"Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had." This quote, by the narrator's father, will be significant throughout the entire book. In my opinion, it means that just because someone doesn't have as many material possessions as you do, does not mean that you should make fun of or comment about them. In speaking about them, all you will do is misunderstand them.
In the beginning of the book, I was very confused. I didn't begin to understand the book much until I read the first chapter. Then it became a little easier to follow. Nick Carraway, the narrator of the book, tells us that in the summer of 1922, he moves to New York from Chicago to work in the bond business. He lived in a house located in West Egg, which is on Long Island. Unlike East Egg, West Egg was for people who weren't familiar with the area or the people. Nick knew many of the people from East Egg and graduated from Yale, yet he still dwell in West Egg. This house that Nick lives in is neighbor to the Gatsby mansion.
Nick goes to visit two of his friends, Tom and Daisy Buchanan, that live on East Egg. When Nick arrives there, Tom is on the porch, and Daisy and her friend, Jordan, are sitting on the couch. They have dinner, and as Nick is leaving, Tom and Daisy hint for him to get together with Jordan. When Nick gets home he sees Gatsby standing on the lawn reaching for the water and a green light towards the end of the dock.
As Tom and Nick are on the train to New York City, Tom gets Nick to follow him at on the the stops. He leads Nick to George Wilson's garage. Tom's lover is George Wilson's wife, Myrtle. Tom makes fun of Wilson, and then Tom, Nick, and Myrtle take the train the rest of the way to New York City to an apartment that he keeps for his affair. While there, the couple that lives downstairs, the McKees, and Catherine, Myrtle's sister join them. They drink a lot and Nick says that it is the second time that he has ever gotten drunk. Nick then tries to leave, but becomes fascinated by the way the others are acting. Myrtle becomes very loud and obnoxious, and she begins to talk about Daisy. Tom tells her to stop, but Myrtle says that she will talk about whoever she wants whenever she wants and repeats Daisy's name. Tom breaks her nose, and this ends the party immediately. Nick leaves drunk and takes the train back to West Egg on Long Island.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Chapters 27-30
In chapter 27, they begin picking cotton, but in order to pick the cotton and make any money they are to purchase a bag. Also the men who weigh the bags change the scales to make sure that the workers don't make the amount of money that they are supposed to.
In chapter 28, the Joads finally have enough money from picking cotton to buy clothes and food, and they now live in a boxcar near a stream. Ruthie gets into an argument for showing everyone her Cracker Jacks and tells that Tom is hiding because he committed a murder. That night, Ma finds Tom in the woods. She wants Tom to take seven dollars and ride the bus to get away. Tom tells Ma that he is going to do what Casy had done, and he promises her that he will return. When Tom was gone, it began to rain and Ma went back to the boxcar. There, Al and Aggie announce to their families that they are going to get married. The next morning, they go out before sunrise to pick cotton. Many other families are out there already and it begins to rain causing Rose of Sharon to get sick.
In chapter 29, it continues to rain. It hurts many car, tents, and other shelters. There were relief shelters open during the storms, but one was not allowed to get relief unless they had lived in California for at least one year. Because of the storms, there would also be no work for at least three months. Many families began to starve, begging for food.
In chapter 30, it continues to rain, and Pa is afraid that the stream will flood so he and some other men try to build a damn. Also at this time, Rose of Sharon goes in labor, making it impossible for the Joads to leave with the Wainwrights. The water rushes through the damn, so Al, Pa, and Uncle John hurry to the car only to find that it will not start and Rose of Sharon gave birth to a stillborn. Unle John places the baby in an apple box in the stream and lets it float downstream. They begin building a flat surface on top of the car. The water continues to rise, and they remain on top of the car until they find shelter inside of a barn. In the barn, there is a starving man and boy. Ma orders everyone else to leave, and Rose of Sharon breast feeds them.
