Reading Log #7

Every week I edge closer and closer to accomplishing my number one goal for the semester: reading all of the novels written by Jane Austen.  Unfortunately, this being my last reading log, I have fallen slightly short and have just begun the final novel on my journey, Mansfield Park.  I spent the week finishing the last 50 pages of Emma and beginning the first 50 of Mansfield Park.  Although I have not accomplished my goal by the end of the semester, I plan to finish Mansfield Park this summer.  This book has truly fascinated me because it has taken a completely different view point than Austen’s other books.  Fanny Price is a young girl who was raised by her rich aunt and uncle and is treated terribly by all of her cousins except Edmund whom she secretly loves.  Although the same basic themes and motifs remain the same, the difference in plot line and emphasis on the theme of family has truly taken a new light in this novel.  I’m excited to continue reading it and see how Austen plans to travel down this peculiar plot line.  Reading all of these novels by Austen has really made me evaluate my own life because I have seen the various factors that have affected her characters.  I’ve found myself considering what positively and negatively affects my life and what ways I can relate to the characters in Austen’s novels.  Since all of the settings in her novel are based in early 1800 England, I feel as though I’ve learned a substantial amount about the culture and lifestyle of the Romantic Era.  Not only has reading these books expanded my personal evaluation of life, but also my knowledge on Britain’s history.    

Reading Log #6

After reading the next 100 pages of Emma by Jane Austen, I’ve discovered that this book is significantly longer than her others.  50 pages still remain between my current spot and the ending.  As I near finishing this one, I look forward to reading a non-fiction book and Mansfield Park to complete my reading goals.  The more I read Jane Austen, the more I find that I enjoy her and that my reading tastes truly differ from most people.  The majority of my friends express to me their disbelief that I’m reading her books for fun.  After reading Sense and Sensibility in AP Literature, many of my friends have forever turned their backs on her classic literature.  On the other hand, I cannot seem to get enough of the high caliber humor.  She intelligently weaves her elevated wit and satire into each of her novels, but if her style is not appreciated, then the humor will go to waste.  I’ve also found that from reading her books my vocabulary on an everyday basis has improved substantially.  By truly immersing myself into her work, I’ve found that I’ve been inspired to elevate my writing and vocabulary to a whole new level.  I enjoy the fact that through Austen’s consistent plots based around marriage and society, she has managed to personally challenge me.  That is simply one of a plethora of reasons why Austen is an author worth reading.    

Reading Log #5

After reading the next 100 pages of Jane Austen’s Emma, I found that unlike the other books, the enticing and captivating element of mystery was a common occurrence.  Most of Austen’s books have a slight section of hesitant doubt about the relationship of some of the characters actually working out, but the ultimate direction and ending is usually fairly clear.  In Emma, the various twists and turns of the plot along with the countless characters creates the perfect breeding grounds for a plethora of mystery.  Nothing with any of the characters seems to be set in stone and all of their actions seem to contradict their last; I can honestly say I’m not sure how the book will end.  This mystery adds a fresh new pace to the classic novel.  As I progress in Emma, I get closer to completing my reading goal of finishing all of the Jane Austen novels.  I can not wait to solve this mystery and then move forward and finish the final novel, Mansfield Park.  

Reading Log #4

The next 100 pages of Emma by Jane Austen, Emma’s sense of superiority gets the best of her when her attempt of match-making with her friends Harriet and Mr. Elton backfires.  One night when they are alone, Mr. Elton declares his love and offers a proposal of marriage to a flustered and shocked Emma.  Through this turn of events, Emma is forced to somewhat humble herself and admit against the will of her prideful heart that she was in the wrong.  Emma in many ways, aside from her constant attitude of superiority and unbearable pride, is in a situation much like Austen herself.  Both are not married (at least Emma is not so for now) but both live in a society where marriage is the driving focus and livelihood for nearly every female.  Being married to a man with the right characteristics, family situation, and monetary stability absolutely consumes every woman with the exception of Austen and her character Emma.  The ironically similar and unusual view of society gives the book an edge.  As I hit the halfway point of this novel, I step closer and closer to accomplishing my goal of reading all the Jane Austen novels.       

Reading Log #3

This week, I embarked on a journey down the first 100 pages of another Jane Austen novel.  Emma is by some thought to be Austen’s best novel, and I can see where the idea sparked because this novel mediates from the regularly trodden path of her other works.  The main themes are kept constant, marriage and society; however, the point of view in this story changes from what is normally a lover to someone who is watching love affairs from the outside.  From the get-go it’s obvious that pride and thinking her opinion to never be in the wrong are Emma’s tragic downfalls.  In the first 100 pages, the time bomb is ticking as the reader sees inconsistencies and flaws in Emma’s plan to unite Mr. Elton and Harriet.  Her arrogance and pride blind her from seeing that her “invincible” plan is doomed to fail.  Most of Austen’s novels are told from the point of view of the sensible, reasonable, unflawed character.  Reading Emma has so far shown me the versatility of Austen’s takes on her world.  Reading this novel pushes me toward accomplishing my reading goal of finishing all the Jane Austen novels; I’m excited to continue the journey through the rest of the novel.

