Fahrenheit 451; Part 2

Part three of Fahrenheit 451, Burning Bright, opens as Montag gazes at Clarisse's empty house, and Beatty is berating him for "falling under Clarisse's influence." This part of the book is where Mildred's betrayal of Montag is complete, and Montag realizes that she will soon forget him as she drives away, consoling herself with her Seashell radio. I knew she was crazy from the moment I started reading about her. What a nut! Also, this part of the book is dominated by the final confrontation between Montag and Beatty. Montag remains surprisingly detached in this section of the book. He enjoys burning his own house as much as he enjoyed burning those of others, and he begins to agree with Beatty that fire is removing his problems. He begins to imagine Midred and his previous life under the ashes, and feels that he is really far away and that his body is "dead." Bradbury's writing style is particularly poetic in this section. He uses many figurative language extensively and often bends the rules of grammar, such as using sentence fragments, to convey the breathlessness of Montag's flight. His use of figurative language and misuse of grammar seems to be one of Bradbury's strongest writing tool. Bradbury also seems to use several different devices to heighten the tension of the chase sequence. For example, he uses dramatic pauses, such as when the Hound pauses on Faber's lawn and the countdown to the "look out" in which everybody is to open their doors. That was probably the most never-racking part of the book for me! I had no idea what was going to happen! Finally, the track leads him to a fire with five men sitting around it. The leader, Granger, invites Montag to join them. Granger then gives Montag a bottle of colorless fluid to drink and explains that it will change the chemical index of his body so the Hound will not be able to track him. As the men gather around the TV, they see the Hound pounce on a man the announcer identified as "Montag." The men reflect that the police probably chose the man to be their scapegoat because of his habit of walking by himself, a clearly dangerous habit. As the men continue to chat, they suddenly see jets flash over the city and drop their bombs. The city is vaporized by the explosion. As the men walk upriver to find survivors, Montag knows they will eventually talk, and he tries to remember passages from the Bible appropriate to the occasion. He thinks of Ecclesiastes 3:1, "To everything there is a season," and also Revelations 22:2, "And on either side of the river was there a tree of life...and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

I'm glad that the novel ended in a shocking but slightly optimistic tone. All and all, Fahrenheit 451 has topped my list of favorite books we have read in this class.

Fahrenheit 451; Part 1

Fahrenheit 451 was the one book I was most excited to read in this class. I've heard so much about this book, and I couldn't wait to start it! From the beginning of Part 1 to the ending of Part 2, Fahrenheit 451 kept me on my feet. Part 1 ("The Hearth and the Salamander") focuses on Montag's job as a fireman and his home life while Part 2 ("The Sieve and the Sand") focuses on Montag's quest for knowledge. The opening scene of Fahrenheit 451 describes the pleasure he experiences while burning books. He loves the spectacle of burning and seeing things "changed" by fire. However, in Part 2 of the book, Montag begins a quest for knowledge to answer questions such as the true reason behind why books are burned. Ray Bradbury paints a clear picture of a futuristic society that has abandoned books in favor of hollow entertainment and instant gratification. It is later that Montag meets Clarisse. She is extremely inquisitive and thoughtful. She becomes a enigma to Montag because of her constant questioning of society and his beliefs. I hated the fact that Clarisse is forced to go to a psychiatrist because of her behaviors such as hiking, catching butterflies, and thinking independently. She is forced to go see a psychiatrist because she thinks independently? Seriously?! Speaking of characters of the books, I am not a big fan of Mildred, Montag's wife. Up to the end of Part 2, Mildred seems completely distant and unreadable. Her suicide attempt seems to suggest that she was trying to escape something. In short, I'm not a big fan of her. Who knows, I might change my opinion of her later on. I also didn't like Clarisse's quick death. Her sudden death kept bothering me while I continued reading. I didn't understand why Bradbury would introduce such an intriguing character so early on in the story and then kill her off so suddenly? I guess Bradbury wanted to show the readers how society reacts to "unusual" people such as Clarisse.

Overall, I am certainly enjoying Fahrenheit 451 so far. Bradbury's attempt to paint such a society keeps me interested to keep reading. I look forward to the rest of the book!

