Keystone 11th Grade English

Response to Book Report #2 - Question #2

2010-01-09T20:39:00.003-05:00

Kurt Vonnegut's strongest technique is his satire. Cat's Cradle is a satirical cornucopia, which seems to demonstrate throughout that everything people do is futile, whether it be for better or for worse. You can see this idea is foreshadowed by the way "Jonah" suggests that his name is trivial and unimportant. "Call me Jonah. My parents did, or nearly did. They called me John." (page 1)

Jonah is a follower of Bokonon, who writes many parables, and psalms in his books. The first parable in Cat's Cradle describes a woman who claims to understand God and His ways of working perfectly. She fires him for making light of this claim. "She believed that God liked people in sailboats much better than those in motorboats. she couldn't bear to look at a worm. When she saw a worm she screamed. she was a fool, and so am I, and so is anyone who thinks he sees what God is doing."(page 5) As Jonah pursues the creation of his book, he meets many people and every one of them is portreyed to have a major character flaw. Whether it be apathy, failure, or ignorance, Jonah eventually learns why they are terribly mistaken in their endeavors or beliefs.

My favorite quote from the story describes how the protagonist feels about all the research that people work so hard to accumulate in the world. "Beware the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before. He is full of Murderous resentment for people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way." (page 281) The whole story is a collection of stories about people who work hard for nothing, and unethical people who are handed fortunes and power. In the end, everyone in the world dies and nobody is rewarded for their integrity or saved by their money and power. This brilliantly cynical story is saturated with a dark humor that I really got a kick out of.

Response to: Book Report #2 - Question #1

2010-01-09T19:27:00.002-05:00

The most important event in Cat's Cradle is when the Marine General tells Dr. Felix Hoenicker to make something convenient and portable that will get the marines out of the mud. The brilliant Felix faced with this query, invents a secret substance known only as ice nine.
Ice nine becomes the "wampeter"of Jonah's story. (A wampeter is an object, person, idea, or activity about which a group of fate connected people revolve.) The reason why this Wampeter is so important to the story is because it kills the planet at the climax of the story. Nobody knew that Felix ever invented it, because his boss believed it was just an idea. However, his three children found it the night he died. The threesome split up the ice nine into 3 specimens and disposed of the rest of it. The oldest son Frank gives his sample to a crazy dictator who eats the shard on his death bed. Due to an unfortunate chain of events, his frozen body came in contact with the ocean, raising the melting point of all the water on earth to 114.4 Fahrenheit and ending almost all human life immediately and the rest of it shortly thereafter. Jonah's book, titled: The Day the World Ended, is intended to be a documentary on the day they bombed Hiroshima, and the events leading up to it. Ironically, thanks to the Marine General who pestered Dr. Hoenicker at lunch one day, Jonah's book becomes an actual documentary of the day the world ends, and the events preceding.

*Kurt Vonnegut is a magnificent author and I thoroughly enjoyed his sense of humor throughout this story.

A Separate Peace

2009-08-28T23:40:00.006-04:00

First off, I am not sure if this is late, or how late it is. After reading A Separate Peace I noticed some similarities with it and another book in the same time period. The Diary of Anne Frank is really similar in the format of this story. A Separate Peace has kind of the same format because there is a flashback to when the characters were young. Sadly, Anne Frank was found out in the other story and was captured by the Nazi's that the Americans were fighting. I also felt that in the beginning of the book that Devon was based in England. I don't know why I thought that now. Overall, I thought that the book A Separate Peace was a pretty good and that it was much easier to follow than Huck Finn. I think that this is partially based on when each of the books was written and where the authors were from. What do the rest of you guys think about this book?

Win Or Lose

2009-08-21T23:23:00.006-04:00

"No one was going to win or lose after all." (page 154)

There is no win or lose in life. You can especially see that in this novel. All that the guys could do was to work with what they were given, each in their own way.

Finny welcomed life with open arms and relished every opportunity to live, even after he was injured and was put on the side lines. Gene lived through Finny in his shadow. Even after Finny's death, Gene couldn't stand on his own two feet. Then there's Leper who lived a timid and lonely lifestyle. He then suddenly tried to change and face life head-on by being the first to enlist, but he ended up cracking under the pressure. Quackenbush had his future planned out step-by-step, and he stuck to that plan.

These young men each had their unique approaches to living life. In the real world, there is now grade: pass or fail. There are only the choices in your life that determine how you life out your life.

If...

