If your book is set in a time period in history, it probably tells you a lot about that period. What might you do if you lived in that time period and faced a similar dilemma as the protagonist does?
So I was thinking about this question and realized that you often want to say 'I would have done exactly what the protagonist did and saved the day!' But would you really? I think that sitting here on my nice comfortable couch thinking about it, however much I want to say I would 'save the day' I think I wouldn't. But if I was actually in that situation I would probably pull through because, I mean, what other choice would I have.
In the book one character has this system that when he is walking across the desert he is thinking, just until that tree, or just until the end of this day, and this helps him get through all his troubles. I think that this was very effective for him and it served him well.
The other character in my book has a slightly less hard life but it is still tough. This is just her norm so she doesn't really know anything else and therefore she doesn't really think about how hard it is. I don't exactly know if this is a good thing or a bad thing but in the end things get better for her and that's good.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
A Long Walk to Water: A look at Nya
So, while reading this book I was wondering why is Nya's story in the book at all. I mean it isn't as gripping as Salva's story is and is a lot shorter and simpler. But the author probably had a reason for putting it in because otherwise it wouldn't be there. So here are two reasons why I think Nya's story is added to the book.
Nya's story might have been added for suspense. It breaks up Salva's story so that you have time to wonder and worry about what is going to happen to Salva. I think that this is a good thing. It keeps the story interesting and fun to read. Where I normally don't like suspense (I read the last 200 pages of the 7th Harry Potter book before reading the rest of the them) here it adds a nice touch.
Nya's story also might have been added to flesh out Salva's story. Salva's story can't exactly describe the hardship of day to day life, stay interesting, and give you the whole picture because it takes place over such a long period of time. In a way, Nya's story helps you imagine what Slava's day to day life is like. This is important because it helps you look even deeper into Salva's life and story. Overall I think that Nya's story is there for a reason, whatever that reason may be, and it added something to the book.
Nya's story might have been added for suspense. It breaks up Salva's story so that you have time to wonder and worry about what is going to happen to Salva. I think that this is a good thing. It keeps the story interesting and fun to read. Where I normally don't like suspense (I read the last 200 pages of the 7th Harry Potter book before reading the rest of the them) here it adds a nice touch.
Nya's story also might have been added to flesh out Salva's story. Salva's story can't exactly describe the hardship of day to day life, stay interesting, and give you the whole picture because it takes place over such a long period of time. In a way, Nya's story helps you imagine what Slava's day to day life is like. This is important because it helps you look even deeper into Salva's life and story. Overall I think that Nya's story is there for a reason, whatever that reason may be, and it added something to the book.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A Long Walk to Water: A look at Salva
So in A Long Walk to Water there are two main characters, boy and a girl. Just to recap from my last post, the boy's (Salva) story takes place from 1985 to 2009 and the girl's (Nya) story takes place from 2008 to 2009. The narrator switches off between telling the two stories.
While I was reading the book I noticed that the author, Linda Sue Park, describes how Salva leads a group in almost the exact same way twice, once in 1991-1992 during the telling of Salva's story, and once in 2009 during the telling of Nya's story.
*Slight Spoiler Alert*
Here is the quote from Salva's story. On page 81 it says "Salva would talk to them [the boys he was directing], encourage them, coax and persuade them. Once in a while he a to speak sternly, or even shout. But he tried not to do this so often." Then on pages 76-76 from Nya' s story it says "The boss would encourage the workers and laugh and joke with them. If that didn't work, he would talk to them earnestly and try to persuade them. And if that didn't work, he would get angry. He didn't get angry very often." We later learn that the boss is Salva.
Okay, so my question was there any point in the fact that there are many similarities in the way the author describes Salva. I think that there is a point. I think that it shows how mature Salva's experiences have made him, and how mature he already was in the first case. In the first case he has been without his family or anyone to help him for six years. That is a very long time to be away from your family, especially if you don't know if you will ever see them again. I don't think it is ever something someone would want.
While I was reading the book I noticed that the author, Linda Sue Park, describes how Salva leads a group in almost the exact same way twice, once in 1991-1992 during the telling of Salva's story, and once in 2009 during the telling of Nya's story.
*Slight Spoiler Alert*
Here is the quote from Salva's story. On page 81 it says "Salva would talk to them [the boys he was directing], encourage them, coax and persuade them. Once in a while he a to speak sternly, or even shout. But he tried not to do this so often." Then on pages 76-76 from Nya' s story it says "The boss would encourage the workers and laugh and joke with them. If that didn't work, he would talk to them earnestly and try to persuade them. And if that didn't work, he would get angry. He didn't get angry very often." We later learn that the boss is Salva.
