the count of monte cristo pg 37.65

At Dantes and his Mercedes reception guards barge in and arrest him. The people there are confused and Dantes cant thinkg of anything that he has done to be arrested. In a different area there is another gathering happening. It is of the a man named Gerald who is the public prosecutor. He also talks about his father and anounces to the crowd that he will punish if they fall in his hands. I dont really know who I was confused at this part. He is taken away from his own feast when someone comes in and tells Gerald that they have found out someone who was plotting against them.

I see a difference in the two feast from Dantes and the one of Gerard. Gerard's feast seems much better than Dantes. Also I think they are going to charge Dantes with plotting against Gerard. I still cant believe Mercedes own cousin would betray her and try to get the man she loves imprisoned. Dantes hasnt did anything wrong or so he thinks he hasnt. Things are going to get way more interesting now because drama is now happening. This book is very different than the movie. In the movie they dont even say that he likes his own cousin.

the count of monte cristo pg20 - 37

Dantes goes and meets a girl named Mercede after he arrives back. He goes to see her and sees that she is with her cousin who loves her and wants to marry her. She gives him a hug and her cousin storms off because he is angry. Her cousin starts drinking with these two other men.The couple tells Fernand who is Mercedes cousin that are getting married the next day because Dantes has to fulfill his captains wish and deliver a letter. Fernand doesn't want to kill Dantes because his cousin said she would kill herself if he ever died. He wants to have him to prison instead. He and 2 other men decide to mail a letter to a prosecutor and get him imprisoned. They think he is arrogant and talk about how much they dont like him and think hes like his father.

Dantes seems like a good guy and Mercedes seems to love him a lot. Her cousin is jealous and wants to have her to himself. thats really weird that her cousin likes her like that. She has no feelings for him like that at all. He still respects her and doesnt plan to kill the man that she loves. He plans to get him put in jail though. Im not sure if he really thinks that Dantes is bad or if he is just jealous. Dantes is going to Paris to fill out his dead captains wish but he doesnt tell why or what he is doing. I dont think he is doing anything wrong. But then again how can a person be perfect? They have to have flaws maybe he is doing something against the law.

the count of monte cristo

The book starts of in France where a crowd watches for a ship at a port. The people hear bad news and find out the captain has died. The first mate reassures his peers that the trip went smoothly. His "boss" is excited to hear that the trip went smoothly and that the first mate stood up in the situation. this man who is responsible for all financial things for the ship tries to say that what he did was nothing important.. He also says that they they had to stop the ship and that cost them time. When the first mate confronts the other character about this he says that the captain wanted him to deliever some sort of package and thats why they were late. He also says why they were there he talked to the emperor of France.

I recently watched the movie of this book on HBO and my mom had the book and said it was good. RIght now this is pretty boring and from what i remember from the movie it kind of is boring the middle but maybe it is different from the movie. The who keeps making the first mate look bad is annoying. I dont like when people try to make people look bad. And i was sort of confused on the way the captain dies. He seems like a good guy though and he is very humble from what im reading. He also could ruin that guys career but he chooses to keep his mouth shut.

the odyssey

Penelope and Odysseus both have trouble sleeping. Odysseus worries that he and Telemachus will not be able to get so many suitors but Athena reassures him that anything is possible. Tormented by the loss of her husband and her commitment to remarry Penelope wakes and prays for Artemis to kill her. As the people in the palace start to wake up Odysseus and Telemachus meet in secret the swineherd Eumaeus, Melanthius, and Philoetius, a kindly and loyal herdsman who says that he has not yet given up hope of Odysseus’s return. The suitors enter, once again plotting Telemachus’s murder. Amphinomus convinces them to call it off. Athena keeps the suitors all through dinner to prevent Odysseus’s anger from losing its edge. Ctesippus, a wealthy and arrogant suitor, throws a cow’s hoof at Odysseus, in response to which Telemachus threatens to run him through with his sword. The suitors laugh and laugh, failing to notice that they and the walls of the room are covered in blood.

To me the suitors laughing it seems that they dont take him seriously at all. They think he is a coward and cannot do anything. They dont think he is brave or like his father so they dont fear him. I think something is going to happen thats big between Telemachus and someone else and he will gain courage and bravery and he will be feared and he will slay one of the suitors. Also when Odysseus is revealed I think the suitors will be astonished and dumbfounded. The end of the story is near and I can tell things are getting hectic everyone is waiting for Odysseus to appear.

the odyssey

When the suitors went to sleep Telemachus and Odysseus remove the weapons as planned. Athena lights the room for them so that they can see as they work. Telemachus tells Eurycleia that they are storing the arms to keep them from being damaged. After they have safely disposed of the arms Telemachus goes to sleep and Odysseus is joined by Penelope. She has come from the women’s quarters to question him. She knows that he has claimed to have met Odysseus, and she tests his honesty by asking him to describe her husband. Odysseus describes himself, capturing each detail so perfectly that it makes her cry. He then tells the story of how he met Odysseus and eventually came to Ithaca. He tells her that he should be there within the next month or so. Penelope offers the beggar a bed to sleep in, but he is used to the floor he says and declines. Only reluctantly does he allow Eurycleia to wash his feet. As she is putting them in a basin of water, she notices a scar on one of his feet. She immediately recognizes it as the scar that Odysseus received when he went boar hunting with his grandfather Autolycus. She throws her arms around Odysseus but he silences her while Athena keeps Penelope distracted so that Odysseus’s secret will not be carried any further.

Odysseus is making a master plan so he can take control of his home. To me Penelope is getting even more anxious when she hears from the "begger" who is actully Odysseus is coming. When Eurycleia washes his feet and finds out its him to me it seems that everyone missed him not just his wife. She seems very excited and its good that she promises not to tell anyone becasue that would be very bad. It also shows that there is still trust in his house. Im just waiting for everyone thing happen and Odysseus to take over

Telemachus leaves Odysseus at Eumaeus’s hut and heads to his palace where he receives a tearful welcome from Penelope and the nurse. He tells Piraeus not to bring his gifts from Menelaus to the palace he thinks that the suitors will steal them if they kill him. When he sits down to eat with Penelope Telemachus tells her what little news he received of Odysseus in Pylos and Sparta but he does not tell her that he has seen Odysseus at Eumaeus’s hut. Meanwhile, Eumaeus and Odysseus set out toward town in Telemachus’s footsteps. Odysseus receives a similar welcome at the palace. The suitors give him food with great reluctance, and Antinous goes out of his way to insult him. When Odysseus answers insult with insult, Antinous gives him a blow with a stool that disgusts even the other suitors. Report of this cruelty reaches Penelope, who asks to have the beggar brought to her so that she can question him about Odysseus. Odysseus, however, doesn’t want the suitors to see him heading toward the queen’s room. Eumaous leaves Telemachus and Odysseus with the suitors

To me the suitors are scared now that Odysseus is back and they are listening to him and fearing him. Antinous is the only one who isnt scared of Odysseus he actually insults him more and more. He also throws a stool at him. To me that is very disrespectful. I think he is acting like that because he knows he and the other suitors can not live off Odysseus's wealth and land anymore. I think they are going to have a epic fight between the two of them and obviously Odysseus will win.