2009-08-21T22:34:00.002-04:00

Like everyone else I really enjoyed this book. I didn't think I would like it , but I was pleasantly surprised. I think the characters were very easy to connect with. I found this book so much easier to read then Huck Finn.
I don't know about everyone else but I always ask, "what if..." when I read. In this book I couldn't help but notice we heard everything from Gene's point of view. What if the book was told by Finny? That question makes me think of more... like did Finny know from the beginning that Gene was the reason he fell? What if the story of Gene and Finny was told through some like Leper? I might be the only one who does this but wouldn't the story be completely different if it was told by another person? I personally felt that I connected most with Gene, but what if that is only because I got to read his thoughts and not another characters...
All these questions really make you think, eh?
Well what I guess what I'm really trying to ask is, if this book was told through another character (it doesn't have to be anyone important) who would it be and how do you think it would change the story line or theme of the book?

Live Out Loud

2009-08-21T17:44:00.003-04:00

One of my greatest reactions to the book was to how Phineas lived his life. I really loved his sense of adventure and not wanting to waste any opportunities in life.

There is so much about him to admire. He put others before himself, greatly excelled but was humble, was very sincere, looked for the best in everyone, wanted to right any wrong he felt he had done someone, and wasn't afraid to bend, or flat out break, the rules to live for the moment and do whatever seemed most fulfilling.

I believe that Finny lived his life in a way that we, or at least I, would call "living out loud" or "living to the fullest."

He lived so freely, as well as having a joy for simply being alive.

I guess the way he lived struck me so much because it made me wonder what my life would look like if I lived more like him. Which in turn lead me to wonder what it'd look like if we all lived more like Finny. Would we be more honest with each other? Treat each other better? Appreciate life more? Take more risks?

If nothing else, I think we'd at least have more stories to tell!

So, I mean, what do you think? What did you find most appealing about Finny's character, or what do you think it would be like if we lived a little bit more like he did and really live out loud?

Nothing Endures.

2009-08-21T15:51:00.002-04:00

Reading this book was ok. I liked in a different sort of way…. However, if any of you are like me, and you always look around a book’s cover for a synopsis of some sort of the book, you were bound to look at the back cover and find the quote:

Nothing endures,
Not a tree,
Not love,
Not even a death by violence.

This quote made me think what in the story was being an allusion to these things. I pondered the fact that nothing can endure, and why those three things were chosen to exemplify. This is what I came up with:

A tree can’t endure. All living things die. However, I think it’s also referring to the tree in which held the pact of the Super Suicide Society of the Summer Session. The tree which so many teen boys jumped off of; the tree which Finny was jostled out of by Gene; the tree which ultimately brought out the truth and started the end. Now that it was all in the past of Gene Forrester, he should consider it gone, unimportant. It did not endure time passed in his mind. Right?

Love cannot endure. How could it? People die, and your love for them will fade. Your emotions leave. Finny is gone, any friendship will not prosper; love cannot flourish after you proved that you can destroy it. Your love will ultimately die. Right?

Death by violence is tragic. The war was powerfully violent. Many died. But the pain will subside, the people will forget the tragedies, and new generations will be born. If it is believed that Gene did kill Finny in a subtle act of hidden violence and through a string of events, it will be eventually forgotten. The pain will be gone from the dead, the loved ones should heal, and the killer will go on, and the wrong will be forgotten, lost among the countless moments in history. It does not endure. Right?

I know some of this isn’t true. From my view, most all of it is false. A tree will last in memories, and live on. Love will always be present, unbroken, even if it seems to be torn away. A death by violence will always be there, no matter who remembers it or takes notice. However, this might be what Gene believed after being so affected by what happened during his last years at Devon. I don’t remember if this quote was in the book or not, or if it was in it, if it was thought by Gene. It just seems like the logical way to trace it.

Do you agree with my take on this quote, or any of the conclusions I made? I admit I’m not the best at voicing my thoughts, but this is what I came up with. Time to be opinionated, folks. Tell me what you think. :]

Surprises.

2009-08-21T15:12:00.002-04:00

I think we've all basically agreed on liking the book. I especially liked it because it didn't have the perfect ending. The ending to A Separate Peace leaves you banking on conclusions and your own thoughts. It's not so "Happily Ever After". And yet it's still a great book. I also liked it because of some surprises. Such as Leper, I really wouldn't expect him to be classified Psycho from the army. I thought he was weird from the first time Gene described him, but not psycho by any means. Another surprise had to have been when Brinker held a trial about the tree. I figured Brinker would bring something up to Gene about it beforehand. I guess he kind of warned him. But I never thought it'd go down like that. Pubic shame for Gene. And last, but not least, I was actually surprised when Finny died. The thought of him dying didn't even cross my mind throughout reading the book. Then after I read about it, I thought it was the perfect closure. The perfect way to clear the slate and bury deep guilt along with a best friend.

Do you agree with being surprised on any of these matters? Do you have anything to add?

A Separate Peace- My thoughts and feelings

2009-08-21T13:25:00.003-04:00

From what I can tell, I'm agreeing with everyone in saying that I enjoyed this book a lot more compared to Huck Finn. Although I liked this book a lot more, my favorite thing about it is the same as it was in Huck Finn.