Okay, so my question was there any point in the fact that there are many similarities in the way the author describes Salva. I think that there is a point. I think that it shows how mature Salva's experiences have made him, and how mature he already was in the first case. In the first case he has been without his family or anyone to help him for six years. That is a very long time to be away from your family, especially if you don't know if you will ever see them again. I don't think it is ever something someone would want.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Don't Judge a Book By It's Cover (or not)
So a long, long, long, time ago I started reading this book called a A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park. About a month ago I finished it. So I meant to post something on it a long time ago but... well whatever. Okay, so before I read the book I wrote down some things about what I thought the book was going to be about thinking that it might make a good post to compare what I thought it was going to be like and what it actually was like. I basically judged the book by its cover, and inside cover :). So here we are.
So on the inside cover it said that the book was about two children growing up in the war torn country of Sudan. I thought that the book would be told as one story even though it was about two different children. I thought it would be a story about survival and perseverance.
As it turned out the two stories took place at completely different times, one in 1985-2009 and one from 2008-2009. The stories were told by a narrator (not someone in the story) and they switched off telling one person's story and then another. It was about perseverance but, the two characters persevered in different ways. I found this really interesting.
Normally when a book just randomly switches off between two stories or perspectives it annoys me and makes it hard to follow the story. But in this case it actually made the book really enjoyable to read. It added a little suspense which, even though I don't normally like suspense, helped the book stay interesting.
So on the inside cover it said that the book was about two children growing up in the war torn country of Sudan. I thought that the book would be told as one story even though it was about two different children. I thought it would be a story about survival and perseverance.
As it turned out the two stories took place at completely different times, one in 1985-2009 and one from 2008-2009. The stories were told by a narrator (not someone in the story) and they switched off telling one person's story and then another. It was about perseverance but, the two characters persevered in different ways. I found this really interesting.
Normally when a book just randomly switches off between two stories or perspectives it annoys me and makes it hard to follow the story. But in this case it actually made the book really enjoyable to read. It added a little suspense which, even though I don't normally like suspense, helped the book stay interesting.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Guernsey, Letters and The Human Comedy
In class we've been talking about how the book the Human Comedy has a theme, community, and that each chapter adds something more to the community. I think that Guernsey is also like that, each letter (or at least most of them) adds something more to the community on Guernsey. Each letter adds more to each character and, as I think I mentioned before, you get to view the story through more than one perspective, which I really like.
But why is one practical reason why these people would write letters to each other instead of just discussing it in person. I think that during the occupation you didn't know who might be listening to your conversation. Whereas if you write letters the letters can be destroyed. Read, destroy, read, destroy, read, destroy, making the correspondence both inaudible and invisible. But the book takes place after the occupation, so... I think that the book is sort of meant to echo the occupation. The book is meant to tell the reader about what it was like for the people of Guernsey during the occupation. I mean, Juliet originally comes to Guernsey to write a book about the occupation. It also might be a lasting affect that the occupation had on the residents of Guernsey, they're in the habit of writing letters or they're just still cautious.
Besides being inaudible and invisible letters can enable people to communicate more personal things. Often times in books people say for example, "I'm writing this here because I'm too shy/embarrassed to say it to your face." This is another benefit of a book being written in letters, you get an even more inside look at the characters life.
In reading this book I have realized even more the meaningfulness (is that a word?) of hand written letters versus email. People really take a lot more time on letters than they do on emails, which makes it all the more personal. I know I love to get letters, but unfortunately I mostly receive email.
But why is one practical reason why these people would write letters to each other instead of just discussing it in person. I think that during the occupation you didn't know who might be listening to your conversation. Whereas if you write letters the letters can be destroyed. Read, destroy, read, destroy, read, destroy, making the correspondence both inaudible and invisible. But the book takes place after the occupation, so... I think that the book is sort of meant to echo the occupation. The book is meant to tell the reader about what it was like for the people of Guernsey during the occupation. I mean, Juliet originally comes to Guernsey to write a book about the occupation. It also might be a lasting affect that the occupation had on the residents of Guernsey, they're in the habit of writing letters or they're just still cautious.
Besides being inaudible and invisible letters can enable people to communicate more personal things. Often times in books people say for example, "I'm writing this here because I'm too shy/embarrassed to say it to your face." This is another benefit of a book being written in letters, you get an even more inside look at the characters life.
