begins when John Grady plays pool with Don Hector who informs him that Alejandra is being sent for schooling in France. He and Alejandra had made love numerous times in the week before and John Grady is crushed to hear the news....and even more hurt when he discovers a week later that Alejandra was not in France but being kept in the ranch house. John Grady and Rawlins believe that Don Hector had found out about the affair and was trekking in the woods to hunt John Grady down and kill him. Fortunately this did not happen however a couple days later John Grady and Rawlins were picked up by the five Mexican soldiers who had previously visited the ranch looking for the two American boys.
The boys are taken north to the city of Encantada where they find Blevins stuck in the same prison as them. Instead of escaping once he regained his horse, Blevins went back to the city to reclaim his gun which ended with him killing a man and landing himself a spot in jail. The local police captain later questions Rawlins, accuses him of murder and impersonation, and then tortures him until he confesses to crimes he did not commit. The captain also questions John Grady but does not torture him. A couple days later, while being transferred to the prison in Saltillo, Blevins is shot and killed by the police force.
I found this section much more interesting than the last. This may be because it gave me answers to questions such as what happened to Blevins, and if the two boys would ever find Blevins again, and what Blevins present condition was. Plus, to be honest, I couldn't stand Blevins. I thought he was annoying and immature and was nothing but trouble for John Grady and Rawlins. With that said, I'm glad that he was killed. I've already read the next section, but if I hadn't I would now be saying how hopefully things will start looking up for John Grady and Rawlins with Blevins out of the picture--but who am I kidding? They are on their way to prison....in Mexico. There's no way things are getting better for them at this point.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
The Devil in the White City pg. 339-388
Detective Frank Geyer was one of Philadelphia's top detectives and had been a member of the force for twenty years, during which time he had inspected about two hundred murders. His current assignment (not June 1895) dealt with the suspect already in custody, arrested seven months earlier on account of insurance fraud. This suspect was of course Holmes who had once lived in Chicago where he and an associate, Benjamin Pitezel, had run a hotel during the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. They had moved from Chicago to Fort Worth to St. Louis to Philadelphia committing frauds along the way. While in Philadelphia, Holmes had swindled the Fidelity Mutual Life Association of Nearly $10,000 by apparently faking the death of its policyholder Ben Pitezel. Holmes confessed to the fraud and by June of 1895 is became apparent that Holmes did not fake the death of Pitezel but he actually killed him. Now three of Pitezel's children were missing and were last seen in Holmes's company.
Geyer then tells the story of how he went from city to city looking for the three missing children being lead by letters from the two girls sent to their mother. After much investigation, Geyer had realized that Holmes was shuffling around three different parties of travelers--the three children, Carrie Pitezel and her other two children, and Holmes wife Georgiana Yoke--without their knowledge of one another.
The story shifts back to Holmes's stay in Moyamensing Prison and details his daily routine of washing up, working out, and reading. It also portrays a letter Holmes wrote to Carrie Pitezel discussing how there was no reason he could kill young, innocent children with or without a motive and how the children were safe with Mrs.W.
However, Geyer finally found the two girls buried in the cellar of a house in Toronto. The coroner, unable to find any marks of violence, theorized that Holmes had placed the two girls in the big trunk then filled it with gas from a lamp valve. Upon burying the girls nude, Holmes had amputated Nellie's feet because she was clubfooted thus he had disposed of her feet in order to remove this distinctive clue to her identity. Great satisfaction came to Geyer with the discovery of the two girls yet he was tempered by the fact that Howard was still missing.
Holmes heard of the children's discovery in the paper and wasted no time before getting a publicist to market his memoir.
While Geyer restarted his search for the missing boy, Howard, he and his men also began to unravel the secrets of Holmes's "castle". After investigation, the team found numerous bones, piles of clothes, charred shoes, gobs of hair clogging pipelines, rooms with no windows and air-tight doors, and at least three air-tight vaults connected to gas lines with control in Holmes's personal apartment. On August 19, 1895, Holmes's Castle was burnt to the ground.
Howard's remains were found burnt in the chimney in a house outside of Indianapolis. Carrie Pitezel identified his coat and scarf and one of his sister's crochet needles and his most prized possession--a tin-man mounted on top of a top that his father had gotten him from the World Fair.
