Quarter 2 OR Week 4 Post A

Vocab:
pablum(105)- A trademark used for a bland soft cereal for infants.
bowdlerizing(109)- To remove material that is considered offensive or objective, usually from a book or other written work.

Figurative Language:
"She opens the shampoo and squeezes a few drops onto my palm. It's all I need. I've only got about a dozen hairs left" (107). Although I'm not quite sure the exact name for this figurative device, the closest I can get is to call it a hyperbole since Jacob is exaggerating the truth. He probably has more than 12 hairs on his head. Plus hairs are usually too thin to be able to count, so he really wouldn't know. This is just used here to exemplify his old age.

A simile is illustrated in the following quote as Jacob talks about his aging days and how his children made him feel. He uses the term "like" in the comparison which signifies that it's a simile. "I felt like a toddler whose tantrum was being allowed to run its course"(108).

"I should know better by now, but somehow I still expect to see myself. Instead, I find an Appalachian apple doll, withered and spotty, with dewlaps and bags and long floppy ears"(111). Jacob uses a metaphor to compare himself in his old age to an Appalachian apple doll. I know this is a metaphor because it is a comparison not using "like" or "as".

Quote:
"Mustn't upset Grandpa, you know. Why? That's what I want to know. I hate this bizarre policy of protective exclusion...It's a protective mechanism for them, a way of buffering themselves against my future death...I knew it wasn't her fault--it was programmed into her"(109). Jacob is talking about how he is constantly left out of the loop when it comes to his kids. This shows his age, and how at a certain point, old people become hard to deal with. This also reflects on society's views of the elderly: when they reach a certain age, they are too old to help themselves so they should get assisted living. Jacob's age can also be displayed by how much he knows. The elderly are usually wiser than the youth because they've had time to mull things over, and Jacob definitely has.

Theme:
Although age brings disrespect from others, it also brings wiseness to oneself.

http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-802&artno=0000211199&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=Y&ic=N

This isn't exactly a link for affirmative or negative. It actually deals with the United States government consideration of using alternative energy sources (opposed to fossil fuels). I thought it might be helpful to both cases. It might be an interesting topic to look at, and we probably want to consider researching the consumption, pollution, and cost of fossil fuels.

Lastly, do you guys want to exchange emails or not? Because if we keep using the blog, it's probably a good idea to check the blog almost everyday.

Affirmative for Fossil Fuels

http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307-0-466&artno=0000156822&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=Y&ic=N

On the Waterfront Review

Moral decisions are made almost on a daily basis. Most times, they are not as epic as the decisions that Terry Malloy faces in On the Waterfront. A film about doing the right thing, On the Waterfront, directed by Elia Kazan, was enjoyable but not fantastic. In my personal opinion, it couldn’t compare with the Oscar nominated films of today, even if it did win a few Oscar’s itself. At times, the movie possessed many important morals and themes, but these magnificent scenes were shadowed by the almost musical-like music and far too dramatic moments between the characters, namely Terry and Edie Doyle. Although Kazan does a decent job getting into the action, there are times when I wish to just sink into my seat and disappear out of embarrassment. On the Waterfront was a fine choice for an English class movie because there were many controversial decisions worth discussing, but overall, it was just a bit too dramatic for my tastes.

A key aspect that might have contributed to my dislike of the film was possibly the unrealistic characters. The use of Terry as an underdog was quite clever because it is common for the viewer to cheer on the underdog as he takes on the bully. Even if what happens to Terry may not seem real, giving him the disadvantage makes his character easiest to sympathize and even at times, empathize with. Although Terry was a pleasant character to watch, other characters were not as believable. One such person would be Edie Doyle. Edie, an idealist, is unaware of many things that go down on the waterfront. She believes it’s easy to rat out on the mob instead of playing D and D like most of the workers do. I wonder if her view would be the same if she was a waterfront worker; I doubt it would be. Although it does take someone to first stand up before a revolution can begin, I felt as if Edie Doyle was just a talker. All she really did was speak about what she could do, or what others could do, but she never once went out and did it herself. Glover was another character I found to be implausible. For one, what little kid would strangle a whole bunch of pigeons just to get back at Terry? Not only was the act unsettling, but it also felt like a form of hazing the mob was likely to do. I find it quite disconcerting that a boy so young would practice such acts, and quite unrealistic.