Life of Pi, Part 4

Ahhhh! The book has finally come to an end, and I have to admit, this one is definitely one of my favorite books I have read in a while! This final reading assignment was one of the most nerve racking because I didn't know how it was going to end! Was Pi and Richard Parker going to be saved? Or were they both going to die from starvation and dehydration? However, once Pi and Richard Parker land on Mexico, I had a feeling everything was going to be okay for the both of them. I didn't, however, like the fact that Richard Parker trotted away into the jungle before Pi could say good bye to him.

However, in part 3 of the book, this tale takes a new and even more tragic meaning when Pi reveals another version of his story, one in which the animals are replaced by humans. Once we learn this, we understand and assume that Pi probably made up the animal version as a way to cope with the tragedy. Both versions of the story, with and without animals are viable, and Pi never reveals to the reader which version is true. Still, Pi seems to confess in these last chapters that he has made up his entire story as a way to cope with the shocker series of events. This part of the book was truly heartbreaking for me.

Nevertheless, this book definitely goes on my "Top 10 Favorite Books of All Time" list! I can't wait to read Martel's other books!

"Astounding story of courage and endurance in the face of difficulty and tragic circumstances."

Life of Pi, Part 3

This reading assignment opens as Pi is using his resources to survive. As Pi reads the survivor manual, he finds the lifeboat locker. He realizes that he needs to fish and create a shelter. Hungry and thirsty, he decides to go back to the lifeboat. Hesitantly, Pi pulls up to the raft and sees Richard Parker has marked his territory by spraying urine all around the bottom of the boat. Pi then drinks some of the water from a puddle and urinates on the locker lid to mark his own territory. Now, Pi must find a way to find food. He decides that he will try to fish. His first attempt using a leather shoe doesn't work very well. However, soon enough, a school of flying fish swim by the raft. Some hit Pi and Richard Parker while others fall into the boat or jump over the hull. Being a vegetarian and pacifist, Pi hesitates and then cries when he finally breaks the fish's neck with his hands.

After eating the fish, Pi busies himself with miscellaneous tasks. He creates a daily schedule that consists of different chores and activities. This repetition of activities necessary for life proves distressing for Pi. Because there is no regular source of water, the compulsion to drink water every day has become a nuisance. Also, because Pi must wear the same clothes every day, they disintegrate and fall off his body. Pi continues to read the survival manual and continues to fish. When he isn't reading or fishing, Pi spends hours observing the sea life. Pi also begins to keep a diary, mostly writing about his observations.

A terrible storm then rolls in and sends Pi scrambling into the lifeboat where he lies flat on a bench, farthest away from Richard Parker. The storm seems to rage on for a day and a night. During this storm, Pi seemed sure that this was when he was going to die. Then, the appearance of the tanker holds the potential for rescue, but ends in hopelessness. The real conclusion comes without any warning. Without warning, the lifeboat lands in Mexico, and Pi is saved. That was definitely one of my favorite chapters! It was so suspenseful! It kept me on the edge of my seat with every page flip! I can't wait to see what happens next!

Life of Pi (Part 2)

Part 2 of Life of Pi opens with the ship sinking, and Pi finds himself in a lifeboat in the midst of utter chaos. This chaos includes seeing a Royal Bengal tiger named Richard Parker in the water. After Richard Parker boards the lifeboat, Pi then realizes the dangers of sharing such a lifeboat with an animal as a tiger. This realization leads Pi to throw himself into the water. This section of the book reminds the reader the power and strength one has to avoid death. The reader reads about many near fatal incidents, and yet life continually surprises us with its might and will power. For example, Pi survives his forty foot fall through the air and lands unharmed on the lifeboat's tarpaulin cover. Then, the zebra survives the fall but with a broken leg. As Pi analyzes his surroundings, he realizes that he must become more mature and strong willed if he wants to survive the waters.

Even though I liked the first part of this reading assignment, I am not a big fan of what happened next. As the animals and Pi are stuck on the lifeboat, the hyena becomes restless and bites off the zebra's broken leg. Not only does the hyena eat that broken leg, it then decapitates the orangutan's head. This violence and brutality teaches Pi a lesson: the qualities a human or animal exhibit when unprovoked can vary extraordinary from those that same human or animal will show if attacked or threatened. Also, after Orange Juice strikes the hyena, he realizes that personality is something separate and distinct from instinct. After the brutal deaths of the zebra and the orangutan, Orange Juice, Pi fears that Richard Parker will kill him. Pi then devises a plan to increase the distance between the two by building a raft. This raft proves to be sea worthy, and Pi tries to prove he is stronger than the tiger by using a whistle from one of the life jackets as a whip and shouts across the water.