Dr. Herman W. Mudgett, alias Holmes, kept a look of indifference drenched upon his face during the trial. The jury found him guilty;the judge sentenced him to death by hanging. Holmes's attorneys appealed the conviction and lost. As Holmes await execution, he prepared a long confession in which he admitted to killing twenty-seven people. Exactly how many people he killed will never be known. At the very least he killed nine: Julia and Pearl Conner, Emeline Cigrand, Minnie and Anna Williams, Benjamin Pitezel and his children Alice, Nellie, and Howard.
Geyer then tells the story of how he went from city to city looking for the three missing children being lead by letters from the two girls sent to their mother. After much investigation, Geyer had realized that Holmes was shuffling around three different parties of travelers--the three children, Carrie Pitezel and her other two children, and Holmes wife Georgiana Yoke--without their knowledge of one another.
The story shifts back to Holmes's stay in Moyamensing Prison and details his daily routine of washing up, working out, and reading. It also portrays a letter Holmes wrote to Carrie Pitezel discussing how there was no reason he could kill young, innocent children with or without a motive and how the children were safe with Mrs.W.
However, Geyer finally found the two girls buried in the cellar of a house in Toronto. The coroner, unable to find any marks of violence, theorized that Holmes had placed the two girls in the big trunk then filled it with gas from a lamp valve. Upon burying the girls nude, Holmes had amputated Nellie's feet because she was clubfooted thus he had disposed of her feet in order to remove this distinctive clue to her identity. Great satisfaction came to Geyer with the discovery of the two girls yet he was tempered by the fact that Howard was still missing.
Holmes heard of the children's discovery in the paper and wasted no time before getting a publicist to market his memoir.
While Geyer restarted his search for the missing boy, Howard, he and his men also began to unravel the secrets of Holmes's "castle". After investigation, the team found numerous bones, piles of clothes, charred shoes, gobs of hair clogging pipelines, rooms with no windows and air-tight doors, and at least three air-tight vaults connected to gas lines with control in Holmes's personal apartment. On August 19, 1895, Holmes's Castle was burnt to the ground.
Howard's remains were found burnt in the chimney in a house outside of Indianapolis. Carrie Pitezel identified his coat and scarf and one of his sister's crochet needles and his most prized possession--a tin-man mounted on top of a top that his father had gotten him from the World Fair.
Dr. Herman W. Mudgett, alias Holmes, kept a look of indifference drenched upon his face during the trial. The jury found him guilty;the judge sentenced him to death by hanging. Holmes's attorneys appealed the conviction and lost. As Holmes await execution, he prepared a long confession in which he admitted to killing twenty-seven people. Exactly how many people he killed will never be known. At the very least he killed nine: Julia and Pearl Conner, Emeline Cigrand, Minnie and Anna Williams, Benjamin Pitezel and his children Alice, Nellie, and Howard.
The Devil in the White City pg. 288-320
Although Holmes has kept Minnie and her sister Anna alive for quite some time now, their lives are beginning to look towards the end. Holmes has convinced Anna that she is very talented and should study art in Europe. So Anna writes to her family in Texas explaining that her, Minnie, and Holmes will be going to Milwaukee, then Maine, the New York then sail to Germany, England, and France. Holmes says that her parents won't need to worry about the girls because he will take care of them financially.
Before leaving for Milwaukee the next day, Minnie prepares the flat for the next tenants as Holmes takes Anna to see his World's Fair Hotel. He asks Anna if she would mind going into the walk-in vault to retrieve a document he had left inside. Of course she cheerfully complies. Little does she know Holmes is going to shut her in the vault and release a deadly gas. Anna is embarrassed as she believes that she accidentally shut the door. She begins pounding on the door with her heel waiting for Holmes to let her out. After a couple of minutes with no answer from Holmes she believes that he has gone elsewhere in the building or left to check on the shops below.
Just outside the vault Holmes was pondering his three options: He could, in the last few seconds, "rush to the door, throw it open, hold her in his arms, and weep with her at the tragedy just barely averted; he could "open the door and look in on Anna and give her a big smile--just to let her know that this was no accident--then close the door again, slam it, and return to his chair to see what might happen next"; or, he could "flood the vault, right now, with gas." Holmes, a fiend of instant gratification, of course, chose to flood the vault with gas.
Two days later, Holmes called upon Cephas Humphrey to pick up a box (about the dimensions of a coffin) and a trunk (Anna's belongings). Later evidence suggests that he drove the trunk to the home of Charles Chappell, the man who had converted Holmes's past two ladies into skeletons. As for the rectangular, wooden box, Holmes gave Pitezel's wife, Carrie, a collection of dresses, shoes, and hats that had belonged to "his cousin Minnie Williams." Holmes suggested that Carrie cut up the dresses and use the material to make clothing for her three daughters.
