Montana 1948 Link

I posted a link to a website that offers a synopsis of the movie "Brokeback Mountain." This is because, while reading Montana 1948, I could not help but find some similarities between the two stories. This is because both take place in the west. Brokeback Mountain takes place in the summer of 1963, while Montana takes place in the summer 1948. In addition, both stories revolve around problems arise because of the prejudices at the time. Whether prejudice against homosexuals or Indians, in both stories, the prejudices lead to the abuse of these minorities.

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Moccasins appear again when David sees the high school girl at the store. Throughout the book, the moccasins symbolize Indians and prejudice against Indians. In this situation, I also found it interesting that when the girl walked by in moccasins, David was curious as to whether or not she had been one of Uncle Frank’s patients. This helps the reader to realize that all Indian women were in danger and could have possibly been abused by Frank. The fact that in this situation, David was stirred sexually, also allows the reader insight into the theme of desire. Despite David’s awareness of the injustices caused by his Uncle Frank, he can not help but be intrigued and excited by them. This shows, that almost everyone is prone to sinning because of their desires.

Another prominent development in the second half of the book, was David’s corruption or debauching. David was a child up until this summer when his situation caused his mind to be corrupted by the real and adult world. Everything seemed perfect to his innocent eyes, but because of this one event, he became aware of everyone’s secrets. He saw things that he could have never anticipated and realized that Montana was not what it had seemed a few days ago. At the same time, he begins observing his surroundings, and notices secrets that he never contemplated before. For instance, David suspects that Len was in love with his mom. This supports the theme that you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors or even in anyone's mind. It also portrays the theme of secrets.

In addition, the ongoing theme of facades and the universal desire to mask reality becomes even more outstanding as the novel unfolds. Len pretends not to love David’s mom. The Hayden’s try to fulfill their perfect family reputation and even after the developments of the summer, cover up Frank’s suicide (this supports that you don’t know what goes on behind closed doors) to keep their facade in place even after death. Furthermore, when the whole scenario was at its peak, David and his family continued to do daily life activities and acted as if nothing was unusual

Finally, justice being served is a withstanding theme portrayed in many novels including Montana. Being a sheriff, Wes is faced with situations that involve justice daily. There is a point when Wes is contemplating letting his brother go, but when he realizes how guilty Frank is, there is no turning back. Therefore, he continues his quest to punish Frank, and in the end, Frank punishes himself. Throughout the entire story, David's dad's moral values and responsibilities override his family relations and take precedence even over his families happiness. This portrays the strength of the will of justice, and shows that justice is more important than even the strongest and most everlasting bond (brotherhood in Wes's and Frank's case).

Montana 1948 1

So far, this is a pretty good book. Although the writing isn't amazing the book is extremely riveting. From the prologue, the book was filled with suspense. When I read the first few pages, I really liked the format of the story because although the narrator is telling the story from the present, he flashed back to the year of 1948 and used memories prior to this time to provide context for his story. Because the prologue flashes to scenes that will happen, but only gives us glimpses into each characters to be positions, I wanted to read, to see how these characters were put into their extreme situations. In addition, the author offers excellent imagery to allow the reader to imagine exactly what the scene is and how it would look. In addition, this book offers insight into a portrayal of a warped suburban society (although in this case it is more rural). Like Revolutionary Road (movie with Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet), the "tranquil" suburbs mask a warped society that is only unleashed beyond closed doors. Because of this, the book also provides context for the theme of appearances vs. reality. David's Uncle Frank, epitomizes this, as he was the perfect son, and charming man, yet the sins he was committing were beyond what anyone would expect from such an excellent model and ideal man. In addition, the fact that David's father does not ever wear a badge, shows that he is trying to appear as something other than a cop because he is trying to avoid becoming the character of a sheriff (it is not him). The Zeit Geist of the story is proving to be extremely vital to the plot. This is because if influences everything due to the location of Montana and the time, which was following the end of World War II . The area, was not one filled with great wealth, but it was one that revolved around society life. Because of this, David, the protagonist feels uncomfortable with his situation, and people such as Frank, hide their sins. In addition, I was shocked by how warped the compact society that David resided in was. Prior to finding out about his Uncle, his life had been uneventful and he was naive to the horrors of the world, until suddenly, they became at the forefront of his life. It was insane that David's dad chose to pursue his own brother, although it was the right thing to do because justice needs to be served. It was even worse however, that David's grandfather, was somewhat aware of David's sins because of David's previous entanglements with Indian women, yet he thought and did nothing of it. In addition, I found it interesting, that while David was so anxious to grow up and be told the information as an adult, his mother searched for purity and was nostalgic of her childhood. The moccasins were the beginning of David realizing his family's dis-functionality because it was the first time he noticed that his father was racist. Also, it is easy to see that this book will rely on the presence of sex and death in everyone's life because of the quote in the first half of the book. Finally, it seems as if coyote will symbolize something, as Marie says that a coyote is hard to find when you are looking for it. I think that this may parallel the situation with David's father who is searching for evidence of Frank's previous rape. This is because now that he is looking for the information, it may not come easily. In general I look forward to continuing the book.