Notes 2 & 3

Note #2

The Notebook Lake Scene

In this poignant scene from The Notebook, the sudden shift in weather signals a loosening tension and ultimate relational shift between the lovers.  The drastic change from a calm sunset, to a downpour, and finally a wild storm represents the characters’ movement from impersonal acquaintances to crazed lovers. The lake was initially quiet, still, and placid resembling the peaceful, formal, and uptight interaction of the long-lost lovers.  The spontaneous, overwhelming rainfall is similar to their love in the beginning before the tension.  The throbbing sheets of rain eventually seem to wash away the apprehension and renew the lovers’ youthful spirits.  The soaking, unexpected downpour is initially unwelcome as it causes frustration and discomfort to Allie who frantically attempts to rescue her appearance, almost as if she is fighting to save the mask of her new life.  Eventually, the buffeting rain defeats any attempt of salvaging her pointless facade and she embraces her soaked appearance and the fury of the storm together with Noah.  The methodical, rushing drops that allow the exhilarating release of tension and formality cause Allie to release her hair from its restraining pins and ties.  Her echoing laughter breaks seems to pummel the final barrier as her hair falls down her back and flings about, taking in the bitter caresses of the downpour.  The letting down of her hair parallels the falling rain as a sort of falling curtain ending an awkward, proper, impersonal stage of Allie and Noah’s relationship and beginning an intimate, frenzied, passionately crazed love.  Both the rain and the hair represent a liberating, relaxing release of inhibition and resistance.  The final shift in the weather to not just a downpour, but a raging storm electrifies in Allie a liberating abrasiveness as if the crack of the lightning struck into her an unanticipated boldness.  This gargantuan burst of courage caused words of confrontation and confession to furiously flow from her mouth like the wild rain surrounding her.  Step by step the weather parallels the shift in the lovers from placidly peaceful to fervently passionate.

Note #3

"The Rain"

I hear leaves drinking rain;
I hear rich leaves on top
Giving the poor beneath
Drop after drop;
'Tis a sweet noise to hear
These green leaves drinking near.

And when the Sun comes out,
After this Rain shall stop,
A wondrous Light will fill
Each dark, round drop;
I hope the Sun shines bright;
'Twill be a lovely sight

By: William Henry Davies

In “The Rain” by William Henry Davies, the simple diction and stimulating description creates a soothing sense of unity in nature and paints a tranquil image of an undisturbed landscape.  The “sweet noise” and “green leaves drinking” powerfully appeals to the senses of taste and hearing arousing a connection physically.  The slow, mellifluous “drop after drop” of the drizzling rain produces an overwhelmingly peaceful mood.  This calming disposition from the relaxing drizzle makes the rain desirable.  The elementary diction and short but sweet lines allow the words to flow smoothly like the rain itself as it caresses the silky coats of the leaves.  The personification of the privileged “rich leaves” nurturing the disadvantaged “poor beneath” develops a sense of an affectionate community within the flourishing branches.  When the sun’s appearance causes the rain to cease, it is given an undeclared omnipotent power over the inferior elements of the weather and earth.  As the sun “shines bright” and generates “a lovely sight” it tenderly radiates its superiority over the hushed landscape like a fostering deity.  In the hushed serenity of the untouched landscape one can almost hear the poem whispered in the breeze rustling the glistening leaves on the tree of sparkles.       

Exercise #3

Book Reviews I read: Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, and Nights In Rodanthe

Elements of a Book Review:
1. An introduction describing either the author's style or a personal connection of what brought you to read the book.
2. A body that summarizes the novel (typically without giving away the ending), discusses the basic plot line, and usually focuses on character development.
3. A conclusion that discusses the theme, author's purpose, and your personal opinion about the book.

Reading Log

This week I started down the path of my journey to accomplish what is, in my opinion, my hardest and most important reading goal, to finish all of the Jane Austen novels.  After starting it over a month ago, I finally finished the last 100 pages of Northanger Abbey.  It was one of Austen’s shorter and earlier novels, but nonetheless, I enjoyed it.  It was difficult to make the switch back to Austen novels after reading an easier, leisurely book like The Hunger Games.  However, the difference in culture, elevated diction, and at times hard to decipher humor presented a challenge that revived my passion for classic literature and reverence for Austen.  Although most of her story lines are the same and many of my colleagues that have read her work complain that her novels are either full of just women talking or story lines built up only to be resolved nonchalantly in the last two pages of the novel, there is a simple, rustic elegance about the masterful way she weaves a path through the complex maze of a woman’s mind and articulates it flawlessly while still containing a subtle criticism on society, marriage, and the social standing of women.  Her style is so complicated yet so simple its intriguing.         

Note #1

A teacher asked Paul
what he would remember
from third grade, and he sat
a long time before writing
"this year somebody tutched me
on the sholder"
and turned his paper in.
Later she showed it to me
as an example of her wasted life.
The words he wrote were large
as houses in a landscape.
He wanted to go inside them
and live, he could fill in
the windows of "o" and "d"
and be safe while outside
birds building nests in drainpipes
knew nothing of the coming rain.

-- Naomi Shihab Nye

In Naomi Shihab Nye’s poem “Rain”, the short, sweet, and simple elegance delineates the underlying symbolism and foreshadowing of the oncoming threat and adversity.  The ignorant spelling and gargantuan letters of the young boy’s written response to his teacher’s question not only characterize him as a tenderly innocent, but they also emphasize his malleability.  The boy’s deeply considered, profound answer presents the importance of an event as insignificant as a simple gesture while exposing his heart-wrenching neglect. The teacher’s pity and self-focus on her “wasted life” blind her from the boy’s desire for attention and necessity of affection.  The teacher’s intent and vigorous focus on leading her students to successful futures canopies the extent of her student’s suffering and his cry for help.  The seemingly tragic misunderstanding between the suffering boy and frustrated teacher shines a satirical light on self-centered society.  The rain serves as a festering, unavoidable omen of the boy’s heavy burden.  The boy’s desire for the comforting protection and relieving security of the houses reveals his desperate search for a non-existent refuge from the rain.  The unaware bliss of the busy birds creates a sense of an impenetrable barrier separating the boy and his stormy life from the whirlwind society.  The rain foreshadows an unavoidable coming threat; it’s almost as if he can see it in the distance but not taste, feel, or hear it.  Like a boulder hanging by a thread, all the boy can do is watch and wait for the “coming rain” to attack and completely engulf his life, mind, body, and soul while the oblivious others tragically watch from the sidelines. 

