Sunday, December 16, 2007
Water for Elephants: Week 6, Post B
"Let him examine me. Just let him. Today I am invincible" (279). This quote happens when Jacob is telling Uncle Al Marlena and Jacob's plan. He is afraid that Uncle Al might realize what Jacob and Marlena are doing behind-the-scenes and he is concerned that that will make Uncle Al not be so in favor of their plan. No one wants to get on Uncle Al's bad side, so that they don't get redlighted or something even worse than that maybe. What this quote means is that although Jacob feels nervous and is worried about Unlce Al redlighting (getting rid of) him, he feels like he's on top of the world at this moment. He is not worried about much (except getting redlighted), but even that isn't a big deal to him right now. He is in love, and he feels like his life is going really good because of that. I think that being in love does that to a person. It is an incredible feeling to be in love. You feel like you're on top of the world, and that nothing will bring you down from up there. Nothing can happen to make you life miserable when you're in love. This is exactly how Jacob feels when he is talking to Uncle Al. the reason he "lets Uncle Al 'examine him'". All because he is on top of the world and nothing can bring him down. This is an important quote that describing exactly how Jacob felt at that moment.
Water for Elephants: Week 6, Post A
VOCAB: 1. Surreptitiously (276): acting in a stealthy way
2. solicitous (262): mindful, regardful, attentive
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
1. "His voice drips with sarcasm" (277). This is a personification, because it's giving human characteristics to a nonhuman object: Kinko's voice.
2. "That sure sounds like Camel" (240). This is a simile, because it's comparing two objects with one another using the words like or as to compare them.
3. "August stares at her, as though he's simply awakened and found himself here" (246). This is also a simile, because it uses the word "as" to compare two objects.
QUOTE: "I'm afraid to breathe incase I break the spell" (273). This is a significant quote in this section because it is just after Marlena and Jacob realize that they are in love with each other. They are in love, and this quote means that Jacob doesn't want to do the smallest thing that might break their love or ruin it forever, because that is the only thing that both of them want at the moment.
THEME: The theme of the book in this section is that one has to appreciate every moment of your life, because you don't ever know when that moment may end or when it may never happen to you again. This goes hand in hand with the expression "live every minute to the fullest."
2. solicitous (262): mindful, regardful, attentive
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
1. "His voice drips with sarcasm" (277). This is a personification, because it's giving human characteristics to a nonhuman object: Kinko's voice.
2. "That sure sounds like Camel" (240). This is a simile, because it's comparing two objects with one another using the words like or as to compare them.
3. "August stares at her, as though he's simply awakened and found himself here" (246). This is also a simile, because it uses the word "as" to compare two objects.
QUOTE: "I'm afraid to breathe incase I break the spell" (273). This is a significant quote in this section because it is just after Marlena and Jacob realize that they are in love with each other. They are in love, and this quote means that Jacob doesn't want to do the smallest thing that might break their love or ruin it forever, because that is the only thing that both of them want at the moment.
THEME: The theme of the book in this section is that one has to appreciate every moment of your life, because you don't ever know when that moment may end or when it may never happen to you again. This goes hand in hand with the expression "live every minute to the fullest."
Monday, December 10, 2007
woah
LOL this is so funny... i just realized JUST HOW MUCH i write on this blog. that's pretty entertaining. i have, like, almost 30 posts in total this semester. that is CRAZY. woah. i didn't really ever know how wordy i was. lol this is a sad realization. i'll keep it up, but... yeah. lol ;P
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Water for Elephants: Week 5, Post B
Dear Jacob,
You really have an amazing story. It’s so complex and with little side stories and it’s just so interesting! I love the side story of you and Marlena. Although it makes me sad and it’s kind of depressing that you can’t be with her, it’s really helping me be more interested in the book. It’s making me want to finish it! The rest of the book is good, but I don’t think it’s really the kind of book that I’d pick up on my own, but now that I’m reading it, I’m interested again. This feeling, sadly, comes and goes. I think that’s how it is with lots of books and their readers, however. It is so sad, your situation with Marlena, because you both love each other, but neither of you can do anything about it to change it. She is married, and I think she is probably regretting that decision of hers. I know that I would be regretting it. It must be very frustrating and painful for you to see her every single day and to know that you can’t be with her because of August, who treats her so badly. You must be pained to see her treated like this. You love her, and you know that if she was with you, she wouldn’t be like this. I think it’s good that you still get to see her everyday, however. This is lucky for you. What would be worse is if you were in love with her, and she had never met you in her life. That is a bad situation to be in. I’d actually consider you lucky.