For Monday

Theme: Working & Jobs

1. Traveling Salesman- Stuart Dybek

2. Banking Coal- Jean Toomer

3. Mowing- Robert Frost

4. Day and Night Job- Andrew Hudgins

5. Laundry- Ruth Moose

6. What work is- Phillip Levine

Odysseus finds Eumaeus outside his hut. Although Eumaeus doesn’t recognize him he invites him inside. There Odysseus has a hearty meal of pork and listens as Eumaeus praise upon the memory of his former master, whom he fears is lost for good, and scorn upon the behavior of his new masters, the vile suitors. Odysseus predicts that Eumaeus will see his master again quite soon, but Eumaeus will hear none of it. Still, Eumaeus takes a liking to his guest. He puts him up for the night and even lets him borrow a cloak to keep out the cold. When Eumaeus asks Odysseus about his origins Odysseus lies that he is from Crete. He fought with Odysseus at Troy and made it home safely. He was settled to poverty and on a trip to Egypt he heard about Odysseus and how he was still alive.

My reflection on this is that Eumaeus has no faith that Odysseus is alive even though he has heard from many people and he still does not believe it. Odysseus try's to tell him that he is still alive but he still does not believe. I do not know why he is in disguise maybe he does not want people to know until he claims his home again. Also Eumaeus is so kind to him he does not even know who he is and he takes him in and feeds to him and everything. He shows great hospitality. This has to make Odysseus feel really good. He gives him a blanket for the night so he does not get cold. Eumaeus is showing to be a great man and a kind man. He has a good heart and a good soul.

The Odyessy

Odysseus returns to Aeaea where he buries Elpenor and spends one last night with Circe. She describes the obstacles that he will face on his voyage home and tells him how to negotiate them. As he sets sail, Odysseus passes Circe’s counsel on to his men. They approach the island of the Sirens and Odysseus, as instructed by Circe, plugs his men’s ears with beeswax and has them tie him to the ship. He alone hears their song flowing forth from the island, promising to reveal the future. The Sirens’ song is so seductive that Odysseus begs to be released but his faithful men only tie him tighter. Once they have passed the Sirens’ island, Odysseus and his men must navigate the straits between Scylla. Scylla is a six-headed monster who, when ships pass, swallows one sailor for each head. Charybdis is an enormous whirlpool that threatens to swallow the entire ship. As instructed by Circe Odysseus holds his course. As he and his men stare at Charybdis on the other side of the strait the heads of Scylla swoop down and gobble up six of the sailors.

I remember freshman year when we read this we debated whether Odysseus had god like characteristics and we talked about all of the obstacles he went through and if that made him god like. Then I thought he was like a god but the more im reading now I think he isn't. The only reason he is accomplishing these tasks and reaching home is because the gods are helping him and he is getting lots of help. He is told where to go, what to do, and how to do it. Pretty much he is just listening to the gods and goddesses. That is just what I think I don't know if im correct on that but from what I understand that is what I think.

The odyssey

Odysseus travels to the River of Ocean in the land of the Cimmerians. He pours something and performs sacrifices as Circe earlier instructs him to do to attract the souls of the dead. The first to appear is Elpenor, the crewman who broke his neck falling from Circe’s roof. He begs Odysseus to return to Circe’s island and give his body a proper burial. Odysseus then speaks with the Theban prophet Tiresias, who reveals that Poseidon is punishing the Achaeans for blinding his son Polyphemus. He tells Odysseus his fate and that he will return home, reclaim his wife and palace from the wretched suitors, and then make another trip to a distant land to appease Poseidon. He warns Odysseus not to touch the flocks of the Sun when he reaches the land of Thrinacia; otherwise, he won’t return home without suffering much more hardship and losing all of his crew. When Tiresias departs, Odysseus calls other spirits toward him. He speaks with his mother, Anticleia, who updates him on the affairs of Ithaca and relates how she died of grief waiting for his return. He then meets the spirits of various famous men and heroes and hears the stories of their lives and deaths.


My reflection on this is that since Odysseus knows his fate now he can relax a little bit. He knows he makes it home safe and reclaims everything if he sticks to the path. He just has to follow the directions and listen to the Gods. Also i would feel a little on edge because he finds out he has another task after reclaiming what is his. I would not want to do that because after everything that has happened I would probably be afraid of losing it all all over again. I dont know what I would do in these circumstances. It would be a tough decison on my part wether to keep going after I reached home.

the odyssey

Odysseus tells the Phaeacians his story. From Troy, the winds sweep him and his men to Ismarus, city of the Cicones. The men plunder the land and, carried away by greed, stay until the reinforced ranks of the Cicones turn on them and attack. Odysseus and his crew finally escape, having lost six men per ship. A storm sent by Zeus sweeps them along for nine days before bringing them to the land of the Lotus-eaters, where the natives give some of Odysseus’s men the fruit of the lotus. As soon as they eat this fruit, they lose all thoughts of home and long for nothing more than to stay there eating more fruit. Only by dragging his men back to the ship and locking them up can Odysseus get them off the island. Odysseus and his men then sail through the y night to the land of the Cyclopes, a rough and uncivilized race of one-eyed giant. After making a meal of wild goats captured on an island offshore, they cross to the mainland. There they immediately come upon a cave full of sheep and crates of milk and cheese. The men advise Odysseus to snatch some of the food and hurry off, but, to his and his crew’s detriment, he decides to linger. The cyclops is the son of Poseidon. Polyphemus makes a show of hospitality at first, but he soon turns hostile. He devours two of Odysseus’s men on the spot and imprisons Odysseus and the rest in his cave for future meals.

My response to this is that while he is telling this story he is probably going through the emotions he felt in all of these encounters. Dragging his men back to the ship? That would of made me very angry tired and frustrated. All I would want to do is go home and this speed bump would frustrate me greatly. Then with the cyclops that had to be very scary. I would not know what to do but he is brave and can take care of the situation. He is not afraid and if he was it didn't show in him very well. These two encounters show home much Odysseus wants to make it home and reach home.