Exercise #2

Weaknesses:                                                                                                                      

1.       “The author enhances the stress by throwing the reader straight into the action.” (Error #4)

2.       He "kept his butt cocked to one side, his feet up on the shut rails so that the bull couldn't grind his leg, brad him up, so that if it  thrashed he could get over the to in hurry." (Error #2)

3.       The bull "loose-skinned brindle Brahma-cross identified in the program as Little Kisses." (Error #2)

Strong Blog: Unfettered

Exercise 1

In her book Cruddy, Lynda Barry expresses an informal, childish vernacular through the hot-headed, undisciplined mind of a child that displays the innocent lack of self-control and extreme emotional fluctuations of youth.  The elementary diction and repetition of the word “cruddy” weave themselves together and embody the age and personality of the young aggravated author.  The use of stereotypical “once upon a…time” and uniquely crafter descriptions of the generic setting creates a flood of vivid imagery and adds a humorous silvery lining.  The naive, inescapable shadow of childish rage bursts through the author’s pen and spills its noisome stench across her words.  The overpowering outrage reveals the passion of childhood.       

Anthology

The theme for my anthology will be rain.  It fascinates me with both is simplicity and complexity.  It is so contrasting with a wide range of variety from the harsh, dark pounding of a stormy downpour to the soft, peaceful drip-dropping of a spring shower.  It can set the mood, cause foreshadowing, and really change the pace of any piece of work.  One artifact I hope to use is the poem Rain by Naomi Shihab Nye because the poem is short and sweet and, even though rain is not the main focus or mentioned at all until the last line, it plays an important role in the poem’s mood while emphasizing the beauty of childhood naivety.  Another artifact I would like to use would be the rain scene in the Notebook because I find it only necessary to have at least one stereotypical, romantic rain scene in my collection.  

Reading Log and Reading Goals

Reading Goals:

• Read every Jane Austen novel.
• Read in 5 different coffee shops.
• Read one non-fiction novel.
• Go on a “reading picnic” with a group of friends.

This week I read the last part of the Hunger Games, and honestly it was hard to tear myself away. I found myself going to the point of planning my schedule around it.  I would strategically plan “homework breaks” while studying or get my classes a few minutes earlier just to read the next few pages.  I told myself I needed to hurry and finish the book since the movie’s release date is fast approaching, but honestly, I was just addicted.  It was simply that good.

While talking to my cousin about the book, he pointed out an eye-opening factor by saying, “The Hunger Games has a corrupt government because, let’s be honest, every good novel has one.”  Initially I disagreed with his suggestion, but once I processed it more in depth I realized he was right.  Of course a corrupt government is not always needed, but many popular novels have them.  For example, Twilight has the Volturi, a very disturbing clan of ruling vampires.  Fahrenheit 451 has a government dedicated to the destruction of books.  The Giver has a bland world without music or color due to government regulation.  Although many are science fiction and placed in futuristic societies, the factor of a corrupt government has become a common occurrence.  However, the audience is not so much captured by the government themselves, but more the individuals that shake the chain of order and serenity by testing the government’s boundaries and breaking their rules.  Not only does this add an adrenaline rushing level of suspense and danger, but it helps the character’s develop and usually discover who they truly are and what they believe in.  Through the tool of a corrupted government, individuals in this book break the current of popular, acceptable society and choose to follow their own uncharted path leading down the path of self-discovery and individuality.  The confidence, boldness, sacrifice, and strength of these characters is inspiring and causes the reader to desire firmly grounded beliefs and the courage to stand up for them.  All around the focus on finding oneself and breaking away from the status quo has become popular as the focus of individuality rises in our culture.  

      This type of writing really appeals to me because I want to be a person that is strong enough to stand up for what I believe in no matter what opposition I may face. 

A Shameless Leap Onto the Bandwagon

I always talk about how I tend to stray from popular culture and read the classics; however, this week I started reading the Hunger Games.  Honestly, I couldn’t resist.  I had to understand the source of the constant hype that spreads like a fever eagerly pouncing on its next victim.  Who can blame me?  The opportunity presented itself and I accepted it with little knowledge of what I was getting myself into.  And so it began and the fever overtook another reader.

Although the book takes place in what I believe to be the future of a post-apocalyptic North America, it maintains a rustic elegance.  The use of hand tools like bows, arrows, knives, and more keeps an ancient feel about it.  At the same time, there are some items used that the audience is familiar with such as trains, showers, elevators, and television.  Even with both these antique and modern elements, the future plays a major role with the use of so many unusual items such as hovercrafts and an assortment of mutated plants and animals as well as scientifically advanced tools used for warfare.  The fascinating combination of past, present, and future puts an intriguing spin on reality and allows a valuable connection as well as extreme suspension of disbelief.  They all work together in an ineffable harmony that helps the flow of the plot.  The book combines what should be estranged, yet it meshes with a curious grace.  If the creativity and mastermind put into the meticulous details of the book isn’t enough to catch the audience’s attention, the heart-stopping plot will blow them away.  I won’t go into detail for fear of spoiling the book.  If you are considering reading it, I highly recommend it.  

It is everything I thought it would be, and so much more than I had expected.  I didn’t realize how addicted I was to the book until my eyes were practically glued to it as precious homework time slipped away.  As quiet and sneaky as a snake, the story crept into my mind and captured my fascination; without even realizing it, I was hooked.  It’s worth reading.   

