Qualities of Puritan Writing - Reflection Blog

There are many things that I noticed when I read A Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, and the poem, "Upon the Burning of Our House." The first thing that I noticed when I read the narrative is just the way that they speak compared to the way that we speak as of today. There were many words that I could figure out because of context clues, but many of them I was not for sure what they meant right away. I really like the way they spoke though because I think it is much more elegant and intelligent sounding. For example, there is a part in the narrative when Mary says "But now I must turn my back from the town, and travel with them into the vast and desolate wilderness, I know not whither." (Rowlandson, 82) Instead of using common words today like "place" it is replaced with a more effective word like "whither."

Another thing that I liked about this narrative and I thought was interesting, is Mary's constant and strong faith in God. I don't think there was one time in this book when she doubted Him and if she ever did, her doubt didn't last long. There are so many examples of her faith in this narrative, one of them being this quote, "but God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along, and bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail." (Rowlandson, 83) Not only does she give thanks to God then, but even in really difficult times, like when she is thankful because she is fortunate enough just to get a little bit of food, or not have to sleep in the rain. (Rowlandson, 85) Even after she lost her child, Mary never ever lost faith. I wouldn't necessarily say that her faith in God reflects Puritan writing though. Even if you have faith in God, I don't think many people have that strong of faith. That is why I think Mary's story is very impressive. The poem Upon the Burning of Our House also deals with religious views. For example, in the poem Anne Bradstreet writes things such as "And to my God my heart did cry", and "It was His own it was not mine." ( Bradstreet, 91) These quotes show how she has faith and is willing to give up everything.

Most people I think are not big fans of the rhyming in "Upon the Burning of Our House", but I think it makes the poem more interesting. I like this style of writing because if I wanted to hear just normal phrases, I would just read prose. I also think that, given the circumstances, rhyming can make the message of the poem more effective. I really like the Puritan writing style because I feel that it is very pretty and enjoyable to read. Puritan writing contains many religious symbols and points throughout, but I personally really enjoy reading about those kind of things and I think that that kind of stuff is very interesting.

Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., and Douglas Fisher. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGrawHill, 2009. Print.

Journal #2 - Hospitiality

Once upon a time, not so far away from here, there lived a little family of moles. The moles lived in a little network of tunnels under the Hermes' house. There were other animals of course that lived in the neighborhood and the moles were liked by all. They were known for being a kind and respectful family. Every year the other animals would look forward to the mole's annual harvest party. The party was a tradition and was the last time the animals got to see each other before they went into hibernation for the winter. All of the same animals were invited as the previous years, however, there was a beaver that had recently moved into the woods near the Hergenrother's house. Now the moles were very hospitable, so as expected, they invited beaver to their annual Harvest party. The days passed and the weather slowly got colder. Finally it was time for the party. The animals filed into the mole's house and and began to partake in the festivities. Everyone was laughing, eating and having a wonderful time until Beaver showed up. Unlike all of the other animals, Beaver was rude and showed no respect. At first, everyone tried not to notice, but after awhile the animals were tired of Beaver and told him that he had to leave. As Beaver walked out of the moles' little tunnel, he realized that because he was rude and disrespectful none of the other animals wanted to be his friend. Beaver decided that he would go and apologize to the moles and all the other animals. Beaver said that he was very sorry for being that way and promised never to do it again. From then on, everybody loved Beaver and the party was fun again, and continued to be for many, many years. The End.

Journal #1 - "How the lion got its mane"

Once upon a time in a land not so far away, there lived a little lion. The little lion was named Leo. He lived in the beautiful grasslands of Africa with his parents and the little lion was happy. But one day, the grasslands caught on fire and in seconds the land was destroyed. In a panic to escape, all of the animals ran toward shelter, heading into the jungle. Little Leo thought he knew where he was going and tried to follow the others, but once he got to safety, he realized that there was nobody in sight. He searched and searched for his family, but he simply couldn't find them. Eventually, Leo could not go on any further. The days passed, the weeks turned into months and months turned into years. Leo had lived in the jungle all alone for over a year, with nobody but a little monkey that kept him company sometimes. Because Leo lived all by himself in the middle of nowhere, he had not had a haircut for quite some time now. The fur around his neck grew full and fluffy as the time passed. Now Leo had not forgotten about his family, and everyday in the jungle he would search just for awhile. He was convinced that he could find his family if he only had help, but none of the animals would talk to him. They were scared because of his fluffy mane. He did not look like the rest of the lions. Leo looked big and tough. Almost losing all hope, Leo decides to go look in the grasslands one last time. He looked around for awhile and Yes!! They were there! All of them noticed Leo's mane and showed him great respect, as did all of the other animals. From that day on, Leo and all of the other lions were kings of the jungle and Leo lived happily ever after. The End.

My Favorite of the Three

My favorite novel, out of the three that we had, would have to be Their Eyes Were Watching God. This is my favorite for many reasons. Compared to the other two books, I feel like to me, it was the most relateable. That may very well be because the author was a woman and so was the main character. I really liked this book because it was realistic, but at the same time, it was a great story. Janie overcame so much throughout her life and even though it didn't end exactly the way she had planned, she was finally content with herself and with her life when it was all over. I also liked this book because I felt like the author was way more compassionate. For example, in The Grapes of Wrath, it feels like Steinbeck just tells us what the characters do, and barely tell us anything on how they really feel. But in Their Eyes Were Watching God, she gives you a glimpse of what the character is thinking and really feeling. By doing this, it makes you relate to the characters more, because a lot of what they feel, we have felt before at least once in our lives. Also, I read some stuff about the author, and she just seems like an overall nice person. The other two authors may have been nice too, but I really did enjoy reading this book and I would recommend to anyone.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000.Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Conflicts

I picked out one main conflict earlier in my blogs, but honestly I could probably pick out a couple of conflicts in the book. There is of course the external conflicts first. External conflict means it is man versus man or something else. In this case some of the conflicts are man versus man. Some of the people in Janie's life do contribute to some of her hardships. For example, had Nanny not made her marry Logan, maybe her life could have been a little easier without having to go through the trouble of three bad marriages.

