Name All the Animals by Alison Smith [Part 1]

Our class has recently started reading Name All the Animals by Alison Smith. The book so far seems slightly interesting. The whole beginning is based on Roy's death. I think the author drags on the death for too long. In my opinion, she needed to move along from the subject and kept going with the story. I feel that the scene where Roy's mother goes on the walk and she begins screaming for Roy to come back was distressing but was over exaggerated for me. Another thing about this grieving memoir, was that Alison is very set on the idea that Roy is coming back (and so are her parents). Alison hoards food for her lost brother, hides in the backyard fort they built together, and waits for him to return. She doesn't realize the reality - he's not coming back. I continue to read to see if Alison's emotions and thoughts change.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

In the novel, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, the character Esther is introduced to the reader. Esther is a college student who lives in New York City and she working as an intern for a fashion magazine. I can tell by her personality that she is very worrisome about her surroundings. She thinks something is wrong with her. This catches my eyes because it makes me wonder why she is so worried about the simplest things. She worries about the fact that she cannot enjoy her job, her new clothes, or the parties she attends. You soon find out what Esther doesn't realize- most girls envy her. As the opening unravels, the author exposes Esther as she worries about the electrocution of the Rosenbergs. The Rosenbergs are a husband and wife who were convicted of spying for the Soviet Union and are eventually sentenced to death. Another thing that catch my eye was the type of person she tries to be. Her personality is ignorant and she seems to be a follower. She tries so hard to hang out with Doreen because she's beauitful and she ignores Betsey. One thing that surprised me was her rude action when she left Betsey hanging outside her door. I feel as if Esther doesn't care about the wrong she did. I'm curious as to what will happen next and what I will discover about Esther.

Unsettling America Poem Response

In the poem, "Mnemonic" by Li-Young Lee, I found it to be very powerful and heart warming. As the author discusses his relationship with his father, he recalls the memories he had with him. Memory is sweet, no matter what the cause or effect. The title is a great name for the poem because it depicts the whole theme of the poem. The word mnemonic refers to memory which connects to the general theme of the poem. One example would be when he was cold, his father gave him the blue sweater. That one sentence shows the memory of his father's compassion and the fervor with which his father cared for him. Another example is when he remembers when his father spanked him but only because he loved him. The common literary term used in the poem is metaphor. The metaphor about the earth being flat rather than round would express the difficulties he would have in his life if he didn't have his father in it. Because his father was in his life, his earth was round and he sees all things revealed as an adult. His memories were a purpose of his way of life.

Betsy Brown Further Thoughts

Reading even further into the book, I am still interested in the characters. The character that I would most like to spend time with is Betsey. She seems very down- to- earth and doesn't seem to care what other people think. She is herself.

The character that bothers me the most is Greer because he is always working and rarely helps out around the house. But on the other hand, I tend to dislike Jane too because it seems as if she puts most of the responsibilities on Betsey. Sometimes she just sits there and spends her time playing Solitaire instead of watching out for her kids. Jane also has favoritism towards Betsey. I think she has favoritism because Betsey is the oldest and she could take on the responsibility for the rest of her siblings. Her favoritism is taking advantage of Betsey (if this makes any sense). My opinion is that Jane likes Betsey because she is her "miracle child" as she states early on in the book.

I am anxious to keep reading and continue learning more about the protagonists.

Stressed?

Well, nowadays everything seems to be overwhelming and hard. Not only am I stressed over this class, I am also stressed over every other class. My head is going to explode! XD So much work, so little time. Urghh! It's not that the teachers give us homework, its how much they give us each night. The work from every class combined into one night is too much. Most teachers understand this concept, but others don't realize it. I mean I like school (never thought I would say that because I used to hate school) but I just wish the teachers were more understanding about our situations. Although there is a lot of work, what makes me like school are my friends. My friends are there to help me through my struggles in school and I love them and they know who they are! :) <3 <3 <3 (Special thanks to those who are close to me.)

I do tend to get distracted during this class and not get my work done and I know it's my own fault. I just.. I don't know. I can't keep my head focused and I wish for different methods of solving this problem. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Thanks. :)

Betsy Brown Thoughts

Today, we started a new book in class called Betsy Brown. The writing type really caught my eyes. Although many images are pictured, the writing at times, seems to be slang-like.

The characters are very typical in their actions, but at the same thing, I get an unusual vibe from the parents. One thing that has me wondering is why the children in the book call their parents (Jane and Greer) by their first names. From the context, I feel as if Betsy seems to be pressured to follow her parents' every command. It has a slow, but slightly intriguing beginning, so hopefully the book will be a good one.

The "Good Thief" by Hannah Tinti

In my opinion, The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, the book depicts the theme of obligating religion, rights, and the determination of finding who you truly are.  I thought it to be very thought provoking, somewhat of a mystery needed to be solved. This is shown when Ren tries to find out about where he comes from. I have also noticed the descriptive imagery she writes about. Her details about the way Ren is beaten is very despondent. Her writing consists of using allusion, metaphor, and similar. I think that this is why the book was so appealing. 

I recommend this book to all readers, but mostly to those who are fans of mystery.