Emma
You really have an amazing story. It’s so complex and with little side stories and it’s just so interesting! I love the side story of you and Marlena. Although it makes me sad and it’s kind of depressing that you can’t be with her, it’s really helping me be more interested in the book. It’s making me want to finish it! The rest of the book is good, but I don’t think it’s really the kind of book that I’d pick up on my own, but now that I’m reading it, I’m interested again. This feeling, sadly, comes and goes. I think that’s how it is with lots of books and their readers, however. It is so sad, your situation with Marlena, because you both love each other, but neither of you can do anything about it to change it. She is married, and I think she is probably regretting that decision of hers. I know that I would be regretting it. It must be very frustrating and painful for you to see her every single day and to know that you can’t be with her because of August, who treats her so badly. You must be pained to see her treated like this. You love her, and you know that if she was with you, she wouldn’t be like this. I think it’s good that you still get to see her everyday, however. This is lucky for you. What would be worse is if you were in love with her, and she had never met you in her life. That is a bad situation to be in. I’d actually consider you lucky.
Emma
Water for Elephants: Week 5, Post A
VOCAB:
1. sequester (205): to remove or separate.
2. amiably (213): friendly, sociable, agreeable
FIGURATIVE LANUGAGE:
1. “She clings to me as tightly as if I were keeping her from being sucked into a vortex” (215). This is a simile, because it uses the word “as” to compare something to another.
2. “’you’re sharp as a tack’” (217). This is also a simile because it uses “as” to compare something to another.
3. “Fate was smiling on us that day in June…” (231). This is a personification, because an object like fate cannot actually smile. This is giving a human characteristic to a non-human object.
QUOTE:
“That, or August has decided to keep his friends close and his enemies even closer” (213). This quote is significant because it explains the kind of relationship that Jacob and August have in this section. Jacob is not really too sure is August is really being nice, or if August is just ‘keeping his enemies closer’. This is important to Jacob because if he is on August’s good side, then he doesn’t want to ruin that. But if he is on August’s bad side, then he doesn’t want to do anything to make it worse.
THEME:
The overall theme of the book right now is that you have to respect everyone, even if they are ‘below’ you in social status, because you never know what they will do. Or, you don’t want to get on anyone’s bad side, like Jacob with August.
1. sequester (205): to remove or separate.
2. amiably (213): friendly, sociable, agreeable
FIGURATIVE LANUGAGE:
1. “She clings to me as tightly as if I were keeping her from being sucked into a vortex” (215). This is a simile, because it uses the word “as” to compare something to another.
2. “’you’re sharp as a tack’” (217). This is also a simile because it uses “as” to compare something to another.
3. “Fate was smiling on us that day in June…” (231). This is a personification, because an object like fate cannot actually smile. This is giving a human characteristic to a non-human object.
QUOTE:
“That, or August has decided to keep his friends close and his enemies even closer” (213). This quote is significant because it explains the kind of relationship that Jacob and August have in this section. Jacob is not really too sure is August is really being nice, or if August is just ‘keeping his enemies closer’. This is important to Jacob because if he is on August’s good side, then he doesn’t want to ruin that. But if he is on August’s bad side, then he doesn’t want to do anything to make it worse.