Then there is internal conflicts. I think Janie did have some internal conflicts because she struggled a lot with her inner voice. There were many times when she wanted to speak up, but she just wouldn't let herself. Sometimes this may have been a good thing, but also sometimes a bad thing.

There is also the conflict of man versus nature in this book. While Janie and Tea Cake were living in the Everglades a hurricane began to brew. At first, they were not concerned. After awhile though, things began to get worse. All of a sudden their whole lives were at the mercy of this hurricane. (Hurston, 165) That is why it is a man versus nature conflict.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea - Conflicts

The conflicts in The Old Man and the Sea are many. First we have the man versus man conflict. I dont think that there is really bad conflict that is man versus man. However, many of the local fisherman made fun of Santiago and gave him trouble for going out to sea day after day. That is not really a conflict, but I'm sure it didnt make Santiago feel too good. Then, you have the whole man versus nature conflicts. The sea is a conflict in itself just because it is so big and unprdictable. Like Santiago said in the book, the sea can be gentle and beautiful, but at the same time it can be cruel and powerful. Another conflict is of course the marlin. The marlin and Santiago fight and fight for days. Neither one of them would give up and eventually Santiago's hand cramped up. Finally, Santiago manages to catch the fish, but shortly after that, the sharks start to come. Santiago cannot stop the sharks but still gains many things. Last but not least, there is the intermal conflict. I believe that Santiago felt as if he had to prove something to himself. He had to prove to himself that he could catch a fish like that so that he doesnt feel like he is useless and old. That is why it is internal because its man versus himself.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Title

The Grapes of Wrath I believe got its title because originally the tenant farmers had hopes of moving to California and working or even owning a vineyard. Unfortunately, that didn't end up happening. Now here we are with the title, The Grapes of Wrath.





Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Title

When I first got this book I didn't have a clue on why the title was Their Eyes Were Watching God. However, by the end of the book I knew why it was called that. In the book a giant hurricane comes racing through the Everglades where Janie and her husband Tea Cake are living. Through her life Janie has always overcome her problems. No matter how bad the relationship, she could handle it for sure. But when the hurricane comes, she realizes that they are at the mercy if the storm. Then in the book it states that "their eyes were watching God."(Hurston, 159) That is how the book got its title.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea -Title

How The Old Man and the Sea got its title, I think is pretty self explanatory.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Themes

I think there are a few main themes in the book. One of the main themes I believe is that family and friends should always stick together. Ma Joad always talked about keeping the family together no matter what. In the end, that is what mattered and that is what got them through some really tough times. Tom also decides to stick with the family after realizing that one of his main responsibilities is taking care of them. Another main theme is about the migrant workers struggles. This book really puts it in perspective from the tenant farmers point of view. This book takes you on the Joad's journey to California in the hopes of making a better life for themselves. You read about all of their trials and tribulations and you realize what it was really like back then. Also another theme in the book is about being selfless. It takes Tom the whole book to realy realize this, but in the end he gives up himself to help other people in his community. I believe the author think that that lesson is very importaant because it is mentioned multiple times.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Imagery

There are many examples of imagery in this novel. The novel in fact, starts with imagery. The story begins with this, "Ships at a distance have every man's wish on board." (Hurston, 1) This is an example of imagery because it makes the man's wishes into a physical thing that you can hold on a ship, like cargo. Imagery is also known for creating emotion with written words. Zora Neale Hurston does this many times in her classic novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. Another example of imagery is the descriptions of Janie's hair. Janie's' hair also serves as a physical thing that symbolizes something much deeper. Her hair is one of her most beautiful features, therefore it represents her womanhood. When she wears her hair down, it also represents her independence.(Hurston, 2) I feel like imagery and symbolism are kind of the same thing. The only examples I can think of are the ones that I used for symbolism.

Well, the example of the pear tree and the bee I think is also an example of imagery. I think this is an example because it is a physical thing but it is also Janie's idea of what love and marriage should be like in life. Those are some of the examples of imagery in the book Their Eyes Were Watching God.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000.Print.

The Old Man and the Sea - Imagery

The Old Man and the Sea also has a lot of imagery. A big example of imagery in this book is when Santiago dreams about the lions. (Hemingway, 25) This is imagery because it is something that causes emotion, Imagery is sort of similar to symbolism, but not quite. when Santiago dreams about the lions I think that sometimes it represents his youth. Most of his dreams deal with young lions that play on the beach, that is why I think that it must be about wanting some of his youth back. That is also part of the reason why I think Santiago wants to catch a fish so bad and why he goes out to sea everyday only to catch nothing. I think he goes out there everyday because he feels like he has something to prove. He has to prove that he is still young and is still capable of doing such things. I also think that he dreams about lions rather than other animals because lions are very strong hunters. They are at the top of the food chain, but in order to stay at the top, they must go out and hunt to prove that they are still the best. I think that Santiago may be doing the same thing. He wants to go out and catch the marlin in order to prove that he can.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Imagery

