I'm reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult and LOVE IT!!
Wow!! This book makes me think a lot more than I thought it would, but that's definitly a good thing. I find Jesse, Anna's older brother, to be an interesting character. He has a reputation as being a rebel because he is always on drugs, smokes and drinks alot, is an arsonist, and watches playboy. However, I can't help but like him and feel bad for him. Sometimes I could even see him being a role model for Anna, not necessarily a positive one, but one who helps her through tough times in her life.
Anna decides that she wants to try a cigarette for the first time because she figures that she "might as well". Jesse is surprised and pulls the car off the road and lets her have her first cigarette. Smoking is bad, obviously, yet I think that he has good intentions in letting her try new things and teaching them to her. He also treats Anna like an adult, when she is treated like a child by almost everyone else. Her mother claims that Anna "doesn't know what she wants" yet Jesse thinks Anna is old enought to make her own decisions and he supports them. "'Anna,' he says, 'You're not doing the wrong thing'" (133).
Lastly, Jesse always just wants to help Anna because Anna is his only family member who enjoys his company and isn't absorbed by Kate's cancer. He tries to help her whenever he can whether its giving her a ride or just being a good listener. Anna says "For once, though, someone seems to understand. Jesse stares out the window of the car. 'Leave it to me,' he says" (133).
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Q3 Post 3A
I'm reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
VOCABULARY
1. canvass (128)- to examine carefully (verb)
2. limbo (130)- an intermediary place of confinement (noun)
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
1. "Her hair is longer now, and fine lines bracket her mouth, parentheses around a lifetime of words that I was not around to hear" (117). This is a metaphor comparing Julia's 'mouth wrinkles' to parentheses.
2. "I imagine the door of the station yawning like Aladdin's cave, and the engine screaming out, my father in the passenger seat" (131). This is a similie. Anna is comparing the fire station to Aladdin's cave and the noise of the fire engine to someone screaming.
3. "Kate was the shape of a pixie, all noodle arms and legs; and when she bent to the ground and kicked up her feet, it looked as delicate as a spider walking a wall" (134). Wow, lots of figurative language! It has a lot of imagery and uses a metaphor comparing Kate's limbs to noodles and then it has a similie comparing her movement to a spider.
QUOTE
"'This is a service dog.' When that doesn't seem to ring a bell, I spell it out for him. 'You know. Like Seeing Eye.' 'You don't look blind.' 'I'm a recovering alcoholic,' I tell him. 'The dog gets between me and a beer'" (125). I really want to know what Campbell uses Judge for. He has a different excuse everytime someone tells him that dogs aren't allowed. I think that its interesting that Judge is basically his best friend.
THEME
An emerging theme in this novel is the past and the effects it has on today; Julia has come back into Campbell's life and he still likes her after fifteen years.
VOCABULARY
1. canvass (128)- to examine carefully (verb)
2. limbo (130)- an intermediary place of confinement (noun)
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
1. "Her hair is longer now, and fine lines bracket her mouth, parentheses around a lifetime of words that I was not around to hear" (117). This is a metaphor comparing Julia's 'mouth wrinkles' to parentheses.
2. "I imagine the door of the station yawning like Aladdin's cave, and the engine screaming out, my father in the passenger seat" (131). This is a similie. Anna is comparing the fire station to Aladdin's cave and the noise of the fire engine to someone screaming.
3. "Kate was the shape of a pixie, all noodle arms and legs; and when she bent to the ground and kicked up her feet, it looked as delicate as a spider walking a wall" (134). Wow, lots of figurative language! It has a lot of imagery and uses a metaphor comparing Kate's limbs to noodles and then it has a similie comparing her movement to a spider.
QUOTE
"'This is a service dog.' When that doesn't seem to ring a bell, I spell it out for him. 'You know. Like Seeing Eye.' 'You don't look blind.' 'I'm a recovering alcoholic,' I tell him. 'The dog gets between me and a beer'" (125). I really want to know what Campbell uses Judge for. He has a different excuse everytime someone tells him that dogs aren't allowed. I think that its interesting that Judge is basically his best friend.