The next day Alcinous calls an assembly of the Phaeacian counselors. Athena back from Athens ensures attendance by spreading word that the topic of discussion will be the godlike visitor who recently appeared on the island. At the assembly Alcinous proposes providing a ship for his visitor so that the man can return to his homeland. The measure is approved and Alcinous invites the counselors to his palace for a feast and celebration of games in honor of his guest. Theres a blind bard named Demodocus sings of the quarrel between Odysseus and Achilles at Troy. Everyone listens with pleasure except Odysseus, who weeps at the painful memories that the story recalls. The king notices Odysseus’s grief and ends the feast so that the games can begin.

To me Odysseus is weeking because the memories are to hard for him to recall. He is being torn up through thinking of it. More and more he does the more and more he hurts. I can relate to this because if something happens to me and it makes me mad or sad I try not to think of it much because if I do I get more and more mad or more and more sad. The king notices this so he tells them to end it and begin the games. The king is looking to be a good man and good king to me throughout of what ive read. He is helping Odysseus out greatly and seems to be really kind and nice towards him

the odyssey

Later that evening when the king and queen are alone with Odysseus Arete recognizes the clothes that he is wearing as ones that she herself had made for her daughter Nausicaa. She interrogates Odysseus alot. While still withholding his name, Odysseus responds by recounting the story of his journey from Calypso’s island and his encounter with Nausicaa that morning, which involved her giving him a set of clothes to wear. Odysseus claims that it was his idea to come alone. Alcinous is so impressed with his visitor that he offers Odysseus his daughter’s hand in marriage. He respectfully declines and says he has a child and wife of his own.

To me when Odysseus declines marriage it is showing his drive or love for his wife. He respects her so much that he hasnt given up on their love. He could of easily had altercations with Nausicaa or even married this girl but he doesnt want to. Even though he was used on Calpysos island he still hasnt given up on his love. This impresses me greatly. Also how he can make up a story to tell Arete and make it sound as if it is true. He is just doing this to pertect himself and the gods.

The odsessy

On his way to the palace of Alcinous who is the king of the Phaeacians Odysseus is stopped by a young girl who is Athena in disguise. She offers to guide him to the king’s house. She keeps him in a mist so that the people dont harass him. She also advises him to direct his plea for help to Arete who is the wise and strong queen who will know how to get him home. Once Athena has delivered Odysseus to the palace she leaves to athens. Odysseus finds the palace. As soon as he sees the queen, he throws himself at her feet, and the mist about him dissapears. At first, the king wonders if this wayward traveler might be a god, but without revealing his identity, Odysseus puts the king’s suspicions to rest by declaring that he is indeed a mortal. He then explains his predicament, and the king and queen gladly promise to see him off the next day in a Phaeacian ship.

This shows that he is on his way home. Athena is a great help to him and he is giving him the directions and is doing everything she can to help him go home. The book has changed from telamachus to now Odysseus. It is changing to how he is going to get back home. This whole book is on how he is trying to get home and all the things that are going to happen on their way there. The king and queen see where Odysseus is comming from and they want to help. They think he may be a god in disguise but he really isnt. Athena may have made him look like one a little but he is immortal.

the odyssey

The gods except Poseidon gather on Mount Olympus to discuss Odysseus’s fate. Athenas speech in support of the hero prevails on Zeus to intervene. Hermes, messenger of the gods, is sent to Calypso’s island to tell her that Odysseus must be allowed to leave so he can return home. . She complains that they are allowed to take mortal lovers while the affairs of the female gods must always be frustrated. In the end she talks to and listens to Zeus. After eighteen days at sea, Odysseus spots Scheria, the island of the Phaeacians, his next destination appointed by the gods. Just then, Poseidon, returning from a trip to the land of the Ethiopians, spots him and realizes what the other gods have done in his absence. Poseidon stirs up a storm, which nearly drags Odysseus under the sea, but the goddess Ino comes to his rescue. She gives him a veil that keeps him safe after his ship is wrecked. Athena too comes to his rescue as he is tossed back and forth, now out to the deep sea, now against the jagged rocks of the coast. Finally, a river up the coast of the island answers Odysseus’s prayers and allows him to swim into its waters. He throws his protective veil back into the water as Ino had commanded him to do and walks inland to rest in the safe cover of a forest.

My personal response to this is that Poseidon is angry that the gods did something without him. He is angry that they made a decision on what he opposed and did the opposite of what he says. He trys to hurt Odysseus this doesnt make snese to me. Why is a god trying to hurt or kill a person. Arent they supposed to be good and not like the underworld gods? Im confused on that but oh well. All of the other gods want him to go back home and claim what is his he is trying to as fast as he can. The other gods seem to help him throughout so he can do his duty or job and that is to reach home. They seem to guide him in what to do and do everything they can to make this come true.

the odyssey

Antinous blames Penelope who he says seduces every suitor but will commit to none of them. He reminds the suitors of a promise that she mentioned to getting married. Penelope maintained that she would choose a husband as soon as she finished weaving a burial shroud for her elderly father-in-law Laertes. But each night, she carefully undid the knitting that she had completed during the day, so that the shroud would never be finished. If Penelope can make no decision, Antinous declares, then she should be sent back to Icarius so that he can choose a new husband for her. The dutiful Telemachus refuses to throw his mother out and calls upon the gods to punish the suitors.



Telemachus is getting angry because the suitors want to just throw his mother out until she picks a husband while they use up all of their food, drinks, and house. This angers him so much he wants them to be punished so he tells the Gods and Goddesses to punish the suitors. Also Penlope doesnt want to get married to one of the suitors because I think deep down she believes that her husband is still alive and doesnt want to give up her love. That is why she undoes the shroud. This shows that she still has hope and that she at all costs does not want to marry again.

the odyssey

When the assembly meets the next day Aegyptius a wise Ithacan elder speaks first. He praises Telemachus for stepping into his father’s shoes mentioning that this occasion marks the first time that the assembly has been called since Odysseus left. Telemachus gives a speech in which he states the loss of both his father and his father’s home his mother’s suitors, the sons of Ithaca’s elders have taken it over. He insults them for consuming his father’s oxen and sheep as they pursue their courtship day in and day out when any decent man would simply go to Penelope’s father and ask him for her hand in marriage.

More and more that I am reading Telemachus is encountering some hardships in order to make things go as planned. People are starting to see the role Telemachus has taken to become the " man of the house." People are seeing him as growing up and taking responsibility. He is growing as a person with this deed. He has some encounters with the suitors and has a few scuffles but all is going well. He is trying to get the suitors to quit using up of all of their wealth and prosperities and leave but the suitors do not wish to leave. I can imagine how he is feeling. Things arent going as fast and how he wants them to. Somtimes I want things to hurry up and just happen but patience is key and is a virtue.

