Q4 Outside Reading Week 7 Post B

This will be my last post for The Kite Runner because I finished it just recently and I dare say it is an amazing book. For everyone who hasn't read it, here's my piece of advice: you should. While originally I never thought it would interest me very much I quickly learned that no matter how different you are from the protagonist or how far apart your worlds are, if the main character was made to be a real person, then you will always find some way to relate to him or her.
Relating to the main character is a very important aspect to liking a book. Amir's character is full of flaws, just like any other person. Even though he grew up in Afghanistan and knows a completely different life than I do, I find that it's easy to sympathize and even empathize with him at times. I know how it sometimes feels that the whole world is against you when all you wanted to do was help. Because of my connection with Amir, I was interested the whole way through.
I learned through Amir's journey, and my journey of reading Amir's story that sometimes bad things happen to good people. It's not always their fault, but the only way to move on is to forgive. And before they can fully forgive anyone else, before can move on with life at all, they have to forgive themselves. Once they do, things may never return to normal ever again, but they just have to wait. They have to wait and take what life gives them. Take all the small things because added together, they will mean so much. "It was only a smile, nothing more. It didn't make everything all right. It didn't make anything all right. Only a smile. A tiny thing. [...] But I'll take it. With open arms. Because when spring comes, it melts the snow one flake at a time, and maybe I just witnessed the first flake melting"(371). Things probably will never be the same again, but sometimes they will be even better.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 7 Post A

"I remembered how green the playing field grass had been in the '70s when Baba used to bring me to soccer games here" (268).

Amir had many memories that came back to him when he returned to Afghanistan to find Sohrab. As a child, his father had taken him to soccer games, hoping that Amir would take a delight in soccer as well. While Amir liked watching, he wasn't much of a player. The question of his strength was something that made Amir ashamed and fight even harder for his father's affection.
Soccer being the biggest and most acclaimed sport in Afghanistan during Amir's childhood meant that he and his father attended many games. The cultural difference here is that in America, soccer is not as much of a national past time. It is more commonly found in Europe and other such countries around the world. While it is broadcasted and games are attended, soccer has never truly reached the peak of interest as other sports such as baseball and football. Baseball has always been known as the American past time. Football, a sport that didn't pick up much speed in the beginning, has a forever expanding crowd base. With the SuperBowl attracting more fans than presidential debates put together, it is by far one of the more popular American sports.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 6 Post B

There are two things I'd like to comment on for this post: writing style and the idea of redemption.
The writing style in this book is first person narration by the protagonist. It remains relatively consistent throughout the book with no point of view switches unlike books like My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult or In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alveraz. But the one exception to this rule is chapter 16. After moving to America, getting married, witnessing his father's death, and starting a life of his own, Amir is contacted by an old friend: Rahim Kahn. Rahim Kahn tells Amir about Hassan and what happened to him after they left Amir's house all those years ago. When Rahim Kahn tells his story, it is in his point of view rather than Amir's. It is the one time everything switches around. It's peculiar, this one chapter not in Amir's perspective. It protrudes from the story, interrupting the smooth flow of Amir's narration, but there must have been a reason why Hosseini put it in there. I think it was told in Rahim Kahn's perspective because he was the one who was there. He experienced it all. And if it hadn't been told from Rahim Kahn's point of view, all of the story would have been in quotes with occasional interruptions of Amir's thoughts. This way, the reader was able to hear the story without interruptions. They were able to develop their own thoughts rather than respond to Amir's. It was an interesting choice for Hosseini to make and while it disrupts the flow of the first person narration, it makes a good contrast to the book.
As for the idea of redemption, it is something that pushes the plot forward. Amir committed a horrible crime by not helping Hassan, a loyal friend, a loyal brother, but he is able to redeem himself when Rahim Kahn calls for him. Amir is presented the chance and while at first he reverts back to his cowardly ways, Amir soon learns that he must do this for Hassan, for himself, for his family. It's funny how when you think you've forgotten something, it always comes back to haunt you. Not until you put an end to it does it go away. You can bury it, toss it, repress it, but no matter what happens, you will never be able to live at ease until the problem is solved, until it's out in the open. While America may have been a place for Amir to bury his sins and pains, they came running after him anyway. He needs to find Hassan's son if he wants to live his life in peace. And when he does, he will prove to be the good person he really is.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 6 Post A

"...a list that included exchanging dollars for Kaldar and Afghani bills, my garment and pakol--ironically, I'd never worn either when I'd actually lived in Afghanistan... and, finally, perhaps the most important item: an artificial beard, black and chest length"(230).

After being contacted by Rahim Kahn, Amir goes back to Afghanistan to retrieve Hassan's son from an orphanage after the Taliban killed his parents. In America, we are able to wear whatever we wish because of the First Amendment, as long as it doesn't fall into the category of the exceptions. Under Taliban-rule Afghanistan, certain dress restrictions are put in place, for both men and women. Women had to cover themselves up as much as possible when out in public and were not allowed to make eye contact or raise their voices. They were basically property to their fathers or husbands. Amir must put on a pakol, something he's never worn in his entire life, and an artificial beard because in America, men are free to shave or not shave as they like. In Afghanistan, they needed to have a certain length beard to be approved by the Taliban. This shows the restrictions in Taliban-rule Afghanistan that were guaranteed freedoms in America.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 5 Post B

This week, I will comment on the narration and style of the writing used in The Kite Runner.
It seems like any normal first person narrative story with our main character being the narrator. The events that unfold throughout the story revolve around Amir, just like they're supposed to. We don't learn about the lives of those outside of his sphere, and when he moves to America, we don't leanr anymore about Hassan or Rahim Kahn except an occassional thought or to from Amir. But there is one thing that makes it different. Amir is from Afghanistan. Although he does learn to speak English, that is not his native language, but that is the language the book is written in. It's almost like someone translated it for us readers. It's interesting how Hosseini writes all of the dialogue in English, with the exception of some words which he uses Amir's character to translate in Amir's head, while the characters may not be speaking English at all. This small subtle writing style makes me sometimes forget that Amir is Afghan and not American along with the traditions that Hosseini incorporates into Amir's life. But despite my knowledge, Amir still seems like any average American. He has thoughts that have gone through my head. He does things that I've done. It doesn't feel like he lives or has lived in a different country. It doesn't feel like he lives in a different time period. It doesn't feel different at all even though I know it is. This is part of Hosseini's amazing writing, to make one be able to connect to the main character despite all the differences. And when one can connect with the protagonist, it just makes the book that much more enjoyable.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 5 Post A

"... not unless the fellow in question was a khastegar, a suitor, who had done the honorable thing and sent his father to knock on the door"(147).

In Afghan tradition, marriage, is quite different than for Americans. Everything has to be done based on tradition, honor, and family name. A boy who comes from a decent family will have a better chance at getting the girl of his dreams than one without a good name. For Amir, his good fortune of having a well-known father gave him a shot at happiness with Soraya, the daughter of an Afghan general. "That's why when his father--God give him peace--came khastegari, I didn't hesistate. And believe me, his father wouldn't have agreed to ask for your hand if he didn't know whose descendant you were. Blood is a powerful thing [...] Now if you were American, it wouldn't matter. People here marry for love"(188). They care about family name and ancestory. Marrying for love isn't always possible for people like Amir, but he was lucky enough to find it in the form of Soraya who came from a good family too.
There are also many traditions one has to go through. The first of which being the father of the son must go to the father of the daughter to ask for her hand in marriage. The two lovers cannot just date or come together on their own terms. There are also ceremonies that the couple must go through and they are not allowed in public alone together before they are married. To me, it seems like a complex string of events, but tradition is tradition and that was the way Amir was raised. It is different here. As General Sahib points out, people in Ameirca marry for love. I'm glad to be living in a country that grants you such freedoms.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 4 Post A

"Tea, Politics, and Scandal, the ingredients of an Afghan Sunday at the flea market"(138).