Back on the Bandwagon: Northanger Abbey

“All [women] have been, or at least have believed themselves to be, in danger from the pursuit of some one whom they wished to avoid; and all have been anxious for the attentions of some one whom they wished to please.” Pg. 54-55

I just couldn’t take it another week.  I had to hop back on the Jane Austen bandwagon.  No other style of writing is quite as fascinating to me.  Surprisingly, Northanger Abbey was a bit of a fresh twist in comparison to Austen's other novels.  Obviously it centers on her typical plot line of a woman finding a man, but the naivety and inner conflict of the main character as she pursues one man and completely avoids another creates a ludicrous cycle of utter felicity and complete disappointment while exploring the rollercoaster of youthful society.

Although most of her novels touch on some of youthful society’s ridiculous civilities and the empty headedness many conduct themselves with, this novel seems drown itself in mockery of it.  The novel sets a satirical tone with a constant sarcasm about the ways, formality, and communication in England's youth.  Throughout the novel, it constantly mocks the misunderstandings and chaotic agonizing over matters of very little importance.  It’s almost as if Austen characterizes the whole of women as hysterical, worrisome, fretful, delicate ninnies and the men as dense, tiresome, and overwhelmingly conceited.  To me, I could not help but detect that Austen had written this novel under extreme dejection and distaste for social custom and behavior.

(Isabella’s reaction after a day of separation) “It was ages since she had had a moment’s conversation with her dearest Catherine; and, though she had such thousands of things to say to her, it appeared as if they were never to be together again; so, with smiles of most exquisite misery, and the laughing eye of utter despondency, she bade her friend adieu and went on.” Pg. 48-49  

After being under the distress of reading non-classic novels, this beautifully written piece is exactly what I needed.  The parallel of my distaste modern literature and Austen’s frustration with youthful folly of her society almost creates a sort of bond that gives me ineffable enjoyment in reading this book.  I can’t wait to continue.

The Nice vs. The Not so Nice

Good Claims:

Books for Dummies (Like Me)- The frantic movement of the kids and the thundering suspense of the music conveys this sense of carnage and trepidation so that the audience might pee their pants in fright.

A Puppy’s Point of View- In Cate Parr's portfolio of about six watercolor paintings, the subtle vibrant colors and free flowing strokes of paint highlight the vulnerable passion for beauty.  

Not as good: 

As I've been told my whole life, the sun makes people happy. Maybe it's because the sun brings color and joy and hope to people. As someone once told me, "It's impossible not to smile when your world is full of color."  There is more to the beach then the sand, and the palm trees, and the ocean.

One article discusses his importance in sports and in China.  His popularity has grown everywhere, because of him, people in China have tuned in to watch him play.  His humbling story and attitude make him likable to fans everywhere.

The Spartan Reader #4

Sarah Illenberger: Architectural Digest

The radical range of color schemes, discombobulating object scale, unusual item combination, and drastic angling of geometric shapes combine to form a divine harmony in the middle of a flustering discord.  From drastic reds and harsh blacks to soft pinks and peaceful blues, the colors of the rooms create a dramatic range of mood from breathtaking to calming.  The objects are surprising and typically out of place, from an authoritative moon to a tediously arranged triangle of ripe, green apples.

 In Picture 1, the cold, rusty, silver, steel bed frame contrasts the blinding white and cooling blue soft, woolen blankets, but they are wistfully knit into unity with the bliss of the hopeful painted sky strewn across the walls.  The artful blending of the peaceful colors emphasizes the quiet, serene mood.  It is almost as if one can feel the soft, blowing breeze.  The size of the objects produces a vague, disconnecting illusion that throws away worldly perceptions and hurls one like Alice into a disproportionate Wonderland.

 Picture 5 contains eye-blazing contrast with a dramatic checkerboard of the white and black walls, tile, and bed comforter.  The angle of the bed and decreasing size of the contrasted diamonds creates a distinct depth that seems to elongate the room.  Splashes of color are provided from the vibrant lobster clawing its way across the bed;  the rustic, golden key with the matching authoritative door; and pink floral throw pillow lounging across the bed-spread.  The screaming contrast and overwhelming collection of colors and shapes arouses a mood of radical excitement and fascination. 

 Each picture, excluding the last, contains a bed. It generates a familiarity and parallelism with each of the photos and somehow subtly interconnects the gallery.  The bedroom is commonly the most personal, well known space in a house.  It is the one portion of the house dedicated typically to solely one individual.  Creating such wild combinations by bringing together such random objects and putting them in a bedroom begs the question: who would stay in this kind of room?  The neat, organized and yet mind-boggling arrangements mold an order out of chaos that catches the eye and intrigues the mind.  It is almost as if the pictures are teetering on the edge between sporadic decoration and perfectly designed order, and an object added or subtracted would completely tip the scale.

Lock and Key

Reading Lock and Key has emphasized the fact that I should definitely do my research about the literature I choose to read before doing so.  I was sitting at the library baffled with no idea what to get contemplating which book may be the best judging by the size, color, and title.  It was not the best decision I later discovered, and in a rush, I blindly picked up the book Lock and Key hoping it would be something of interest.  So far, I’m not a fan.

Lock and Key is a typical book for the day-dreaming teenager looking for a nice fantasy.  Ruby, the main character, has been taken from her past rough, poverty stricken lifestyle and thrown suddenly into an elite school, a perfect family, and a million dollar house when moving in with her long-lost sister.  Most people would find it to be the ideal fantasy and change of pace, but of course, to create an unsettling inner conflict; Ruby does not like her new life.  She finds herself wandering back to her old house and taking the long bus rides to see her old friends, and the adjustment to the new life is made all the more difficult.  She doesn’t fit in at the new school in all ways from appearance to personality, and her new home life is filled with a constant underlying awkwardness.

