The statement below is false

Animal Farm
George Orwell

I think the author’s purpose for writing Animal Farm was mostly ridiculing communism in soviet Russia, and using animals and very simple language to show what’s happening there and making it easy to understand for everyone.
I think this book was intended mostly for adults, and those interested in politics. Although it uses simple language, it discusses mature themes such as slavery and alcoholism.

rating: 9

Describe the character/person who changed the most from beginning of the book to the end of the book. Explain the change and what caused it.

The character that changed the most was Napoleon. He went from a patriotic animal, who hated humans, but got consumed by power, and slowly started to become what he hated, a human. The change was slow and abrupt, Napoleon didn’t slowly move into ideas, he just accepted them quickly one by one, thinking only of the short term effects. The cause was in between power at first, but once Napoleon gained power, he became addicted to whiskey, and made a few decisions in order to make money to buy whiskey, and that ruined him.

Julia J
3-4
November
Fahrenheit 451
Ray Bradbury

I think the author’s purpose was to illustrate a future where books are completely gone, to sort of give people the feeling of what it would be like because you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Books are very unappreciated, and it shows a world where the government probably tries to control its citizens minds, and books are made illegal because they spread ideas, and the government aims to make people think less and less to ultimately become servants, sort of in the way Newspeak is used in Orwell’s 1984.
The intended audience for this book I think were both people who love and hate books, and people who move through life too fast without appreciating their freedoms.

rating 8

Above you rated this book. Explain in detail why you gave this book that score.

Evaluate the ending of the book. Considering how the book unfolded, is it an effective ending? Why or why not?

I rated this book with an 8, for a dull ending. I thought it was a really good story throughout the whole book, but the ending feels like a big letdown. The book ends with the main character killing the captain of his fire brigade and then running from the law, or the mechanical dog, that is used to catch criminals. The law never fails, however the dog cannot find Montag, and frames an innocent man walking down the street at the time. Montag then heads to a group of college professors, and other intellectuals  who love books, and have certain books memorized. And the book pretty much just ends like that, it feels very unresolved to me.

Julia J
3-4
October
1984
George Orwell

I think the Orwell’s purpose for writing 1984 was a prediction as well as a warning for the future. Sometimes the way things were going in the 30′s, when the book was written, it seemed that a future like one from the book was entirely possible, and so he wrote the book the shed light on how things might become in case things start getting that way people can try to stop it before  the whole world turns completely dystopic.
I think the book was intended to people searching for meaning in the world, intellectuals, and young people who are aware or have the world’s interest in mind, and who will be voting future leaders into office, basically meaning people who have a say in affecting the future.

Rating: 10

Evaluate the ending of the book. Considering how the book unfolded, is it an effective ending? Why or why not?

I have mixed feelings on the ending, because as a book ending, it was incredible. It was completely unexpected and a really interesting way to end the book, but at the same time, I wish it ended in a way where big brother didn’t ultimately win. It’s a really great ending, that’s nearly impossible to explain to someone who didn’t read the book, and I think Orwell really did a good job with it.

Julia J
3-4
September
The Secret Pulse of Time
Stefan Klein

I think the author’s purpose for writing this book was to inform people about time, because it’s there, but it’s like the invisible dimension, and people don’t pay attention to it even though it’s always going on.
I think the intended audience for this book was anyone who is interested with time, but no specific age range, because unlike other books like it, it doesn’t really assume you’ve finished college.

Rating: 10

Above you rated this book. Explain in detail why you gave this book that score.

I gave this book a rating of 10 because in my opinion is was interesting and informative, and the author did a good job talking about things that the reader can relate to, and it was also entertaining.

1. extemporized – b. perform something without preparation

2. unabashed – c. not ashamed or embarrassed

3. genuflected – e. to lower one’s body by bending their leg

4. gelid – f. extremely cold

5. inviolable – d. not capable of being violated or infringed

6. surfeit – h. eating until excessively full

7. epiphany – g. a divine manifestation

8. macabre – a. shockingly repellent

1. Morrison personifies Winter and uses metaphors comparing Mr. MacTeer to winter by comparing his facial features to the traits of winter, “His eyes become a cliff of snow threatening to avalanche; his eyebrows bending back like black limbs of leafless trees.” on page 61.

2. Pecola is harassed by the group of boys when they call her “black e mo,” and say her father sleeps naked. It hurts her feelings, because as the author pointed out, she has no control over these things, and she can’t change anything, and she already has a low self-esteem. This is reminiscent of common bullying because often people are bullied for things they have no control over or things that are completely made up.

3. Maureen Peal was the right popular white girl in school who befriends Pecola but later becomes hostile when she hears that Pecola sees her father naked everyday.

4. Claudia and Frieda compare themselves with Maureen, they believe they are as rich and pretty as her, because they think she is the perfect girl but their views soon change when they see what society sees as the ‘perfect’ girl.

5. When the MacTeer sisters realize they are prostitutes they are surprised but keep their mouth shut because Mr. Henry wasn’t supposed to have people over.

6. Geraldine is the mother of one of the boys who bully Pecola. She loves her cat more than she could ever love her son. She is coldhearted, and even though she provides for her son’s physical needs, she does not address his emotional needs which is the reason why her son ends up bullying Pecola. Her character is fairly significant to the story to illustrate Junior’s rough background.

7. The importance of Geraldine’s relationship with her son is illustrated though how Junior takes out his anger on Pecola.