Throughout this book, everything just kept getting worse and worse, showing us no hope until the end. Rose took care of the man even after she just lost her child. This shows us the hope and how important family truly is.
In chapter 28, the Joads finally have enough money from picking cotton to buy clothes and food, and they now live in a boxcar near a stream. Ruthie gets into an argument for showing everyone her Cracker Jacks and tells that Tom is hiding because he committed a murder. That night, Ma finds Tom in the woods. She wants Tom to take seven dollars and ride the bus to get away. Tom tells Ma that he is going to do what Casy had done, and he promises her that he will return. When Tom was gone, it began to rain and Ma went back to the boxcar. There, Al and Aggie announce to their families that they are going to get married. The next morning, they go out before sunrise to pick cotton. Many other families are out there already and it begins to rain causing Rose of Sharon to get sick.
In chapter 29, it continues to rain. It hurts many car, tents, and other shelters. There were relief shelters open during the storms, but one was not allowed to get relief unless they had lived in California for at least one year. Because of the storms, there would also be no work for at least three months. Many families began to starve, begging for food.
In chapter 30, it continues to rain, and Pa is afraid that the stream will flood so he and some other men try to build a damn. Also at this time, Rose of Sharon goes in labor, making it impossible for the Joads to leave with the Wainwrights. The water rushes through the damn, so Al, Pa, and Uncle John hurry to the car only to find that it will not start and Rose of Sharon gave birth to a stillborn. Unle John places the baby in an apple box in the stream and lets it float downstream. They begin building a flat surface on top of the car. The water continues to rise, and they remain on top of the car until they find shelter inside of a barn. In the barn, there is a starving man and boy. Ma orders everyone else to leave, and Rose of Sharon breast feeds them.
Throughout this book, everything just kept getting worse and worse, showing us no hope until the end. Rose took care of the man even after she just lost her child. This shows us the hope and how important family truly is.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Chapter 26
During this chapter, the family cannot find work near Weedpatch so they must pack up and leave. After Tom tells them of the work near Marysville, they head north, where the cotton is about ready to be harvested, and stay at the Hooper Ranch, which is much less comfortable than Weedpatch. The family soon begins to fall apart. Pa makes a comment about how women seem to be in control, and it might be time to get the stick out. Ma hears this and explains to him that the control has changed because the men no longer provide for the family like they are supposed to. After this, Ma become the head of the household.
Al becomes preoccupied with finding a girl to settle down with, along with a steady job as a mechanic. Rose becomes fearful of her child, and thinks that the murders her brothers committed will scar her baby for life. This shows us in some way how Rose is like Mrs. Sandry, the woman who told Rose not to hug-dance or act because it was sin and she would lose her baby.
A store near Hooper Ranch, has raised prices because it is the only store near the ranch where the workers can purchase groceries. Besides that, the wages are high enough to raise the prices because of a recent strike. While Tom is walking to the store, he is joined with Jim Casy again. Casy was released from jail and is now an activist who has found his religious side again. He is with a group of men that are also on strike. At this time, the police meet Tom, Casy, and the strikers. One of the men hits Casy in the head with a pick handle. This angers Tom, and he begins to fight with the man. He gets the pick away from the man and hits him with it, killing him. Tom leaves immediately.
Because of Tom's "heroic" act, Tom must leave Hooper Ranch so as not to get captured by the police. Tom wants to flee the area by himself but Ma will not let him split up the family anymore.
Al becomes preoccupied with finding a girl to settle down with, along with a steady job as a mechanic. Rose becomes fearful of her child, and thinks that the murders her brothers committed will scar her baby for life. This shows us in some way how Rose is like Mrs. Sandry, the woman who told Rose not to hug-dance or act because it was sin and she would lose her baby.