THEME:
The overall theme of the book right now is that you have to respect everyone, even if they are ‘below’ you in social status, because you never know what they will do. Or, you don’t want to get on anyone’s bad side, like Jacob with August.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Water for Elephants: Week 4, Post B
Dear Sarah Gruen,
Now that I am more than halfway through your book, I am really starting to question my feelings about it from when I first started reading it to now. I like it, but it is a somewhat strange story. And I’m also not quite sure where you came up with all this information, or even what sparked your interest in writing about a man that ran away to be in the circus. I am not too sure, but I don’t think it seems like the story of your life, so I’m just curious to know where you got this inspiration. This book is good, and I like it, but sometimes I just tell myself, ‘that’s kind of odd…weird thing to write so much about…’ and things like that. I am positive that when I finish this book I will definitely understand much better why you wrote some of the things you did, but right now the whole thing is just kind of a mystery to me. It might just be me. Sometimes, there are books that I just don’t want to read at a certain time. This is probably one of them. It just isn’t making me very interested at all, and I never really feel like I want to read it badly. This is strange, because I usually feel like reading; like I want to read that certain book at that certain time. I always have enjoyed reading, but this book has been a turn-off. I’m not interested in it, and I just don’t like the plot and how it’s going. It might also be your specific writing style, but I don’t know. I just haven’t gotten into it like I always expect with books. This feeling of not wanting to read a book rarely happens for me, so this is the first time, and maybe I’m over-reacting, but I’m just not a huge fan of your book. By the way, it’s nothing personal or about you specifically.
Emma
Now that I am more than halfway through your book, I am really starting to question my feelings about it from when I first started reading it to now. I like it, but it is a somewhat strange story. And I’m also not quite sure where you came up with all this information, or even what sparked your interest in writing about a man that ran away to be in the circus. I am not too sure, but I don’t think it seems like the story of your life, so I’m just curious to know where you got this inspiration. This book is good, and I like it, but sometimes I just tell myself, ‘that’s kind of odd…weird thing to write so much about…’ and things like that. I am positive that when I finish this book I will definitely understand much better why you wrote some of the things you did, but right now the whole thing is just kind of a mystery to me. It might just be me. Sometimes, there are books that I just don’t want to read at a certain time. This is probably one of them. It just isn’t making me very interested at all, and I never really feel like I want to read it badly. This is strange, because I usually feel like reading; like I want to read that certain book at that certain time. I always have enjoyed reading, but this book has been a turn-off. I’m not interested in it, and I just don’t like the plot and how it’s going. It might also be your specific writing style, but I don’t know. I just haven’t gotten into it like I always expect with books. This feeling of not wanting to read a book rarely happens for me, so this is the first time, and maybe I’m over-reacting, but I’m just not a huge fan of your book. By the way, it’s nothing personal or about you specifically.
Emma
Water for Elephants: Week 4, Post A
VOCAB: 1. calliope (162) - A musical instrument fitted with steam whistles, played from a keyboard
2. Vociferous (163) - Making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
“Beaming like a proud father” (163). This is when August is beaming and getting really excited because the elephant, Rosie, is doing what he wants her to. This is a simile because it uses the word “like” to compare two things.
“Shh…” (165). this is an onomatopoeia, because it isn’t a real word that’s in the dictionary, but it’s a sound or noise said out loud by a character.
“Laughing at me, no doubt” (167). This is when Jacob is describing the look that Rosie gave him when he was trying to get her out of the innocent woman’s backyard garden. This is a personification because elephants can’t really laugh in real life.
QUOTE:
“Some things never change…and you can still tell the performers from the workers” (175). This quote is significant because it’s talking about the social status at the circus, but in general Jacob is mentioning that this is really the social status of the world everywhere one goes.
THEME:The theme of this book at this section is that you should help out your friends when they need help with something, especially if they’ve done something for you in the past.
2. Vociferous (163) - Making, given to, or marked by noisy and vehement outcry.
FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:
“Beaming like a proud father” (163). This is when August is beaming and getting really excited because the elephant, Rosie, is doing what he wants her to. This is a simile because it uses the word “like” to compare two things.
“Shh…” (165). this is an onomatopoeia, because it isn’t a real word that’s in the dictionary, but it’s a sound or noise said out loud by a character.
“Laughing at me, no doubt” (167). This is when Jacob is describing the look that Rosie gave him when he was trying to get her out of the innocent woman’s backyard garden. This is a personification because elephants can’t really laugh in real life.
QUOTE:
“Some things never change…and you can still tell the performers from the workers” (175). This quote is significant because it’s talking about the social status at the circus, but in general Jacob is mentioning that this is really the social status of the world everywhere one goes.
THEME:The theme of this book at this section is that you should help out your friends when they need help with something, especially if they’ve done something for you in the past.
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