The Odyssey

After a conversation, Telemachus encounters Penelope in the suitors’ quarters, upset over a song that the court bard is singing. Penelope is more miserable than she usually is. Telemachus reminds her that Odysseus isn’t the only Greek to not return from Troy and that, if she doesn’t like the music in the men’s quarters she should retire to her own 'chamber' and let him look after her interests among the suitors. He then gives the suitors notice that he will hold an assembly the next day at which they will be ordered to leave his father’s estate. Antinous and Eurymachus, two particularly defiant suitors dont like this news and ask the identity of the visitor with whom he has just been speaking. Although Telemachus suspects that his visitor was a goddess in disguise, he tells them only that the man was a friend of his father.


My personaly response to this is that Telemachus is taking command of his household and doing everything he can to make everything in order. He calms Penelope down and takes care of the suitors as he is told by Zeus and Athena. He takes command of Antinous and Eurymachus and pursuades them to leave. Time will tell if they do listen to him and follow his orders. Except from the begining this book right now is mostly about Telemachus and what he is doing and how he is listening to Zeus and Athena the God and Goddess.

The odyssey

The story begins ten years after the end of the Trojan War. All of the Greek heroes except Odysseus have returned home. Odysseus lives on the remote island Ogygia with the goddess Calypso, who has fallen in love with him and refuses to let him leave. Meanwhile, a mob of suitors is devouring his estate in Ithaca and courting his wife Penelope in hopes of taking over his kingdom. His son Telemachus who is an infant when Odysseus left but now a young man, is helpless to stop them. He has resigned himself to believe that his father is dead. Zeus, Athena travels to Ithaca to speak with Telemachus. Assuming the form of Odysseus’s old friend Mentes, Athena predicts that Odysseus is still alive and that he will soon return to Ithaca. She advises Telemachus to call together the suitors and announce their banishment from his father’s estate. She then tells him that he must make a journey to Pylos and Sparta to ask for any news of his father.



I chose this book because during freshaman year I read it and I did not really understand much of it. I was confused alot but after reading other books this year I have a new mentality towards harder readings such as this. I understand more when I read than when I was a freshman. To me this book can be confusing. I think that Telemachus has overall concurred that his father is dead. He gets news from Zeus and Athena that his father is not dead and he kind of gets the role of becoming the leader of his family. He has to get all of the suitors out of his house. The book starts off with his father and then later goes on to his son Telemachus. This book is more interesting to me now that I understand it more and can relate things to it to make it make more sense. This looks like a great book.

Senior Interviews

The senior interviews were really interesting. All of them had something different that they were trying to do or get across. I can relate to the one who wants to become a sports executive because he wants to make his parents proud. His parents came to the US in 1994. My parents came before that in like 1978 but still I can still relate to how he wants to make his parents proud. The one who seems deluded is the one who is undecided. He just knows he wants to be wealthy but he doesnt know how he is gonna get there.


I see myself in 10 years graduating college and having a steady job. I want to be wealthy but so does everyone. I am very materialistic in my wants. I will do whatever it takes to be happy and get what I want. I will take actions and fulfilling my dreams. I plan on living here in Fort Wayne and having spending my life here in 10 years. I want t0 do something in business.

265-280

The pain inside Zeitoun is taking over he is losing lots of weight and is looking sick. The doctor has been giving a form and should look at him soon. He thinks the pain is not from infection or injury but due to sorrow. He is feeling pain that he isnt with his family or helping with taking care of his city. He starts thinking about life insurance. He says he should of bought a larger one. He is having all the stress get to him. He is getting enraged by thinking about Kathy thinking he is dead. He is searched thoroughly every week. Guards look for drugs or contraband in all of the prisoners. Kathy also finds out what Zeitoun was arrested. He was arrested for looting but the charges were soon going to be dropped. Kathy and her family find out that he is alive. Then the end of where I read kathy calls the prison and they say there is no record of Zeitoun.



My personal response to this is that Zeitoun hurting because he cant be with his family and cant tell them what is wrong and if he is alive. I can imagine how he is feeling. He is probably heartbroken for going to prison when he was trying to do something right. Then kathy finds out he is okay and alive and then all of a sudden she calls the prison and they say they dont have record of him. Now she probably thinks he is dead. She had a whole bunch of stress taken off her mind and now it is all retained again. I dont know if i could take all the stress that kathy is encountering. I would break down. I am obviously not as strong as Kathy and Zeitoun.

241-260

The men are being kept in a cage and are being held prisoner. One man is challenged in the head and he is saying stuff and the guards are getting mad so they spray him with pepper spray and throw a bucket of water on him. They are being treated badly. Zeitoun is kept in the prison along with other inmates. He cant sleep and if he does its for only a couple hours at a time. He feels bad because he cant be with his family. Who knows how long he is going to be in the prison. Zeitoun is still contained till what I read he lives the life of a criminal. He is given a orange jump suit and is treated like a criminal. He also encounters a stabbing pain and cannot sit in the same position for more than 5 or 10 minutes. He and other inmates tell stories of the storm and how they were caught. One says that he was a firefighter and got caught for stealing.




My personal response to this is that Zeitoun is in prison for no reason. He was helping out the city and he shouldnt be there. To me it is really dumb. He is being treated like that for no reason. He is being treated like a criminal becasue he served his city when it was in need. It makes me mad that he went head over heals for his city and he isnt being re paid good. Also for the fire fighter who got arrested thats dumb. I know he committed a crime but if FEMA isnt helping he has to fend for himself. If stealing is what he has to do then he has to do it. I would steal if I needed supplies or food to live. Its a dog eat dog world. You gotta do what u gotta do.

226-241

The soliders seem to be looking for something with Zeitoun and Todd. They do a whole search on them and Zeitoun feels like he will bear this shame for the rest of his life. He then starts thinking that they are being evacuated and they are only looking becasue they dont want them to steal. Him and Todd are put into a cage and it is locked shut. More men are put in the cage and they look to escape. All Zeitoun wants is a phone call so he can call Kathy. He slides his number to someone and they call kathy and let her know where he is. Tod goes on a rant and swears but Zeitoun stays calm.





My personal response to this is that I dont understand how Kathy and Zeitoun can remain so calm with all of the events that are happening. I guess it has to do with them accepting what happened and trying to move on. Zeitoun is trying to figure out what is going on and kathy is trying to get her children into a routine and worrying about her husband. I think I would rather be Zeitoun becasue i dont think i could deal with worrying about children and worrying about Zeitoun. IT WOULD DRIVE ME CRAZZZZZZZZZZZY. Hopefully all is well when the book ends. It is getting really interesting.