A store near Hooper Ranch, has raised prices because it is the only store near the ranch where the workers can purchase groceries. Besides that, the wages are high enough to raise the prices because of a recent strike. While Tom is walking to the store, he is joined with Jim Casy again. Casy was released from jail and is now an activist who has found his religious side again. He is with a group of men that are also on strike. At this time, the police meet Tom, Casy, and the strikers. One of the men hits Casy in the head with a pick handle. This angers Tom, and he begins to fight with the man. He gets the pick away from the man and hits him with it, killing him. Tom leaves immediately.
Because of Tom's "heroic" act, Tom must leave Hooper Ranch so as not to get captured by the police. Tom wants to flee the area by himself but Ma will not let him split up the family anymore.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Chapters 22-25
At the beginning of what I was reading, Ma seems to be rather suspious about the camp manager when he comes over to have a cup of coffee. I don't understand why Ma talks to him as though she is trying to protect something. Is it because of all of the other cops and everyone else who act superior to them? Another event that I didn't really understand or found weird was when a woman walks up to Rose of Sharon and tells her not to hug-dance or act because other pregnant women who did that lost their baby. Rose gets worried, but the camp manager tells her that the woman just tells other people things like that to make them miserable and that the two women lost their babies because they were weak and didn't have enough to eat. At the end of the day, Al, Uncle John, and Pa come back to the camp and have to found jobs yet even though Tom had.
At this camp there is a lot of music and dancing, especially on Saturday night when they have their weekly dance. On that night, the Farmers' Association planned to start a riot on purpose just to get the camp shut down. Someone on the camp committee hires someone to watch for anything unusual that could start a riot. Tom and some other men see a couple of suspicious men. When one of the men tries to dance with another man's date, the men are evicted from the camp.
Chapter 25 talks about how beautiful California is in the spring.
At this camp there is a lot of music and dancing, especially on Saturday night when they have their weekly dance. On that night, the Farmers' Association planned to start a riot on purpose just to get the camp shut down. Someone on the camp committee hires someone to watch for anything unusual that could start a riot. Tom and some other men see a couple of suspicious men. When one of the men tries to dance with another man's date, the men are evicted from the camp.
Chapter 25 talks about how beautiful California is in the spring.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Chapters 20-22
After Connie and Rose were done talking, Connie ran off and nobody has seen him since. Where did he go and why did he leave? I think that the purpose of Connie within the novel was to show that sometimes women are stronger than men because Connie ran away from the problem. I don't think that was the true purpose of Connie, but I can't figure out what it is.
Also, I don't understand why exactly Jim Casy "took the wrap" for something that he didn't do. Did he just feel like he had to because they took him along and fed him? Or did he really feel that he was no use and it would be better for the family if he was the one to go? Personally, I think that Casy, being a preacher at one time, knew the right to do and was compelled to do it, even though he may not have wanted to. I think that since Casy was a preacher, it shaped him into the man he is now, and even though he says that he doesn't know who he is praying to, deep down I think he knows exactly who he is praying to. He just may have been mislead at one time because he felt that sin was weighing him down like he was talking about at the beginning of the book.
Now Uncle John is a different story. Ever since Uncle John's wife died, he feels like his sins will never go aways because he think that it was his fault. So even when the children are all crowded around the campfire hoping that they will get some food, he can't eat because he feels bad for them. And then after Casy turned himself in for something that he didn't do, Uncle John felt like he had to tell the family his sin of keeping five dollars to himself so he could get drunk. Pa told him that it wasn't anymore sin than anything that they'd done. So Uncle John gave Pa the five dollars and told Pa to give him back two dollars because he said that it would be enough. So Uncle John went across the street and bought some whiskey and walked down the river while drinking. Tom had to go find him, so they could move to the nicer government place because the camp that they were at was going to get burned.
Also, I don't understand why exactly Jim Casy "took the wrap" for something that he didn't do. Did he just feel like he had to because they took him along and fed him? Or did he really feel that he was no use and it would be better for the family if he was the one to go? Personally, I think that Casy, being a preacher at one time, knew the right to do and was compelled to do it, even though he may not have wanted to. I think that since Casy was a preacher, it shaped him into the man he is now, and even though he says that he doesn't know who he is praying to, deep down I think he knows exactly who he is praying to. He just may have been mislead at one time because he felt that sin was weighing him down like he was talking about at the beginning of the book.