Just like every wistful teenage girl novel, there’s an “unexpected” love interest.  Following the stereotypical plot line, Ruby is interested in a boy named Marshall that is low, trashy, and shallow.  Her overbearingly confident belief that she’s in control of her whole situation blindly leads her into believing that he is everything she needs and she can handle their estranged, unusual relationship.  On the other side of things, she meets a boy named Nate who is the definition of the ideal man.  With an athletic body, friendly personality, broad intellect, and high placement on the high school food chain, its obviously assumed that most every girl would be interested in him except, of course, for Ruby.  Although I am not far enough to know where they’re relationship is headed, it’s obvious that the old idea of opposites attract is at play.  As different as they may seem, it already appears that they are being drawn together, and maybe later in the book similarities will reveal themselves and bonds will be made.     

Short List 2-19-12

The Art of Clean Up

Supposedly, it should be exceptionally satisfying to make order of chaos; however, there’s something disconcerting and robotic about the organization of things that are meant for sporadic arrangement.  In my head, I almost hear sounds attached to each photo.  In the commotion of the park I imagine a bustling place with a thousand different conversations, screaming children, and blasting music.  When I see the order in everything from color, age, and gender, I feel that any sound would disturb the peace and a pin dropping would tip the scale into utter insanity.  The unusual order is disturbingly fascinating; it emphasizes the turmoil around us all the time that we take for granted simply because it’s normal.  

 

Sarah Illenberger: Architectural Digest

Sarah Illenberger’s geometrically beautiful and gravitationally defying collection of architectural artwork is intriguing.  The colors, shapes, and objects sharply contrast to such an extent that they create an obscure harmony.  The designs are clean and organized while still containing a sense of sporadic eyebrow-raising disorder.  The scale of the objects simply throws the room into an unusual proportion that throws the viewer like Alice into some ambiguous Wonderland.  

A Restless Transplant

The pictures from A Restless Transplant contain a sort of freshly artistic feel.  It’s almost as if a representation of the cleanly wiped slate of the photographer can visibly been seen and felt through his photos.  The rustic and antique feel contrasts the vibrant colors and drastic shadows thrown and splattered across the frames.  The peaceful simplicity of them depicts the life of their photographer.  An acute pleasure plants a seed of curiosity an encourages me to travel beyond the safety of my town.  

This American Life: Middle School

MiddleSchool

A few weeks ago, I paid a visit to my old middle school with a group of my friends.  Everything in it seemed to devour my senses and shoot my mind instantly back to both the beautiful and painful memories of those terribly wonderful years.  Every teacher we visited was blown away; each took a step back and a double take as though the young boys and girls they had mentored and taught through those three years were all in some kind of foreign, nearly unrecognizable bodies.  One exclaimed in awestruck surprise, “You all look like real people!”  Needless to say, the middle school years seem to be a time dedicated in every life to growth and development in nearly every aspect of a human being.  Like in any life stage, the choices made in the middle school years help determine the direction of a person’s life and the path they choose to follow.

The Acts 2 and 4 (“Anchor Babies” and “Stutter Step”) of the “Middle School” podcast from This American Life looks into what is really on the minds of Middle School students.  In “Anchor Babies”, instead of reporting the weather and daily lunch menu, the kids on the morning announcements at Parkville Middle School near Baltimore were given a chance to write up a newscast on subjects and social matters that were important to them.  These video announcements mock real newscasts with back drops, theme music, green screens and the whole nine yards; not only is the appearance the same, but they all “tend to follow a formula” like local news.  When the kids were given a chance to report what mattered to them, the results were utterly widespread.  Reports varied from a debate over the appropriate age for trick or treating, rumors about a boy getting suspended for clapping in the lunch room, and an opinionated analysis of the appearance of the new Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Washington D.C.  Everything from concern about dirtying UGG boots to potatoes being permanently removed from school lunches weighed heavily on the intriguingly sporadic minds of the pre-teen world. 

In “Stutter Step”, the focus was taken away from the academics and fully focused on the chaotic social realm.  Middle School dances are the “epicenters of middle school awkwardness”.  A boy named Ethan in a striped button-up shirt picked out by his mother, spoke of his strong desire to slow dance that heavily contradicted his immense fear that he “won’t do it right”.  Ethan, like many of the other kids, aimed to have a good time while still remaining low key enough to keep any tragically humiliating events out of the lime-light.  The exited, nervous, quick, high-pitched, and giggly chatter among the uncertain students filled with a steady presence and repetition of the word “like” defines nearly all of the verbal communication put forth by the middle school students.       

The petty stress, naïve uncertainty, immature arguments, shallow friendships, and constantly high pitched speech depicts middle school as not only a period of mental advancement, but also physical and emotional development as the ambiguous leap from childhood to adulthood is uneasily embraced.  A mental, physical, and emotional foundational base is laid in those tear filled, frustrating, smelly, pimply, and complicated years.  The insecure, undefined battle of middle school is bound to hurl people off-balanced and uneasily into the realm of adulthood by opening their social and intellectual understanding beyond the bounds of mere trifling childhood.  Looking back, I can see how my middle school years molded and shaped me into the person I am today.  The experiences and growth experienced by the kids in the podcast and everyone else at one time is the cocoon that transforms what was once a caterpillar of a child into a butterfly of an adult. 