The first example of imagery that comes to mind in the novel The Grapes of Wrath is when the people talk about "the bank monster." When the tenant farmers are kicked off of their land, everyone talks about the bank being "hungry" for money. (Steinbeck, 33) Then, when the tractors come the are also considered to be "monsters" that stir up the dust and take the land. This is imagery because it is turning a physical thing once again, into something more meaningful. Also another example of imagery is the sun. At one point in the novel it says that "their faces were shining with sunburn they could not escape." This particular text actually makes the sun seem violent. Once again though, I feel like its sort of hard to come up with a lot of examples because I keep coming up with the same examples that I used for symbolism. There is another example that I believe is imagery. Many people were very worried when it came to traveling across the country in a used car. They would often listen to the sound of the motor and learn which sounds were good, and which were bad. Even though the sound of a motor is not music, in The Grapes of Wrath it was something that people listened for constantly so in the book they often refer to the hum of the engine as music.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - My Opinion

I liked this book so much better then I thought I would. When I first started reading this book I was really nervous because I thought it was going to be really hard to read with all of the slang and stuff. (Hurston, 6) At first it was hard to read, but after awhile you get the hang of it. That's when I started liking the book. There are many reasons why I liked it but I have to say, it may be a little more rateable to a girl rather than a boy. The main character is a girl named Janie. Janie is very strong and determined, but she is also very kind and gentle. This story is very empowering. Another reason that I liked this book was because Janie didn't really have what you or I would call a "happy" ending. Janie overcame many hardships in life and even though her ending wasn't perfect, it was enough for her and she was grateful for all of the good things she did get to be apart of.

There really isn't anything that I didn't like in this book. The only thing I can think of is that the dialect, or the way the people spoke, was hard to get used to and at times pretty frustrating. Other than that, I really enjoyed reading this book.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea - My Opinion

I did like The Old Man and the Sea a lot. I liked it because it was a short and easy read. I think reading a book like this one every once in awhile is refreshing because it is not hard to read at all and it is very simple. I also liked the symbolism in this book. It had a lot of symbolism and I thought it was really interesting how the author tied those things into the story. Like how the marlin could represent Christianity, or how the marlin and Santiago are a lot alike, etc. There are just so many different ways you could interpret this book. You could just simply take away exactly what it told you word for word and I think that would be good. However, there are a whole bunch of these deeper meanings hidden throughout the book, and I think that is really cool.

The only thing I did not like about the book, was that I felt like it was kind of boring. I liked that it was easy to read and stuff and I loved the simplicity of it, but at the same time I don't think there was enough detail or something. Compared to The Grapes of Wrath or Their Eyes Were Watching God, I feel like there was not enough emotion or something. But overall, I really liked the book and I didn't mind reading it.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - My Opinion

I thought The Grapes of Wrath was overall a pretty good book. But I have to say, it was kind of depressing. There was not one thing in the book that I really considered to be a great, happy moment. The things that they accomplished were great! But I think the overall story was kinda sad. There were many reasons that I thought it was depressing. Reason number one is that the Joads actually lose a lot of family on their way to California. They lose Grandpa first. That in itself was sad, but then shortly after they lose Grandma. That would be really sad of course, but at least Grandma and Grandpa had lived a good long life and them passing away was just kind of the natural way of things. But then after all of that, the family loses Noah. Now granted, Noah didn't pass away or anything but still, he decided to leave the family. Now, normally I wouldn't have thought that was that sad. He was getting older and he wanted to leave home. Fair enough. However, back then its not like you have cell phones and stuff. I mean I guess you could send a letter, but even then people probably moved around too much. You would never know where your family went. For example, when Tom came home and no one was there. (Steinbeck, 41) So basically, Noah really did leave the family.

There were some things that I did like about this book though. I did like how it was realistic, even though it was sad. You can learn a lot from books like these because they reflect events in history really well. I also liked parts where people would join together in the camps and play music because such a little thing like that was still so valuable to people because it lifted their spirits. (Steinbeck, 336)

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002.Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Symbolism

The bee and the pear tree is a big and probably most obvious symbol in the book Their Eyes Were Watching God. This is probably the biggest symbol in the whole book because all Janie really ever wanted was what the bee and the pear tree had. What Janie loved most about the bee and the pear tree was that they were always, it seemed to be, in perfect harmony with each other.(Hurston, 11) She also loved how they relied on each other as well. It was evident that the bee needed the tree and tree needed it. Without them both there is no harmony. All Janie wanted was to find someone that she really loved so that their relationship could be like the bee's and the tree's relationship. At the end of the book though Janie really does find that relationship with Tea Cake. The fact that she lived out her dream of having that tree to bee relationship is the point of the story.

Just because the pear tree and the bee was a big symbol in the story, does not mean that it is the only symbol. Another symbol that is still very important is the mule. Jody and his friends would sit on the porch and laugh and make jokes. Normally Janie wanted to participate, but the men began to annoy the nearby mule and mistreat it. Janie was very upset by this and went off on the men for being that way.(Hurston, 56) This is an important symbol because Janie can relate to the mule. Like the mule, she too has been through hardships. This also refers back to what Nanny said at the beginning of the book. Nanny stated that black women were the mules of the world. After that Jody bought the mule and they sent the mule off to go spend the rest of his days not working. Those I think are the two most important symbols in the book.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea - Symbolism

Some of the most obvious symbols in this book are the symbols such as the great baseball player Joe DiMaggio. Because Joe DiMaggio is a partially handicapped baseball player, Santiago often looks up to him, especially because DiMaggio's dad was a fisherman just like Santiago. For example, when Santiago struggles to bring in the marlin his hand cramps up and Santiago fears that he will not be able to pull up a fish of that size with a crippled hand. At that moment, Santiago remembers the great DiMaggio and how he is handicapped as well. He then wonders to himself if the great Joe DiMaggio himself would be able to handle a fish of this size and like a miracle, Santiago's strength comes back instantly and he prevails. (Hemingway, 68)