Character development was just one literary aspect that I found didn’t work for me, but the theme of On the Waterfront, doing the right thing, caught my attention. How many films or stories throughout the generations contain that theme? I know I’ve read and seen plenty. It’s the same idea of the main character facing a conflict of choosing one decision over the other: one is morally right but is the harder choice, and the other is morally wrong and the easier choice. Even though the theme is a cliché, one can’t help but fall right into the literary trap, engaged in the story until the very end. Even I don’t know why, but I suppose it has to do with the believable options of choosing a path that are so evident in a person’s life. Every time I watch a film like this, I always end up asking myself what I would if put in this situation, and I presume it’s safe to bet the $10 in my pocket that this thought crosses the mind of viewers alike.

Point of view, sometimes best known as bias, was, although somewhat hidden, still apparent in this film. Movies are commonly made in a 3^rd person point of view, but that doesn’t mean the viewer, or the director, is completely unbiased. Kazan cleverly crafts the camera work and storyline to follow the feelings and emotions of Terry Malloy. So when watching On the Waterfront, it’s most likely uncommon for the viewer to be cheering for Johnny Friendly as he bedraggles Terry at the end of the film. This technique, used frequently in film, can also show insight into the director, producer, or writer, like the point of view of a book can demonstrate the feelings of the author.

The acting was superb despite the characters themselves being somewhat fanatical, which may have affected the acting capacity. Karl Malden portrayed Father Barry as well as the character could allow. He was a rather controversial priest who both smoked and drank. Malden gave Barry a sense of ferocity not seen in most church figures and brought the character to life. Barry became easier to relate to once the viewer learned of his imperfect qualities; he even became humorous. Not many actors would be able to pull of the priest’s twisted humor and inappropriate timing without ruining the already set mood. Marlon Brando played lovable Terry Malloy. Terry’s character was already set up to be the one that viewers would sympathize with the most, but Brando’s Oscar-worthy acting made Terry an even more believable character than he already was. Because of his charismatic personality and Brando’s magnificent portrayal, everyone will be cheering for Terry to get up and make the walk at the end of the film. Edie Doyle’s character was another story. While Eva Marie Saint might have done her best, it was not enough to stop Edie from appearing whiny and nauseating. Perhaps the role was written that way, and if so, than Saint depicted her perfectly. Saint’s interpretation of Edie was like a conscience, nagging at everything you do, a Jiminy Cricket to Terry. And I suppose that was her purpose, to sway Terry into ratting on the mob, and she accomplished her intention without even breaking a nail.

Many dramatic aspects were present in the film, but I thought the costumes complemented the story the best. Each character had a specific look: Edie with her delicate clothes that she wears with the sisters, Terry’s plaid jacket, the workers’ torn clothes, and the mob’s well dressed suits. The outfits were particular to each person’s disposition. It gave the untold story of each character’s history and a sense of places they’ve been to. For example, Edie’s nice, conservative clothing represents her time spent training to be a nun. Terry’s one worn out plaid jacket signifies the rough days he spent as a boxer and his position as a bum. The costumes also enhanced the time period and social classes are established, the mob being the highest up, clearly with the best clothes. We become aware of the poverty of the times when we see the state of the workers’ clothing, evident in the scene when Pop gives Joey’s nice jacket to a worker with a depleted one, and realize that the mob isn’t making things any better.