Holmes soon moved on and proposed to Georgiana Yoke, a young blond from Franklin, Indiana. He did warn her that for the marriage he would have to use his dead uncle's name Henry Mansfield Howard.
Before leaving for Milwaukee the next day, Minnie prepares the flat for the next tenants as Holmes takes Anna to see his World's Fair Hotel. He asks Anna if she would mind going into the walk-in vault to retrieve a document he had left inside. Of course she cheerfully complies. Little does she know Holmes is going to shut her in the vault and release a deadly gas. Anna is embarrassed as she believes that she accidentally shut the door. She begins pounding on the door with her heel waiting for Holmes to let her out. After a couple of minutes with no answer from Holmes she believes that he has gone elsewhere in the building or left to check on the shops below.
Just outside the vault Holmes was pondering his three options: He could, in the last few seconds, "rush to the door, throw it open, hold her in his arms, and weep with her at the tragedy just barely averted; he could "open the door and look in on Anna and give her a big smile--just to let her know that this was no accident--then close the door again, slam it, and return to his chair to see what might happen next"; or, he could "flood the vault, right now, with gas." Holmes, a fiend of instant gratification, of course, chose to flood the vault with gas.
Two days later, Holmes called upon Cephas Humphrey to pick up a box (about the dimensions of a coffin) and a trunk (Anna's belongings). Later evidence suggests that he drove the trunk to the home of Charles Chappell, the man who had converted Holmes's past two ladies into skeletons. As for the rectangular, wooden box, Holmes gave Pitezel's wife, Carrie, a collection of dresses, shoes, and hats that had belonged to "his cousin Minnie Williams." Holmes suggested that Carrie cut up the dresses and use the material to make clothing for her three daughters.
Holmes soon moved on and proposed to Georgiana Yoke, a young blond from Franklin, Indiana. He did warn her that for the marriage he would have to use his dead uncle's name Henry Mansfield Howard.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
The Prince and the Servant Girl
For my observe and infer assignment I decided to watch the scene The Prince and the Servant Girl from the Cinderella-esque film Ever After starring Drew Barrymore, and characterize her part as Danielle.
OBSERVATIONS:
Wearing tattered clothes, has dirty face, and long dry hair
Sleeping on the dusty wooden floor next to the dim fire
Reading Utopia
Works on foggy farm collecting apples
Throws apples at a man stealing her father’s horse
Instantly bows and asks for forgiveness once she realizes it is the prince
Offers the prince a different horse
Offers the gold coins to another servant to save her husband from the Americas
States she “won’t let this home fall apart”
Lies about where she was during the morning to her stepmother
INFERENCES:
She is unfortunate and too poor to have higher living standards such as a room and a bath
The fact that she is reading shows that she is literate and intelligent
She must work hard to maintain the estate and upkeep her stepfamily’s living standards
She is aggressive and won’t let anyone take advantage of their estate
She has morals against theft and is determined to protect the estate
She is confident
She is obedient in the presence of royalty and follows the laws of the country
She is pragmatic and thoughtful
She is also kind, generous, and selfless as she is willing to give up the gold coins for another’s happiness
She is strong-minded and the core of the household
She tries to avoid unnecessary conflict
OBSERVATIONS:
Wearing tattered clothes, has dirty face, and long dry hair
Sleeping on the dusty wooden floor next to the dim fire
Reading Utopia
Works on foggy farm collecting apples
Throws apples at a man stealing her father’s horse
Instantly bows and asks for forgiveness once she realizes it is the prince
Offers the prince a different horse
Offers the gold coins to another servant to save her husband from the Americas
States she “won’t let this home fall apart”
Lies about where she was during the morning to her stepmother
INFERENCES:
She is unfortunate and too poor to have higher living standards such as a room and a bath
The fact that she is reading shows that she is literate and intelligent
She must work hard to maintain the estate and upkeep her stepfamily’s living standards
She is aggressive and won’t let anyone take advantage of their estate
She has morals against theft and is determined to protect the estate
She is confident
She is obedient in the presence of royalty and follows the laws of the country
She is pragmatic and thoughtful
She is also kind, generous, and selfless as she is willing to give up the gold coins for another’s happiness
She is strong-minded and the core of the household
She tries to avoid unnecessary conflict
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