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

When I read a depressing book, the feeling seems to subtly set a gloomy damper over the rest of my day.  Needless to say, I typically stray from reading any book of the heart breaking realm.  That being said, you may find it surprising that I chose to read one of the saddest and most devastating novels from one of the most horrifying and disturbing times in the history of the world.  I was surprised too.  I never saw myself reading by choice a book about the Holocaust.  When I started The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, I had no idea what it was about.  I was in a frenzied hurry to find a book from the local library before it closed; I did not want to be a burden or that “one customer” who after close never seemed to leave, so I literally grabbed the book off the shelf.  One of my friends had read it and recommended it; however, she failed to explain the plot or setting.  I set off blindly reading a book I knew nothing about, and was I ever in for a surprise.

The point of view in The Boy in the Striped Pajamas struck me because I had never heard the story from that vantage point.  The whole story is told in third person with a focus on the son of a Nazi commander.  Being only nine, the young boy, Bruno, does not understand the gravity of the situation right under his nose; his father is the commander at a concentration camp no more than 50 yards away from his home in Poland.  It creates a sense of dramatic irony since the reader understands the horror and disturbing situation, but little Bruno in his childish ignorance does not comprehend the appalling situation.  Piece by piece, Bruno attempts to frustratingly develop a small understanding from what he has seen and the little adults will share with him. 

The absolutely astonishing contrast between Bruno and Shmuel takes the spot light in the story.  Shmuel is a young Jewish boy in a concentration camp, and Bruno is the son of a Nazi commander.  It’s mind-blowing to see the next generation of the opposing forces becoming good friends.  To see the son of a Nazi officer and a young Jewish boy sit for hours and talk through a fence that draws a line between their worlds, lives, and fates.  It’s truly a heart-wrenching, incredibly touching, and unbearably painful story that recreates all of the horror and inhumanities of the Holocaust through the eyes of a little boy.

Although it was easily the saddest and most painful book I have ever read, I can honestly say that it was exceptionally powerful and definitely worth reading. 

Podcast Response: Middle School

The kids in this podcast truly help recapture the difficulty, awkwardness, and discomfort of the uncertain and rapidly changing physical and emotional world of middle school.  Through whiny voices, nervous giggles, and shaky words the kids bring to life this stepping stone between the different realms of childhood and young adulthood.  In the scenes Stutter Step and Anchor Babies the podcast is representing the “experiment of miniature adulthood”.  Reporting the unimportant, uneventful news of the average middle school and participating in the hormone crazed events of middle school dances are both baby steps towards adulthood.  The shallow friendships filled with petty name calling and hourly arch enemy and best friend for life status change is exhausting.  The trivial relationships starting and ending as the hours bloom and pass away represent the extent of the naivety and inexperience as middle school students work their way through the murky waters of growing up my imitating the steps and motions taken by those who came before them.  The insecure, undefined battle of middle school is bound to hurl people off-balanced and uneasily into the realm of adulthood by opening their social and intellectual understanding beyond the bounds of mere trifling childhood.      

The Spartan Reader #2

Pablo Genovés: Precipitado

The enraged, lashing waves filling and tumbling through empty man made architectural structures of outstanding verticality, unfathomable depth, and intricate gothic design presents a sense of nature’s eerie dominance over the advanced civilizations and progress of the human race.  The acute detail in the architecture suggests the attentive and tedious hours spent on the miniscule features of the design.  The absence of human presence subtly displays an unsettling tragedy; it is as if a man spent his whole life on the wearisome work of development and improvement only to give up and leave it behind.  The length and depth of the buildings with their roman arches, gothic statues, and gaudy decoration creates an emphasis on the water’s ability to not only penetrate but completely fill any space.  The anger of the rolling waves reveals that the water is not only an inescapable presence, but is also an intimidating and overpowering force of nature.  The harsh waves and aggravated white caps seem to be screaming through the buildings and bursting through the walls as if the passionate rage of the sea is announcing its dominance over man.  Two of the world’s most beautiful, admired, and typically harmonized realms, nature and man-made artwork, are brought together to create an overwhelming contrast and scene of a hypnotic, apocalyptic chaos.    

Rational in a Youthful Frenzy

“There is a quickness of perception in some, a nicety in the discernment of character, a natural penetration, in short, which no experience in others can equal…” (pg. 180)

The more I read Jane Austen’s novels, the more I find the similarities between them and the more I love them.  Most people might become frustrated or bored with the repetitive plot lines within her novels, but there is some antiquely enchanting about them.  The characters always get exactly what they desire which can be seen as cliché, but anything less would leave me unsettled.  There is an elegant, pure satisfaction in the modest courtship, caring women, and genuine men of Austen’s stories that stole my interest.  As much as I love books, I’ve never found an author or literary piece that has intrigued so deep an interest and enjoyment.  Jane Austen changed my reading experience.

Although Persuasion contains the same theme of marriage as the other Austen books, there is a unique twist.  Anne Elliot refused to marry the man that she loved.  This is somewhat absurd considering all other Austen novels seemed to be based on marrying for love instead of desire for security or the improvement of one’s social standing.  Fredrick needed no change in character or devotion to Anne; she had fully captured the fullness of affection from the start.  This begs the question, if he loved her and she loved him why did they not get married in the first place?

Austen uses this last novel of her literary legacy to present the important message that marriage must be approached rationally.  Mutual respect and affection is important, but circumstances must be considered as well.  Anne was convinced initially that the marriage would be too risky and that the youthful frenzy would be full of later consequences.  Anne followed her head instead of her heart and broke off the engagement. 

