the last section left off with Alice and Jasper surprisingly running away from the Cullen clan. the family questions their whereabouts for Alice has never stayed away from home for this long. Carlisle and Edward decide that it would be best to sniff out the scent of the missing vampires and are joined by the rest of the group. they come to a dead end on the border the the vampire-werewolf territory. Sam reveals that Alice and Jasper asked permission to cross the land to the ocean and that all they left was a note. the note basically told the family not to look for Alice and Jasper, that it was too dangerous.
Bella notices that the note was written on a page from one of her books. So she goes back to their cottage and found the book that Alice ripped the page from. Next to the feathered edge left by the torn page was another note that said "destroy this" with a name and address below. Bella tries to hunt down J. Jenks on the internet without Edward's knowledge. all she can discover is that he is a lawyer in Seattle but his address doesn't match up to the one that Alice had given her.
the Denali clan arrives at the house because Carlisle told them that their family was in trouble. Edward explains that Renesmee is not what Irina thought her to be. That she is in fact half human and half vampire. the young child wins over the hearts of the Denali's with her sweet smile and exquisite storytelling gift. the Denali's agree to be a witness at the Volturi encounter.
the rest of the section describes the supernatural powers of the new vampires and of the Volturi and their reason for coming to Forks. the Denali clan consists of Eleazer, Carmen, Tanya, Kate, and Irina. Eleazer used to be on the Volturi council but voluntarily left. He can sense another vampires special powers and even certain traits in humans. This is how he comes to characterize Bella as a "shield". she is a protector of herself and with some help could possibly protect those around her--including Renesmee. Edward can read minds. Renesmee can show you her thoughts with the touch of her hand. Alice can see the future. Jasper can control the mood setting. Kate can produce a current over her skin so that if someone touches her she can shock them. Now for the Volturi. Jane can cause excruciating pain by focusing on a person. Aro can read a persons mind with the touch of his hand. Demetri can take away as many peoples senses away as he wants--sight, sound, touch, taste, smell--which is very effective during a fight.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Anthology Project
MY THEME: first love
1. "first love" john clare
2. "i wish i could remember that first day" christina rossetti
3. "the best slow dancer" david wagoner
4. "once we played" mathilde blind
5. "coy mistress" annie finch
6. "first time he kissed me" elizabeth barrett browning
1. "first love" john clare
2. "i wish i could remember that first day" christina rossetti
3. "the best slow dancer" david wagoner
4. "once we played" mathilde blind
5. "coy mistress" annie finch
6. "first time he kissed me" elizabeth barrett browning
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Breaking Dawn pg. 512-553
The beginning of this chapter is fun and light with an arm-wrestling competition between Bella and the strongest vampire of the clan, Emmett. However, because Bella is a newborn vampire, she is supposedly stronger than any other vampire, due to the human blood that remains in her tissues. High stakes are attached to this arm-wrestling match: if Bella wins then Emmett cannot say one more word about Bella's sex life--including allusions and innuendos, and if Emmett wins then he claims it will get a lot worse. You would think that an arm-wrestle would be completely harmless, however, the vampires are so strong that they have to take it, literally, outside to a boulder in order to avoid destroying Esme's favorite antique table. Once the competition begins, Bella lets Emmett sweat a little bit because she enjoys the force of his harm not advancing over hers. She quickly becomes bored and bashes Emmett's arm against the boulder. After Bella realizes her strength, she passes the time crushing the boulder into smithereens. Suddenly, the sun comes out from behind the clouds and Renesmee lavishes at the diamond facets that her mother's skin (and every other vampire's) has become. The young girl places her arm next to her mother's and also discovers the faint shimmer of her milky skin.
The happy day soon takes a turn. While Jake, Renesmee, and Bella are hunting near the open field, Bella notices a shimmering gold and silver figure up on the mountain ridge. She quickly pegged her to be Irina based on her sharp ice blonde hair and stern facial expression. Irina looks down in the woods and notices Jake and Renesmee and soon takes off. Bella's motherly instincts kick in and she runs to her best friend and daughter as she calls Edward to let him know whats going on. Turns out that Irina's partner was Laurent--who was killed by the wolves in the third book. Vampires don't handle vengeance lightly, so Bella just assumed that Irina was back to fight for her destroyed love. However, she and her sisters are friends with the Cullens thus it was unlikely that she would fight them. Irina's actual problem is with Renesmee, the somewhat immortal child. Irina lost her mother because of an immortal child many centuries ago and still feels the need to eliminate any immortal children today. So Alice sees her decision to go to the Volturi and tell them that there is an immortal child still alive and that she must be destroyed. The Volturi agree and plan on meeting the Cullens in about a month to destroy the pretty little girl (who is really only half-immortal) as well as to check on Bella's status. So basically, there's a really big mess about to unfold due to a complete misunderstanding and i predict that lives will be lost.