After watching a clip from The Royal Tenenbaums, where the editing was full of cuts, the smoother transitions in On the Waterfront seemed refreshing and worked for this cinematic drama. And when, if in some case, quick cuts were used, it was clear that panic was trying to be portrayed. The wonderful editing helped set the atmosphere for the forthcoming scene, whether it is a continuing storyline or a new one that needed to be linked with a transition, the editing added to the film as a whole. Camera angles enhanced the film by furthering the development of characters, particularly in the opening scene when Joey Doyle is thrown off the roof. The mob members are shot from a low angle, giving them a look of power, while Terry is shown from a high angle, displaying his insignificance. A flat angle also gets the viewer into the action. During the scene at the Friendly bar, a flat angle was used to make the viewer feel like they were a part of the mob, an equal. The last cinematic aspect that I must consider is the music, and unlike the other two mentioned, it was a tad too much. Although Leonard Bernstein’s compositions in West Side Story are beyond perfect, they are much too overpowering for On the Waterfront. At times, the music even envelops the dialogue, making it hard to understand the point the actors are trying to get at. Other times, I feel like the characters are about to burst out into song and dance, specifically when the music reached its climactic points. Now, for a musical, this is perfectly acceptable. For a drama like On the Waterfront, I don’t find it to be a very good idea. So, while the editing and camera angles used complemented the film, the music clashes with the rest of secretive and fearful mood.

On the Waterfront has many similarities with Arthur Miller’s All My Sons. The main parallel that caught my eye were the protagonists. In On the Waterfront, there are Edie Doyle and Terry Malloy. Their views are similar to those of Chris and Joe Keller in All My Sons. Both Edie and Chris have idealistic point of views. They believe that it is better to put others ahead of yourself and your own wellbeing. Joe and Terry, both at first, believe that their own family and happiness is more important than that of strangers. They both have to make a moral decision. Terry, eventually, chooses the waterfront workers and townspeople over Johnny and the mob. That is similar to Joe’s dilemma of his family (Johnny and the mob) versus strangers in the war (the waterfront workers). But unlike Terry, Joe decides to choose his family over others serving in the war. Both decisions have severe consequences. Terry is unable to work at the waterfront and Joe is condemned by his community and even his family. In the end, Terry’s decision, the one of self-sacrifice, paid off more, because the workers eventually sided with him, than Joe’s, whose son killed himself after learning what his father did, the one of selfishness.

On the Waterfront, when considered as a whole, was a satisfactory film. It wasn’t phenomenal, but I believe it accomplished its purpose of teaching the world what it means to do the right thing. Is it a film worth watching? I’m not sure I can answer that question for everyone. In my opinion, it was a well-done movie. There are likely to be critics out there who absolutely fall in love with it and claim this film to be “a classic for generations to come”, but there will also be others who absolutely loathed the film and will call it “a lackluster piece of nothingness not worth half a penny.” My personal take on this film was somewhere in between the radical extremes, but I presume one must watch it and decide for themselves.

Quarter 2 OR Week 3 Post B

The characters in Water for Elephants are a lot like the many members (animals included) of a circus. They are as different as each performer is another. Jacob, clearly new to the circus, comes from a sheltered world. He attended Cornell University in hopes of achieving a veterinarian degree but ended up jumping a circus train after the death of his parents. He believes in the general good of people, but after less than a week with the circus, he's views have changed. Sure he's met nice people like Camel, who helped get him a job on the show, and Diamond Joe, who gave Jacob some advice on how to survive circus life. But there were others like Kinko who showed Jacob no kindness whatsoever. "'That's Kinko to you, pal. Only my friends call my Walter'"(82). Not to mention August, who appears kind at first, "' Nonsense,' he says. 'You're the show's vet. Come with me'"(76), but at others, clearly doesn't like Jacob as much as he acts like he does, "'August's a funny one, and I don't mean funny ha-ha. You be careful'"(87). The other circus workers know about August's quirks. Jacob realizes a little too late, after the lion incident, that August isn't someone to mess with. Of course, there is also the ringmaster, Uncle Al. Uncle Al is what I would call a wacko. We haven't learned much about him except that he loves circus freaks. Personally, he kind of creeps me out, and I think Jacob would agree with me when I say he's not a man to cross. Lastly, there's Marlena. She's a performer and she clearly loves the animals she performs with. But she's also married to August, who, as I mentioned before, is a little crazy, so it's hard to tell how much of an influence he's had on her. As for now, she seems normal and a very nice person. But at such an early stage in the book, it's hard to tell about anyone, even Jacob himself could be a madman and I wouldn't know if from what I've read so far. The characters may be hard to find in real life, but they're interesting to read about. Different, and a little odd. But as they say, to each his own.