The House on Mango Street Link

Although i was not interested in the lesson, the poem included in this website was one that reminded me a lot of Mango street. it seems that in many of Cisnero's writings, the idea that a child is ashamed of something, often who they are because of their heritage, or family, is prominent.

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Although I cannot say that I love the language... i do really enjoy the imagery used such as “mother’s feet, were plump and polite” because it is off kilter and allows the reader to view things in Esperanza's eyes. Also, one of the major themes is that everybody longs for something different than what they have as seen by the following quote. “But the truth is it is scary to look down at your foot that is no longer yours and see attached a long long leg” (40). And “everybody wants to trade” At the same time however, when people do get what they wanted, they do not always feel comfortable with it because it does not fit with their character. I noticed in the chapter “A Rice Sandwich” that disappointment is also a theme because although Esperanza always wanted to eat lunch in school, when she finally got to the experience was not at all what she had wished. In this chapter, Esperanza feels ashamed of who she is and because of the constant abasing she receives, points to the wrong and terrible house. The nun also exhibits racism because she automatically assumes that Esperanza lived in one of the terrible houses even though she didn't. Throughout the second half of the book, a sense of family is portrayed especially with Esperanza's protectiveness of her sister Nenny. she feels that as Nenny's sister, it is her job to stand up to her. In addition to kinship, other cultural traditions are revealed just through Esperanza's story telling (the oldest is always told first about a death). Another theme presented is that bad things often happen to good people, like Aunt Lupe. In the book it says “Diseases have no eyes” because they do not choose the right people to cause hardships to. I also like the poem that Esperanza reads to Aunt Lupe... “I want to be like the waves on the sea, like the clouds in the wind, but I’m me. One day I’ll jump out of my skin. I’ll shake the sky like a hundred violins.” It describes Esperanza's aspirations and dreams for herself, as she wants to be better than she is and better than what people think she can be. It is also interesting that Elenita says she sees a home in the heart for Esperanza because this is exactly what happens. Despite Esperanza's constant running from Mango Street, in the end she has to accept that it is a part of her. The story is also told in a somewhat feminist perspective as Rafaela is oppressed by her husband who locks her in the house. Also the girls always strive to get married (Sally), but when they do get married, like Ruthie, they are oppressed by marriage (when Ruthie was young she could have had so many jobs but she didn’t take them because of marriage). In the second half of the book especially, it is easy to see that Esperanza has grown up because of the lessening of her innocence and naivete as she narrates. in certain chapters such as "Sire" this is especially clear. “Four Skinny Trees” offers really effective characterization because they parallel Esperanza and she describes things such as their secret strength that are difficult to realize from the story which concentrates more on her surroundings. Esperanza has dreams but also hardships so even if her dreams do come true, she will not forget where she comes form. She also wants to be independent and has begun a “silent war” so that she will never need to be with a man. Finally, the story offers some insight into the lives of illegal immigrants and humanizes them by portraying them as family members (Mamacita) Something that was extremely sad in the book was the story of Geraldo. “His name was Geraldo. And his home is in another country. The ones he left behind are far away, will wonder, shrug, remember. Geraldo --- he went north… we never heard from him again.” This story presents the theme of the insignificance of each person, but also the unjustness of the fact that often people in low social classes do not have the recognition of identity that they deserve. The quote from the last chapter, “You will always be Esperanza. You will always be Mango Street.” (105), depicts the major point of the story which is that Esperanza although may leave Mango Street will carry it around with her forever.