THEME
An emerging theme in this novel is the past and the effects it has on today; Julia has come back into Campbell's life and he still likes her after fifteen years.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Q3 Post 2B
I'm reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
People's parenting styles are so different in each family, but thats what makes their children different. Everyone has things they like and dislike about how their parents raised them. Personnally, I can't help but judge other families and how they are run. I think its interesting how different my parents are from my friends' parents and my aunts and uncles.
In My Sister's Keeper Anna's parents had Jesse and Kate and when they learned that Kate had cancer, they had Anna, a perfect DNA match. I dislike Anna's mother because of the way she handles this situation. She was only thinking of Kate and never thought of the moral issues Anna might struggle with during her lifetime. She spends way too much of her time focusing on Kate and basically none on Anna and Jesse. Jesse lives out in the garage and no one seems to care about him.
"My mother closes her eyes. 'Jesse, you know, now would be a good time for you to leave.' 'You don't have to ask me twice,' he says, his voice full of broken glass. We hear the front door open and shut, a whole story" (91).
Anna goes unnoticed in their family as well.
"This is when I realize that Anna has already left the table, and more importantly that nobody noticed" (40).
Jesse is quite the rebel because of his parents' neglect for him and now Anna is rebelling, only she has taken her case to court, trying to get what she wants in a civil way.
People's parenting styles are so different in each family, but thats what makes their children different. Everyone has things they like and dislike about how their parents raised them. Personnally, I can't help but judge other families and how they are run. I think its interesting how different my parents are from my friends' parents and my aunts and uncles.
In My Sister's Keeper Anna's parents had Jesse and Kate and when they learned that Kate had cancer, they had Anna, a perfect DNA match. I dislike Anna's mother because of the way she handles this situation. She was only thinking of Kate and never thought of the moral issues Anna might struggle with during her lifetime. She spends way too much of her time focusing on Kate and basically none on Anna and Jesse. Jesse lives out in the garage and no one seems to care about him.
"My mother closes her eyes. 'Jesse, you know, now would be a good time for you to leave.' 'You don't have to ask me twice,' he says, his voice full of broken glass. We hear the front door open and shut, a whole story" (91).
Anna goes unnoticed in their family as well.
"This is when I realize that Anna has already left the table, and more importantly that nobody noticed" (40).
Jesse is quite the rebel because of his parents' neglect for him and now Anna is rebelling, only she has taken her case to court, trying to get what she wants in a civil way.
Q3 Post 2A
I'm reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult
VOCABULARY
1. coxcomb (59)- a cap worn by jesters (noun)
2. leer (75)- to glance sideways with malicious intent (verb)
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
1. "'Leukemic,' I repeat. The word is runny, slippery, like the white of an egg" (33). This is a similie describing the word 'leukemic' as slippery and egg-like.
2. "For every nineteen degrees hotter a fire burns, in doubles in size. This is what I am thinking while I watch sparks shoot out of the incinerator chimney, a thousand new stars" (37). In this metaphor Anna's dad is comparing the sparks to stars because he is a firefighter but loves to study astronomy on the side.
3. "My throat closes like the shutter of a camera, so that any air or excuses must move through a tunnel as thin as a pin" (54). This is a double similie!!! Using 'like' it compares her throat closing to a camera and then it comapres the size of her throat to a pin using 'as'.
QUOTE
"It was an hour later when I finally arrived, and by then he was in high spirits, drinking scotch from the crystal cup he hjad won. 'Here comes your crew, Cam,' a friend called out. My father lifted the victory cup in salute, drank deeply, and then slammed it down so hard on the bar that its handle shattered. 'Oh,' said another sailor. 'That's a shame.' My father never took his eyes off me. 'Isn't it, though,' he said" (81). Campbell Alexander knows what it's like to dissapoint his parents and have them angry with him. This is how he and Anna relate.