Quarter 2 OR Week 3 Post A

Vocab:
roustabouts(65)- a laborer employed for temporary or unskilled jobs; a circus laborer.
percherons (66)- any of a breed of gray or black draft horses.

Appeals:
"I'm like a piece of meat unearthed from the back of the fridge" (64). Here, Jacob is comparing himself to a piece of meat, as he gets poked and prodded every morning by the nurses, using the term "like". This shows that this statement is a simile.

"It's a beautiful day, with the sun streaming down between puffy clouds" (65). This quote displays imagery because the descriptions relate to one of the five senses. Mostly, it relates to sight. I can almost see the beams of sunlight and clouds full of texture. "Puffy clouds" thought, could also relate to touch. I know, or at least can imagine, what puffy clouds feel like.

Another example of a simile is when Jacob is describing how he can't hold onto his anger and how "It slips away, like a wave from shore" (69).

Quote:
"Within seconds, I am a Jell-O eating sheep. Well, a sheep at any rate...I realize that if someone brought pockmarked Jell-O right now and told me to eat it, I would. What have they done to me?" (69). This quote shows Jacob's vulnerability and his increasing lack of defense as his age increases. When he was younger, he couldn't be taken advantage of. He had a personality and a stubbornness about him that got him into the circus. He didn't let people stop him when he wanted to do something. Now, he's old and these nurses are able to take him down with a single drug. It makes me think, is this how we, as society, treat the elderly? That they are just worthless pieces of history that we say we need to respect, but in reality disrespect with our so called "kindness"?

Theme:
Defy what you have to if that's the only way to get your freedom. (In the case of Jacob at his retirement/ treatment center. They force him to take pills, eat food, and do things he doesn't want to. He's not happy.)

Quarter 2 OR Week 2 Post B

"And then I'm...I'm...I'm blubbering like an ancient fool I am, that's what. I guess I was asleep. I could have sworn that just a few seconds ago I was twenty-three" (63-64). This is the first time Jacob has come back to his 90 or 93 year old self after the first chapter. The transition was seamless and very smooth. As Jacob woke up from his dream, I felt like I did too. It was like being pulled out of a Pensieve in Harry Potter. This book has many descriptions and wonderful word choice. Every moment of it feels like I'm actually there, experiencing exactly what Jacob did. And after he woke up from his dream, it felt like I was pulled back into reality from this fantasy. The way this story is written, the reader feels like they are Jacob. It's their story to tell, and no one else's. The emotions that I get from reading Water for Elephants is almost indescribable. One almost has to read it themselves to understand the feelings that are piqued during the story. There's not really much more I can say in words. It's just...well...it's...amazing! The transitions are smooth. The story has a plot. The word choice is incredible. The organization is flawless. Basically, this book is perfect. Gruen could not be doing anything better.

Quarter 2 OR Week 2 Post A

Vocab:
menagerie(30)- a collection of wild or unusual animals or a place where they are kept
lasciviously(46)- inclined to lustfulness

Figurative Language:
" The big top still stands, glowing like a ghostly coliseum" (49). This is a simile because the world "like" is used to compare the big top and a ghostly coliseum.

"...and pulsing with the sound of the band" (49). A continuation from the previous quote, this is a display of imagery because it pertains to both sight and sound. You can almost see the big top moving from the tremendous sound emanating from the circus band, behaving like a heart as it pumps blood.

"'Happy as a clam, that's me'" (53). Camel is comparing his happiness with that of a clam by using a simile. This is a simile because he used the word "as" in the comparison.

Quote:
"'I studied veterinary sciences.' His mien changes instantly, utterly. "Vet school? You're a vet?'"(59). Those words are what changes Jacob's life. Although jumping on the train after his parents death definitely played a role, he still wasn't a part of the show. Uncle Al actually considered throwing him off the train, but when August found out he was a vet, Jacob was saved, at least for now. He had work, a place to stay, and plenty of food, which was good enough.