After moving to America, life for Amir was different. He was happier true, but his father was having a harder time. Amir got the education he'd always wanted while Baba had to work low paying jobs to support them. Among the Afghans, he was still respected, but in the wide expanse of America, Baba wasn't as influential as he used to be. But despite the culture shock and plunge to the working class, the Afghan traditions still remaind ingrained within them. Even though they were at a flea market selling stuff they had bought the day before from garage sales, the Afghans retained their respect. They would move among the stands, sharing political views, drinking tea, and trading gossip. It was the way of life for them on Sundays. In where we live, this isn't common. We don't embrace everyone who walks by and offer them some tea. Political views are shared true, but heated debates soon ensue which is never a good sign. I personally don't like to talk about politics with my friends because it only causes argument. Politics is something Amir's father will talk about. The one thing that we all do have in common is the trading of gossip. Scandal perks almost everyone's interest and even in the US, we can't get enough of it. That's why celebrity magazines are so popular. We just love to see the people on top screw up. Why? It shows they're human too. Plus gossip can just be fun ;)

Q4 Outside Reading Week 4 Post B

"America was different. America was a river, roaring along, unmindful of the past. I could wade into this river, let my sins drown to the bottom, let the waters carry me someplace far. Someplace with no ghosts, no memories, no sins"(136).

For a lot of people who immigrate to the United States, this is how they feel. It is a chance to start over, to start a new life or maybe a better one. America is the land of opportunity and the phrase "The American Dream" was coined because of it. Many people would be surprised at the amount of foreigners who wish to come to American if not to escape their past. It could mean running away from a repressive government, restricting family, economic hardship or just to give themselves a better chance at having the best life possible. Having come from another country myself, I know what it's like. When people think of America they think of white picket fences, open green lawns, large houses with winding staircases, a stable job with good pay, and some of the best education there is. It's almost a dream the expectations are so unreal, but they can't be blamed. People come here to forget. They come here to run away. It's not the same if you are born in America. When you have lived in the United States your whole life, you'd rather get out. It's likely you are privileged enough to have a decent education, a relatively good standard of living. You have food in your stomach, clothes on your back, and a roof over your head. Other people don't have this. They have to work for it and sometimes it's not as easy as it looks. America is the land of opportunity. Everyone has the chance, but some people have a head start. It's not the easy for immigrants. They have to work unthinkable shifts in unbelievable conditions, but it's worth it if it means they can start over and make a better life for the next generation.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 3 Post B

This is a letter to the fictional protagonist of The Kite Runner.

Dear Amir,

I want you to know that you are not a bad person. That is important. Sometimes life can be unbelievably difficult and no matter what your conscience may say, it's not all your fault. Take it from me, I know it's true. There are times when you just want to give up and start over, but you can't. You really can't. Because no matter how many times you move, how many times you runaway, it'll follow you, whatever you're running away from. My advice is to confront it--when you're ready of course.

I know pleasing Baba is hard. That is something that you can't control. That is not your fault. Any of it. He's a man of high standards and if he can't love his own son for who he is, then there's nothing you can do about it Amir. Nothing. You have to just keep going. Trying to make Baba proud only gets you into trouble, you know that. It makes you act selfish for irrational reasons. It makes you hurt your friends, the people you love. Stop. You have to stop. It's like an addiction, the relationship that you have. It's not healthy and the only way to fix an unhealthy relationship is to end it. True, you can't just leave Baba, but you need to stop caring, to stop worrying. We all need to be loved and appreciated, so instead of trying to impress someone who is determined not to be impressed by you, go to someone who loves you for the way they are, like Rahim Kahn or Hassan. Don't push them away.

As for Hassan, I know you blame yourself for what happened. But you need to stop. You need to realize that there is evil in this world that no one can confront, at least not on their own. I mean look at the World Wars of the 20th Century. Millions of people died to make the world a better place for the rest. That's what makes someone a hero, but you're a boy. At your age, there are things that the most intelligent people in the world never knew. I know Hassan is your friend and you probably should have done something to stop Assef, but blaming yourself won't help make anything better. Hiding from Hassan doesn't work either. Getting them fired or making them resign is just running away from your problems. Sooner or later they'll catch up to you and sooner or later you'll have to face them. It's better if you get it done sooner. That way, you won't have to live with the guilt for as long because you know you've payed your punishment.

The world isn't always a fair place. You'll soon learn that with the occupation of the Soviet Communists and Taliban in your country. That's yet to come. But as of right now you need to know that life works in weird ways. It balances things out. You will get your chance to repay your friend. You will get your chance to redeem yourself. You will get your chance to do the right thing. Just be patient.

Good luck,
Amy

Q4 Outside Reading Week 3 Post A

Food is a large factor in the different cultures around the world. The quote I have chosen this week deals with the traditional way of eating in Afghanistan.
"The wives and daughters served dinner--rice, kofta, and chicken qurma--at sundown. We dined the traditional way, sitting on cushions around the room, tablecloth spread on the floor, eating with our hands in groups of four or five from common platters"(85).
According to Amir, this is the traditional way of eating for him. In America, dinners are quite different. The food itself, rice and chicken, can definitely be found on American tables. As a matter of fact, rice and chicken are universal foods because in China, we eat them too. But compared to European style of cuisine, rice is not as common as in other parts of the world, and American food is heavily influenced by European cuisine along with a bit of other cultural dining. The differences come from how we eat. In America, and quite a few places around the world, we sit and eat at tables with utensils, whether that be a fork, spoon, knife, chopsticks, etc. Eating with your hands isn't as common unless of course you're eating a sandwich or pizza, not usually rice and chicken. We also don't really sit on the floor in our dining rooms. Floors are reserved for picnics outside on beautiful summer days. And lastly, family gatherings this big don't usually occur very often. When they do, they tend to be on holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter where everyone sits at one table, except maybe the younger kids, and eats together from "family styled" platters. On a normal basis, everyone has his or her own plate of food.
The ways of eating are very different in America and in Afghanistan for Amir. While the food may not necessarily be completely different (American cuisine is influenced by other countries' dining), the ways in which we eat seem very different at first, but when analyzed, are similar under certain situations.

More World Issues

“Education Summary” Index-China.com
http://www.index-china.com/index-english/education-s.htm

"Girls Get a Hand to Stay in School" by Lin Shiwei China Daily
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-6400&artno=0000010994&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=Girls%20Get%20a%20Hand%20to%20Stay%20in%20School&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y

“Higher Education in China” China.com http://english.china.com/zh_cn/education/educational_system/11020788/20040902/11861359.html

Q4 Outside Reading Week 2 Post B

The title of the book I'm reading this quarter is The Kite Runner. Before, I had absolutely no idea what it was about and why it was called that, but now it's clear. Although this would make a great post A, I've already done that. So, in this post, I will enlighten you, the reader, with the customs of kite running, the relationship between Amir and Hassan, and why the title of the book is what it is.

In Afghanistan, every winter, there is a kite fighting contest. It is held throughout neighborhoods and lasts until the last kite is standing which can sometimes be all day. Spectators gather on the roofs to watch while competitors' kites soar in the sky. Kite runners wait tensely for a fallen kite. It is an all-out event that many Afghans participate in. The goal is to be the last kite still flying in the sky. Kites are cut down by the competitors using "glass string" that usually cuts the fingers of the kite flyers. The kite runners are spectators or sometimes the assistants of kite flyers who, after a kite is cut down, chase the fallen kite and keep it as a trophy. There aren't many rules, but the one thing no one most ever do is take a fallen kite out of a kite runner's hands. The biggest award for a kite runner is the last kite cut down by the winning kite flyer. To win the contest is an incredible honor. To be the kite flyer who gets the last fallen kite is like getting a gold medal.