THEME
An emerging theme in this book is family destruction; Anna's decision to take her parents to court for medical emancipation is tearing apart her family.
VOCABULARY
1. coxcomb (59)- a cap worn by jesters (noun)
2. leer (75)- to glance sideways with malicious intent (verb)
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
1. "'Leukemic,' I repeat. The word is runny, slippery, like the white of an egg" (33). This is a similie describing the word 'leukemic' as slippery and egg-like.
2. "For every nineteen degrees hotter a fire burns, in doubles in size. This is what I am thinking while I watch sparks shoot out of the incinerator chimney, a thousand new stars" (37). In this metaphor Anna's dad is comparing the sparks to stars because he is a firefighter but loves to study astronomy on the side.
3. "My throat closes like the shutter of a camera, so that any air or excuses must move through a tunnel as thin as a pin" (54). This is a double similie!!! Using 'like' it compares her throat closing to a camera and then it comapres the size of her throat to a pin using 'as'.
QUOTE
"It was an hour later when I finally arrived, and by then he was in high spirits, drinking scotch from the crystal cup he hjad won. 'Here comes your crew, Cam,' a friend called out. My father lifted the victory cup in salute, drank deeply, and then slammed it down so hard on the bar that its handle shattered. 'Oh,' said another sailor. 'That's a shame.' My father never took his eyes off me. 'Isn't it, though,' he said" (81). Campbell Alexander knows what it's like to dissapoint his parents and have them angry with him. This is how he and Anna relate.
THEME
An emerging theme in this book is family destruction; Anna's decision to take her parents to court for medical emancipation is tearing apart her family.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Q3 Post 1B
I'm reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult!!
Wow!! I haven't been able to read that much of this book yet but so far I like it a lot!! It has a very controversial topic and an exciting story line too. I'm glad that I've finally gotten around to reading it. Anna had asked her parents why she was born and they told her how they had made sure she was a perfect match so she could be a donor for her older sister Kate who has leukemia.
"'We loved you even more,' my mother made sure to say, 'because we knew exactly what we were getting'" (8).
First of all, I'm not sure if this quote means that the mother loves Anna more than Kate or if she just loves Anna more than if she had been born without being genetically engineered. Either way, I think its an odd thing to say because they had her to basically be a donor for her sister for her whole life or until Kate died. That is a very hard thing to expect from a kid and I don't doubt that they love Anna, I just think that their actions don't show their love for her.
I also think that it is extremely weird how people can genetically engineer their children and it scares me. If people can create their children how they want they could keep kids from having downsyndrome and other diseases but the problem would be people creating their kids to be perfect, the best at sports, and a genius. I will elaborate on that thought more in a later post probably.
Wow!! I haven't been able to read that much of this book yet but so far I like it a lot!! It has a very controversial topic and an exciting story line too. I'm glad that I've finally gotten around to reading it. Anna had asked her parents why she was born and they told her how they had made sure she was a perfect match so she could be a donor for her older sister Kate who has leukemia.
"'We loved you even more,' my mother made sure to say, 'because we knew exactly what we were getting'" (8).
First of all, I'm not sure if this quote means that the mother loves Anna more than Kate or if she just loves Anna more than if she had been born without being genetically engineered. Either way, I think its an odd thing to say because they had her to basically be a donor for her sister for her whole life or until Kate died. That is a very hard thing to expect from a kid and I don't doubt that they love Anna, I just think that their actions don't show their love for her.
I also think that it is extremely weird how people can genetically engineer their children and it scares me. If people can create their children how they want they could keep kids from having downsyndrome and other diseases but the problem would be people creating their kids to be perfect, the best at sports, and a genius. I will elaborate on that thought more in a later post probably.
Q3 Post 1A
I'm reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult!