The relationship between Finny and Gene was so incredibly interesting to me. All the different emotions felt between the two is astonishing. For example, there's love and compassion, but at the exact same time there is hatred and jealousy. This is something that stands out to me, because when I think of best friends I don't think of hatred and jealousy. Also, there are differences between them that would make you think that they couldn't be best friends. Gene is the good student and as Katie said, the "overachiever", while Finny is the star athlete who everyone looks up to and isn't necessarily the best student academically. He thought Gene did too much as a student. This ties into their personalities, which were completely different, too. As you all know, Finny was the adventurous and optimistic leader, who everyone followed. It was as if nothing could bring him down, even losing his athletic career. Gene was in a way more mature about taking risks because he thought about the consequences of his actions (that didn't always stop him, but atleast he thought about it), and he was one of the many that followed Finny's lead. They were going in completely different directions, but still managed to become best friends. I suppose this is a case of "opposites attract".

What do you think about Gene and Finny's friendship? How does this compare to any of your friendships? Can you think of something to add to what I've said that could make my point even clearer?

A Separate Peace... with Connections.

2009-08-19T21:19:00.002-04:00

I know I have missed a lot the first time through with A Separate Peace. The connections gave me a better idea but I'm still not getting the full picture. My Brother's Keeper was the only story that I could understand the revelance to A Separate Peace. Jamie discovered that he could not take care of his brother forever and still be able to live his own life. He had to move on and let Ted take responsibility for his actions. Gene didn't give himself much of a choice in the matter with taking care of Finny. It wasn't until Finny's death that Gene was able to begin finding peace from the guilt. Jamie knew the relationship with his brother would be different from then on but he could now take full control into his own life as did Gene when the reminder of his guilt was gone for good.

What did everyone else get from the connections?

A Connection

2009-08-19T20:01:00.006-04:00

This book was amazing. It was so much better than Huck Finn. I found myself lost in the pages of this novel, and I felt like I could connect a lot to Gene. He overachieves, does very well academically, and is working toward being the top of his class. He is very smart and thoughtful. He has a competitive nature and follows the rules in school. Gene develops a love-hate relationship with Finny, his best friend. Yet, he both adores and envies him. This is how I feel I connect to Gene. I admit I'm an overachiever. I get great grades, try to do very well in school, and I used to have a love-hate relationship with this friend of mine. Gene has lots of insecurities and fears. Throughout the novel, he finds himself wishing he was just like Finny, yet he knows he can never be the olympic athlete Finny expects him to be. He's insecure with his own personality because he thinks Finny is so great at everything and that he can't possibly amount up to him. Gene's looking at all of his flaws and none of his good attributes. He's blinded by jealousy and guilt. In the very first few pages of the novel, when Gene is an adult, he realizes he is still insecure and fearful.
I know I'm still insecure about things at times, but most everyone has to be insecure about one thing at least. For example, and I can't believe I'm sharing this, but I'm insecure about my teeth. I still love to smile but sometimes it's a little awkward. I also used to be blinded by jealousy with the one person who used to be my best friend.
I would never intentionally hurt anyone, either. I just don't have the heart to do that. Gene is not my favorite character, either. He's actually my least favorite. I connected with him a little on the emotional side. Finny is my favorite character by far.
Which character can you connect most to? (This character doesn't need to be your favorite one.)

Favorite Character: Finny

2009-08-18T21:41:00.002-04:00

Finny was easily my favorite character in the story. I found it very easy to relate to him as some others have already said, and that makes a big difference for me. He was the ideal friend to Gene. He was athletic, good-humored, and a natural leader. This allowed everyone to follow his lead no matter what his crazy ideas were. John Knowles made Finny so easy to like, you could not help but feel bad when Gene distrusts him and acts on that distrust.

Even after Gene ruined Finny's athletic ability, Finny continued to be an amazing friend to him. He tried to ignore even the slightest possibility that the accident could have been Gene's fault just so that they could continue on being friends. He could have blamed Gene right away and made Gene feel guilty for it, but instead he chose to retain the friendship they had before.

Finny was my favorite character in "A Separate Peace" because of how perfect of a friend he seemed to be to me. What was your favorite character and why?

Better Understanding

2009-08-18T20:40:00.002-04:00

"I didn't entirely like this glossy new surface, because it made the school look like a museum, and that's exactly what it was to me, and what I did not want it to be."

"Looking back now across fifteen years, I could see with great clarity the fear I had lived in, which must mean that in the interval I had succeeded in a very important undertaking: I must have made my escape from it."