The Kite Runner most likely refers to Hassan, Amir's Hazara friend/servant. An amazing kite runner, Hassan has always been there for Amir. Their relationship is a complicated one. While Hassan is always loyal and respectful, Amir houses a slight resentment for him due to Baba's favoritism towards Hassan. It seems that no matter what they do, Hassan is always better than Amir, except for kite fighting. That is where Amir is strongest. But despite their competitiveness, they both care for each other like brothers. Although this story is told from Amir's point of view, I have come to believe that it is about Hassan, the kite runner.

World Issue

For this "research paper", I have decided to turn my attention to education in China on the secondary levels.

Three articles that might be of some help:
From SIRS-
"Re-Education" by Ann Hulbert New York Times Magazine
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-1301&artno=0000259545&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=Re%2DEducation&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y
"The Global Race for Knowledge: China's College Revolution" by Sheila Melvin Wilson Quarterly
http://sks.sirs.com/cgi-bin/hst-article-display?id=SMN0307H-0-1301&artno=0000256127&type=ART&shfilter=U&key=&title=The%20Global%20Race%20for%20Knowledge%3A%20China%27s%20College%20Revolution&res=Y&ren=Y&gov=Y&lnk=N&ic=Y

Other-
"Chinese Higher Education Fails the Test" by Robert Hartmann Asia Times
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/China/HL21Ad01.html

Q4 Outside Reading Week 2 Post A

"Winter was every kid's favorite season in Kabul, at least those whose fathers could afford to buy a good iron stove. The reason was simple: They shut down school for the icy season"(48).

There are many different cultural aspects this quote could talk about. This includes the educational differences in the United States and Afghanistan, at least during the 70s, the distinctions of class and race, and lastly, the similarities between what kids want here and today and what kids had wanted there and then.

The education differences are pretty evident. Today in the United States, we have school throughout the winter time and it's not until summer that we don't have school. For some people, they don't even have a summer vacation due to year round school, a new concept that some schools are trying out. While in Kabul at that time, Amir didn't have school over the winter time. It's one of his favorite seasons not only because he doesn't have school but also because he can sleep in, play with Hassan, and fly kites with Baba, a relationship he wishes to tighten.
This brings us to a similarity. Kids don't like school. It's true. Ask anyone. We don't like homework. We don't like having to sit through lectures on days we could be playing outside. And even though learning is good, we're not always in the mood for it. This, will never change. It's the same now for me as it was then for Amir. For any kid.
The last difference I want to comment on is dealing with class distinctions. In the quote, Amir said that winter was fun for any kid who's father had enough money to buy the a good iron stove. Although this is a rather subtle point, it's important to remember that Amir is a relatively well off boy. His father made a fortune for himself and has a servant. Even though Amir and Hassan are friends, Amir is still Hassan's superior purely because of his race. This concept of racial distinction isn't as clear in the United States today. Sure class distinctions are still evident, but the class distinctions in America aren't always based off of race. They're more based off of whether or not you can be successful enough to make a name for yourself.

Although there are many differences throughout this book, Amir seems like such a typical kid that I sometimes forget he is in a different country during a different time period.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 1 Post B

Reading multiple stories at a time can be a difficult task, but it can also be interesting the similarities one might find between those two stories. The Kite Runner and In the Time of the Butterflies are both novels by non-American authors that revolve around fictional characters in a real life event. Reading them together has helped me see the connections they share with one another and the differences that make them the two completely different novels they are.

The Kite Runner is the story of a boy named Amir living in Afghanistan during the fall of the monarchy, invasion of the Soviets, and rise of the Taliban. It is narrated by our main protagonist who has the many flaws any child, or even person, would. He has grown up in a sheltered setting, living with his rich and successful father. The most important things on Amir's mind is to write and to impress his father and all those that are important to him (Hassan, Ali, and Rahim Kahn). Amir's childhood is a typical one for a privileged child, being part of the majority race and not one to get persecuted by others unlike his friend Hassan. Despite his normality, Amir's life completely changes in the winter of 1975 when turmoil struck Afghanistan.

In the Time of the Butterflies takes place a little farther in the past than The Kite Runner. It is the story of the Mirabal sisters, four girls who grew up in a repressed Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Trujillo. Patria, the oldest, is the most religious and motherly figure of the four. One wouldn't pin her as a revolutionary but she did name her son after the ones in Cuba. She realized that she was needed. Dede is the second oldest. She is extremely bright when it comes to math and has always been the obedient one. Maybe because of her not as direct involvement in the revolutionary forces Dede is the only surviving sister. But that doesn't mean she isn't brave. When everything was falling apart, it was Dede that held them together. Minerva is the third in line of the Mirabal sisters. She is outspoken and very stubborn. She is willing to give up everything that she loves in hope to save the country that she was raised in. Minerva is willing to give up her life for the greater good of the people. Lastly, there is Maria Teresa, also known as Mate. She is the baby of the family and probably always will be though after Minerva, she is the second to get involved with the revolution. Despite her immaturity, Mate had always looked up to Minerva and knew that this was for the good of everyone.

The differences between the two books are evident. The Kite Runner is clearly about a young boy growing up in Afghanistan while In the Time of the Butterflies is about four girls growing up in the Dominican Republic. The time periods are slightly different and the events that occur are completely unrelated. One book takes place in the Western Hemisphere while the other is in the Eastern Hemisphere. The writing style is different also. ITOB switches narrators throughout the book, giving each sister a turn to tell their story while KR sticks with Amir as our guide through the book. Not to mention, ITOB is clearly a more "girl" book than KR with lots of talk about boys and certain subjects that may make one blush.

Yet regardless of all the differences, the similarities cannot be ignored. Both stories deal with the main character(s) coming of age. Both stories contain political turmoil and social unrest throughout the country that the protagonists inhabit. Both stories show how their lives changed because of certain events in history we all know about. And both stories show the connection between family and friends and how important it is to always keep those you love close because you never know when you're going to need them. Sometimes, an act of courage isn't always done because you feel that bravery inside of you but because you know that if you don't, someone or something you love is going to suffer. Being afraid doesn't mean you aren't brave. It just means you're human.

Q4 Outside Reading Week 1 Post A

Being not far into my book, I haven't really witnessed too much of the main conflict. What I have seen is an introduction to my narrator and characters that are important to Amir. So for this first post, I'm going to talk about family.

This is the quote that I have picked: "I watched him fill his glass at the bar and wondered how much time would pass before we talked again the way we just had. Because the truth of it was, I always felt like Baba hated me a little. And why not? After all, I had killed his beloved wife, his beautiful princess, hadn't I? The least I could've done was to have had the decency to have turned out a little more like him. But I hadn't turned out like him. Not at all"(19).

In Amir's family, it is him and Baba because his mother died giving birth to him. What I'm commenting on is not actually a cultural difference but a similarity. For me, pleasing my parents is something that I find to be important. I want to know that they are proud of me and it seems that when children turn out like their parents, they are more likely to be praised. Perhaps it is because our parents live in the past or because they wish they could live through us. Whatever the truth is, they do tend to push their ideals onto their children. Amir is a child like me. Perhaps he is younger, lives in Afghanistan, and lives decades before me, but he is still a child. And all he really wants to do is make his father proud.
All children, whether they are 5 or 15, whether they live in America or elsewhere in the world, want love and affection from their parents. They want to please their parents and that can cause children to fear them too. It doesn't matter who you are, where you live, what time period you were born, we all want one thing from our parents: the recognition and pride that we are their children, in other words, love. And any negative word or phrase that is uttered about us from our parents may not seem like a big deal to them, but inside, we are dying just a little bit. So that is why, despite our many differences, I can sympathize with Amir when he hears his father saying "If I hadn't seen the doctor pull him out of my wife with my own eyes, I'd never believe he's my son"(23).