211-225

Kathy and her daughter demah are praying and after they are done a phone rings and tells kathy that they saw her husband. She automatically thinks he is dead. The man says that he is in prison and he is alright and being taken care of. She asks him atleast a dozen questions but he says he cant talk and he hangs up. 4 men and 1 woman come to Zeitouns building and take him away and are being really rude to him. He believes its for the evacuation that is being in effect. They were being taken to the superdome. The soliders arent being helpful to Zeitouns cause. They are ignoring all the good deeds he did and wont comply to his question of them feeding the dogs. They ignore him. The people ask him questions. They make racist jokes and use words such as Al Qaeda and Taliban and make Zeitoun feel uncomfortable. He was put in jail. Just like any other inmate he was fingerprinted and sent to a cell.





My personal response to this is that Kathy finally knows Zeitoun is safe. She has stress taken off her and can now focus on her children. But a little more stress is added when she hears that he is in jail. Atleast he is okay though that would take some stress off me. Also the way the soliders are acting with Zeitoun is a little bit of racial profiling. Because he is from the middle east they utter taliban and al qaeda. I mean it is a hurrican not a terrorist attack. They should be worried about what is happening currently.

Zeitoun 192-210

Zeitouns family is calling Kathy and they are asking many questions they are filling her in on the facts that they know of. They are asking if she knows where he his and if she is looking for him. She can not take the pressure of these questions. They tell her that they should move to Syria. Kathy cannot take all these questions when in fact she is dealing with her own problems in getting Zeitoun. Yuko and her husband take Kathy to some coliseum where angencys are set up to help find people. Its been six days since Kathy has had any contact with Zeitoun. Then she starts to think of what she has to do if Zetioun has died. How will she support her family? how can live without her husband. All of these questions are kicking in. Kathy puts the kids in school right away so they have some sort of routine. I stopped reading where Kathy has a flashback of the past with Zeitoun.





My personal response to this is that I wonder how Kathy has not gone completly insane. She has to deal with her kids, where she has to live, what shes going to do if her husband is dead, and wonder if her husband is even dead. All of this is probably going in her mind at the same time. I know I would not be able to bear all this stress. She is already thinking about life insurance. She doesnt have faith in her husband and when he said he would be fine. I mean I wouldnt either if my loved one said Ill be fine and hasnt called or heard of in about 10 days. This would make me insane if i was Kathy

3.15.11

I saw many children books in that slideshow. Some books I read by myself and some my parents read to me. It was fun seeing all the books I read as a child and now in high school I still remember them. I will probably read some of these books over again because I used to be a big reader. Overall im glad I looked at that slideshow and looked at the books.

Zeitoun 167-185.. Make up

Zeitoun lays in his daughters bed trying to relax but he could not stop thinking about the dogs who were shot. He got out of the bed and looked at his Qur'an and read a passage. He wonders what he would do if intruders came to his house. He had not seen any robberies but he didnt know for sure. He also talks about his father Mahoumd who had died of heart disease. Many said it was becasue he hadnt gotten over the death of his golden sun. On the morning of September 5 Zeitoun woke up and did prayers and paddled to feed the dogs again. He calls Kathy and she told him to check up on some other houses since people knew Zeitoun was still in New Orleans they wanted him to check on their houses. Of course Zeitoun had no problem with it. Later that night him and Nasser ate food and the city seemed pretty chill that night. In the morning he did his prayers and fed the dogs yet again. He picked up Nassar and made their way. They paddle away and see a helicopter that was landed as they got closer they realized it was had crashed. A few days later Kathy woke up and felt wierd that her husband didnt call her the afternoon before. She called Zeitouns brother and asked if he called and he said he had Kathy was really freaking out now.

To me Kathy is always worrying about Zeitoun. In a time like that its kind of hard not to be worried about your loved ones though in a time like that. I would be flipping out if my dad or mom didnt call every day if they were in that situation. She is keeping her family together and has put them in school that is good. Other than that Zeitoun is still to me being brave and helping citizens even though he doesnt have to. I dont like how things are going though. They arent getting any help from a greater power. Also things are getting really reaptitive to me.

Zeitoun 146-166 Make up

It starts out with Yuko's husband driving Kathys Odyssey. They are driving through New Mexico back to Yuko's house. Back at home Zeitoun and one of his friends whos name is Nassar are rowing around and find a abandoned jeep and find MRE's in it. On their way they meet a family of 5 and hand them a box of the MRE's. Later that night Nassar and Zeiteon go back to his house and barbecued the last of the meat in the freezer. Zeitoun could not sleep later that night cause he was mad some of the people he met were still not helped. To pass the time since he couldnt sleep he went into one of his daughters room and looks at a few pictures. He starts to talk about his other brother alot and in the book it shows a few pictures. Also it talks about how Zeitoun used to be a sailor and how he was for 10 years. He fed the dogs the next day when he woke up. Back with kathy and Yukos husband they drove through the night and arrived in arizona the next day. Zeitoun and Nassar later see a dead body and point to the helicopter that was around to it. They show the helicopter and the helicopter looks and soon flys away. I stopped reading where Zeitoun is still helping people giving them lifts and so.

I think that Zeitoun is starting to miss his family greatly. His family back home and his family that is in Arizona. When he is alone he starts to feel sad but doesnt make to much of it. I think he is trying to keep his mind away from his family and focus on helping people so that he doesnt break down. Also he doesnt show his emotions with anyone not even his family. He wants to be the one who acts like everything is okay. He continues to help everyone and he doesnt freak out when he sees that body. But overall he is still mad that people arent getting help in this bad situation and it is tearing him apart.

128 145 Zeitoun Make up

On page 128 Kathy breaks down and starts crying on the side of the highway. It takes her a while to get things together. Her children become very concerned about her. She calls Yuko her friend and she is telling her the whole situation. Yuku tells her to stay where she is and tells her husband to fly and pick them up and then drive back with them. Back in New Orleans Zeitoun plans to help more people and more likely the animals such as the dogs. He hears the dogs barking so he know Kathy stocked the freezer up with meat so he takes some and some water bottles and finds the house of the dogs and gives them to the dogs. Zeitoun left the window open for the dogs to get some air. He also helps some other dogs that he sees or hears. After doing that for the day he goes back and sees that his tent is no longer there. He realizes its probably from helicopters that go back. He called kathy the next day who is still in Houston ad Miss Mary's house. Zeitoun also calls his brother Ahmad who tells him he needs to leave right away. Zeitoun says he was meant to stay and help the people here. He also finds out that the national guard or whoevers in charge at the time are not helping the people.

I think it was about time that Kathy broke down and started crying. Also Zeitoun is brave and a good man for helping people. He is going out of his way to help others in a time where I personally be caring about myself and my family. He is worrying about people he doesnt even know. Also the truth about the national guard and the military is comming out. They arent even helping the citizens when they are in need. This frusturates me because thousands of innocent people probably went through the same thing.