This reading assignment has been by far my favorite. I just couldn't stop reading after Pi throws himself into the water. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Life of Pi, Part 1

Part 1 of Life of Pi was more than I expected. Just through the Author's Note, I was pulled into the story. In the Author's Note, the author gives the reader a clue into the book's origins even as it blurs the boundary between fact and fiction. The Author's Note blends facts and fictions about Yann Martel's own inspiration for the book to illustrate the central theme of the book: storytelling. After two unsuccessful books, Martel meets Francis Adirubasamy in a coffee shop. His meeting with Francis Adirubasamy later turns into a long conversation as Francis tells Martel a story about Pi Patel. At this point, I became a bit confused. Does Pi Patel really exist? However, after re-reading their meeting and continue reading the Note, the answer is no. I'm glad that I read the Author's Note of this book. It revealed a lot of interesting information that I probably will need to fully understand the meaning behind this book. From this point forward, I'll be sure to read the Author's Note of books before I jump into the actual story.

In the book, the reader can sense that Pi has endured something devastating, but we, as the readers, do not know what exactly happened. I was a bit confused. Did I miss where he told the audience what happened? Or is the author keeping this event a secret for a while? One of my favorite parts of Part 1 was when Pi talks about the zoo. Pi grew up in the zoo which, in the end, shaped his belief system, taught him about animal nature, and taught him many significant lessons about the meaning of freedom. I also loved how Pi uses the zoo as his outlet when he needs a place to think. I also loved how this book makes me think about what is actually going on. Usually, when I read a book, I can follow along easily and know what is going on. However, while reading Life of Pi, I found myself re-reading many parts of the book to fully understand the meaning and what is going on. Life of Pi so far is definitely a good read. I can wait to see what else this book has in store of me!

Final Color of Water Blog

The final reading assignment opens with Ruth talking about her blooming relationship with James's father, Dennis. Dennis and Ruth start to get to know each more; however, their happiness is put on hold when Ruth's mother becomes sick. Ruth temporarily returns to Suffolk to help her family. Soon enough, Ruth's father's mannerisms around his own family start to disgust Ruth. He continuously demands Ruth's mother for a divorce, but she never acquiesces. Finally, he leaves home to get a quick divorce. Ruth does as much as she can; however, in the end, she decides to return to New York. This was a pivotal point between Ruth and her sister Dee-Dee. Dee-Dee pleads with Ruth to come back and live in Virginia. Ruth promises her that she would. However, Ruth breaks that promise, and this creates a painful tension between Dee-Dee and herself. 

Switching to James's point of view, James continues his story as he takes a road trip down South to seek out his mother's past. James is now at a place in his life where he is seeking to uncover the origins of his mother's family. He wants to understand his mother's past to better understand his own. Armed with only the location of his mother's old house, and her best friend's name, Frances, James heads into town. Rather than finding his grandparent's old store, he finds a McDonald's, and behind the McDonald's, he finds an old house. A sixty-six year old Eddie Thompson answers. When James questions him about the Shilsky family, Eddie Thompson recalls many memories of the Shilsky family. Later that night, James walks down to the river where he feels a remarkable connection to his family's past. As James continues to explore the city of Suffolk, he walks down the Nansemond River, imagining what it must have been like to live her life. Here, James experiences one the closest connection to his past. This connection allows him to pay tribute to his past and to move past it.

One of the most emotional chapters of the book for me was chapter 21. In this chapter, Ruth vividly captures the image of her crippled mother playing with birds and singing to them "birdie, birdie, fly away."  This image is such a symbolic point in the book. Mameh's warning never to catch "a bird who flies" seems to connect to Ruth's frequent wanderlust. Ruth is like a bird who flies and should not be caught. Just the image of Ruth's mother singing "birdie, birdie, fly away" continued to play in my head as I continued reading the rest of the book.

Finally, the book ends with both Ruth and James discovering themselves. James recognizes that of all the extraordinary elements of Ruth's life, her children are what most define her. In the end, the epilogue adds to the sense of closure and of having come full circle. Ruth's entrance into the synagogue marks her ability to accept her own heritage, while sticking to her own, different, path. This book is definitely one of my favorites. Both of James's and Ruth's stories will forever stay with me for the rest of my life. Their stories of self discovery are inspiring for all those who read this incredible book. I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a good read!