The happy day soon takes a turn. While Jake, Renesmee, and Bella are hunting near the open field, Bella notices a shimmering gold and silver figure up on the mountain ridge. She quickly pegged her to be Irina based on her sharp ice blonde hair and stern facial expression. Irina looks down in the woods and notices Jake and Renesmee and soon takes off. Bella's motherly instincts kick in and she runs to her best friend and daughter as she calls Edward to let him know whats going on. Turns out that Irina's partner was Laurent--who was killed by the wolves in the third book. Vampires don't handle vengeance lightly, so Bella just assumed that Irina was back to fight for her destroyed love. However, she and her sisters are friends with the Cullens thus it was unlikely that she would fight them. Irina's actual problem is with Renesmee, the somewhat immortal child. Irina lost her mother because of an immortal child many centuries ago and still feels the need to eliminate any immortal children today. So Alice sees her decision to go to the Volturi and tell them that there is an immortal child still alive and that she must be destroyed. The Volturi agree and plan on meeting the Cullens in about a month to destroy the pretty little girl (who is really only half-immortal) as well as to check on Bella's status. So basically, there's a really big mess about to unfold due to a complete misunderstanding and i predict that lives will be lost.
Quality Time, Redefined
This article from Sunday's New York Times unfolds the lives of modern American families and their love affairs with their electronics. The Vavra family gathered in the living room after dinner to spend some time with each other and at one point, each and every one of them had their nose buried in some kind of screen. She was on her iPad, her husband was streaming a live game on his laptap, their 10 YEAR OLD daughter was playing with some love calculator on the iPhone, and their son was intently involved in a Wii game on the t.v. At least he was getting some form of exercise and stimulation.
I find it sad that some families can't find time to actually spend together without their electronics; that they set time aside to play scrabble on the computer on opposite sides of the room without talking; or how some couples will spend five hours on opposite ends of the couch messing with their laptops and blackberries.
By no means am I saying that my family is perfect and nothing like those described in the article. I admit that I do have my phone on me at all times, and that my younger brother has his ear buds in as he checks facebook on his iPod. My mom spends some time on her laptop for school and the kids enjoy their after-school cartoons. We spend a lot of our time in the living room watching our favorite t.v. shows with each other--especially during NBC's Comedy Night on Thursdays. Sure, we're all watching t.v., but at least we are watching the same thing on the same screen and laughing out loud together. Or sometimes, on a weekend night when we have nothing to do (which is rare), all six of us will huddle on the couch and love seat to watch a movie from redbox, complete with popcorn and lights off. My five year old brother calls this "homemade movie theater."
I also think it's important to spend time away from electronics. We'll play board games sometimes or run around outside, and go to each others sporting events. Today, it's hard to find time to spend together, especially away from electronics. However, it should be a priority to spend family time with each other, not just in the same room.
I find it sad that some families can't find time to actually spend together without their electronics; that they set time aside to play scrabble on the computer on opposite sides of the room without talking; or how some couples will spend five hours on opposite ends of the couch messing with their laptops and blackberries.
By no means am I saying that my family is perfect and nothing like those described in the article. I admit that I do have my phone on me at all times, and that my younger brother has his ear buds in as he checks facebook on his iPod. My mom spends some time on her laptop for school and the kids enjoy their after-school cartoons. We spend a lot of our time in the living room watching our favorite t.v. shows with each other--especially during NBC's Comedy Night on Thursdays. Sure, we're all watching t.v., but at least we are watching the same thing on the same screen and laughing out loud together. Or sometimes, on a weekend night when we have nothing to do (which is rare), all six of us will huddle on the couch and love seat to watch a movie from redbox, complete with popcorn and lights off. My five year old brother calls this "homemade movie theater."
I also think it's important to spend time away from electronics. We'll play board games sometimes or run around outside, and go to each others sporting events. Today, it's hard to find time to spend together, especially away from electronics. However, it should be a priority to spend family time with each other, not just in the same room.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Breaking Dawn pg. 451-511
Not much has happened in the past sixty pages. The Cullen family fixes up a little cottage in the forest for Edward and Bella and Renesmee to live in as a wedding gift. of course it is adorned with a closet the same size as the house thanks to Alice filled with silk and satin gowns--completely impractical for a newborn vampire. really, the highlight of this section has to deal with Jake. he told Charlie (Bella's dad) about pretty much everything, but not really at the same time. He revealed his animal ways to him by phasing, explaining that he is a werewolf. Charlie cringes at the word before Jake can even get it out. Jake continues to explain that Bella was indeed sick and that in order to get better she had to change a little bit too. Bella freaks out when she discovers that Jake told Charlie all of this as she worries for her fathers life. Either she wouldn't be able to control herself around her human father or the Volturi would kill him if based on his insight knowledge. a sigh of relief is expressed when Jake tells the clan that Charlie has asked to know as little as possible about the situation. He just wants to see her daughter. Oh, and Renesmee is supposedly Edwards niece that he and Bella have adopted. However, as soon as Charlie sees the young girl, he can not get over those big brown eyes. Her mother's big brown eyes. His big brown eyes. Only time will tell if Charlie can line up the facts and figure out what is really going on but who knows.
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