These two quotes came during the first two pages of A Separate Peace. After I had finished the book, I read the first few pages to possibly obtain a better understanding of what Gene was saying, and I think this really did help.
In the first quote, Gene talks of how Devon looks like a museum, and that's just what he didn't want it to be. When you think about it, museums are a place of preservation and display. Actually, the definition from Merriam Websters is; a place where objects are exhibited. Whenever Gene returns to Devon, I think that he feels this is where all his guilt and memories are being preserved and displayed, just like a museum. It's no wonder that Gene didn't want it to be like a museum, because that just helps create a more vivid image than what he already had. The thought of peace from guilt that came at the cost of friendship lost forever really never did leave, or could I don't think.
Gene states in the second quote that he must have made his escape from fear, and that he had used to live in it. This just stuck out to me, and I thought it went together well in a way with the first quote I put up. I think he said that as well as he could have, in his situation at least. I think guilt, shame, or regret will always linger, but he will not live in the fear that he once did. At first when I read this I thought, did he really escape from the fear? I think he did, and that is the peace he has found. He still might not have peace in the fact that happened, but he's not constantly looking over his shoulder in fear of who might confront him, or what he might have had to explain.
I think these two quotes help me understand Gene quite a bit more after I had read the book. I think that they are great in helping understand what's going through his mind and thoughts. What does everyone else think of these two quotes? Do you think he has escaped from the fear he was living in, and also do you think that he has found peace?

A Separate Peace

2009-08-17T23:19:00.005-04:00

I absolutely loved this book! I got about half way done with Huck Finn and was completely bored, so I figured I would give this one a try. I couldn't stop reading this one! I especially liked the story in it because it reminded me so much of me and my best friend; about all the jealousy and things we do so the other does bad at something. This is part of life though and makes for a good friendship, however, you can't let it control you or get the better of you. What I really think the author is trying to get across is that you cant go through life jealous. Gene was jealous and mad at Finny so he pushed him out of the tree. Gene thought Finny was jealous of him so Finny kept having things to do so Gene couldn't do as well in school. This jealousy really took control of their lives, and when Finny was out for the count, Gene felt like he had to stay around and help Finny out as much as he could. He spent most of his free time tending to Finny and actually got weighted down with it. He could no longer feel free or do what he wanted for fun. The thought of Finny hurt because of him would always flash through his head. Knowles is trying to say that you should live a fulfilling life and not be weighted down by your past. Keep your head up and keep moving forward for the better. A great book! Now, tell me what you think Knowles meant....

Huck Finn (Late... so sorry!!)

2009-08-17T23:00:00.002-04:00

I would like to apologize for this being so late. Overall I thought this book was alright. It isn't something I would have picked out and it is something I wouldnt want to read it. I found it really hard to follow with the older english and with all of the slang that was going on, especially whenever Jim talked. This did have a good story line though in which how Huck grew up with a hard life. His father was controlling and very demanding of him. He had to rely on himself to survive. Huck was also very sneaking. His escape from the cabin was well thought and and well devised. I thought it was really impressive for a kid his age.

I do like how Twain writes though. He really goes in depth and describes every single detail to you. At times the book seemed to drag on because of this. I usually don't like how authors put the scenes into your head, but this book was an exception. Since it was so hard to follow, you could almost visualize everything happening and still understand it, even if you couldn't understand the writing.

I actually am kind of looking forward to reading some more Twain books this year. I don't know if we are going to or not though. How do the rest of you feel? Do you agree with me or am I just the opposite of you?

Conformity and how its changed

2009-08-15T21:01:00.003-04:00

A big theme in this book seemed to be conformity. I got to thinking about how kids conform today. You've still got the kind that was present during the '40s and '50s, the straight-laced, short haired, step in line attitude that is embodied by many of our own parents, aunts and uncles, etc. However, I think a new flavor of conformity has emerged. There's the kind our elders impose on us, and the kind our peers impose on us. To fit in the crowd, you're forced to do drugs, drink, have sex, break laws, and hate pretty much anything that isn't considered bad by our authorities. This breeds a new type of "rebel". The one who will sit in the library and study for hours, the one that won't break out of the house for the hell of it, the one that is perfectly content to pay attention in class, and do volunteer work. A life of solitude, and study seems to be the new non-conformity.

So, which non-conformist are you?

My Feelings On A Seperate Peace

2009-08-12T10:58:00.003-04:00

Right off the bat I found this book to be way easier to get into than Huck Finn. I just felt like it was better written because I'm not into Mark Twain's style. At the very beginning of the book, it reminded me of James and myself, because they were best friends, they were really competitive, and they roughhoused all the time. And of course when it got to the point where Gene started hating Finny because he was so jealous i was a little disturbed that i compared myself to him, especially when he knocked Phineas out of the tree. Atleast Gene tried to confess to Finny, and then realising the negative effect, tried to keep it a secret for Finny.