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

For this quarter, I have chosen to read The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. Truthfully, I've never really been the type that is interested in modern stories around the world. Being raised up in a slightly sheltered society, I have been perfectly content with reading American and, on the occasion, English authors. Every so often, I get the pleasure of reading something quite different than what I am used to and I think The Kite Runner will be one of those books. It's a book I've wanted to read ever since one of my English teachers recommended it. Unfortunately, with such rules like no reading the same book as someone else in the class and criteria that have been put on my choice of outside reading books, I have been unable to pick up this bestseller. So now, finally, I have the opportunity to read a book that has stuck with so many others who have come to read it ahead of me. I have the chance to break outside of my sheltered world and learn about a time and place when not everything feels safe and sound.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 7 Post B

Although I have officially finished My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult, I wanted to post one last thought on my blog about an absolutely amazing book.

**WARNING: This next section may contain spoilers. There are no guarantees. Don't say I didn't warn you!!**

Throughout the story I had always thought Anna was fighting for her freedom, her life, her right to choose, and I was right. It was never about the kidney. It was never about attention. It was about a choice and the freedom to have that choice. The funniest thing about it all was how it came to an end. She may have won the right to medical emancipation, the right to choose her own medical course, but she never truly got the right to choose her own course in life. For the thirteen years that she did live, it was all up to her parents. And when she got the right to choose, she didn't know yet what to choose. But all that was taken away from her because no matter how many judges, lawyers, or officials say you have the right, no one can choose their fate. From there, a serious of extremely complicated thoughts pour out of my very own brain. What is fate? Is there even such a thing? Do you believe in it? Do I believe in it? Truthfully, I can't say. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. But something that Kate said at the very end of the book has struck me, has stuck with me. She said that after the kidney transplant, she's gone 8 years without a relapse. No one knows why but she thinks it's because someone had to go. And because Anna went for her, Kate got the chance to live.

In the beginning of the book there is a prologue without a title, without a character directed to it. I always thought it was Anna speaking because it sounded like her. She described how she'd wanted to kill her sister, how she was always known in relation to her, and how in the end, she never killed her sister, her sister did it all on her own. But what turns out to be a first impression is unbelievably inaccurate. The font with which it is typed is the same as Kate's at the end. And because it was clearly not Kate who died, but Anna, the only logical explanation was that it was Kate all along. Anna had never tried to kill Kate. It had been the other way around. After realizing this, I wondered why. After some pondering I knew why. Kate didn't want to go on living life like this. Just as Anna was confined with being defined in relation to Kate, Kate was confined in being defined in relation to Anna. And if Anna died, if she was no longer there, Kate wouldn't have to go through what she was going through. No more transplants, no more operations, no more hospital. Sure she would die, but at this point, it seemed that Kate would rather die than live through this one more day. And now she blames herself for causing Anna's death. If it hadn't been Kate who told Anna about her wish, she never would've filed the lawsuit, and none of it would've happened in the first place. It wasn't supposed to be like this. It wasn't supposed to be Anna. It was all wrong.

Yet this entire train of thought loops back again to what I talked about in the first paragraph: fate. Life works in weird ways. It honors you with something, and then takes another thing away. It fills your days with happiness, but the same amount of days are full of grief and sorrow as well. Anna won her lawsuit, but she lost her life. The Fitzgerald's lost Anna, but they got to keep Kate. Maybe there was a reason for all of this. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be. It's not fair. Nothing ever is. Life works in weird ways. You never know when it's going to hand you the gift of life, just to take it away from someone you love. And there's nothing you can do about it, but live your life the way that person would've wanted you to.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 7 Post A

Vocab:
barre(423)- a handrail placed at hip height, used by a dancer to maintain balance during practice
latent(411)- present but not visible

Figurative Language:
"The kind of rain that comes down so heavy it sounds like the shower's running, even if you've turned it off"(402). This is a simile comparing the sound of the rain to the sound of a shower running using the word "like".

"And then Sara slips into this huddle, her arms coming around both of them, all their shoulders forming the wide wall of a team that has to reinvent the very game they play"(410). This is a metaphor, comparing the Fitzgerald family with a sports team. Because Campbell, in a sense, says that they "are" this team, this comparison is then characterized as a metaphor rather than a simile.

"It's a T-bone: the two vehicles rammed together by sheer force into a conglomerate of twisted steel"(413). This is an example of imagery. By using words like "rammed" and "conglomerate", Picoult helps us picture the force at which the two vehicles hit and how twisted together they are. Because it pertains to the sense of sight and paints a picture for the reader, this could be seen as imagery.

**Warning: Spoiler Alert**
Quote:
"Visibility sucks. The rain, if possible, is coming down even harder. I have this brief vision of it pummeling the car so hard it crunches like an empty Coke can, and just like that it's harder for me to breathe"(411). This quote displays a bit of foreshadowing. Anna's vision of the car becoming ruined due to the rain somewhat comes true. Although the rain doesn't wreck the car, it was because the visibility sucked that a truck hit Campbell and Anna, causing the terrible incident which ended Anna's life. I just thought it was interesting how this quote predicted, in a weird sense, what was going to happen.
**End of Spoiler**

Theme: There are two themes I want to say from this section: 1. Life is full of irony 2. Sometimes what you end up fighting for isn't the thing you think it is but rather the chance to choose.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 6 Post B

Ever since the beginning of My Sister's Keeper, I had always known there was more to some of our characters than what is revealed. But for the past 350 pages or so, they've stuck to their stories, completely on track. And then it happened. The thing that stops everything, halts whatever process you've been making, and flips everything upside down, throwing you for a loop. But despite the disruption, I have been able to pick up from my initial reaction of complete and utter shock. Now, I write my reaction to this thing that halted everything and turned my world, or at least my outside reading world, upside down.

**WARNING: This next section contains spoilers from almost the end of My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. If you don't want the book ruined for you, DO NOT read this section. I warned you...**

Campbell: His secret is finally revealed when he collapses onto the courtroom floor during Anna's questioning. He's an epileptic. That's why he has Judge. That's why he broke up with Julia. It happened when he was 18, a car accident. Campbell was mad at his parents for not being kinder to Julia, and wanting to sneak back to her house, he wasn't paying attention. He crashed. He was fine. Or so he thought. "I came through with a few bruises, and that night, I had my first seizure. Thirty CT scans later, the doctors still couldn't really tell me why, but they made it pretty clear I'd have to live with it forever"(384). It wasn't Julia who made Campbell end their relationship. It was his fear of his imperfections, of his freak-ness, of his need for dependence. He didn't want to be a burden, and so because he thought he was doing the right thing, he did the wrong thing. It's something that happens to all of us, and I don't think of Campbell as less of a person. He's learned to live with it and he's done just fine. Although he could've told Julia, admitting he was wrong is the first step of acceptance.

Anna: She's a complex character to understand. When away from her family, she's free-spirited, independent, and confident. From the beginning of the book, I always had the notion that Anna wanted her own life. She stands up for her ideas...when her parents aren't there. I thought her fear was of her parents, but it resulted to be more than that. Her fear of saying too much was because she didn't want anyone, not just her parents, to think of her as a horrible person. And most of all, she kept her sister's secret, something no one knew. "'Fine.' The truth bursts out of me; a raging river, now that the dam's washed away. 'She asked me to kill her.'"(388). Having to keep Kate's secret, and hers, "Inside me, something breaks. 'It was...it was what I wanted, too.'"(390). After this confession, there are so many different ways you could think of Anna's character. Me? I think of her as how I thought of her in the beginning. You can't blame her for wanting her own life, one not defined by Kate. Yes, it will be traumatic for Anna if Kate dies, but if she's always expecting it, if a part of her wishes it would happen, I don't really think Anna would receive psychological damage. She would be sad, devastated maybe, but she would also know that this is what Kate had wanted. And she would know that it was her who could give her sister what she wanted, cause she always does. Sometimes, when you love someone so much, you actually put them through more pain that what you intended for in the first place. And in a way, this case, from Sara to Kate, from Anna to Kate, it's like Campbell: sometimes when you try to do the right thing, you do the wrong thing.