112-127 Zeitoun ...Make Up

In these pages Zeitoun continues to help people in his city. Kathy is still driving around to kill time and looking for a new place to stay. Kathy continues to hear storys about all the chaos and violence going on in New Orleans. Zeitoun checks on his propertys to see all the damage that is made there with his friend Frank. Zeitoun went to one his propertys to check up on a client whose name was Todd. He realizes Todd has a phone so he calls up Kathy and she is grateful he is okay. He again talks about his brother mohammed and how he did not tell their father about being a swimmer but he father became fond of him when he realized he was really good. He again talks about his brother for about 5 pages. Kathy left Baton Rouge without telling her family and driving on a three day road trip. She calls the number and somone picks up and hangs up. She soon starts to believe that something has happened to Zeitoun and believes he might be dead.

My personal response for this so far is that Kathy is becoming too paranoid about Zeitoun. Zeitoun can apparently take care of himself with no problem. Maybe it is from all the stress from her family. Her family is not really acceptive of her choice of being Muslim. They always make little remarks about it to her and it makes her mad. I can only imagine what shes going through with a car full of kids, a dog, her husband, and her family. She can not take it anymore and if it was me in her shoes I would of already snapped. She is really brave for being so strong for everything she is going through at the moment.

91-111 Zeitoun ...Make up

The second part of the book starts out with Zeitoun opening his eyes in daughters room. He looks outside and sees a sea of water comming from the north. He realizes the levees broke and the water was rushing in. Back at baton rouge things are tense. Kathy leaves with her family to try to ease the tension in the house. She plans to just drive all day and go to the mall to pass time. Zeitoun takes as much as the stuff he can and moves it to a higher level in his house. He takes as much as he can of this personal prized possessions up. By nightfall the neighborhood was under nine feet of water. Zeitoun looks through pictures of his past of his brother and how he used to be a really good swimmer. He was little when his brother died in a car crash in Egypt. Zeitoun finds it really hot sleeping in the house so he takes a tent to the roof and sleeps in that for the night. He heard dogs who had been left by people. The next day he gets in his canoe and rows around the neighborhood becasue he doesnt know what else to do. He laters helps a lady who is overweight and get her out of her house.

My response to this that Zeitouns idea to stay was a good idea cause he is taking care of his house and helping other people. Kathy is stressing out at the house in Bat0n Rouge she doesnt know what to do her family is driving her crazy. Also a intimate moment is when Zeitoun looks at the pictures of his brother. He talks about his brother for a good 3 or 4 pages. How his brother was an allstar swimmer and such. It is one of the moments where you feel sympthatic for Zeitoun and he has one of his softer moments. This book is good so far, it was kind of boring in the begining but now since the hurricane started it has gotten good because things are starting to pick up. Zeitoun is a caring person and wants to help as much as he can. I hope he is safe through out the rest of the book

3.8.2011

So im sitting by dale stroud. We are justtt chillllinnnnnn. We pretty much run this class these days. These kids names " Roy O'Bannon" and "Chon Wayne" think they are cool but they arent. Mr Hill your talking right now about "A Far Temple" Im just waiting to go home because im really tired and need sleep. I went to bed at 12 lastnight and thats pretty early for me. I usually go to bed at like 130 but its no big deal. This is just a personal post. This weekend I plan to hang out with my friends and work. I dont mind work these days casue heck I only have to work one day a week and its pretty nice when ur parents own the business.

3.1

a) appetite, dreamy, idly, stubbornly, presence, mornful, stillness
b) sound- harsh, concrete- sensible
c) Jim Moores sensible speech and harsh use of the letter t illustrates why he hated his everyday childhood encounters in the poem.

2.23 diction exercise

soooo I thought we were gonna have more class time to do this but I guess not.. thats why it's so late....

a) falling, dark, advantage, descendents, stocky, admist, sharply, treacherously

b) Concretness- eerie and muddy, Elevation- steady and scattered

c) The passage from "stardust" which is written by Neil Gaiman shows scattered but also a steady description. Through strange word choice the city is painted in your mind. When it ends the reader is left to reminisce about the whole picture painted in their mind

Zeitoun Pg 79-91

This page starts with Kathy waking up and noticing the storm has turned into a category 5 storm and is headed directly towards New Orleans. All of Kathy and Zeitouns clients called them and asked them to board up their windows of the sites they were working on. In Baton Rouge the children played games, watched movies, and talked while the strong winds and storms were going on around them. At home Zeitoun boarded up his own property and got ready for all the leaks that the house would acquire. Just after 11 o'clock the storm arrived and it wasn't that strong at first then the leaks started The next day he pulls a canoe he bought and ties it up thinking he might need it later. A flashback occurs of where he talks about how he tried to get his daughters interested It rained and flooded a lot but the drainage system would take care of that. Kathy tried to get Zeitoun to come to Baton Rouge but insisted that he had to stay there to take care of their belongings. Kathy and her family being followers of Islam do not eat pork and when her children are fed pork for dinner she could easily gotten angry but she realized that if eating pork was the only thing to eat they would have to in these hard conditions. On August 30th Zeitoun wakes up and sits there for a while and realizes there is nothing to do. This is the first time he has has nothing to do in a long while. His thoughts stray and he gets into a mid sleep and has a flashback about his older brother who was a great swimmer but died in a car crash in Egypt. The chapter ends with his hearing water and he awakens
My response on this is that THE HURRICANE IS FINALLY HERE! Not that it is a good thing that happened but it has been anticipated through out the first 80 pages and now that it is here it feels like a lot more is going to be happening. I feel like when they talk about their job and the painting business the reader gets all the stress that they are acquiring. Now that the hurricane is here I feel like you get more stress becasue the reader worries about the whole city of New Orleans as well as the fate of the family of the Zeitouns. I also worry about Zeitoun because he is all alone and his city is going through a huge hurricane. I keep wondering what is going to happen next and I want to keep reading more. This is just of the beginning of the hurricane too more is to come and more destruction is going to arrive all he can do is wait. Also I feel like Kathy is not a strict follower of Islam as Zeitoun is. This is shown because the lets her children and her eat pork. I dont know much about Islam but I guess you are not aloud to eat pork as stated in the book and she could of easily gotten angry that her family fed her this food, but she didn't. This is my response to what I have read so far.

Teenagers, Friends and Bad Decisions

It is interesting to see what the studies showed about teens driving. It is true that teens tend to do stupid things in the car when they are with their friends. From my encounters in being in the car with my friends we tend to speed more and do things in the heat of the moment. This study is quite accurate from my standpoint. Teens do act differently around friends rather than with their parents while driving. Peer pressure is a major factor in that. Dr. Steinberg said that teens tend to do risky things when they know their friends are watching. It is interesting how the brain works and the results of all the research that was taken. Also I find it true that boys do more dangerous things than girls while driving but that's just my point view. The doctor also states even if you have a child who is mature and makes decisions around his or her parent doesn't necessarily mean they do the same around their friends or colleges. This was a very fascinating and remarkable article.