The marlin also serves as a great symbol. I never recognized this symbol until one of my friends pointed it out because she read this book last summer. The fish can often symbolize Christianity for many reasons. One of the reasons is that the fish possesses many good values such as kindness, patience, and determination. Also, when the fish is finally hooked by Santiago the marlin does not panic, nor does it even try to swim down to the depths of the ocean. Instead, the fish almost guides Santiago and tries to win him over. Eventually, when the sharks arrive, they eat all of the meat off of the fishes skeleton. However, even though they ate all of the flesh, the skeleton still stands for all of those to see and to look up to. The skeleton, or Santiago's victory, will now be an inspiration to other fisherman.(Hemingway, 126-127) I never thought about comparing the marlin to Christianity, but now that I really think about it, it reminds me of that one verse in the Bible. I don't remember the verse exactly, but it said something along the lines of "go, you will now be fishers of men." I just thought that was interesting because in the Bible they were not catching fish at first either. Santiago was not catching fish, but the skeleton will inspire other fisherman, so its kinda like Santiago is a "fisher of men." Just thought it was kinda cool, but maybe its just a coincidence.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Symbolism

There is tons of symbolism in The Grapes of Wrath. Some of the symbols are pretty obvious, and then there are others that are a little harder to see. One symbol that didn't stick out to me at first was Route 66. (Steinbeck, 118) Everyone knows that Route 66 is just a road and nothing more, but for the Joads it was much more than that. Route 66 was their only way to a better life. Route 66 symbolized really only two things. It served as either your road to a hopefully better life, or your way back to life in poverty.

Another more obvious symbol, is the turtle on the road. When Tom gets out of his four years in prison, he decides to go back home to see his family. On his way there, he sees a little land turtle slowly making his way down the road. A big truck drives by and almost hits the turtle, but the driver barely misses it. The sudden rush of the truck flipped the little turtle right on his back and right away he began to struggle to flip back over. Tom picks up the turtle and decides that he will bring it home to his little brother as a pet. As Tom keeps walking down the road he meets up with Jim Casey, who used to be the old pastor. As they begin to talk, the turtle starts walking away, but Tom picks it up before it can get far. This happens another time as well. Eventually, Tom decides to let the turtle go when he sees that his family is no longer living there. (Steinbeck, 44) The turtle in the story symbolizes the Joad family. Even when they are knocked over they never give up. The turtle never gave up either. This symbol is also interesting because if you know that the turtle symbolizes the Joad family, then you know that the Joads will be facing some rough times. So, its almost like foreshadowing just a little

Steinbeck, John.The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Tone

The tone of the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, I feel is very sympathetic or compassionate. These were the first words that came to mind when I thought of the tone. This is what I believe the author was going for when she wrote this book as well. Unlike other books, in this story the author really focuses in on the African American culture. Hurston uses a lot of dialouge between neighbors and friends that use their cultural dialect.(Hurston, 36) By doing this it makes the whole book a little more special because everything seems so life like.

Hurston's text is compassionate towards her characters as well. At one point in the book Janie talks about characters who have done wrong in the story. But instead of just writing about the wrong thing that they did and making them seem really bad, Hurston goes into writing about why they did the things they did and how they felt. I really like that because that also makes the book seem more real. It helps you understand why things happen the way they do and it may also help us understand a little more about human nature. Therefore, this book is overall more emotionally moving.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea - Tone

The tone of the book The Old Man and the Sea I thought was a little difficult to point out. I think the tone of this book is also kind of sympathetic, but at the same time factual. This book is very simple and straight forward, that is one of the reasons that I like it. However, that is also one of the reasons that I disliked it. I liked that it was simple and very factual at first because it was straight to the point and you didn't have to really over analyse anything. It was refreshing to read a book like that also because it was kind of relaxing to just read without reading into it too much. After awhile though, I started to not like it as much as I did at the beginning because there wasn't that much emotion in it. I think I feel that way partly because the book was all in third person and it didn't have that much dialogue throughout.

Besides the book being factual, it also had a sympathetic kind of feel. Even though the book didn't let out a lot of dialogue or emotion, when you dig a little deeper you start to feel bad for Santiago, the old fisherman. The author writes about Santiago's struggle after struggle and I think eventually the author, or narrator, begins to feel bad for him as well and starts to show some sympathy. For example, when Santiago has the big marlin on the side of his boat he is thrilled. Then sharks begin to come and Santiago tries to beat them away even though Santiago and the author both know that there is no hope. ( Hemingway, 108) That is why I think that even though the tone is very straight forward and factual, it still has just a little bit of sympathy.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath - Tone

The tone that is discovered in the novel The Grapes of Wrath is extremely different than the tones that are in the The Old Man and the Sea and also in Their Eyes Were Watching God. In the other two, the tone is compassionate, sympathetic, and simple. The tone that is in The Grapes of Wrath is much more pushy and stubborn. In the book Steinbeck has a tendency to repeat certain phrases over and over again. (Steinbeck, 121)This is something that occurs throughout the whole book, not just once or twice. By doing this, its almost as if Steinbeck wants you to remember the phrase and never forget it. Its almost like you're being forced to learn that phrase and to understand what it means. So, his tone is a little more aggressive.