Kate: Kate is the last character I want to talk about. For so many pages, so many years that have passed within these pages, I always thought Kate was the good daughter, the one who wanted to live. I thought she was fine with all of this because we've never heard from her. And maybe Picoult made it like this on purpose, so that when we did learn of Kate's secret, it would seem that much more shocking. If we were able to read and hear Kate's thoughts, this blow wouldn't have been so hard. Yet when you think about it, wouldn't this all make sense? Her life hasn't been easy and the one good thing, the one good person outside her family, has died. She's gone through so many traumatic events, fought so hard, lived way past her life expectancy, that I think enough is enough. Sometimes, you just can't fight anymore. And despite everyone's concern, everyone's love for Kate, sometimes when you love someone this much, you have to let them go. And the same fear that Anna felt towards her parents has probably grown in Kate because she can't tell them she doesn't want to go through this. Kate isn't that different from Anna. They both want certain things, but neither can have what they want because of their parents. So in the end, it's not a case of Anna vs. her parents or Anna vs. Kate. It's Kate and Anna vs. Sara. Anna was trying to help Kate. And because of how long Sara's lived with her daughter's illness, she just assumes that everything she wants for Kate is what Kate wants for herself. She's never thought to ask. And because of this, Kate can't tell her what's important. Kate loves her family, and maybe this is why she didn't tell them. She was trying to do the right thing, when she did what was wrong.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 6 Post A

So I know this is kind of ahead of schedule, but I really wanted to get this week's posts in before I left for Milwaukee since I have a lot to say about what I just read.

Vocab:
botulism(359)- a sometimes fatal disease of the nervous system acquired from spoiled foods usually involving botulin
castration(359)- to remove the sex organs of a male or female

Figurative Language:
"Thanks, but I gave my conscience up for Lent"(361). This could be considered a metaphor where Campbell compares his conscience to something, like chocolate, that you can actually give up for Lent. It shows how he goes about things amorally at times and is great insight to his personality.

"But part of it involves the fact that my client is about as responsive as a boulder beside me"(363). This is a simile where Campbell compares Anna responsiveness to a boulder using the term "as".

"Otherwise, God forbid, you may actually find out that you have a working heart"(361). This is an exaggeration, a hyperbole maybe. Julia is exaggerating when she says Campbell doesn't have a working heart because if he's alive, his heart is clearly working. The exaggeration that Julia uses only helps the reader understand how cold-hearted and detached Campbell can be at times.

Quote:
"'Judge DeSalvo?' Anna takes a deep breath. 'I have something to say.'"(373). Before, Anna was unwilling to take the stand. As she had previously said, it wasn't because she was afraid of speaking in front of everyone, she was just afraid of saying too much. Because Anna decided to take the witness stand, all the truth comes tumbling out and we finally learn why Anna filed the lawsuit in the first place: because Kate asked her to. And because he didn't want his client to change her mind, Campbell refused to take a recess, causing him to collapse into a grand mal seizure in the middle of the court room. We then learn why he has Judge, the dog. It is all because of this one line that comes from Anna's mouth, the line that opens all those closet doors, that our characters' skeletons are finally revealed.

Theme:
Don't think you know a person until you truly know them because chances are, they aren't who you thought they were at all.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 5 Post B

Dear Anna,

I just wanted to tell you that what you're doing is really brave. I know it's hard for you and your family, but sometimes, when you've given up so much, you need to think about yourself too. I know it sounds selfish, but think about it this way: how many people will actually stop and help a person in a car accident? How many people will keep going? As Campbell said, no one's required to help someone else out, but they will if they're a good person, and you have been. You've been a great person for your sister. She's survived to the age of 16 because of you and you've given her a chance to live. But now it's your turn to live. You haven't been sick, but you might as well have been. I know that you always define yourself in terms of your sister, but it's time for you to realize who you are. You love her, and that makes sense, but you shouldn't define your life in terms of someone else's, something your mother has done. I know as well as anyone that she hasn't always been the best parent to you, or to Jesse. It's always been about Kate for her. She defines her life in terms of Kate as well, is that what you want? Or do you want the freedom to choose, the freedom to be whoever you want to be? Just because you don't want to donate a kidney doesn't mean you're a bad person. Jesse burns down buildings, but he's not a bad person either. Both of you have sacrificed so much for Kate and that makes you good.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to tell you to testify. Listen to Campbell, he knows what he's doing. He's looking out for you, he truly is, even if you don't think so. If you don't testify, there's no way the judge will rule in your favor. He can't see that you're mature enough or ready to make medical decisions on your own. Anna, this is your turn to change your life, shape it the way you want to, and you're running away from it. Don't. You don't have to do anything you don't want to, including testifying, but it is in your best interest to do so. You've always wanted people to listen, but they never have. Now they will, they have to, and you can say whatever you want. Don't reach for a source of power only to back away from it when you have it. Take what you have and make the most of it. Lastly, good luck with everything. I hope things turn out well for you and your family.

Sincerely, Amy

Q3 Outside Reading Week 5 Post A

Vocab:
carrion(325)- dead or putrefying fish; rottenness; anything vile
sequelae(336)- an abnormal condition resulting from a previous disease

Figurative Language:
"I open like an orchid"(355). This is a simile comparing the motion Sara makes to an orchid opening. It is a simile because it uses the word "like" for the comparison.

"...gathering my thoughts and stuffing sentences with pregnant pauses"(333). This an example of imagery, and kind of an alliteration as well. Imagery is displayed through the words "pregnant" and "stuffing". The adjective and verb helps the reader visualize how Campbell is preparing for his return to the courtroom. It is sort of an alliteration because there are two phrases: stuffing sentences and pregnant pauses, that have two words in a row with the same consonant sound, and an alliteration needs three, but still. The sound that eminates from these phrases can help you imagine what these "stuffed sentences" and "pregnant pauses" sound like.

"She smiles at me, but it's like a cartoon drawing when I've seen the real thing hanging in the Louvre"(325). This is another simile. Jesse compares Kate's smile (or Kate in general), to a parody of a painting that's in the Louvre. He uses the word "like" to do this.

Quote:
There are actually two quotes that I want to talk about here. They're linked...in a way. "...and then I lift my fist and punch a hole in the thick white wall and still this isn't enough"(326). "'I couldn't save her'"(331). These are both quotes relating to Jesse and he, is talking about Kate. Earlier, we learned that when Kate had an extremely large amount of blood loss, it was Jesse who donated the blood to keep her alive. To him, it was the least he could do. His whole life, he's been unable to help, a burden to his parents, and what his parents don't realize (at least Brian doesn't realize this until now) is that all Jesse wanted to do was to help. And since he can't help, can't rescue, he destroys. It's ironic how this happens, but a lot of times, when you are exposed to or blocked from on extreme, you react with the other. These quotes show us another important idea: that the source to a problem, may not be what you think it is at all. It could be what you thought the solution was.

Theme:
For this week's theme, I have another pretty deep quote. "He is asking to be punished. So I do what I know will destroy him: I pull Jesse into my arms as he sobs. His back is broader than mine. He stands a half-head taller than me. I don't remember seeing him go from that five-year-old, who wasn't a genetic match, to the man he is now, and I guess this is the problem. [...] I cannot remember exactly when he stopped asking. But I do remember feeling as if something had gone missing, as if the loss of a kid's hero worship can ache like a phantom limb:(332). Brian has finally realized something that all parents need to know: when traumatic events occur that cause you to go on autopilot, make sure you stop once in a while and take a step back because otherwise, you might miss some of the most important things in your life.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 4 Post B

Although I was able to talk about it a little in my Post A, I'd like to expand on an important quote that I found: "I tell myself that I've invited him along to add to the thrill--one more person who knows only makes it more exciting. But it's really because there are some nights when you just want to know there's someone else besides you in this wide world"(244). Like I said before, this quote said by Jesse, really strikes a chord. It also brings into retrospect, an important theme in this book. It deals with a special need all humans must have, and I'm not talking about water or food or shelter. I'm talking about love, and the lack of unconditional love in My Sister's Keeper. There are many different types of love used and reserved for different things. There's love for your family, love for your belongings, love for your hobbies, love for your significant other, and love for your friends, etc. 3 out of 5 of the types of love I listed should be unconditional, but everyone knows they really aren't sometimes. Unconditional love means that you love that person(or thing or whatever it is) for them. You don't care about anything else, whether they have money, whether they're smart, whether they're tall or short or fat or skinny or beautiful or ugly. None of that matters.