Another important message, correlating with the title, is not to be persuaded by others around you.  Although it is important to take the instruction and counsel of others, stay strong to what you believe in because in the end it is no one’s decision but your own.  If Anne had followed her own judgment instead of Lady Russell’s, she could have been spared eight years of unloved loneliness.  However, in the end, the separation had deepened and proven Fredrick’s love even more than before and truly resulted in strengthening the relationship between Anne and Fredrick.     

Short List #2

A Second Mona Lisa

The Mona Lisa has survived and established itself in the art world as one of the greatest and most mysterious paintings.  Recently researchers stumbled upon an unexpected twist, a replica of the Mona Lisa that was once thought to be a good for nothing copy was found to have evidence suggesting it was painted by one of Da Vinci’s students while he was working on the original.  Sitting unimportant and unnoticed for years in a museum in Madrid, this painting is finally beginning to receive the respect and attention deserved as well as reviving modern interest in the mysteriousness of one of the greatest paintings in the world. 

 

The Burning House

From cameras to kittens to Mac books and blankets, The Burning House takes a deep look into what matters most.  The contrast and similarities between the material possessions all the various people choose to take is intriguing.  Each picture displays character, priorities, and a life; its almost as if seeing the picture gives you a snap shot of someone else’s world.  If your house was burning, what would you choose?

 

Pablo Genovés: Precipitados

While scrolling through a gallery of photos, eventually, I expect to come across something that’s out of the usual.  I never expected anything like Pablo Genovés’ photos, but once I saw them my hand almost involuntarily clicked on the link.  They were so bizarre that I had to see more.  The combination of such sporadic, uncontrollable nature and refined civilization was so sharply contrasting that the pictures were hypnotic.  It almost seems to summarize the whole realm of conflict involving man and nature, but the images appear harmonious and functional as if there is no conflict at all.  However, the absence of humankind leaves an air of eerie discontent and cold loneliness.

Submission #1 Comments

Short but sweet, that’s what this note is all about. Found Magazine’s website has all kinds of notes that can make someone’s day. It has notes from prison, stores, or even the streets. Short notes, long notes, love notes, and hate notes. Even notes that have just pictures drawn on them. There are notes from parents, kids, siblings, spouses, or even long lost loved ones. Of course none of these notes actually made it to their rightful owners, or if they did then they ended up giving it away.

Some of the notes give a good laugh. My favorite so far is link posted above. Nice bike. I’m thinking it was written by a little boy, ranging from probably 5 to 10 years old. I think the post would be more entertaining if we readers found out it were written by a boy in high school or older. The note has pretty good handwriting though so it could possibly be written by a girl. I wish there was some way in finding out who it was really written by. The only way to really do that is take it to an FBI agent or something. Too much work I would say.

It would be a good idea to go to this website right now. Not ten minutes from now, not in another day, not never, now. I would not wait any longer. I promise you will laugh for at least one of the posts, unless you never seem to laugh. You will at least crack a smile. That’s more reasonable. Enjoy!

What I would have said:

The lively raillery and obscurity of the crooked, hook-eyed smile suggests this note was written either as a joking attempt to flirt or playful inside joke.  The secrecy from the anonymous signature of the heart proposes the idea that the author preferred to remain unknown, or at least not directly mentioned.  The cryptic absence of a phone number tips the scale and suggests that the note was written without an avid pursuit or true intent behind the message’s content.     

The Spartan Reader: Found Magazine

We all lose things.  We’ve all experienced that frustrating moment when our inability to remember an items location leaves us disconcerted and empty handed.  Have you ever wondered what happens to the things that you lose?  At one time or another, most of us have stumbled upon a random note, picture, or drawing of unknown origin that someone has accidentally left behind during the hectic rush and busy schedule that has become a modern lifestyle.  To those who take the time to appreciate it, finding these trinket treasures gives a small sense of overwhelming fascination. 

From audacious confessions of unconditional love, to notes of regretful and mortifying apology, to frantic scribbles of childish purity, Found Magazine captures, collects, and displays these random and obscure glimpses into the lives of anonymous others to exhibit our overall resistance to confrontation and lack of ability to face the unknown reaction to our resounding, audible words.  In some notes, the frequent solecisms and unpracticed penmanship displays the work, innocence, and inexperience of a child.  The sincerity and utter passion of the content addresses the naive and enchanting character of youth.  The typical child with a shy nature mangles their way through loopy, backwards, and indecipherable letters to create a masterpiece expressing the things they may not say of their untainted passion and genuine thoughtfulness.  In other finds, the hard lines, uniform presentation, and distinct order of other notes present an obvious sign of a practiced hand and experienced life.  The exuberant content and acute focus of the notes displays the complexity and acute focus of a trained and practiced mind that has seen days beyond youthful folly.  The qualities of zealous boldness and sincere confidence are rare, but on paper the mind is free and lacks the critical eye of authority or judgmental remark of peers.  To young and old, confrontation waves its seductive hand towards the ease of expressing through a pen what is difficult to explain through spoken words.  From the loopy and shaky to the organized and flowing, the penmanship alone creates a feel of a diverse microcosm.  If the plethora of handwriting were not enough, the variety of content grasps time in a tangible form by revealing the different stages and experience in life through the small freeze frame of stumbled upon notes.  Situations and experiences alter, but the ability to better fully expose one’s feelings and thoughts is accomplished best with cowardly elegance on paper.

"...she was only Anne."

"…Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or sister; her word had no weight, her convenience was always to give way -- she was only Anne." (pg. 25-26)

After flying through both Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice I deemed it necessary to indulge further in my growing taste for Jane Austen novels.  Persuasion is one of her shortest novels and the last novel she ever wrote.  It was curious to investigate and see whether or not Austen ended her writing legacy with a unique, unforgettable piece.  