Also something that Steinbeck does, he fills the entire book with details. No matter how gruesome they are, he still puts them in there to make the story more effective. I think the main reason that Steinbeck wrote this book this way is so that we can really recognize the strength that the Joads had and what it took for them to get where they did. That is why I think the tone is a little more pushy and aggressive so that the author could make us understand what it was truly like for the Joads during their long and hard journey.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Characters 3

Characters that also make an appearance in the book are characters such as Nanny Crawford. Nanny was a former slave. Because of that, her worldview is much more different then Janie's world view. Janie has hopes and dreams of experiencing the world and is looking forward to things such as falling in love one day. Nanny tells Janie that the most important thing is not love, but financial security. Nanny has good intentions and just wants Janie to have a good life. Janie knows this and decides to go ahead and marry the man that Nanny has arranged for her to marry.

The next few characters are not talked about as much as the others, but they are still very important to the story. These characters are characters such as Pheoby Watson. Pheoby is Janie's best friend. Pheoby definitely helps Janie throughout the book (Hurston, 6) and supports Janie when the rest of the townspeople are gossiping about her. Like Pheoby, Sam Watson is also a pretty good person. He often sits on the porch with the guys and talk about the town. When the people in town start to notice Jody's flaws more and more, Sam reminds them of all the improvements they have made with him around.

Leafy Crawford was Janie's mother. Shortly after Janie was born, Leafy fled and was never seen again. Nanny then took Janie and raised her as her own. There are also little characters in the book such as Nunkie. Nunkie is not as attractive as Janie, but still Janie gets a little jealous when she finds out that Nunkie has been flirting with Tea Cake. Tea Cake tells Janie that he does not care for her and all is well again. (Hurston, 136)

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Characters 2

Another big character in the book is Tea Cake. Tea Cake is Janie's first real love and also her third husband. Unlike the other men before him, he treats Janie with great respect and does love and understand her. Many people gossiped through town about Janie and Tea Cake because Janie was a good twelve years older than him. Although Tea Cake was much younger, he was charming and handsome enough to catch Janie's eye. (Hurston, 98) Tea Cake does have his flaws though. In the book, he steals from Janie once and would never had told her had Janie never found out. He also beat Janie a couple times as well. Despite all those things, they still managed to love and respect each other.

Joe Starks is Janie's second husband before she meets Tea Cake. At first, Janie and Jody are off to a happy start. They fall in love and Jody soon becomes a successful mayor and businessman of their town. Janie is happy for Jody and helps him in the store. After awhile though, thing begin to change between Janie and Jody. Jody make Janie work in the store all of the time.(Hurston, 51) He also does not let Janie participate in the conversations on the porch and insists that she wear her hair up so that he is the only one who can see it. Janie begins to feel more like an object than a person and soon after their marriage falls apart.

Then there is Logan Killicks, Janie's first husband. Nanny arranged this marriage for Janie because she wanted Janie to be financially stable and secure. (Hurston, 15) Janie never loved Logan, but agreed that she would try. Logan took care of her for the first year and then eventually tried to make her help out with the farm. At this point, Janie knew she did not love him and that he didn't love her either. She then leaves Logan Killicks for Jody Starks.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HaperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God Characters 1

First we have the main character and also the hero of the story, Janie. Janie was raised by her Nanny and Nanny and Janie care about each other a great deal. Nanny is the only family that Janie has. At first, Janie is a free spirit. She has many big hopes and dreams and is excited for what her future might bring. Her dreams are short lived when Nanny tells her that she is going to marry Logan Killicks.( Hurston, 15) Logan is successful and would happily provide for Janie. Janie tells Nanny over and over that she could never love Mr. Killicks, but Nanny reassures her that it will all happen in good time. Janie is determined to work things out and still live a good life filled with love. Even though things dont work out with Logan or Jody, or even Tea Cake, Janie was always determined and made the best out of everything. By the end of the book she is happy again and is proud that she has lived out her dream with Tea Cake.

Janie had matured a lot since the beginning of the book. Also by the end of the book Janie had learned to use her voice and stand up for herself. Not only did she learn how to use her voice, but she also learned to control it as well. I believe that Janie is, for the most part a good role model. Even though she wasnt perfect and did make some mistakes, like with Jody and things, overall she was a good person and managed to still live a good and fulfilling life.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God #8

I would say that this novel does reflect events in history pretty well. There were not any events that you could specifically point out, nothing like the Great Depression or anything like that. However, you could definitely make a good guess on when the story took place. The story takes place I believe, around the 1930's. There are many different ways you could back that up. First of all, this was a time period when many people decided to marry, not based on love really, but rather money and property. For example, at the beginning of the book Nanny tells Janie that she wants her to marry Logan Killicks. (Hurston, 15)Janie does not love Logan at all and barely even knows him, but Nanny knows that he can provide a good life for her. Also going along with my first point, there were several times in the book when Janie was criticized for wearing her long, lack hair down because it was considered improper. Many people believed that Janie was too old for wearing her hair like that and that it should be tied up in a head wrap for no one to see.

The different responsibilities that people have depend on their place in society. Some of this book deals with race, most conflict existing between black and white. There is also the different responsibilities between men and women. In this novel, men were obviously looked at as the head of the house or the one who had control. They worked to provide for their families and were aloud to converse with anyone they wanted to. Women on the other hand, were not always as respected. Some of them worked, like Janie, others stayed at home and watched the children and take care of the home. Although, they had just as an important of a job to do, they had limitations. Janie would always want to join in the conversation with Jody and his friends. Jody would never let Janie speak and would insist that she go back inside and run the store.(Hurston, 70)

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God #7

In order to make the story more effective, the author chooses to use a lot of dialouge spread out through the standard third person narration. By doing this, it makes the book seem way more realistic, therefore making the story way more effective. Not only is it just dialouge, but its spoken in rural African American dialect. I like this because it makes it more lifelike, but it also helps you focus in on the time period. There are many words that are slang, and some that I dont even know even know what they mean, but that makes the book so much more interesting.