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I am not completely enjoying this book, so thank god it is short. Although I appreciate the language, I do not enjoy how petty everything Esperanza talks about seems. I like how the author wrote the book in vignettes because it also makes the book pass by faster since each chapter is so short. In addition, this type of language creates a childish exterior despite the hidden themes in the story, which are actually much more mature. The book is also childish in the sense that Esperanza, who is the narrator in the story is young and naive. For instance, she is still at a stage in her life where boys and girls are not meant to talk to each other. This could be interpreted literally, but I also believe that the chapter "Boys and Girls" describes how women in general were not viewed as good enough to be a part of the men's sphere. Also, Esperanza does not even recognize Angel's tragedy (she commits suicide), but instead describes her jumping off a building as her learning to fly. In a sense, this makes Esperanza blind to tragedy as she does not completely recognize it or understand it. Six of the major themes that are present so far are feminism, racism, ambition, segregation, stereotypes and labels, and diversity. This book discusses stereotypes by explaining the way those who live in Esperanza's neighborhood are viewed. In speaking, Esperanza also mentions her discontent with the stereotype that she is placed in. Another theme, diversity is ever- present in the story, as each of the people Esperanza describes are different. In addition, Esperanza designates certain chapters such as "Hair" and "Laughter" to comparing and highlighting the differences between the differences in different people's traits. Segregation is also prominent, because not only is the city divided based on heritage and wealth, but there is also division between men and women. The house on mango street is obviously a symbol, although I cannot yet tell whether it will be a positive or negative symbol. So far it symbolizes Esperanza's insecurities, along with her disappointment. In addition however, it symbolizes Esperanza's ambitions because she dreams of leaving the house and many more things. My favorite quote so far was "Is waiting for a car to stop, a star to fall, someone to changer her life" 27. This is when Esperanza is talking about Marin. I can relate to this feeling and the general tone of aspiration and longing.

Bean Trees Link

I was really intrigued by the topic of illegal immigration that was presented in the novel. Because of this, I began to research articles. Many of the articles are from the governments' point of view and therefore do not allow any insight into the thought process of the illegal immigrants. Due to the focus on the struggles of illegal immigrants I really liked this article because it was a personal story from an illegal immigrant. Also, it talks about the current struggles that the immigrants face also because of the recession, which was extremely interesting and unique.

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I think that Lou Ann and Taylor are foil characters. This is because while they both go through the same things, such as raising a child while being a single mother, they are opposite in their demeanor. While Taylor is tough and does not worry too often, Lou ann is often a pushover and panics about the most insignificant things. In addition, while Taylor falls in love with Estevan, who was sweet, Lou Ann is in love with Angel, who treats her very poorly. Lou Ann and Angel's relationship therefore, is a more negative and typical depiction of men and women's relationship. This is because Lou Ann blindly follows Angel, despite his mistreatment of her (when he calls she says that she would have to move back in with her because he was her husband even though he didn't act like it. This is Also in the second half of the book however, it became clear that despite Taylor's facade that she puts on for herself, and everyone else, she is actually very naive. Taylor did not understand what Mattie meant when she said that sometimes illegal immigrants got there hurt, didn't realize Edna was blind, and also could not even comprehend the hardships that people such as Estevan had to endure. The plight of illegal immigrants becomes more dramatic and prominent in the second half of the story. Esperanza tries to kill herself, and Taylor finds out about the reasons that Estevan and Esperanza had to leave Guatemala. In addition, Taylor loses the two as friends, when they must flee Arizona in order to escape the U.S. government. This heartless depiction of the government towards illegal immigrants creates an anti- American vibe. The only good man in the story (Estevan) is also from Guatemala, and not the U.S. and also, the Americans are depicted as extremely unsympathetic. I think that in general, Lou Ann's character growth was the most drastic. This is because she begins to realize more the mistreatment of women and in the end is fine being alone. Taylor also, undergoes some changes, as she realizes that she doesn't always need to act tough. She also accepts the fact that Lou Ann and Dwayne Ray have become her family in an unconventional sense. Turtle's obsession with vegetables and green trees also becomes more important. The title comes into play on a magnificent day when Lou Ann, Dwayne Ray, Taylor, and Turtle are all playing in the park. Turtle observes the wisteria tree and says "Bean Trees" because this is what the tree will become. At the end of the book when Taylor and Turtle are looking through the Encyclopedia, they read that wisteria thrive in poor soil, and together with Rhizobia they make miracles. Because of this, I think that the Bean Trees symbolize miracles and happiness because both times that they were mentioned Taylor was content with herself and her daughter and her life.