I found that I loved the character Finny and I liked Leper but i just couldn't like or respect Gene. I started to forgive him when he was training for the olympics with Finny, and I hoped that would go somewhere, but much to my dismay, "Nothing endures, not a tree, not love, not even a death by violence."
All in all i thought it was a good book but it wasn't my favorite. What did all of you think of it?

A Separate Peace, Honors

2009-08-04T15:09:00.001-04:00

8. Choose what you consider to be an important quote from the text. Explain its significance.

A Separate Peace, Honors

2009-08-04T15:06:00.003-04:00

7. What happens to Phineas at the end of the novel? What effect does this have on Gene?

A Separate Peace, Honors

2009-08-04T15:06:00.001-04:00

6. Why is the "flashback" technique a particularly effective device in the novel?

A Separate Peace, Honors

2009-07-29T09:45:00.001-04:00

5. In the novel, there is a definition of "Separate Peace." What is it? How else can this term

be applied to the novel?

A Separate Peace, Honors

2009-07-29T09:44:00.000-04:00

4. What is Brinker's purpose in the novel?

A Separate Peace, Honors

2009-07-29T09:41:00.002-04:00

3. At the end of the book, Leper has been discharged from the service. What indicators throughout the novel show that he may not be fit for military duty?

A Separate Peace, Honors

2009-07-16T07:54:00.000-04:00

2. Gene has a feeling of enmity toward Finny. What is the definition of enmity and tell how this describes Gene's feelings.

A Separate Peace, Honors

2009-07-16T07:46:00.001-04:00

1. Give an example of Finny's adventuresome spirit. Include a quote from the text that supports the example you used.

THE END. YOURS TRULY, HUCK FINN.

2009-07-10T22:03:00.004-04:00

I don't know about the rest of you, but I had to slog through this book. (Today while working at the library, Diana and I even discussed the differences between plodding, slogging, and muddling. I think this would have to be a slogging case.) The first 15 or so chapters of the book took what felt like forever to get through. Since the speech was new to me, I has to read the same lines over and over again just to understand what someone was saying. That was definitely and obstacle in reading this book.

But...after getting through those tough chapters, I began to become interested in the book. At one point during my reading, I thought to myself how ordinary this book was. The events of it were things that would actually happen; there weren't any outrageous or ridiculous happenings that just weren't realistic. The situations that Huck got into and the thoughts that he had were what any normal person of that time period would have. Usually an adventure book would have something that would never happen to a regular, ordinary citizen. I guess that's what made me enjoy this book as much as I did. It had components of suspense (getting through Huck's extensive speeches and trains of thought), humor (Tom and Huck discussing Jim's rescue), and even some danger (Huck's time at the Grangerford's during the feud; Tom getting shot in the leg). The character personalities were my favorite aspects. The numerous amusing exchanges kept me interested when I just wanted to close the book forever.

All in all, I enjoyed the book, even though I was glad to read its final words.

Language

2009-07-10T20:15:00.002-04:00

I actually have liked Huck Finn, but I want to take this time to look at the way the language is used compared to what I have read. The english that is used in Huck Finn reminds me of some of the older English, like Shakespeare. Sometimes, it isn't completely understandable, especially when Jim talks. Other times, when Huck and others are talking it is a lot more understandable, because it is closer to what we use in everyday life. Twain shows that the English used in Huck Finn is definately an improvement (at least in our terms) on the language used by Shakespeare and the other 18th century poets. What do you guys think about the language that is used in Huck Finn? How does our language relate to the language used in said book?

[notrelated]Also, just a little plug here, since I have no way of contacting you guys outside of school. I am wondering if any of you guys (or gals) would be interested in something called SEDS (www.seds.org). If any of you guys are, please email me. [notrelated]

What I’ve gotten out of it.

2009-07-10T19:11:00.000-04:00

When I first started reading Adventures of Huckleberry Finn I automatically criticized the book. I thought to myself, “What is the point in reading this book?” Upon finishing the book I realized the point. There’s more than one too. There’s so much symbolism that we’ve been blogging about. It’s one of those books that assists you to have a better outlook on some things. Huck came from a rough life and instead of getting into trouble and taking out his anger he traveled the river with Jim. I could ultimately say it was a sort of therapy for Huck. Along the whole trip he made a friendship with Jim that was so strong to the point of Huck willing to go to Hell for Jim’s freedom. This novel deals with relationships, racism, slavery and reality. The amount of hypocrisy within this novel was astounding as well. For example, Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas locked Jim up in the shed and had every intention to sell him into slavery again but yet they went and prayed with him every night. Another example would be Tom. Tom was all for releasing Jim into freedom. But he made such a big deal out of the whole plan of getting him out of the shed that it soon seemed clear that Tom only cared about another adventure. Jim’s life was in Tom’s hands and Tom seemed to make another joke out of it, caring barely more than a slave owner.