Now Uncle John is a different story. Ever since Uncle John's wife died, he feels like his sins will never go aways because he think that it was his fault. So even when the children are all crowded around the campfire hoping that they will get some food, he can't eat because he feels bad for them. And then after Casy turned himself in for something that he didn't do, Uncle John felt like he had to tell the family his sin of keeping five dollars to himself so he could get drunk. Pa told him that it wasn't anymore sin than anything that they'd done. So Uncle John gave Pa the five dollars and told Pa to give him back two dollars because he said that it would be enough. So Uncle John went across the street and bought some whiskey and walked down the river while drinking. Tom had to go find him, so they could move to the nicer government place because the camp that they were at was going to get burned.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Chapters 18-20
As the book continues with chapter 18, the two families are just getting through the mountains and travel through the desert without any unusual or noticeable problems. When they get through the desert successfully, they enter a greener area and find a river to camp beside. After unpacking the tents and cooking supplies, the men walk down stream and bath in the river. I found this rather funny, how they were so open with themselves and took off their clothes. We would call this "skinny-dipping," and most people wouldn't do that anymore. The men found this very relaxing. Then a man and his son come along and join them. They speak of how they are going back home because they can't find work, and how it would be better to die at home. The Joads seem to shrug off this comment that the man made, and still go on thinking that they have a better life ahead of them. The men leave the river, and as they are going to take naps, Noah tells Tom that he is going to stay behind. Tom tells him that he can't, and Noah says that he is going to find a line and catch fish on the river because nobody really wants him around anyways. Tom realizes that it is no use arguing with him, so Tom watches Noah walk further downstream until he can't see him anymore. During this part, I didn't understand why Tom didn't go with him. He probably knows that Noah will be better off than they will be because of what everyone has said. What is the point of going on if you aren't going to find anything better?
Back at the tents, Granma's health is getting worse and worse, but Ma is in complete denial and claims that she is just really tired, and if she gets some sleep she will be fine. Not long after, a policeman arrives at the tent and tells Ma that they have to be gone by tomorrow. All the men return, except Noah, and they begin to pack up. Mr. Wilson comes to speak to Casy because his wife wants to talk to him in their tent. Sairy tells Casy, the ex-preacher, to pray for him because she knows that they can't travel on with them, and it won't be long before she dies. The Joads leave the Wilsons behind with some money and head for the valleys. At this point, I really realized that if there were more people like the Joads on this earth at this time, then they would be better off, and I think that they would be happy even if they didn't have everything or even close to everything that they need.
On their night drive, they are stop for an inspection, but Ma tells them that Granma is in desperate need of medical attention. The policeman looks at her and allows them to move on. At the time, Ma knew that Granma was already dead, but she did not want the policeman to find out. So when they arrive at Hooverville she tells the rest of the family, and since they don't have a lot of money left, they drop Granma's body off at the coroner's office.
Also in Hooverville, they find a camp to stay for the night. Many other hungry families are staying here and they speak about how they can't get any work. One man talks to Tom and tells him that when the police are around he should act "bull-simple" so as not to be suspected of anything. Tom does not understand why people just don't rebel, and the man tells him that anyone caught doing this would be drug off by the police. Other men who attempt to are put on a list so that they will never be able to find work.
In one of the tents, Connie and Rosasharn are talking, and Connie tells her that they should have stayed in Oklahoma where he could have studies tractors. She tells him that he is planning on studying radios, and that she won't have the baby in a tent. Connie leaves the tent, and Rose of Sharon puts her thumb in her mouth, using it as a gag, and cries. Outside of the tent, Ma cooks stew while many hungry children crowd around it. Ruth gets jealous of another older girl and keeps eyeing her.