In reading this book I have realized even more the meaningfulness (is that a word?) of hand written letters versus email. People really take a lot more time on letters than they do on emails, which makes it all the more personal. I know I love to get letters, but unfortunately I mostly receive email.
Guernsey *Spoiler Alert*
At the end of the book Juliet (the main character) marries Dawsey (the islander who first wrote to her). I thought that I would look through the book for things that might have foreshadowed Juliet getting married.
Just before Juliet comes to Guernsey, Amelia (an islander) sends a letter to Juliet saying many things, but ending with how excited she is that Juliet is coming. She writes, "There is no more beautiful approach to Guernsey than the one by sea... That is the way I first saw Guernsey, as a new bride." This is Juliet's first time coming to Guernsey, while she isn't a bride, she will be, so Amelia's comment is foreshadowing.
This quote doesn't only foreshadow something about Juliet's life but about Amelia's life and everyone's life in the Literary Society. A new bride represents starting a new chapter in life. When Juliet comes to Guernsey the lives of many of the Society members change. For example, Dawsey becomes a little more talkative and less shy. When Juliet comes she lives with Kit (a shy, hard to please, orphan four-year-old, and child of one of the founding members of the society). Kit slowly becomes more comfortable with Juliet and their relationship becomes like mother-daughter. This also changes the lives of the society members.
Amelia's comment foreshadows many things to come in the book. Who knew?
Just before Juliet comes to Guernsey, Amelia (an islander) sends a letter to Juliet saying many things, but ending with how excited she is that Juliet is coming. She writes, "There is no more beautiful approach to Guernsey than the one by sea... That is the way I first saw Guernsey, as a new bride." This is Juliet's first time coming to Guernsey, while she isn't a bride, she will be, so Amelia's comment is foreshadowing.
This quote doesn't only foreshadow something about Juliet's life but about Amelia's life and everyone's life in the Literary Society. A new bride represents starting a new chapter in life. When Juliet comes to Guernsey the lives of many of the Society members change. For example, Dawsey becomes a little more talkative and less shy. When Juliet comes she lives with Kit (a shy, hard to please, orphan four-year-old, and child of one of the founding members of the society). Kit slowly becomes more comfortable with Juliet and their relationship becomes like mother-daughter. This also changes the lives of the society members.
Amelia's comment foreshadows many things to come in the book. Who knew?
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Guernsey (Correspondence between Juliet and Amelia Maugery)
So another pair of letters interested me today (actually not today but, that doesn't matter). Juliet (the main character who lives in London) writes letters to Amelia Maugery (an islander). Amelia is one of the founding members of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Juliet writes to Amelia to see if some of the other members of the society will write to her. Amelia writes back mostly saying yes, but expresses her concern that Juliet may write an article in the newspaper making fun of the society.
Here comes the interesting part. Juliet writes back saying she will have two people write to Amelia, one person who likes her and another person who dislikes her. Why would Juliet have someone write to Amelia who doesn't like her, or as Juliet says, "wholeheartedly dislikes me"? I think it is because Juliet wants Amelia to be able to see two perspectives that people have taken on her. It will let Amelia see two sides of her and will let her get a better picture of her personality. Having these two different people write to her shows that Juliet isn't exactly afraid of being turned down by Amelia and really cares that Amelia has a good picture in here mind of who she is. I think it was a good and interesting idea for Juliet to have two very different people send letters to Amelia.
Just a side note, the letter that the person who dislikes her sends to Amelia is quite respectful. This shows that even the people who don't like Juliet still respect her. I think that that is an important thing for Amelia to know. I hope the same would be true for me.
Here comes the interesting part. Juliet writes back saying she will have two people write to Amelia, one person who likes her and another person who dislikes her. Why would Juliet have someone write to Amelia who doesn't like her, or as Juliet says, "wholeheartedly dislikes me"? I think it is because Juliet wants Amelia to be able to see two perspectives that people have taken on her. It will let Amelia see two sides of her and will let her get a better picture of her personality. Having these two different people write to her shows that Juliet isn't exactly afraid of being turned down by Amelia and really cares that Amelia has a good picture in here mind of who she is. I think it was a good and interesting idea for Juliet to have two very different people send letters to Amelia.
Just a side note, the letter that the person who dislikes her sends to Amelia is quite respectful. This shows that even the people who don't like Juliet still respect her. I think that that is an important thing for Amelia to know. I hope the same would be true for me.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)