In Adventures of Huckleberry Finn would you rather be Huck or Tom at the ending? Because regardless Jim was freed in the end with the help of Huck and Tom. Are you a thrill seeker like Tom or more of a realist like Huck?

Growing

2009-07-10T18:53:00.005-04:00

As I was thinking about what to post on, I wanted to go with some idea or theme from the book; what Twain was trying to get across. One that I liked came to me, and it may not be the biggest idea, or the first that comes to your mind, but I thought it was a strong enough point to at least mention if nothing else.

I really think that Twain wanted to show just what kind of transformations people can go through; how much they can grow from one point to another.

For example, when the Widow Douglas first takes Huck in, he's a wild kid who likes to sleep in the woods, go on adventures, smoke, and cuss. He can't stand life there at first. However, slowly but surely, he buys into the life and decides it's not that bad. He learns how to read and write, dresses nicely, and doesn't swear. He is totally transformed in his lifestyle.

Of course, once Huck got a taste of his old life, he quickly decided that that was a better way for him. He couldn't understand how in the world he had ever become accustomed to the Widow Douglas' preferred way of life.

Perhaps the most major change in Huck is his view towards those around him, especially Jim.

In the beginning of the book, Huck doesn't see the Widow Douglas' reasoning in caring so much about other people. He doesn't see what good could come from it. That is, with the exception of the benefit for the other person.

This obviously changes by the end of the book because Huck lays everything on the line for Jim. It just shows you that in facing tough issues such as racism and what not, Huck was completely transformed in his way of thinking. He wasn't the same Huck we see at the beginning of the book. He grew up a lot.

***

It is foolish of us to think that we'll know who we'll be in a year, a month, or even a week from now. We never know what will happen in our day to day lives that could change us. I think that may have been one of the ideas Twain had in mind.

Life has a funny way of throwing things our way that force us to wrestle with the tough issues, but grow every step of the way.

And that's exactly what Huck did.

symbolism?

2009-07-10T16:45:00.000-04:00

Before reading this book I heard a lot of comments about it. I heard it was a good book, but I also heard it was a stupid book about Huckleberry Finn and a slave floating down a river. I now know that this novel is a very interesting and unpredictable story. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn was not what I expected at all. Mark Twain brought so many things together to compose of a great story. There was a little bit of everything in it. There was murder, new friendships, robbery, lies, deception and so much more which made for quit a thrilling and exciting story.

The one thing I found most interesting about the story was the raft. I thought that the raft was the only dependable thing in the story. The raft allowed relationships to happen, like the friendship that Huck and Jim acquired and the raft also let Huck and everyone else get away from their problems. The raft acted a “get away car” and allowed as a safe form of transportation for Jim at night. I know this might sound a little crazy but I feel that the raft should be a main character, or well is one. It went everywhere in the story. I think that it was taken for granted. Can you imagine the story without it? No Jim and Huck, or no Duke or King… who knows what else could be different with the story without it. I think that Mark Twain might of tried to teach of something by using the raft as a symbol? With all the lies and drama going around the raft was still there, so maybe he was trying to say that life can sometimes get a little crazy but there is always to depend or fall back on? Just what I thought, your opinions?

What would you change?

2009-07-10T16:40:00.002-04:00

I'm pretty sure its safe to say that we all enjoyed the book, but I'd change a thing or two. I for one think the ending was a little too perfect. It was a good book and all, but I think the ending was bland. Perfect endings don't exist, and in my opinion, shouldn't exist in books. Sure, once in a while we need a happy story to pick us up and keep us safe from the cruel world, but we need a little more reality. Anyhow, what would you change about the book, if anything?

Actions and Reactions

2009-07-10T15:26:00.002-04:00

Huck and Jim spend a large amount of time together on the raft and throughout different adventures. Through these, we get a glimpse of two different perspectives on the culture they grew up in. They both grew up in the same time and environment, but from two completely separate worlds. One grew up with an abusive alcoholic father and a proper religious widow, while the other grew up as an imprisoned and persecuted black boy.

You can see the differences in their lives from how they react to certain situations. When Huck places a rattlesnake skin in Jim's bed, it's mate comes and bites Jim. Jim automatically assumes it was bad luck because it is supposedly bad luck to handle a dead snakes skin. Huck is less superstitious and considers the reason behind what happened. These two different perspectives show what they were taught and continue to think.

Near the end of the book, Huck begins to understand where Jim is coming from and how much his freedom means to him. He has agreed to help him gain his freedom the whole time but only then really realizes how important their little quest is. He says, "All right then, I'll go to hell.", because he knows that what he is doing is morally right no matter what everyone around him is feeding him.