Back at the tents, Granma's health is getting worse and worse, but Ma is in complete denial and claims that she is just really tired, and if she gets some sleep she will be fine. Not long after, a policeman arrives at the tent and tells Ma that they have to be gone by tomorrow. All the men return, except Noah, and they begin to pack up. Mr. Wilson comes to speak to Casy because his wife wants to talk to him in their tent. Sairy tells Casy, the ex-preacher, to pray for him because she knows that they can't travel on with them, and it won't be long before she dies. The Joads leave the Wilsons behind with some money and head for the valleys. At this point, I really realized that if there were more people like the Joads on this earth at this time, then they would be better off, and I think that they would be happy even if they didn't have everything or even close to everything that they need.
On their night drive, they are stop for an inspection, but Ma tells them that Granma is in desperate need of medical attention. The policeman looks at her and allows them to move on. At the time, Ma knew that Granma was already dead, but she did not want the policeman to find out. So when they arrive at Hooverville she tells the rest of the family, and since they don't have a lot of money left, they drop Granma's body off at the coroner's office.
Also in Hooverville, they find a camp to stay for the night. Many other hungry families are staying here and they speak about how they can't get any work. One man talks to Tom and tells him that when the police are around he should act "bull-simple" so as not to be suspected of anything. Tom does not understand why people just don't rebel, and the man tells him that anyone caught doing this would be drug off by the police. Other men who attempt to are put on a list so that they will never be able to find work.
In one of the tents, Connie and Rosasharn are talking, and Connie tells her that they should have stayed in Oklahoma where he could have studies tractors. She tells him that he is planning on studying radios, and that she won't have the baby in a tent. Connie leaves the tent, and Rose of Sharon puts her thumb in her mouth, using it as a gag, and cries. Outside of the tent, Ma cooks stew while many hungry children crowd around it. Ruth gets jealous of another older girl and keeps eyeing her.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
The Devil's Temptations
As quoted by an anonymous source, “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.” For me, this was particularly true of my presently fifteen year old cousin and best friend. I have learned an immense amount from her, and she has definitely taken a different path that no one thought she would. Because of that, she has been an amazing influence on my life. Indirectly, she has unquestionably been the best teacher of life lessons to me.
She has been through a lot for being only fifteen, from cutting to drugs to alcohol to prostitution, and through all of her inner battles and current struggles she has taught me a lot. Although she is a year younger than me, I have learned, in my opinion, the most important life lessons from her just by watching everything that she has gone through and is currently going through. Ever since I can remember, I have looked up to my cousin, but at the time I didn’t know what she was getting herself into. She was popular and friendly; I couldn’t understand how she could be doing those things to herself.
I just recently found out how bad she had gotten. I did not know anything that had been going on for the past couple months; and who would’ve known that so much can happen in such little time? It was just a year ago that she was cheerful all the time and everyone loved to be around her. Now she is high a majority of the time, and she has become a completely different person; someone that no one wants to be around. It still baffles me; how my best friend could be purposely hurting herself? Wow! I can’t believe it. She went from cutting at the age of ten to piercing herself. Then she began going to parties, drinking, and doing drugs, until she became addicted. A drug addict? My cousin? No way!! But sadly, it was all true. She had every kind of drug imaginable… meth, acid, pot, cocaine, ecstasy, and at one point she even tried to snort her mother’s ADD medication in an effort to get high. She was rushed to the hospital, and the doctors were astonished that she lived. After that she had to find a way to get money to pay for her own drugs, therefore she lowered herself all the way to prostitution.
Cutting, piercing, drugs, prostitution, …this went on for many months, and her mother didn’t do anything to get her help. She was in total denial that her own daughter could be doing such horrid things. Finally, her mother began sending her to a psychologist once a week. After a few sessions, the psychologist came to the conclusion that she would have to be put into an inpatient treatment center to overcome the drugs and addictions.
