#aplit13readingthework

[joeljames007-blog]

Reading the Work: 5

By now Erica's issue has become serious and she is in a mental institute. Changez deeply tries to reconnect with her but it's useless. He goes for a project in a Chile and there a old book publisher talks to him about janissaries, who were christian children kidnapped by Muslims brainwashed and by adulthood sent out to fight against their own empires. Changez feels he too has become a Janissary. Erica has run away from her mental institute and had been missing for some time, Changez slowly comes to realize whether she's dead or alive his relationship with her will never be. He quits his job, and leaves for Lahore. The final parts of the novel catch up to the present where Changez and the american are talking, they walk back to the american's hotel and it seems some men are following them. The novel ends with the American stranger stopping to reach for something  could be a business card or a gun. I really liked this novel, it was extremely interesting and the way it was written in monologue form really gives you insight as if you are the American stranger Changez is retelling his story too. We are supposed to interpret the story however we feel best. I feel the stranger could of been an undercover cia agent, but we will never no it truly ends. It was a great read. 

[gshark25]

Empire of the Sun: Reading Stage (5)

I have now completed Empire of the Sun.  This was a great book and I am very happy that I have chosen it for this project.  There are several main themes that J.G. Ballard uses throughout this novel.  The theme of airplanes is used throughout the novel to show the progression of the war and also to symbolize Jim's physical and mental condition.  Jim's confusion with which country he is a member of is another theme that continues throughout the novel.  Jim wants to be a Japanese pilot, but he also wants to be an American.  The only race that he doesn't connect with at all is being British, which is what he actually is.  This internal conflict reveals a lot about Jim's character and the traits that he admires in people.  Over all this was a very good novel and I enjoyed reading it very much so.

[erikkoberstein-blog]

Reading The Work #5

Ben has decided to move the treasure into a cave. The pirates find this out because they dig for it and it’s not there. They end up tracking the treasure down and putting it on the Hispaniola for transportation back to Europe. Finally, the book is over and now I have moved onto the writing portions of it! I really enjoyed the book because it kept me interested by trying to find treasure. 

[joeljames007-blog]

Reading the Work: 4

9/11 happens. Changez at the time is working on a project in the Philippines and when he sees the news his first reaction is happiness. Coming from a fact that someone has brought America too its knees, a country that is considered the most powerful and leader of the free world. Things begin to happen in his life, it seems to be falling apart. Pakistan is at brink of war with India and America isn't doing anything to help. Erica is distant now since 9/11 she has thought more and more of her boyfriend who died of cancer recently and she's breaking down mentally. Changez finds himself extremely confused on what to do. He grows a beard in protest. He also goes to visit his home Lahore, Pakistan.

[ginnyv-blog-blog]

Oh my gosh! I cannot believe this book. "Not Good Enough For the Truth in Cliche" by Escape the Fate describes Rabbit and how his life will be. He ran three more times after leaving Ruth. He left his wife yet again and then discovered she kind of accidentally drowned their daughter. He went back to her after hearing about the death of his daughter, but then left her again and went running back to Ruth. Ruth told Rabbit to divorce his wife, Janice, so marry her and he agreed. THEN HE RAN AGAIN AND THE END. I am unhappy with his actions and using Escape the Fate's words want to ask him, "what's it like to die alone?"

[erikkoberstein-blog]

Reading The Work #4

After Jim goes back onto the boat he realizes that there are only 6 pirates remaining. Stevenson does this because he wants to bring up the question again of whether the pirates will end up finding the treasure or not. Plus, he wants to bring up the idea of nobility again and whether they are noble or not. They are unsure or not of whether to leave the other pirates and go find the treasure themselves or take the others with them. At this point, I just want them to find the treasure and have the book end. 

[joeljames007-blog]

Reading the Work:3

Changez moves to New York and starts his job with Underwood Samson and his relationship with Erica seems to be moving along smoothly. He feels conflicted though about being in America, for America at first was not a powerful country only consisting of 13 colonies and is a young country compared to the rest. Pakistan is rich with culture and was very rich back in  the old times. Now U.S is far ahead technologically and much more modern compared to Pakistan. He seems confused.

[ginnyv-blog-blog]

Yet again Rabbit runs away from another woman. So many songs relate to escaping or running away Bob Marley's song "Running Away" reminds me of Rabbit because he is very unconcerned with how his actions can hurt people. This is a calm song that relates to Rabbits actions because it seems as though he does not care for other people's emotions. Rabbit left Ruth to attend the birth of his daughter. At least he is running for a good reason this time. This action represents who Rabbit is, but also shows the audience that he does have some morals for leaving his mistress to be there for the birth of his daughter. His actions can be seen as good and bad, but either way the title of the novel is defiantly displayed by Rabbit's actions throughout the book. 

[erikkoberstein-blog]

Reading the Work #3

I am about half way through the book and I really like it so far! Reading through the beginning of their journey, I notice an interesting line. Jim says “I hate the very thought of Treasure Island.” This is very ironic because he obviously wants to find the treasure and become rich through everything he will gain from finding it; however, he says he hates the thought. It’s ironic because he wants to go but doesn’t like the idea? It doesn’t make sense. After watching Jim find Ben Gunn’s coracle and being able to use it to defeat the much larger Hispanola pirate ship was also interesting. This situation represents the David versus Goliath story that everyone knows.

[joeljames007-blog]

Reading the Work: 2

At this point in the story Changez is talking about his life in Princeton and about his upcoming job interview with a highly reputable valuation firm known as Underwood Samson. He also talks about meeting Erica for the first time, and their trip to Greece with some friends after graduating college. I find it interesting the way Changez talks, it's as if he is trying to sound over sophisticated, but he sounds extremely intelligent and polite.  

[vicfawaz-blog-blog]

Reading the Work 5

The book ends at the arts festival, and everything just plays out further than I imagined. It turns out that the mysterious observer is actually the narrator, and the creator of the universe that the book takes place in. This made me realize that the reason they call mirrors leeks is because they are like a portal into another universe, much like the narrator has stepped into the characters universe to observe. He reveals almost everything about the characters, but doesn't do anything to them within their universe. Its almost like they're just puppets, which makes me wonder if anyone is controlling the narrator's universe within the story.  It kind of reminded me of the movie The Matrix because one universe is influencing, if not completely controlling, another.Looking back on it, I really enjoyed the book, and I now know why so many people respect Vonnegut as an author. He has some far fetched ideas that he incorporates into the novel, but they typically relate back to something that can reinstate a moral lesson.