How is this same principle present in our own lives? What are some examples of situations you've been in, that people have reacted differently because of how they were raised or what they experienced?

well worth it

2009-07-10T00:26:00.003-04:00

I brought my book with me on vacation. Most of my cousins have all read it and sympathized with me as I trudged on page after page. My cousin Maggie, however, said an interesting thing. She hated reading the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn but afterwards she was very glad she had done so. I read the book with a new light and motive and I can honestly say I enjoyed it, also.

The characters are hilarious and so true to people we deal with everyday. I read it more as a thrilling, adventure book and less as a boring, broken englished, worthless, scribble Mrs. Beggs was making us read. I feel it was really worth week of my summer. As i progressed through the book, my cousins progressing with my nicknames from Jim to Black Jim to BJ, I was able to understand the southern accent clearly and it really gave a whole new setting to the story. I have never been able to read anything like this.

So really what I am asking is a lot of things. What are other situations that were a pain to get through but well worth it in the end? How many more opportunities appear when we broaden our horizons and try new things? Has anyone else receive a nickname from the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?

Reflections and Reactions to Huck Finn

2009-07-09T13:12:00.002-04:00

Honestly, when I started reading Huck Finn, I wasn't exactly sure if I would enjoy it or not. Usually, I when I pick up a book, it's a love story or one that's depressing. But to my surprise, I really liked Huck Finn a lot. I loved the humor, adventure, and the role that friendship played in it. It's able to tie so many different aspects and trigger pretty much any emotion, and I think that's why I enjoyed it so much.

I definitely think what I liked most about this story was seeing Huck become friends with Jim, and then risk everything to help save him after he was captured. Towards the beginning of the book, Huck and Jim were just kind of together. There wasn't much of a friendship or anything like that, from Huck's perspective atleast. Jim was just thankful that he wouldn't have to be sold and moved from what he thought of as his home. But as the story continued, Huck and Jim grew to care about eachother, and I think that showed how much Huck grew as a person. It might have been from leaving the "sivilized" world, having Jim relying on him, or because he never had someone to care for or that cared about him. He was used to his father, and that really wasn't much of anything but hate. Either way, Huck showed how much compassion he is capable of having, and I really enjoyed seeing that come out.

What are your feelings towards this? Is there something else that could have become known about Huck from his relationship with Jim? What do you think?

Emmeline Grangerfield

2009-07-08T23:01:00.003-04:00

This girl was the dead young daughter of the Grangerfield family, which if you read, is the family that takes part in the feud with the Shepherdsons. While alive, she drew dark, bleak paintings, with lines bearing such words as, "Shall I Never See Thee More Alas" and "I Shall Never Hear Thy Sweet Chirrup More Alas". Huck had never speculated on such black pictures. They were of girls weeping, mournful, and overall depressed. She also kept a scrapbook of obituaries and such occurrences, and along with the pastings, she wrote poetry she dedicated to those people or events. Tributes she called them. It seemed she look life as not a permanent state, and thought to show the suffering through her eyes. Huck thought it wrong that she wrote for the dead all the time, yet no one ever wrote for her. It is rather sad, and ironic.

What are your thoughts on this depressive, creatively inspired girl? And if there was such a tribute written about her, what do you think it might be filled with? Also, why do you believe Twain included such a deep, caring character is such a cowardly, selfish society?

Thoughts on Huck Finn

2009-07-08T21:49:00.005-04:00

Honestly, I wasn't sure what to expect before reading Huck Finn. I had heard a lot about it, and it was all good. I got my hopes up for the book, and my expectations were fulfilled.
Huck Finn had a lot of ideas that intertwined and connected with each other. I remember when we were receiving our books on Move Up Day, Mrs. Beggs had said that this was a story about the underdogs. As I was reading that, that is what kept reoccuring in my mind constantly. I love a story about the underdog, and this really was. Who doesn't love a story about an underdog anyways?
The main theme throughout the story that I picked up was about freedom. There's two different freedoms that are occuring here, Jim being freed from slavery, and Huck having freedom and not having to be "sivilized." I loved the idea of the river symbolizing freedom. Huck and Jim could escape from the real word. Jim was not a slave while he was on the raft, and Huck didn't have to worry about the unnecessary, pointless routines he had grown to agonize. Huck was also able to escape his father, and feel a sense of safety while on the river with Jim. This is where the bond and relationship that grew into a close friendship started between Jim and Huck.

There was a sense of loyalty and friendship throughout the novel as well. This was not between just Jim and Huck, but with Huck and Tom, and even the people Huck came to encounter. There were so many themes underlying in the text, and that's part of the reason why this became such an entertaining and intriguing novel to read. I loved reading the book and found it humorous along with serious issues that were brought to the surface by subtle means. Huck Finn is a book I feel that anyone can read and learn a lot from at any time.

The last line of the book

2009-07-02T13:23:00.005-04:00

"But I reckon I got to light out for the territory ahead of the rest, because Aunt Sally she's going to adopt me and sivilize me, and I can't stand it. I been there."
What do you think the author is trying to get across with this line from the book?