At the present time, she is in a lock down facility in Minnesota getting detox and rehab, and surprisingly she went without a fight because she realized that she needed help. She knew that defeating something like this by herself would be much too difficult.
Now, after seeing and hearing everything that she has gone through and is still going to face, I now know that drugs don’t just kill a person; they kill an entire family and their relationships. I know this from first-hand experience, and as much as it has hurt and tore us all apart to see everything that she has done and gone through, I understand that it was, in some instances, a good thing because it has definitely strengthened my bond with the rest of my family. This past year has been such an emotional time for the whole family, and now our relationships are so much better. Even though we have learned the hard way, we now know that we can’t hide anything from each other without someone getting hurt. My cousin saved her own life and part of mine because she knew that she couldn’t keep living like that. She realized what it was doing to her family and friends and that we truly care about her, but when she began doing drugs she didn’t believe that. Now she knows of all of the love that her family has for her and will soon be back to herself, the person that I loved before any of this happened because drugs changed her into “something” that none of her true friend wanted to be around. She has taught me the most important life lesson that I believe I will ever learn. She taught me that “love conquers all,” and it is completely true.
She has been through a lot for being only fifteen, from cutting to drugs to alcohol to prostitution, and through all of her inner battles and current struggles she has taught me a lot. Although she is a year younger than me, I have learned, in my opinion, the most important life lessons from her just by watching everything that she has gone through and is currently going through. Ever since I can remember, I have looked up to my cousin, but at the time I didn’t know what she was getting herself into. She was popular and friendly; I couldn’t understand how she could be doing those things to herself.
I just recently found out how bad she had gotten. I did not know anything that had been going on for the past couple months; and who would’ve known that so much can happen in such little time? It was just a year ago that she was cheerful all the time and everyone loved to be around her. Now she is high a majority of the time, and she has become a completely different person; someone that no one wants to be around. It still baffles me; how my best friend could be purposely hurting herself? Wow! I can’t believe it. She went from cutting at the age of ten to piercing herself. Then she began going to parties, drinking, and doing drugs, until she became addicted. A drug addict? My cousin? No way!! But sadly, it was all true. She had every kind of drug imaginable… meth, acid, pot, cocaine, ecstasy, and at one point she even tried to snort her mother’s ADD medication in an effort to get high. She was rushed to the hospital, and the doctors were astonished that she lived. After that she had to find a way to get money to pay for her own drugs, therefore she lowered herself all the way to prostitution.
Cutting, piercing, drugs, prostitution, …this went on for many months, and her mother didn’t do anything to get her help. She was in total denial that her own daughter could be doing such horrid things. Finally, her mother began sending her to a psychologist once a week. After a few sessions, the psychologist came to the conclusion that she would have to be put into an inpatient treatment center to overcome the drugs and addictions.
At the present time, she is in a lock down facility in Minnesota getting detox and rehab, and surprisingly she went without a fight because she realized that she needed help. She knew that defeating something like this by herself would be much too difficult.
Now, after seeing and hearing everything that she has gone through and is still going to face, I now know that drugs don’t just kill a person; they kill an entire family and their relationships. I know this from first-hand experience, and as much as it has hurt and tore us all apart to see everything that she has done and gone through, I understand that it was, in some instances, a good thing because it has definitely strengthened my bond with the rest of my family. This past year has been such an emotional time for the whole family, and now our relationships are so much better. Even though we have learned the hard way, we now know that we can’t hide anything from each other without someone getting hurt. My cousin saved her own life and part of mine because she knew that she couldn’t keep living like that. She realized what it was doing to her family and friends and that we truly care about her, but when she began doing drugs she didn’t believe that. Now she knows of all of the love that her family has for her and will soon be back to herself, the person that I loved before any of this happened because drugs changed her into “something” that none of her true friend wanted to be around. She has taught me the most important life lesson that I believe I will ever learn. She taught me that “love conquers all,” and it is completely true.
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