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This book, although is not my favorite book is decent, and extremely strong in its depiction of the plot. From the beginning, pregnancy, and motherhood, and the burdens of being a woman are evident everywhere. Lou Ann had a child, Turtle becomes Taylor's child, everyone at Taylor's school drops out because they are pregnant. I also find the comments Taylor's comments about men extremely foretelling, as they portray her view of men and also the universal view of men for women living during this time. The title is also mentioned a few times in the first half of the book. The first time it is mentioned, when Taylor is informing Mattie of her occupational talents including picking bugs off ben trees. She said that this moment when talking to Mattie was the beginning of things she couldn't believe. It is also mentioned because Turtle's first word is bean. This becomes one of the first and only things so far that Taylor can use to connect with Turtle. In addition, it parallels the women in society because if they are cared for then they will grow into plants, but if not then they are doomed. All of the women that Taylor surrounds herself with are strong women (Mattie owns her own business, Lou Ann is a single mother, Taylor has a strong personality, and Esperanza although may seem shy and timid can always connect with people). The presence of men on the other hand is usually depicted in a negative sense. When Angel comes back to pack up his stuff, Lou Ann says, "He could be there, or not, and it hardly made any difference, " (65). In addition, Taylor says about men, "I don't think there's an installation out there that could use all of my parts, " (92). Both of these quotes show these women's willingness and ability to be stronger than and rise above men. Also, Taylor is upset at Lou Ann because she feels as if the rut they find themselves in is one of a family, which she does not want. Instead, Taylor seeks to create her own life. The language is not particularly engrossing, but it is unique in the fact that it incorporates many corny and off- kilter expressions and also uses metaphors. It is obvious that Taylor is an iconoclast and uses southern language when she narrates. In addition, the relationship between Taylor and Lou Ann is extremely unique. This is because at the time it was not normal for two single mothers to be living together. They share the burdens that they each encounter as women, but they are amazing because they can support themselves and share an extremely strong bond. Another underlying theme may be the brutalities faced by illegal immigrants. Although it is not that prominent in the first half of the novel, its' presence becomes more and more constant as Mattie houses them in her house and I believe that Esperanza and her husband are illegals from Guatemala as they lie about their names at Lou Ann's dinner party. The women are also racist and do not respect the Indian or other races' presence in America. In a sense, Turtle and Taylor are alike because Taylor's new name erased her new identity and Turtle does not have an identity. Also they are both "The one[s] to get away," which is the name of the first chapter. The fact that Turtle was sexually abused even though she was so young, reinforces Taylor's perception of the mistreatment and oppression of women at all ages (they can all relate to one another).