Zeitoun pages 41-78

The early pages discuss how Zeitoun was looking a down to earth wife who wanted a family and it discusses how Kathy and him met. Also how when they first met Kathy thought he was a nice man but was not the right match for her and thought he was too conservative. Also a painting job is discussed in the pages I read. It dealt with a woman who was having guest over and wanted her stairway and guest room painted in five days time. Zeitoun warned her that the timing would be tight and she understood. Later she also wanted her husbands office and daughters bedroom painted. Zeitoun sent more workers to the house and she kept adding jobs and rooms to be painted. On the third day Kathy called Zeitoun in tears and said the woman was upset that the painters werent finished and she said many hurtful things to Kathy. Zeitoun went to the house and told the painters to leave and that they were finished and he told the womans husband that "no one talks to my wife this way and I am leaving the job and good luck" and that was the end of that. Then reality occurs again and the discussion of whether they should leave or stay starts. Kathy insists on leaving but Zeitoun wants to stay because he doesnt think the hurricane will be as serious as they say and he has plenty of work to do. It is stated that Zeitoun has never had more than two days off in a row and then another flashback occurs. It was of how Kathy picked the slowest time of year for business to "kidnap" Zeitoun to Destin, Florida and have a little vacation. Kathy decides to leave with her son Zachary and 3 daughters as well with the dog for Baton Rouge where Kathy was born. Yet again another flashback occurs where it discusses how Kathy converted from Christianity to Islam. She at first just was curious about the religeon and later converted into Islam before she met Zeitoun. I stopped reading where Kathy and her family arrive in Baton Rouge and get settled in and she calls Zeitoun and they both go to sleep.

Things got a little more interesting learning of how Kathy and Zeitoun met and how they got together. Also I found the flashbacks to their past very interesting and fun. When the woman said things to Kathy and Zeitoun got angry and left the job it kind of showed that he cares more about his family rather than the business. He could of easily pushed the situation over and told Kathy it was nothing and finished the job and received his money but that was not the case. To me it before reading that I felt like all Zeitoun cared about was his job and not so much about the family but my perception has changed. Also I am still waiting for this hurricane to arrive. I am getting really anxious and wanting it to happen already. It is arriving soon and so I want to keep on reading so I can find out what happens next. Things have goten way more interesting within the last 20 pages and want to keep reading. Overall this is a great book so far.

Personal Post

The weekend was an okay weekend. I was grounded till Sunday so i could not do anything Friday or Saturday. So on Friday I was stuck at home and so i called my cousin over and watched movies and played video games for the night. On Saturday I decided I would go to work because I had nothing better to do and I did not want to sit at home doing nothing all day. It was okay it was too busy so I didn't really have a lot to do. On Sunday was the SUPERBOWL! Originally I was rooting for the Stealers to win but I realized that they have already won recently so I decided that it was fair for the Packers to win too. I watched the game at my friends house. He had a get together type thing and I watched the game. The commercials were funny but the halftime show sucked I didn't like it at all. In the end the Packers won and it was a great way to end the weekend.

Zeitoun pgs 1-40

This book is about a family during hurricane Katrina. The books starts out with a man named Abdulrahman Zeitoun who is the main character having a past memory of when he lived back in Syria. He and his wife Kathy have three daughters. It later starts with everyone getting ready for the day. Zeitoun which he referred to because his first name is too hard to pronounce owns a painting business with his wife. The first 40 pages in discuss mostly of the painting business and it shows how busy it really is and how stressful it is. Both Zeitoun and Kathy are in a rush throughout the whole day. This is an everyday thing for them. Also they discuss the storm that is coming which is hurricane Katrina. Zeitoun and Kathy do not think much of the storm and they keep doing their regular thing. Also it talks about both their pasts and about Zeitoun's family and background. They are both of the religion Islam and it is mentioned throughout the first 40 or so pages. Zeitoun is from a hardworking background and hard work means a lot to him. He has really good work ethic and that is why he has been so prosperous in his business.
To me this book looks really interesting. Zeitoun is a very hard worker and comes from a different background. To me it seemed kind of weird that Zeitoun's wife Kathy converted to Islam. Also it shows that they are hard workers since all they have been doing for the first 40 pages is working. They do not seemed too worried about the storm that is coming. They seemed more concerned in their work. I wonder whats going to happen next. I wonder if their family is going to be safe. This is definitely a good book so far.

Weekend

Overall the weekend was pretty lame. On Friday I went to my friends house and hung out with some people. Played some Madden and some poker there. Then we went to Scotts's to get some food and we ordered some pizza. On Saturday I watched movies and hung out with my neighbor. I watched a movie called Red and a movie called Takers. Takers is a good movie its got Chris Brown in it...he gets shot and dies though. On Sunday I woke up at like 1, went out to lunch with the family, came home and watched the Lakers game. The Lakers lost. I finished up some homework played some Madden and relaxed the rest of the night.

hole in my life pg 158-199

In these pages Jack is starting to get acquainted with prison life. He witnesses many horrific things in prison. In order to stay away from these horrific things Jack gets a job in the prison hospital as a X-ray tech. He took this job so he could get his own private prison cell. He sends a letter to get his prison sentence shortened but this fails. He also sneaks into a office and looks at his record. The record states in a nut shell that he is a liar. He applies  for college after a while and he gets accepted to a 2 year college. This shortens his prison time and he gets a job and a place to live from one of his fathers friends.

To me jail time was exactly what Jack needed. He now knows what he wants which is to write and he knows what he wants to write about. He finally straightened up his act and got his life on track. He knows what he wants to say. He stays away from the crime and the drugs and pursues his dream of writing. He is doing exactly what he wanted to do in the first place. The crime was just a mistake and a speed bump in him becoming a writer. He finally found himself and found his place in society. Jail helped him become the person he was to become

hole in my life pg 115 - 131

During these pages this is where everything goes downhill and Jack, Rik, and Hamilton are discovered by the cops. Hamilton is the first to be discovered by the FBI. Jack is watching while Hamilton has a melee with the FBI. The FBI had discovered them because of the American counterfeit money that showed up in Morocco. Jack runs to his room and lockes the door and starts to get all of his stuff together. He walks straight out the front door and gets away. He goes to a movie theatre to wait it out before he gets on a train station back to Florida. He reaches Fort Lauderdale and he goes to his old friend Davys motel and stays there for a while. He calls his father from a pizza parlor and his father tells him the FBI has been watching them and was wondering if Jack was ever gonna show up. His father tells him to go back to New York and he has arranged a lawyer for him. Jack meets up with the lawyer and they discuss the charges. Jack later finds out that Rik snitched on him and Hamilton and also the whole operation.