Another technique that Hurston uses is foreshadowing. At the very beginning od the book, Janie is telling Pheoby about Tea Cake and the town. In order for the readers to recieve the full story though, Hurston goes back to the past and ends at that same point when Janie and Pheoby are talking. This technique also makes the book more interesting because it make you wonder how Janie and Pheoby got to that point in their lives. In order to find out, you have to keep reading the book.

Symbolism occurs in this book also. One of the symbols in this book is Janie's hair. Her long, beautiful hair represents her strength. Towards the beginning of the book, someone makes a comment on Janie's hair by saying that a woman of her age should not be wearing her hair down.(Hurston, 2) Janie keeps wearing her hair down, despite what everyone says behind her back. The pear tree also serves as a symbol in the book. It represents the connections in life and how they work in perfect harmony. Janie strives to have that kind of connection as well.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God #6

There are many reasons why we still read this classic book today. The main reason we still read this book today is the fact that people can relate to it very well. Women can relate to it because it deals with things like marriage and what a husband should be. However, other people can relate to it just as well because it also deals with things like finding your voice and discovering who you really are. It takes Janie her whole life to get to the point where she feels content with who she is and where she is at in her life. That is also the case for most people these days as well. Janie also went through three different marriages to become the women that she is at the end of the book. That is how life is sometimes. Even through all of the trials we must face through life, they end up shaping us into the unique individuals that we become.

The message that is so timeless in this novel, is the simple message of becoming your own person. This book does deal with many other things like relationships and independence, but I think the overall message is simply about becoming who you are and growing into the person you want to be. Like I said earlier, the events that happen in your life contribute to who you become. That is what I think is so timeless about this book because no matter what time period you live in, the message is something we can all relate to. That is what makes the characters timeless as well. They are relatable. By being relatable, it makes you feel for the characters in the book. It makes you wonder, "what if I was in his/her shoes?

Different people take away different things from books. There are a couple of lessons I believe we could learn from this book. The most important I think is honestly, just the simple "treat others as you would want to be treated." Maybe there are deeper lessons I could have chose, but I cant help thinking that if people would have respected and loved each other the way they should have, then maybe it wouldn't have taken Janie so long to get where she is now.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God #5

I would say that this book is pretty accurate when it comes to the historical events and social issues. Now, the book doesn't really talk about one specific event in history, however the book does take place in the 1930s. There are many ways that you can tell this book is written during that time period. That brings me to the social issues. Obviously, Janie is not treated equally compared to Logan, Jody, or Tea Cake. Back in that period of time, women were not considered equal to men. For example, instead of being able to visit with Jody and his friends on the porch outside of the store, Jody insists that she stay inside and watch for incoming customers.(Hurston, 53) Also, one of Janie's best features is her long, beautiful hair. Jody however, insists that she put it up in an ugly head wrap so that other men do not look at her.(Hurston, 55)Basically, he tried to take away some of her femininity.

This book's thematic significance, I would have to say is about finding out who you are in life. Janie matured a lot throughout her life, but it took her whole life, and all of those marriages to get to that point. I think that is what this book is really all about.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God #4

Not only is Janie the main character in the book Their Eyes Were Watching God, but she is also the hero in the story. Being the hero in the story, Janie possesses many good traits. Some of Janie's traits include being respectful. Because Janie wants respect from other people, she knows that you must give respect as well. Sometimes in the book when Jody pushes her around, she keeps her mouth shut, just to keep the peace.(Hurston, 63) The problem was, Jody didn't respect her at all. Janie is also very loving. Even if she was not treated as well as she should have been, Janie always tried to work things out and try to love. At first, she tried to love Logan after marrying him. Then she tried to work things out with Jody. Finally, she loved Tea Cake and even though he wasn't perfect, she still loved him and took care of him.

Janie accomplishes many things. If she hadn't, she wouldn't be the hero. Like I said in earlier blogs, by the end of the book Janie finds her true voice and also her identity. She struggles at first with standing up for herself and whether she should say something or not. She ends up finding who she really is. Also she is finally happy because even though everything wasn't perfect, she lived her dream by living and being with Tea Cake.

If Janie did represent one specific word, I guess that word would have to be courage. If I were Janie, I don't know if I would be able to handle all of the things that she went through. Especially at the end with Tea Cake and such.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God #3

There are a couple themes in this book. One of the themes that stuck out to me first is the importance of independence. Janie was in a relationship with three different men. I think at first she didn't really want to be independent. Even though she didn't want to marry Logan or was mad at Jody, she kind of didn't want to be alone either. By the end of the book though, she was confident enough to feel comfortable living by herself and not being in a relationship.(Hurston,192) At that point, she had lived her dream with Tea Cake and was at peace with everything. I think independence was a main theme because it takes Janie the whole book to get to this point in her life.

Another main theme is love. Many people have different opinions on what love truly is. Janie's opinion on love was obviously different than Nanny's opinion.(Hurston, 15) Throughout the novel, no matter who the man was Janie was looking for the same things in every man. She wanted true love, not just an OK relationship. What Janie wanted was a man who respected her, cared for her, and was a best friend. This theme is talked about a lot in this book.