In the Fitzgerald family, unconditional love is mastered by one person: Anna. A mother's love is supposed to be unconditional, but Sara's doesn't seem that way. For Kate, it is...or maybe it's out of pity? We don't truly know though I believe for Kate, Sara's love is unconditional. But that doesn't seem to apply to Anna, at least not much. For the most part, as long as Anna remains a donor for Kate, Sara won't be too angry at her, but when she slapped that law suit on her parents, Sara became furious. She didn't even stop and think about what Anna did, something that Brian actually managed to do. But neither of them show much affection towards Jesse, who, possibly more than anyone else in this book, needs that love and care in order to survive. He's gone so long without it that he himself won't open up to anyone, but Anna, who loves him too, Dan, who just happens to be a convenience, and Julia, only because he thinks she's attractive. It is because of Jesse that I say only one member of this family has mastered unconditional love. Anna loves both her parents, probably something that causes her to vacillate so much with the lawsuit. She wants to go through with it, but because of her fear of disappointing her mother, and even her love for her mother and Kate, she doesn't really want them to know. Around her family, Anna pretends there is no lawsuit, but there actually is. It's hard for Anna to do this to the people she loves the most, but like Julia said, either Anna is going to lose her sister or she's going to lose herself.

It is because of the necessity for love and attention that makes people they way they are in My Sister's Keeper. It's hard to relate this to Brian and Sara, but their kids turned out the way they did because of how much attention each one got. Sure Brian and Sara showered them with guilt gifts, but that's not enough. They never actually spent any time with Jesse after Kate's diagnosis, which is probably why he's so messed up. Jesse merely just exists in this world and nobody sees him. Anna isn't doing this because she wants attention, but because she wants control of her body. It is because of her love for her family that she seems so indecisive at times, and even possibly fear as well. And Kate, despite having APL, has turned out relatively fine. Her parents, at least Sara, spends 24/7 worrying about Kate, so the oldest daughter gets all the attention and love she could ever have.

With families that have multiple children, there is always a favorite. Even now I know this. Parents aren't supposed to have favorites, and it isn't really that evident, but if you want to know how Jesse or Anna or Kate feels, pretend you are the favorite in your family and multiply that by about 10 times and that's how Kate feels, probably. Do the same for Jesse, only with the least liked. And Anna literally is right in between. When she does what she can for Kate, she is honored like a Goddess. When she doesn't, she gets tossed aside like a piece of garbage, like Jesse. I know it's not fair, any of it: the fact that Kate has APL, that Sara and Brian have to balance keeping their family together, that Jesse gets ignored, and that Anna has no control over her own life, but sometimes you need to just take a step aside and think things over, think things through. You might think you are doing the right thing for everyone, but in reality, you are harming a lot more people than you are helping.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 4 Post A

Vocab:
derelicts(245)- A homeless or jobless person; a vagrant
segue(230)- to make a transition from one thing to another smoothly and without interruption

Figurative Language:
"My father looked right at me, but he didn't answer. And his eyes were dazed and staring through me, like I was made out of smoke. That was the first time I thought that maybe I was"(245). This quote contains a simile. It compares Jesse to smoke using the word "like". I also wanted to put this quote here because I think it is pretty striking. Jesse is only 11 years old and all of the joys of being a boy has been taken from him. All he wants is for his parents to notice him, to go on a normal outing for once in his life, but he can't. And he never will.

"The thing about a flame is that it's insidious--it sneaks, it licks, it looks over its shoulder and laughs. And fuck, it's beautiful. Like a sunset eating everything in its path"(246). This passage has two elements of figurative language, personification and simile. The personification comes from when Jesse says a flame sneaks, licks, looks over its shoulder and laughs. These are all actions a human can do and a flame normally wouldn't, making it an instance of personification. The simile is when a flame is compared to a sunset eating everything it its path using the word "like".

"My mother, she folds into herself, that's the only way to explain it. Like paper, when you put it deep into the fireplace, and instead of burning, it simply seems to vanish"(251). This is an example of imagery and another simile. It is imagery because Anna describes her mother "folding into herself" which pertains to sight. With this description, we are able to picture the motion Sara Fitzgerald does. Secondly, Anna compares this motion to paper burning up in a fire using the word "like". This makes it a simile.

Quote:
"I tell myself that I've invited him along to add to the thrill--one more person who knows only makes it more exciting. But it's really because there are some nights when you just want to know there's someone else besides you in this wide world"(244). Every time I read one of the chapters narrated by Jesse, there is always some quote that really resonants within me. He has so much insight and understands a lot about his position in this world and is far deeper than he first appears. I feel so bad for him! He's so lonely with no one to care about him. Everyone needs some form of attention and when they don't get that kind of love and care, the results aren't usually positive. It's so sad that Jesse has to resort to hanging out with a bum for company. He has no real friends nor does his family have time to pay attention to him. It's just not fair how his parents treat him. If I could, I'd bring him into my family, but I can't. I know that Jesse is not really part of this whole ethical dilemma, at least not directly, but he is one of my favorite characters nonetheless. I just wish that there was someone to understand and love Jesse like family is supposed to. I hope he'll have a happy ending.

Theme:
Hang on to what little you have because you never know when that's going to be gone too.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 3 Post B

Although I'm close to being half way through the book, my character analysis isn't quite over yet. This week, I'm going to be talking about Campbell Alexander and Julia Romano. In My Sister's Keeper, there is the main storyline/ ethical dilemma plaguing the Fitzgerald family and tearing apart something that was barely held together. The second plot is the story of Anna's lawyer (Campbell Alexander) and her guardian ad litem (Julia Romano). Their relationship is one that extends all the way back to their high school days in Wheeler School.

Campbell Alexander is a successful lawyer whom Anna seeks for help. Although she doesn't have enough money to pay him, he is willing to help her. Thinking this will be an easy case, he plunges head-first into a family barely held together at the seams and agrees to virtually destroy the Fitzgerald family.
Julia Romano is a guardian ad litem, someone assigned to help look out for Anna's best interests. It is because Judge DeSalvo decides this case needs more looking over that Julia comes into the picture. Her job is to get to know Anna and her family, and truly understand what is best for this 13-year-old girl.

When they were in high school, Campbell and Julia met their senior year. He was the captain of the sailing team at Wheeler, and a picture perfect boy for this private school. She was different, with her pink hair and combat boots, Julia never truly fit in. But Campbell was intrigued by this not-so-normal girl and they eventually met in a cemetary. Campbell's friends didn't like Julia and Julia's twin sister disapproved of Campbell, but they fell in love nonetheless. Although we haven't learned their whole past, it can be assumed that there was heartbreak and a trauma of some sort that left Julia heartbroken and Campbell wishing he could start things over.