The Bell Jar 2

I just finished the book and i definitely did not enjoy it as much as Catcher and the Rye. I do think however, that the depiction of the asylum was sad because it was obviously realistic, but the treatments were so dehumanizing for the patients. the lobotomy, that although she did not have to go through. but that i have researched was terrible, and so were the injections given to Esther and the shock treatments. like Holden in Catcher, Esther was suspicious of everyone as she questioned everything that everyone did including the doctors. in this case however, i think that her suspicions were more justified because of the treatments that these doctors were given. also like catcher, i think that the part of the protagonists' mental downfall had to do with the death of her loved one (in this case it was of her father and in Catcher it was Holden's brother). because both of them avoided mourning, they were never able to be alleviated of their feelings. in addition, i felt like so many powerful, women were put in the asylums. Esther had been a smart woman (she got a scholarship) and Philomena Guinea was a powerful and intelligent writer who also spent time in an asylum. the women were outcasts and had little hope of finding husbands after they left the asylum. in addition, women were put in asylums for the most insignificant differences (they didn't want to be ruled by men, they were lesbians), and were not treated correctly. in the second half of the book, the significance of the title was also revealed. Esther said that she "is sitting in a glass bell jar no matter where she goes" and later on says that "to the person in the bell jar, blank and stopped as a dead baby, the world itself is the bad dream." the bell jar causes the situation of women both insane and not at that time, (she says that the college girls are also under the bell jar). the girls are creating a euphemism of their situation because they don't recognize the seriousness of their suicide attempts (both Joan and Esther). the idea of babies is also prominent as she is in the maternity wing twice (with buddy and when she is volunteering). also, she does not like the prospect of having a baby and because the women's brain cells are being killed by some of the hospital treatments, their minds become more and more childlike. the ego and id was also mentioned by Joan's psychologist, and the women in the asylums had a sister-like connection (Esther and Miss Norris)that was similar to the tacit understanding shared between the soldiers in All Quiet on the Western Front (both groups were the only ones that understood and comprehended what they were going through).

The Bell Jar Link

While reading the Bell Jar, I was intrigued by the fact that the novel was a partial autobiography. Because of this, I did some research on the author (Sylvia Plath) and I found out that she was for the most part a poet, and the Bell Jar was her only novel. Therefore, I looked up some of her poems. I liked a few of them, but this particular poem stuck out to me because it was her interpretation of Wuthering Heights, another book we read this year.

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At first i was really skeptical about reading this novel because I was not thrilled about the fact that it was a feminist novel. Although I liked Catcher and the Rye better, I did underestimate this book. One of the things that I do like about it is that there are a lot of metaphors and descriptive figurative language incorporated into the writing. Because it is first person narrative, it is a little bit harder to detect the gender discrimination of the time because she is a woman, but there were details such as the fact that the windows in the all women hotel were barred shut, that indicated that women were always trapped. I was also shocked by the obvious attempt of murder that occurred at the luncheon. It was obviously wrong and targeted at a group of pretty intelligent women, and yet there was hardly any consequence. I think that Doreen reminds me of Tinsley, a character in the "It Girl" series. You can also tell the gender discrimination because of certain metaphors such as when Buddy's mom says that a man "is an arrow into the future and [what a] woman is is the place the arrow shoots off from." I also think that because she hates the idea of serving men and always finds faults in men and doesn't like marriage, many people will think that Esther is insane for this reason. I am curious though as to who the Rosenberg's are and why Esther is so affected by their execution. Although not mentioned often, this situation is brought up at the beginning of the novel as the summer when the Rosenberg's are executed and she is very nervous the day that they are to be executed. Babies and children also seem to be mentioned pretty often in this book and I think that they may symbolize Esther's deviation from society. Because while all the women she knows are having babies and getting married she hates the concept of both and would rather be independent. Also the Zeit Geist is so important in this story because it shapes the mentality of society in terms of gender discrimination, which is much of the underlying cause of Esther's mental decline. Lastly, I think that in both Catcher and the Rye and The Bell Jar the protagonist parallels the author and represents their life. This is because in real life, Sylvia Plath went insane, and both novels focus on the mental decline of the protagonists, told in first person. Also though, in The Bell Jar, Esther begins to write a novel in which she wants to make the heroine herself in disguise. I think that this parallels what Sylvia Plath did with Esther in the Bell Jar.