The author understands many things about human nature. If writers didn't understand human nature, then the readers would never relate to the book or be interested in it. Hurston portrays what its like to want to be loved. Through the character Janie, she shows us how people want to be respected and loved. She also shows us how people can really use their voice and find their identity.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God #2

I think the main conflict in Their Eyes Were Watching God is Janie's struggle to find her identity. That being said, I believe this would be both internal and external. From the beginning Janie was always being told what to do. Although she loved and looked up to Nanny, she knew that Nanny and her would always be different. Nanny married for money so that she would always be secure. Janie on the other hand, wanted the exact opposite. When she finally decided to leave Logan and run away with Jody, Janie had hope that things would be different. But even with Jody she was not respected in the way that she hoped to be. Unlike Janie, Jody was an egomaniac and never let Janie express her emotions. Also, Jody would insist that she wear a head wrap so that her long beautiful hair would be hidden from other men.(Hurston, 55) The conflict is also internal as well. Although Janie struggles with people, she also struggles with herself. Throughout the book Janie wants to tell people how she really feels but holds back her emotions.

There are things that Janie gained from the conflict. If Janie had never endured the events that took place, she would have never found her true voice. She struggles alot throughout the book when Jody talks badly to her. She wants to tell him exactly how she feels but she always holds back. By the end of the book however, she learns to use her voice and also control it. Also by the end of the book, she achieves her dream and is content with who she is.

The things that Janie did lose due to the conflict are things like what she had to go through in the first place to get where she is now. Even though she had to shoot Tea Cake, I imagine it was very hard for her to do.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

Their Eyes Were Watching God #1

The timeless novel Their Eyes Were Watching God, talks about many values through Janie's life. The values that Janie has are most likely the values the author has as well. The main character Janie is a strong, determined woman. Throughout the book she struggles to find and live her dream. Unlike her Nanny, Janie has hopes of marrying for love and living a good and happy life. Nanny however, wanted Janie to marry a wealthy man so that Janie would always have stability and be taken care of. Janie understands what Nanny is telling her and realizes why Nanny feels this way, being a former slave and all.( Hurston, 15) Janie then decides that she will marry Logan. Janie tells Nanny that her main concern is that she is afraid she will never truly love Logan. Nanny reassures her that with time she will come to love him very much.

Even after reading just the first few chapters of the book, you can tell some of the values that are important to the author. Janie possesses many traits, one of them being determination. Janie is always determined to follow her dreams even if the situation doesn't work out the way she planned, she always moves forward. Another thing that I believe is probably important to the author is respect. No matter who the person is, Janie is always looking for one specific thing from them and that is respect. She wanted Logan to respect her, and in the future she wanted the same from Jody and Tea Cake. (Hurston, 31)

At the beginning of the book the narrator is clearly omniscient. The narrator is third person because the narrator gives you the inside thoughts of Janie. Most of the book is this way, but there are some parts where it is pure dialogue.

Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea Characters

There are not that many characters in The Old Man and the Sea. Therefore, I'm just going to go in depth about the few main ones starting with the main character, Santiago. Santiago is of Cuban descent and is older in age. He fishes for a living and lives in a small shack on the coast. He relies on his friend Manolin and they talk about each others day and if they caught any good fish. (Hemingway, 11)Santiago is very determined when trying to catch the marlin and also has great courage and patience. In the end Santiago does not end up aving the fish, but he and Manolin still plan to go out and keep fishing.

Manolin is Santiago's best friend. Manolin is a young man and takes care of Santiago. Manolin makes sure that Santiago returns safely from sea and cares for him when he is at home.(Hemingway, 123) Besides being his caretaker, Manolin is also Santiago's apprentice. He learns many things from Santiago and begs him to let him continue to go fishing with him even though Santiago does not catch much.

Last, but not least, there is the marlin. The marlin in the end measures eighteen feet long and Santiago is unable to pull him up into the boat. The marlin and Santiago are alot alike in many ways. They both put up a fight for three whole days. Santiago never backed down and neither did the marlin. The fish was destroyed by sharks on the way back to shore. After that, Santiago was destoyed as well.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea #8

Well I don't think that The Old Man and the Sea reflected that many events in history. The book really didn't deal with any specific events that took place in history. However, you can pick out the time period and what was kind of going on in that time period by certain things that Santiago talks about in the book. For example, several times times he talks about baseball in the book. ( Hemingway, 68) He is always telling Manolin about Joe DiMaggio and how his father was a fisherman. Joe DiMaggio was a baseball player in the 1950s so automatically you can tell that the story takes place around that time. So, the things that the book does point out I would say they point out pretty accurately, but they talk alot about historical events that took place.

Well, I do believe people have different responsibilities in society. Santiago's responsibility in the story was to catch fish so he could sell them at the market. (Hemingway, 11)Knowing that he had this responsibility probably made it even harder on Santiago during his "bad luck" streak. Santiago did have a responsibility to be a good fisherman.

Many different things could have inspired the author. People and events definitely could have inspired him , but I don't now that for sure. Something that could have inspired him to write this book though, are the values that you learn in it. He may have just decided to write this book so he could make people understand that values like courage, strength, and patience are a good thing. It also shows that even though you may not get everything you want in the end, it is good to keep a good attitude.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea #7

In The Old Man and the Sea, Hemingway uses many different techniques in his writing. Many authors use techniques such as symbolism, imagery and humor to keep the reader interested. In this book however, one of the things that makes his story more interesting and different from the rest is the simplicity of it. The writing style and the characters themselves seem so simple at the beginning. The reader eventually realizes though, that underneath the simplicity of it all there is much emotion. This is one of my favorite writing styles because it is simple and staright to the point, but you still get the whole point of the story because you begin to see all of the things underneath.