Now that Jack has been caught for the crime he has committed everything is gettting serious for him. He is being charged with lots of crimes. Now that reality has kicked in for him he is starting to realize that he made a huge mistake and he has to pay the consequences for it. Jacks father's business was not going to well and now he has put more stress on his family because now they have to worry about him. It looks like his foolish choices have got him in the gutter and he is gonna face some jail time.

hole in my life pg 101-115

Jack and Hamilton meet up with Rik in this next chapter. They are planning to distribute the drugs around the city. They meet up with someone named Jerome. He is stated waiting for them in a psychedelic hippie van, which was decorated with Day-Glo Peter Max designs. Jack jokes and also states that he might as well as well a neon sign saying "we have drugs! Arrest us now!" Jerome had a money connection who they could sell the drugs but they did not arrive and they were starting to get worried. Jerome convinces Rik, Hamilton, and Jack to spend the night at his house while they wait for the buyers to arrive. The next day the buyers arrive and thats the end of that. On the way back to New York Hamilton thinks they are being followed. Hamilton starts driving like a madman. until he thinks he loses them. They keep making and setting up drug deals through out the next few pages. He also gets his cut of the deal and Jack becomes so happy. Hamilton talks about another deal with Jack that requires him to go to England. Jack does not feel like taking this deal because he wants to get started on his future.
Jack has arrived in New York and all he wants to do is get this mess he has got himself into over with. He wants to start on his future and go to college. He is also started to feel guilty and have second thoughts on this task that he has took. Hamilton also says that Jack looks so guilty all the time. Jack is just waiting for this to be over and he wants to move on. He wants to become the writer and he wants to go to college like he always had planned. He always feels like someone is watching him. He calls a few colleges and they ask him to write a sample paper but he is being lazy and says he has not finished anything before. To me Jack is looking like he is not going to do anything with his life if he keeps being lazy.

hole in my life pg 68-100

Jack has just got an offer from a friend Rik who comes regularly to Jack's fathers business. Rik has offered Jack 10000 dollars to sail some hash from the island to New York. Jack immediately says yes to this offer. In his mind the 10000 dollars would pay for any college that would accept him. Also he says all the writers go to New York so this trip could help with his writing. Jack tells his parents he got a sailing job and is going away. On the voyage Jack is partnered up with someone named Hamilton. Hamilton is a very angry and rude person. He yells at Jack Gantos a lot. The voyage takes about six weeks. Jack writes about his everyday experiences in a empty book he finds. He talks about Hamilton and what everyday brings on their journey. I stopped reading where Jack arrives in New York and he goes to a burger place and is trying to reach Rik.

To me Jack didn't think this whole plan through. He didn't think about if he gets caught what the consequences will be. He just saw the dollar amount being offered to him and he jumped on the idea of it. If I was Jack I would of stayed and helped with my fathers business which is stated is not doing well. He would of worked on his writing there and still went to college. Jack thinks this is a good idea because it is for his college but if he gets caught his whole life is going to go down the drain and he could face prison. This just sounds like a all around bad idea and I want to know what happens next in this book because it is starting to get really good.

hole in my life pg 20-54

In pages 20 through 54 Jack begins to focus more on his writing and his future. He talks about how his high school used to be prison. One day criminals that are serving life in prison come and visit his high school to talk about the choices they made and how kids should not make the same choices. One by one the inmates discuss their crime and how they wish they could take what they did back. Jack thinks to himself that he will never be a criminal and he will never go to jail. Later on Jack is at a friends house and his friend invites him to a "weed party" later on that night Jack goes their and stays for a while and does some weed. As he leaves the house he has this paranoia that the cops are going to arrest him. He also applies to college and he gets accepted to Florida State University. He visits the college and he soon realizes that the college is not for him and it is much like high school. He talked to his dad and decided that he wouldn't attend college and instead he would help with his dads company. He could preform odd jobs to help his dad out. Jack planned to leave and help his dad in a few weeks in the mean time he would get ready for his move. While Jack waits his friend Tom Scanlon calls and asks to stay for a few days but then he would be leaving. Tom persuades Jack into smoking weed. All they do when Tom is there is smoke weed and talk about books. Tom shows Jack that books about science are interesting too. Jack has sort of a revelation and takes great interest about these new genres. Tom persuades Jack to go to college again and how to make some quick money. Jack and Tom drive up to Tallahassee so that Tom can get some drugs so that they can sell. Jack thinks Tom has ripped him off so he leaves back home.

In these chapters Jack is starting to think more about becoming a writer. He applies for college but then he later decides he doesn't want to. My reflection on this is that Jack never pulls through with a plan he has. He says he wants to be a writer but he is not taking the full action on doing so. He is surrounding himself with the wrong people. His friend that first introduces him with weed was his first mistake and then he meets Tom who gets him to start smoking weed. Also he thinks becoming a writer is just going to happen. He needs to be on the right path and take the steps or precedures to become a writer. Jack needs to quit getting himself in certian situations and needs to quit slacking off.

hole in my life pg 1-19

The title of this book is called hole in my life, it is written by Jack Gantos. This book starts out with Jack Gantos stating that he is at a medium-security Federal Correctional Institution in Ashland, Kentucky. He also states he is 21 years old and has been locked up for a year and a half. He does not say what crime he has commited just that he is in jail. He describes what prison is like the people, the food, and the violence. In the first chapter he mostly talks about where he lived and how his father knew alot about people. In the second chapter Jack states how when he was nineteen and was still in highschool how he had unlimited freedom and he could pretty much do whatever he wanted. He talks about how during his junior year his family moved from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to San Juan, Puerto Rico. He says it wasnt hard for him to say goodbye to his friends even though he thinks he will never see any of them again. During his time in Puerto Rico he didnt go to school and he got a job as a electrical subcontractor and how he started wiring hotel rooms to get money. After a while of doing that and saving money he deceided get his diploma so he moved back to Fort Lauderdale and moved in with a family called the Bacons. He lives there for a while and he gets kicked out for his habits and the way he acts. The first night Jack sleeps in his car and the second day he finds an apartment and this is where i have left off so far.



I think this story is really good so far. Jack is a flawed character and he makes alot of mistakes and he continues to make mistakes. Also Jack acts like the typical nineteen year old he thinks he can do whatever he wants when he wants to and he doesnt pay attention to the consequences he might face later on. He also does a lot of moving around first he moved to San Juan, and then he moved back to Florida to live with the Bacon family, and now he lives by himself in an apartment. Jack has a mindset of being a writer and he likes reading and writing. His goal as of right now is to finish Highschool and get diploma so he is trying to better himself and not be a bum. This book is really interesting so far and it is started to sound like one of those books where you can put down and you want to keep reading.