Theme:
Never underestimate your abilities. You never know what they can do for you.

Quarter 2 OR Week 1 Post B

For this week's Post B, I've decided to write a letter to the AUTHOR. Just to make this clear that the person I'm writing to is NOT the main character of the book.

Dear Sara,
I must say I'm thoroughly impressed with your book Water for Elephants. When I was first deciding what book to read, I wasn't really sure I wanted to read it. No offense or anything, but you're book seemed a little depressing when I read the synopsis. But I also heard from a very reliable source that it was a fantastic book. After a long and gruesome search, I decided to give it a try, and I'm very glad that I did.
Not only is the plot for Water for Elephants captivating, but the word choice is absolutely amazing! Complemented with wonderful, fun, and even slightly disturbing characters, I've definitely been trapped and can't wait to read more.

There was one quote that I really wanted to comment on in my blog that I couldn't because it didn't quite relate, so I think I'll touch on it here. This quote, in my opinion, was really well written, and I just found it entertaining. It was also a magnificent transition from old Jacob to young Jacob.

"But there's nothing to be done about it. All I can do is put in time waiting for the inevitable, observing as the ghosts of my past rattle around my vacuous present. They crash and bang and make themselves at home, mostly because there's no competition. I've stopped fighting them. They're crashing and banging around in there now. Make yourselves at home, boys. Stay awhile. Oh sorry--I see you already have. Damn ghosts"(13).

This quote is significant for many different reasons. First of all, it's extremely well written. Not only is it clearly displaying good word choice (vacuous, rattle), imagery (they crash and bang and make themselves at home), but it shows a theme as well. Plus I just thought it was a fun little paragraph. I especially like the ending, which adds a lot to Jacob's character. We can now tell that he's a blunt person who's let go of the past and is unafraid to confront it or share it. That also has to do with the theme. I think the theme present is that you shouldn't suppress your past. The best way to deal with it is to confront it or even welcome it.

Of course you should correct me if I'm wrong with my interpretation, but that's what I got out of that paragraph. Anyway, overall, from the three chapters that I've read, I'd just like to say that I really enjoy your book. It's quite an interesting read and I can't wait to find out what happens to Jacob. Keep up the good work!

Sincerely,
Amy

Synopsis for Water for Elephants

I remember when we first did these blogs, I was looking at Sarah's blog and I had no idea what her book was about. I then asked her to post a summary of the book which ended up being very helpful. I was able to understand what she was talking about more easily, so I've decided to take that idea and apply it to my blog too. Thanks for the idea Sarah!

Synopsis
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the great Depression, and for Jacob, now ninety, the circus world he remembers was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was one of love and trust, and, ultimately, it was their only hope for survival.
*courtesy of barnesandnoble.com which is a great resource if anyone's looking for a good read or book information.

Quarter 2 OR Week 1 Post A

Vocab:
masticating (8)- to chew (food)
tchotchke (13)- an inexpensive souvenir, trinket, or ornament

Figurative Language:
"Particularly when I remember that I'm one of the ancient dusty people, filed away like some worthless tchotchke" (13). This is a simile. The author is comparing the main character to a tchotchke (see above for definition) using the word "like".

"I am, as far as I can tell, the oldest male virgin on the face of the earth" (15). A hyperbole is demonstrated in this quote. Jacob says that he is the oldest male virgin on the face of the earth. This isn't too be taken literally. He really isn't in the entire world, but this phrase is used to exaggerate his point.

"Death is all over them" (18). Jacob describes what his parents look like. In the process he personifies death, which usually can't be over someone. A person, can be "all over someone", but not death, at least not literally.

Quote:
"This morning, I had parents. This morning, they ate breakfast. I fall to my knees, right there on the back stoop, howling into splayed hands" (19). The death of Jacob's parents sends his whole life awry and it is the reason he ends up joining the circus. That one event sends his life into motion.

Theme:
I don't really think there is much of a theme right now. The best I can get is: Don't suppress your past. The only way to move on is to welcome it.