Catcher and the Rye 2

overall, I really liked this book, but I liked the first half a little better than the second half. it was only in the second half of the book that the reader could see Holden's mental instability. because of the first person narration it was hard to detect this at first, however it became particularly evident when he was walking in the park and was scared that he would never get to the other side of the side walk. at the same time though, I feel like Holden maybe wasn't actually crazy, but he was put in a mental asylum because at the time, anyone who was viewed with the slightest abnormality was put in a mental asylum. also, I noticed that Holden tries to push away everyone that cares for him like Sally, Mr. Arlington, and even Phoebe towards the end. i liked how Holden didn't like "phonies" because it showed his innocence and I guess I can agree. This is an ongoing theme in the story and I know that some people would say that he has a problem because he doesn't really like anyone he talks to but I didn't like anyone he talked to either. Holden is confused and even though he says he is going to do all of these outrageous things, in the end he is a kid and he doesn't really know what he wants to do (deep down he just wants home and acceptance), so he is kind of a coward. i also liked the contrast of Holden to his surroundings because he thinks so innocently, but he is out in the real world. finally Holden doesn't like change because of what he says about how he loves museums because they always stay the same and he never does what he really wants, like calling Jane because there is always an excuse, so his ideals never become realities. he also thinks about Allie's death too much so at some points he feels guilty for insignificant mistakes that he made when Allie was alive. overall, i loved Holden's character but didn't really think he seemed that crazy. i still think that Holden's red hunting hat symbolizes himself, but now, i also think that it is representative of protection and love. this is because i think that he uses it when he is out in the real world, to protect himself from reality that is going on around him, and he also gives this hat to Pheobe who is basically the only person that he loves, and i think it was a sentiment that he will always protect her.

Catcher and the Rye Link

While I was reading Catcher and the Rye, I knew that Holden was in a mental institution. I was curious about how mental patients were usually treated during the time period (1951) and if it was a scary thing or not, so I looked up what insane asylums were like so I could imagine what kind of place Holden was in. This website discusses Lobotomy which was a really popular and dangerous procedure at the time. The 1950's had the highest number of patients in insane asylums. There was this other website that had an essay that talked about the insane asylums and Holden but you had to buy the essay, so I used this one instead (click on "The History of Lobotomy" above blog posts).

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So far, I do like the book and I like Holden. The thing that most stuck out to me, as I read the first portion of the book, was the type of narration and language being used. Holden being the narrator affects many aspects of the story. The language used is extremely casual and in addition it helps to show Holden's character and personality. Grammar is of no importance because he narrates as if he is talking to the reader. You can tell that Holden is a cynical person because of his narration. In addition you can tell that he is extremely depressed but also somewhat innocent. I think that the book is somewhat suspenseful, but not in the conventional way. This is because at the beginning of the story, Holden talks about how he will tell the story of his mental deterioration, but all the details that he begins with seem insignificant and it makes you wonder what they will all amount to. I also think that Holden's descriptions of everyone and everything around him reflects how he feels. This is because he describes almost everything he does as depressing when really the reader gets the sense that he is depressed. Also, I noticed that his red hunter's hat is mentioned a lot. I believe that it is symbolic of Holden, because it is unique and individual to only him. He wears it because he wants to think that he is superior to all the other "phonies" in the world. He also shows his belief that he is superior to everyone because not only does he criticize everyone, but he also constantly says that he is sorry for everyone. Also, I thought that his curiosity about the ducks in Central Park was interesting because it is childish and innocent. This contrasts many of the things he tries to do to make himself seem older, like going to the nightclubs. Holden also makes many excuses for himself like when he is not in the mood to do anything. This alienates himself from everyone else. I think that the relationship between Jesus and his disciples is a parallel of that between Holden and the rest of the word because he says that the disciples keep letting Jesus down, while he never enjoys anything because everyone ruins things for him like Lillian at the nightclub. Overall, I think that the author uses the tangential stories that Holden describes to let the reader better understand Holden. Even though he is crazy, the reader understands him because they know what he is thinking. Also, no one knows Holden because he is constantly lying. I think he lies to himself and tries to undermine the importance of the death of Allie. His character reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio's character in the Departed. This is because in both cases, they pretend that they are not scared, but in reality, they are both extremely frightened; Holden is scared of never finding his place and Leonardo is scared of his job. Because of this fear, they both alienate themselves from society. In addition, they both trap themselves because of their loneliness which is a prominent motif in both story lines; they are both misunderstood and believed to be mentally ill.