They met again over Anna's case. Campbell claimed he was looking out for Anna's well being, which was actually Julia's job. She has a twin sister which might've have been intentional on Picoult's part, making it easier for Julia to relate to Anna and Kate's relationship. He's alone, with the exception of his dog Judge. Even today, they are still an influence on each other's lives. They can't escape from the past, and to both, it's too painful to face it. Julia is trying to keep her cool and her job. But she does a decent job of getting to know the Fitzgerald family. Anna opens up to her; Brian does the same; Kate and Julia connect over knowing what it's like to have a sister; she hasn't met Jesse yet; it's only Sara that doesn't like her. But Sara doesn't like anyone related to the case, and she even tries to influence Anna. Julia soon discovers that in order for Anna to live in her family, the lawsuit cannot be brought up. She has to keep a low profile, because contrary to what Sara believes, Anna doesn't just want attention, she wants her own life back. Julia makes a good observation when she says, "Either this girl loses her sister, I think, or she's going to lose herself"(113). As for Campbell, it's because of what Julia says that moves him to make a housecall to Anna. It's because Julia suggests he should really get to know his client, that he actually gets out of his office and pays Anna a visit. "'The things is, this is new to me.' 'What is?' I gesture around the living room. 'Visiting a client, shooting the breeze. Not leaving a case at the office at the end of the day.' 'Well, this is new to me, too,' Anna confesses. 'What is?' She twists a strand of hair around her pinky. 'Hoping,' she says"(125). Through this simple and short conversation, Campbell is able to learn a lot about his client, something he hasn't thought of doing until Julia suggested it.

It's hard to tell what their future will be, but it's clear that their paths will most likely cross again. Like Campbell said, Providence is a small town. Times have changed and so have they. Personally, I hope everything works out for them. Even if it's been a long time, they clearly still have feelings for each other, and if feelings like that don't go away after that much time, there must be something deeper, something that's meant to be.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 3 Post A

Vocab:
clairvoyance(155)- the supernatural power of seeing objects or actions removed in space or time from natural viewing
arabesque(161)- a pose in ballet in which the dancer stands on one leg with one arm extended in front and the other leg and arm extended behind

Figurative Language:
"Kate Fitzgerald is a ghost just waiting to happen. Her skin is nearly translucent, her hair so fair it bleeds into the pillowcase"(158). This quote has multiple uses of figurative language. The first portion is a comparison. It says that Kate "is" a ghost making it a metaphor not a simile. The second is a combination of imagery and personification. Imagery is used when describing how her skin is "nearly translucent." This pertains to the vision portion of the five senses. The personification comes from describing Kate's hair. Picoult gives it the human characteristic of being able to bleed, which hair cannot actually do.

"I wondered what happened when you offered yourself to someone, and they opened you, only to discover you were not the gift they expected and they had to smile and nod and say thank you all the same"(157). Here is an example of a comparison between a person and a gift that is a metaphor. It isn't a simile because this comparison uses "were" and states that the person is a gift, not like one.

"The man beside me had sky-eyes, a black ponytail, and a Cary Grant grin"(151). This is an example of imagery. In order to help the reader picture this man, Picoult uses descriptions like "sky-eyes" and "Cary Grant grin". It pertains to sight which is one of the five senses.

Quote:
"I laugh. 'Oh...there were definitely times I could imagine life without her.' Kate doesn't crack a smile. 'See,' she says, 'my sister's the one who's always had to imagine life without me.'"(162). There are a lot of powerful quotes in this book and this one just happened to strike a chord with me. Although I don't have any siblings, I do understand the relationship that most go through. Sometimes they are best friends, other times, bitter enemies. But while some people may be able to joke about being an only child, for Kate and Anna, it's different. Without Anna, Kate wouldn't be alive. Without Kate, Anna could've led a completely normal life. The fact that Kate knows this shows that she isn't as much of a damsel as her mother puts her out to be. Kate understands reality and how much harder Anna's life is because of her. This makes her a great sister and Anna's decision that much harder.

Theme:
This week's theme is also a quote taken from the book. I thought it was a different way of putting a commonly quoted theme. "A jewel's just a rock put under enormous heat and pressure. Extraordinary things are always hiding in places people never think to look"(152).

Q3 Outside Reading Week 2 Post B

This week, I wanted to do a brief character analysis on the Fitzgerald family: Sara, Brian, Jesse, Kate, and Anna.

Sara: Sara is the mother of the Fitzgerald family. She used to be a lawyer before she decided to quit her job and become a full time mom. She was happy with her two kids, Jesse and Kate, but once Kate was diagnosed with leukemia, she became her main focus. Ever since then, Kate is Sara's priority. This, in my opinion, makes Sara completely oblivious to her other children. Although I do understand the choices she makes to keep her daughter alive, I don't really think neglecting her other children is a responsible thing to do. For Sara, everything is from Kate's perspective. The world revolves around her eldest daughter, which is disastrous for Jesse and Anna. I don't think she is a bad mother, I just don't think her approach/ logic is entirely fair nor reasonable.

Brian: Brian is the father of the Fitzgerald family. He is a firefighter who is constantly on call. He is dealing with an arsonist (who unknown to his knowledge is actually his son) and Kate's illness. He tries his best to be fair and seems like the protector of Anna in the family. Both of the Fitzgerald parents neglect Jesse because Kate is the main focus. Brian does have a special attachment with Anna that Sara just doesn't seem to share, but even with that, I don't think what they do to Anna and even Jesse is fair. But I think Brian is trying to be the happy medium which annoys me a little less than Sara.

Jesse: Jesse is a special case. He is the oldest Fitzgerald child. He is completely neglected by his parents because he cannot help Kate (like Anna), and he isn't sick like Kate. Despite what his parents think, Jesse is very in touch with reality. He knows that his parents don't find much worth in him, and I feel bad for him. He is a very interesting character that, with the proper upbringing, could have real potential. But because of his sister's illness, he is hindered from success and accomplishment. I like Jesse and I don't think he is treated fairly at all. The only person Jesse truly has is Anna and I hope they continue to share that connection.

Kate: Kate is the middle child and the one with APL leukemia. She is portrayed as the helpless damsel in distress. We don't hear from her...at least I don't think until the very end. The narration may be a reason why I don't relate to Kate well, but despite her illness, I don't seem to connect with Sara's level of concern for Kate. I can relate more to Jesse and Anna than to Kate for a reason that I don't know. It makes me feel like a horrible person, but I just don't think any of this is fair. It's a hard life to live, and from her standpoint, I can understand possibly what she's going through, but sometimes I want her to just stop. I know it sounds mean, but I can't help whose side I'm on, not really anyway.

Anna: Anna is my favorite character so far, but Jesse does come close. She is the youngest of the Fitzgerald children and born to be a perfect match for Kate. Since the beginning of the book, I've been on her side and I anticipate some flip-flopping, but for now, I'm with Anna. I don't think her parents should be able to force her to give her life away for Kate. She's living, breathing, and has the right to herself. Otherwise they're basically telling Anna "You're alive now, but you've been created for Kate so the main purpose is for you to give your life to Kate." It's just NOT FAIR! I want her parents to stop, to just leave her alone, but I don't want Kate to die. I don't understand why such a horrible thing has to happen to such nice people. I feel like Anna is so alone in the world, with no one on her side except for Jesse, Campbell Alexander (her lawyer), and me (as of right now). I don't want Anna to have to go through with this for the rest of her life. She deserves independence and her own right to live, no one should be able to take that away from her!

I understand that this is a difficult situation for everyone and I have no idea what I would do if I was put here, but as of right now, I think Anna has a point to make and she should make it. No one has the right to take your life away from you, not even your parents or other family members. I know Kate's dying, but that doesn't mean that Anna should have to suffer on her own for Kate. Although all the family members are suffering, making Anna donate and give against her will isn't fair, and that's why Sara bothers me. Her only concern is Kate and she doesn't seem to notice her other children. They need their mother, they need her, just as much, yet she doesn't seem to understand. It's just not fair for Jesse and Anna, and although this is a horribly mean thing to say, but I think they've sacrificed enough for Kate. There has to be another way.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 2 Post A

Vocab:
pylon(94)- a relatively tall structure at the side of a gate, bridge, or avenue, marking an entrance or approach
platelets(97)- A minute, nonnucleated, disklike cytoplasmic body found in the blood plasma of mammals that is derived from a megakaryocyte and functions to promote blood clotting

Figurative Language:
"There is a new bailiff at the entrance, a man with a neck as thick as a redwood and most likely the brainpower to match"(81). This is a simile comparing the man's neck and brainpower to that of a redwood tree. I know this is a simile because it uses the word "as" for the comparison.