VOCABULARY
1. dialysis (12)- the separation of crystalloids from colloids in a solution by diffusion through a membrane. (noun)
2. jimmies (15)- forces open. (verb)
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
1. "An inferno races so fast through my belly and legs I fall back onto the couch" (15). This is a metaphor comparing the feeling in her stomach to a giant fire.
2. "The heart falls on the glass counter in a pool of its own chain" (8). This is descriptive imagery. I really like this sentence. It has a tragic feeling and shows that the locket means a lot to Anna.
3. "-my hand, it just clamps shut like the Jaws of Life" (9). This is a similie comparing the strength of Anna's grasp to the strength of the Jaws of Life, a heavy-duty hydraulic tool used to save people from car wrecks.
QUOTE
"My father, a closet astronomer, has tried to explain black holes to me, how they are so heavy they absorb everything, even light, right into their center. Moments like this are the same kind of vacuum; no matter what you cling to, you wind up being sucked in" (11). I liked this quote comparison alot. Kate is the black hole in the family, she takes up all thier energy and time no matter how hard they try to live a semi-normal life.
THEME
A theme in this novel is love; Anna loves her sister Kate and helps her in every way possible (so far!).
VOCABULARY
1. dialysis (12)- the separation of crystalloids from colloids in a solution by diffusion through a membrane. (noun)
2. jimmies (15)- forces open. (verb)
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
1. "An inferno races so fast through my belly and legs I fall back onto the couch" (15). This is a metaphor comparing the feeling in her stomach to a giant fire.
2. "The heart falls on the glass counter in a pool of its own chain" (8). This is descriptive imagery. I really like this sentence. It has a tragic feeling and shows that the locket means a lot to Anna.
3. "-my hand, it just clamps shut like the Jaws of Life" (9). This is a similie comparing the strength of Anna's grasp to the strength of the Jaws of Life, a heavy-duty hydraulic tool used to save people from car wrecks.
QUOTE
"My father, a closet astronomer, has tried to explain black holes to me, how they are so heavy they absorb everything, even light, right into their center. Moments like this are the same kind of vacuum; no matter what you cling to, you wind up being sucked in" (11). I liked this quote comparison alot. Kate is the black hole in the family, she takes up all thier energy and time no matter how hard they try to live a semi-normal life.
THEME
A theme in this novel is love; Anna loves her sister Kate and helps her in every way possible (so far!).
Sunday, February 3, 2008
"White Flag" (Dido)- Penelope
Dido's song "White Flag" relates to Penelope, Odysseus's wife. Penelope is interesting because she refuses to let go of Odysseus even though many say that he is dead. She has many suitors, all of whom would be more than happy to marry her. She claims that she will remarry yet she will not because she continues to undo the progress she has made on her weaving. I don't think that she will ever be able to move on from Odysseus even with people telling her that he is dead and with all of the suitors courting her.
"Well, I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be"
This is the chorus of "White Flag" and it relates to Penelope because it is saying that she will always love Odysseus and won't give up on him. She will continue believing in him despite what people tell her because she loves him so much. She isn't giving up because she hasn't finished her weaving and therefore isn't getting married. Dido wrote the song about her break up with her fiance who she loved. Penelope loved Odyseuss and still does even though he is gone and possibly dead. She is very true to her husband even thought he hasn't returned for over 20 years which proves how devoted and in love she is.
"Well, I will go down with this ship
And I won't put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
I'm in love and always will be"
This is the chorus of "White Flag" and it relates to Penelope because it is saying that she will always love Odysseus and won't give up on him. She will continue believing in him despite what people tell her because she loves him so much. She isn't giving up because she hasn't finished her weaving and therefore isn't getting married. Dido wrote the song about her break up with her fiance who she loved. Penelope loved Odyseuss and still does even though he is gone and possibly dead. She is very true to her husband even thought he hasn't returned for over 20 years which proves how devoted and in love she is.
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