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-06-29T08:28:00.002-04:00

10. Why does Huck become so passive at the end, letting Tom Sawyer make all of the decisions?

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-06-29T08:27:00.001-04:00

9. Some critics think that the novel should end with Chapter 31 when Huck says, "All right then I'll go to hell." Do you agree? Why?

Practical Huck

2009-06-27T11:38:00.006-04:00

Huck is very practical in many ways. If he thinks something makes no sense, he won't do it. If an idea does make sense to him, he will find a way to have complete control over it. One way or another he's going to have his way, at least that's what it seems like to me. Huck wants to maintain his independant ways. He's not very imaginative and doesn't play games. It's like 'Survival of the Fittest.' Huck is living to survive practically and convienently, not luxuriously. Huck lives with the Widow Douglas, and he was to become "sivilized." Huck couldn't stand the, I would say primpy clothes or preppy manners, so he dressed in his old rags and ran away. (Tom got him to come back home by telling him he could join his band of robbers. This right here tells you Tom is adventuresome.) Huck seems to think that if one person is doing something, like smoking in this case, he should be able to do the same as well. It's almost like he believes everyone should have fair and equal rights no matter the age, color, or background. For instance, the widow smoked yet told Huck that it is a very "mean practice and wasn't clean." The widow was being a hypocrite. It's practical for Huck to be doing the same as others.Huck was bored with school after an hour or so, being dull and unreasonable to him. He was always told to behave like a gentleman: use proper manners, dress handsome, use proper language, and be a good boy. His life with the widow was luxurious in a sense because of his fancy clothes, being able to have an education, and from what I've been reading, his huge, beautiful house. However, just because it's luxurious doesn't mean it's a good life. Huck was tired of rules and the constant nagging from widow Douglas and Miss. Watson. He wanted to be in control of his life because he believed his ways of life were more sensible. Huck can be described as a "do-it-myself-and-am-in-charge-of-my-life" kind of young boy. Tom is more adventuresome because of his free-spirit. He started a band of robbers with his friends. He had everybody take oaths and keep the secret of this club. All of his ideas came from books he had read. They were going to rob and murder people. Tom had the imaginaition of "stopping stages and carriages on the road, with masks on, and kill the people and take their watches and money." Tom came up with a whole plan to complete his mission. It hasn't gone through yet, and it probably won't, but I don't know because I haven't finished the book.To sum it all up, Tom and Huck are two very different individuals but are best friends. Whose not to say opposites attract?
I also want to add on that Huck comes from a lower white class society. Huck has some education and religion but not in the ways Tom Sawyer has. He has a different sense of fairness and logic just because of his schooling and that lack of fatherly bond. Huck likes to create his own rules but not because he's trying to rebell. It's all that he knows.
I have read Tom Sawyer. He was raised fairly well with a family. Huck is his best friend. His beliefs come from adults around him and his fairytale books.
(I hope I completed this blog correctly because I'm not entirely sure. Nobody else has posted yet. Oh my, and this must be why people call me an overachiever.)

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-06-23T07:52:00.002-04:00

8. Tell about Huck's time at the Wilks Plantation. Include Huck's talk with Joanna, Huck's feelings for Mary Jane, and how the King got out of his predicament when two other "brothers" arrive.

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-06-23T07:50:00.001-04:00

7. Twain is satirizing the aristocracy when Huck encounters the Grangerfords, Colonel Sherburn, and the King and the Duke. What is Twain saying about each of them?

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-06-15T08:19:00.001-04:00

6. Life on the raft is idyllic for Huck and for Jim. Find two specific quotes from the novel to support this general statement and then explain.

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-06-15T08:17:00.001-04:00

5. Every time Huck goes on land he encounters hypocrisy, greed, or murder. Apply this concept to two other instances.

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-06-08T10:06:00.002-04:00

4. Every time Huck goes on land he encounters hypocrisy, greed, or murder. Describe Huck's encounter with Judith Loftus. Why does he go to land? What does he learn from her? What is the result of the conversation?

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-06-08T10:03:00.003-04:00

3. Characterize one of the following: Pap Finn, Colonel Sherburn, or Colonel Grangerford. Put the description of the character that you have chosen into Wordle (www.wordle.net). Eliminate the common words, and then from the configuration that you have gotten, tell about the main traits of the character. Is this how you visualized the character as you read?

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-05-29T13:35:00.002-04:00

2. What do you think about Huck's escape from the cabin? Could this happen today?

Photo courtesy of www.dirjournal.com/ info/page/2/

Huck Finn, Honors

2009-05-29T12:53:00.002-04:00

1. Tom is a romantic and adventuresome, and Huck is practical. Using Chapters 1-4, explain.