"There would be rolling hills that look like green velvet"(85). This is also a simile. It compares rolling hills with green velvet using the word "like", therefore making it a simle.

"...and that big brown hole in the ground like a split seam, waiting to swallow the body that used to be me" (85). This quote has two pieces of figurative language. The first is a simile, comparing the big brown hole to a split seam using the word "like". The second, is personification of the hole. Picoult gives the hole a human action (swallowing) therefore personifying an inanimate object.

Quote:
"But inside, I'm burning just as hot as I was when that fire caught at the warehouse. What made me believe I might be worth something, even now? What made me think I could save my sister, when I can't even save myself?" (98). This is the first time we've heard from Jesse. This quote shows a lot about him. Jesse, although he seems like the troubled kid, has a lot more to him than what his parents think or even notice. He has thought his entire existence through, and when times are bad, he wants to help, but he thinks he can't because his parents have never suggested he was ever worth anything.

Theme: Personally, I think that this quote best represents the theme for this week: "Anna is the only proof I have that I was bron into this family...On the surface, we're polar opposites. Under the skin, though, we're the same: people think they know what they're getting, and they're always wrong"(93).

Q3 Outside Reading Week 1 Post B

Having just started My Sister's Keeper, I'm surprised to find myself already completely traumatized. The moral dilemma laid out by Jodi Picoult is one of the most difficult situations I've ever been presented with.

Aside from the horrifying position Anna and the Fitzgerald family have been thrown into, there are also a lot of literary elements to this book. The one that I wanted to comment on was the organization and writing style. Picoult starts the book using Anna as the narrator. If this were how the rest of the book was told, there would definitely be a bit of bias involved. Anna's side would most likely be the side that the readers take, regardless of the tremendous pain it might cause her sister and the rest of the family. Instead, Picoult tells the story through multiple narrators including Campbell Alexander, Anna's attorney, Sara Fitzgerald, Anna's mom, Brian Fitzergerald, Anna's dad, and even Jesse Fitzgerald, Anna's brother. Each narrator has their own special font and title at the beginning of their chapter. I think it was extremely clever for Picoult to write the story this way. We are now able to see all the points of view, which may make the decision even harder to bear, but gives true insight to the story.

The chapters are also arranged with days of the week. The story begins on a Monday, present day with Anna's story. As the narrators switch, they then recount their stories on the same day. Sometimes flashbacks occur, but then the year is states. All the stories that occur within each section are from the same day with differing narrators and even sometimes, differing years. It is an intelligent and creative way to organize the book. This gives a really nice sence of what happens chronologically, which for people like me who enjoy timelines, can be quite helpful.

Although I'm not very far into My Sister's Keeper, I know that it will be a book I will enjoy very much. With a creative writing style, a tearing moral dilemma, and very realistic characters, Picoult has done a wonderful job and within the first 36 pages, I'm already hooked. I can't wait to continue the story of the Fitzgerald family.

Q3 Outside Reading Week 1 Post A

Vocab:
wampum(23)- cylindrical beads made from shells that were used by Native Americans as a medium for exchange, ornaments, and ceremonial purposes.
granulocytes(10)- Any of a group of white blood cells having granules in the cytoplasm

Figurative Language:
"Before I understood that the smile of a child is a tattoo: indelible art"(27). This is a metaphor that compares a child's smile to a tattoo or nonremovable piece of art. It's a metaphor because it is a comparison saying something "is" something else, not "like" something else.

"Trailing her spine, like a line of small blue jewels, are a string of bruises"(28). This quote is of a simile. It is comparing the bruises on Kate's back with small blue jewels. The quote states that they are "like" not that they actually "are" which makes this a simile and not a metaphor.

"My tongue is pinned by the weight of the question that, a moment later, Brian forces out of his own throat: 'Is she...is she going to die?'"(33). This is, in my opinion, imagery, for a lack of a better word. It deals with the feeling of the question. It is an extremely serious question that doesn't literally pin Sara's tongue because of its weight. Basically, this quote is just intensifying the fear and terror that Sara and Brian fear for their child's well-being. And because it deals with one of the 5 senses (touch/feeling), I'd say that it is imagery.

Quote:
"In my first memory, I am three years old and I am trying to kill my sister...In the end, though, I did not kill my sister. She did it all on her own. Or at least this is what I tell myself" (5). This quote is actually rather long. It is the prologue that begins the book. Already, the tone is set as melancholy. Initially, I didn't read this part because I had accidentally by-passed it when starting the book. I had already met Anna when I finally read it and I was already aware of her situation. But if I think about it, not knowing any of the characters, this quote instills a horrible feeling within me. After meeting Anna, I now know why she would say something like this. This quote begins a fight of moral values that leaves me completely torn between who to side with. Not only is it a mood setter, but it also sets up the entire story line. Just one page. Just three paragraphs. And everything is already blurry.

Theme: Everyone has rights to their own body and should have control of their own life.

My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult

This quarter I will be reading My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult. This book won the Alex Awards and Jodi Picoult won the 2003 New England Book Award for her entire body of work. For those of you who don't know what this book is about, here is a synopsis from Barnes and Noble.

Synopsis
New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness.
Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged...until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.
My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you? Once again, in My Sister's Keeper, Jodi Picoult tackles a controversial real-life subject with grace, wisdom, and sensitivity.

*Courtesy of barnesandnoble.com

Telemachus: The Great Escape

Telemachus, the son of great Odysseus, is definitely one of my favorite characters in The Odyssey. There's just something about his innocence and childlike qualities that make him so easy to relate to. He has reached a point in his life where he needs to learn to stop being a boy and become a man. This point is where most of us are in our lives, and the struggles we face today are similar emotionally to those of Telemachus. Also, unlike the Gods, he has many flaws. Telemachus isn't the bravest of warriors or the most skilled. He can't even keep suitors out of his own house, but that doesn't mean he isn't a great person. It isn't the flaws that define who you are, but the actions you take to manuveur around the flaws and achieve success that does.

I'm quite surprised yet proud of him when he decided to sail off for news of his father. He faces a really tough crowd in Ithaca, and I'm glad that their opinions didn't sway him. I think it was very brave of him to adventure off on his own, even if he does have Athena watching over him. It was his transition from childhood to manhood. Poor Telemachus is burdened with suitors who have plagued his house since he was little and a mother who he has to take care of. It's going to be a dangerous journey that he has embarked on, and for Telemachus, I hope he returns safe and sound.

The song I picked to represent Telemachus is "The Great Escape" by Boys like Girls. It's one of my favorite songs and I think it's a pretty accurate representation of Telemachus' decision to take the journey. There are a lot of lyrics in the song that relate to the troubles Telemachus is going through. Firstly, the chorus: Throw it away/Forget yesterday/We'll make the great escape/We won't hear a word they say/They don't know us anyway/Watch it burn/Let it die/Cause we are finally free tonight, represents Telemachus' escape from Ithaca and his oppressers. He is able to shake off all those criticisms and years of tending to what they want and finally go off in search of his father, something he probably has wanted to do for a long time. Secondly, the verse Tonight will change our lives/It's so good to be by your side/We'll cry/We won't give up the fight, signifies Athena's hand in Telemachus' plan. She was the one who urged him to take the journey and when he felt that he wanted to give up, it was she who stopped him from doing so. Lastly, All of the wasted time/The hours that were left behind/The answers that we'll never find/They don't mean a thing tonight, symbolize the long years of Odysseus' absence. It's been a long time and when Telemachus decides to leave Ithaca in search of his father, he is shedding his doubts in search of answers that he never got. Finally, Telemachus is able to go out on his own and take control of his own life.