From the start, Persuasion appears to follow the basic plot and a theme seen in Austen’s other novels.  The similarities are almost baffling.  Following the satire and themes of the other novels, Persuasion takes a hard look at the human institution of marriage.  Love and attachment were foreign to the people of Austen’s day; one of the main purposes in marriage was to rise in social class and economic status.  In those times, to marry with wealth and security was what many women thought would bring happiness and satisfaction.  This frenzy and desire to be married well and young threw many women into quick, careless marriages.  In her novels, Austen questions this philosophy as seen through the marriage of Charles and Mary in Persuasion, the Palmers in Sense and Sensibility, and the Bennets in Pride and Prejudice.  In her lifetime, Austen was never married which was a rare occasion for women in her time and typically shameful occurrence.

Austen’s immediate favor towards and focus on Anne is seen early in the exposition as was the case with both Elizabeth and Elinor of the previous novels.  Anne is rational, level headed, a good listener, thoughtful, and possesses a great deal of self control.  Anne’s ability to suppress her emotions towards Fredrick Wentworth showed great similarity to the situation of Elinor and Edward from Sense and Sensibility.  Anne and Fredrick were forced to spend many an uncomfortable evening together in Uppercross, but Anne remained composed through the mortifying discomfort.  Anne’s rejecting Wentworth was similar to Elizabeth’s refusal to Darcy at the beginning of Pride and Prejudice.  However, even though Anne relates too many of these characters, there is no one Anne’s experiences parallel more than those of Jane Austen.  Both had a broken engagement and a fall of family status.  It is almost as if Austen is writing an autobiography through Anne.

My enjoyment of this book has grown and blossomed due to my abilities to relate the plethora of characters, themes, plot, and satire to Austen’s personal life and her other novels.           

Week 5: Top Links

http://www.1000awesomethings.com/ from three coconut pods is an awesome website that highlights the little things in life that most people don't stop and take the time to appreciate

http://theburninghouse.com/ This website is fascinating and shows the material possessions that mean most to people.  The variety in items shows the diversity of personality.

http://www.itsnicethat.com/articles/will-adler 

The artistic ability for this man to capture items beautifully and then relate them to other things that are completely opposite is a skill that few have ever considered or harnessed.

Weekly Music Analysis

The idea from Books and Stuff to analyze what music is the best each week is a fascinating idea and a way to show personal style while also presenting new, unheard music.

Widening My Narrow Gaze

It was just my luck.  I was spending a Friday night at home because the roads were too deeply covered in snow to even think about being able to go anywhere.  I wanted to read, but the library was closed and the bookstore was too far away.  After searching through every shelf in my house, I had difficulty finding anything that I hadn’t already read.  Just when I thought I would find nothing, I opened a drawer to find Nights in Rodanthe by Nicholas Sparks.  After reading the description, I was skeptical.  My interest never quite fell into the realm of the wistful flings of our current generation.  I typically find modern love stories to be lacking in devotion and constancy while chasing passionate desires and immediate gratification.  However, with few options and a desire to read, I reluctantly decided on at least reading the first 150 pages.  After all, Nicholas Sparks is a best-selling author of our time; I thought it only right that I broaden my horizons and sample the work of a popular author and main stream book.  It was almost a way to participate in the movement and culture of our day and age.
The book was well written.  Sparks has mastered the use of imagery and similes.  His description catered to almost every sense.

“No longer were there echoes of quiet conversations, or the sound of water rushing through the pipes, or the rhythm of footfalls as he moved about in his room.  Gone was the roar of waves and the persistent drumming of the storm, the crackling of the fire.”

The plot was slightly stretched, but the basic idea was simple and satisfying.  The idea that a man and woman both recently divorced and about the same age would be the only ones staying at an inn in a remote fishing town in the middle of nowhere on the Atlantic coast seemed a bit far fetched.  However, the basic idea that two broken people could help each other heal, learn, and grow while getting to know each other was decent and agreeable storyline that allowed me to excuse the unlikely circumstances.  Although the story was not exactly to my taste, Spark’s beautiful diction and style just made the story flow like a lullaby.       

List

1. Picturing America: Landscapes (an online art gallery, click theme and landscapes).  Honestly, when I clicked on the link of American Landscapes, I was expecting something completely nature based.  Considering all of the natural beauty in America, I could not imagine something other than pure rugged wilderness.  I was taken aback when I discovered paintings of factories and railroads, and all those massive technological successes that America uses to flaunt our superiority and industrial power.  The complete contrast between scenes of natural America and snap shots of industrial advancement were puzzling enough to captivate my attention.  My narrow mind had never considered something so man-made and technological to be a landscape, but when I considered it, that’s what America is, a country always striving to develop and pursuing the American dream.  It is almost as if the gallery serves as a reminder of the importance of progress and our roots.

2. It's Nice That is a blog bursting forth with an artful spirit that has no bounds.  What’s On by Leandro Erlich caught my eye and I couldn’t look away; its bizarre design, striking danger, and apparent defile of gravity were enough to encourage a another look.  After close observation, the picture’s complexity increased with an almost playful intensity.   It’s almost as if simple, everyday people, objects, clothing, and architect were suddenly thrown together and broke the laws of science. 

3. Found Magazine immediately triggered my interest by toying with my emotions.  I couldn’t simply pass by the intimate looks into countless anonymous individuals; it somewhat demands a compassionate reaction.  It creates a direct path into typically the most personal aspects of an individual’s life; it reveals those secret corridors in the house of one’s heart.  These are the things that you do not learn about acquaintance or on first dates.  I found the site is a way to personally relate to the world and open my mind to the fact that everyone deals with different circumstances, no one person is the same.