8. Junior treats Pecola badly in the beginning of the book but later becomes nicer and tries to become friends. His mother doesn’t care about Pecola and that brings Pecola down and makes her feel even worse about herself.

Here is a link to their interviews at StoryCorps

http://storycorps.org/listen/stories/danny-and-annie-perasa/

And this is a video made, combining the two interviews.

This story stood out to me because it’s remarkable to be able to stay together for so long, and still love each other as much as Danny and Annie did. You don’t see that often in the world, and instead of wondering what went wrong with every relationship, of almost every person, I like to try and see what went so right in the successful ones.

It’s also a very well told story. It starts off great, grabbing attention with the first sentence Danny says, but it ties the whole story together, and sort of summarizes it. Danny and Annie are just great story tellers overall, Danny describes most of it, and it’s just really interesting to listen to. It’s humorous, and clever in the way he says things. It has a clear beginning, middle and end. They also use a lot of metaphors to get the meaning across, and they share how they feel about their marriage, and each other.

1. What causes do Salerio and Solanio suggest for Antonio’s melancholy?
Salerio and Solanio suggest that he is worried about his ship, and that he is in love, are the reasons for his sadness.
2. What humorous advice does Gratiano offer Antonio?
Gratiano tells Antonio to talk more, because if he doesn’t, soon he’ll forget the sound of his own voice because Gratiano talks all the time.
3. Why does Bassanio want Antonio to loan him more money?
Bassanio wants Antonio to loan him more money because he wants to make the journey to impress Portia and have her hand in marriage.
4. Why is Portia angry with her deceased father?
Portia is angry because her fahr deviced a strange contest for her hand, and she doesn’t like any of the men she is to marry.
5. Why does Nerissa tell Portia she “need not fear” her unwelcome suitors?
Nerissa tells Portia not to fear, because if the suitors are unwelcome by her, shy wont want to trouble her.
6. What do Portia and Nerissa think of Bassanio?
Portia and Nerissa both believe Bassanio, out of all the suitors, is the best candidate for Portia’s hand.
7. According to Shylock, why does he hate Antonio?
Shylock hates Antonio because Antonio borrows so much money that he cannot charge high interest.
8. Why is Shylock indignant over Antonio’s request?
Shylock is reluctant of the deal because Antonio and Bassanio insult him, and then want to use his services.
9. What is Antonio’s response to Shylock’s accusation?
Antonio’s response to Shylock’s accusation is that he shouldn’t lend the money to friends, but to enemies, by which he means to basically keep it professional.
10. In exchange for what does Shylock agree to lend Antonio and Bassanio the money?
Shylock wants a pound of flesh, in order to loan Antonio and Bassanio the money.

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In the story, Anna asks what it means to enter a bond with another person, her question is answered at the end of the story when she realizes she loves both her lawful husband, and her lover, who doesn’t feel any different than a husband. When she is in the car with her lover on the way to Albany, she tries to fall asleep, thinking she trusts him, but realizing she doesn’t. She sees many other couples driving by in cars ‘in a bond’ with each other. I think it’s really what she longs for, yet throughout most of the story she isn’t sure tries to figure out what really makes a bond, and what it means to be in it.

Anna is unhappy, and even angry at herself for having an affair throughout most of the story. She is repulsed by her own actions and even cuts herself, almost as if just to see how much it bleeds. By the end, she overcomes her emotions and finally realizes that loving someone so much cannot possibly be a bad thing, and even if looked down upon by the whole world, here in this room, love like this is only the right thing. She realizes that all this time, she’s been in a bond. It was a bond because they loved each other, but at the same time couldn’t be a bond until she felt it was the right thing to do, and felt good not only about doing it, but also about the idea of doing it.

1.  The viewpoint that he lovers are acting selfishly and that it’s wrong, is the reason Checkhov wrote the story. He wrote it to demonstrate it from the lovers’ point of view to show those opposing it why it’s not all that wrong. He’d disagree with that viewpoint, as he has demonstrated in the story. I would personally agree with Checkhov. I believe in righteous marriages, but only if you get to decide who you marry. It makes no sense to get married otherwise.

2.  The significance of the setting in this story, an particularly where they met, is important because they both met on vacation, in a resort town. People let go of themselves on vacation, and enjoy themselves without thinking about their responsibilities and limits. Another reason is that nobody knew who they were or what they were doing so they were free from any criticism from the outside world. It would have been nearly impossible for all this to happen if they had not been on vacation.

3. I think Gurov refers to women as the inferior race not only because of his opinion of his wife, but also because of the affairs he’s had, he has lost all the respect for women. He’s clearly a typical male who believes he’s better than all women combined, and he feels almost like they’re entitled to him, and their purpose is to serve him, and his needs.

5. Gurov’s feelings towards Anna change towards the end of the story, when he looks in the mirror and realizes not only how old he is to be doing this, but also at how long it has been going on. He reflects on how many affairs he’s had, and how this one keeps on going and he actually wants to be with the woman for so long which is unusual.

9. Based on what I’ve experienced, I’d agree with Gurov’s belief that every person’s true life is led in secrecy. No matter how open the person is, there are things they will not discuss, sometimes purely to keep their sanity. We live in a world where everyone’s life has some complicated aspect, and where everyone has a skeleton in their closet. It is also a part of human mind that keeps personal bias, and modifies actions in anticipation of being judged by other parties. You could ask anyone in the world if they have one thing, they would not rather discuss with the public, maybe more than one. Ask if there are secrets that they would do almost anything to protect. I’m sure just about every person would say yes.