Hemingway also uses alot of similes and metaphors throughout the story. For example, he describes Santiago's eyes as being "the same color of the sea and were cheerful and undefeated." (Hemingway, ) I like the usage of similes and mataphors in a book because it gives you an idea about what the character can be compared to. Also in the book, Santiago compares himself to a bird. when he describes the bird, he is also describing himself. It helps the readers get closer to the characters and relate better.

I also love the way Hemingway decribes the sea. He tells us alot about the sea, what it looks like, what it smells like, and how the weather is. Some of that I believe comes from the author's own experince with the sea, but the other reason he puts that stuff in there is so that the readers feel connected to the sea just like Santiago. Even if you have never set foot on a boat or gone to the ocean, the way Hemingway describes it makes you understand what Santiago is talking about and what he feels.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea #6

The Old Man and the Sea is a classic and I believe that it will continue to be for a very long time. There are many reasons why we still read this book today. First of all I think the ending of this book is refreshing. I like books that end happy, but on the other hand, this one was in a way, more realistic. In real life you do not always get the ending that you wanted, but what you get is what you get and you just make the best of it. That's what it was kind of like in this story. Santiago never did get the fish in the end. He worked hard and long to catch that fish, but it just didn't happen for him.(Hemingway, 124) Now if I was Santiago I would be crazy mad and upset that I worked so hard for nothing, but instead Santiago is almost at peace with himself.

I think that this is a timeless message because many times people get caught up in their crazy world when things don't go exactly as planned. I think it is important to sometimes just take a deep breath and remember that everything is OK. Even though Santiago was probably sad that he didn't get the fish, he never let it get the best of him. He had a great attitude. (Hemingway, 126)

We as people can learn to be content with ourselves. We can also learn the values that Santiago possessed which were strength, courage, and patience. I liked this book a lot. I thought it was very good. I'm not sure if I got the main point or anything, but I still feel like I got something from The Old Man and the Sea.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea #5

The Old Man and the Sea takes place during the 1950s. There are many ways that you can tell this, one reason being that on several occasions Santiago talks about Joe DiMaggio.(Hemingway, 68) Joe DiMaggio played baseball for the Yankees in the 1950s and he was Santiago's favorite. Throughout the novel Manolin would always ask Santiago to keep him updated on baseball. Also, Santiago's profession is also an indicator of the time period. Fishing was bigger then than it is now, at least the way you fished is different for sure. I'm not one hundred percent positive on this, but Santiago was sort of an outcast and was made fun of alot just because he was having bad luck and could not catch a fish.(Hemingway, 11) That being said, I think that your fishing status made you more "popular" on the social scale, if that makes sense.

The Old Man and the Sea's thematic significance is that there are two different types of success. There is materialistic success, and then there is a spiritual and emotional kind of success. Like I said in earlier blogs Santiago did not end up getting the fish. However, he got something so much more important. Although it seems that Santiago did not end up getting anything worth while to physically hold when he got home, the story can be about undefeatable spirit and heroism.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea #4

The protagonist in this book is Santiago, so I guess you could call him the hero. Although he did not come back with the big marlin he gained many other things. Santiago has many traits. One of his main traits is courage. Everyday, although he is old, he wakes up very early, always before dawn, (Hemingway, 25) and goes out to sea in hopes of catching a good fish. And for a long time Santiago would come back with nothing because his luck at sea was no longer good. But day after day he would go to sea. Other fishermen would call him crazy for going back out there all day and every day having not caught a single good fish. That is why Santiago is courageous, because he does it anyway. Another trait he has is strength. Although he is old he has enough determination to do anything. He fought the marlin for three days and after that fought sharks, and all with a cramped hand and back! I think that is pretty impressive. Last but not least, he has patience. Waiting for three days for one fish seems crazy to me, but Santiago had the patience to do so. I also think that Santiago represents all of those traits as well.

I believe that the old man accomplished alot. I mean once again, no he did not get the fish but all of those things that I mention above he either gained or already had, but either way, he also proved to himself that he could get a fish that big. Santiago says to Manolin that he was defeated, (Hemingway, 124) but Manolin doesn't believe so, and neither do I. I believe that despite everything, Santiago was not defeated. We can learn alot from this book. I'm not sure if I understood everything the way it was supposed to be understood, but I feel like this book still taught me some things.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea #3

This book has a few universal themes. One of the themes has to do with defeat. Nobody ever wants to be defeated. Santiago does not want to be defeated either. He puts up a fight when he tries to catch the big beautiful marlin. He does not want to come home defeated but the marlin is also putting up a fight because it doesn't want to be defeated either. Santiago is almost setting a new record for himself, going eighty-seven days without catching a good fish, so you can imagine his determination. When he finally hooks the marlin and ties him to the side of the boat, there is a glimmer of hope that his bad luck streak is over. Eventually though, sharks begin to smell the blood of the fish and after one comes, more begin to come as well. Santiago knows that there is really nothing he can do, but he fights anyway because he does not want to be defeated.

Another thing that Santiago does alot in the book is compare himself to the animals around him. (Hemingway, 37) By doing this, he makes himself apart of nature. When he is apart of nature, he does not have to compete with it, which means he will not be defeated by it.

I believe Hemingway understands alot about human nature. He understands people and the things that they feel. He understands the fear of failure and also the struggles that come with age. Also throughout the book, you can learn values like strength, courage, and patience. Hemingway shows all of these things through the character Santiago.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea #2

I thought the main conflict in the book The Old Man and the Sea was kind of hard to point out. At first, I thought the main conflict was between Santiago and the sea or the marlin. I thought that because all this time Santiago was having bad luck and not catching any fish. Also in the book Santiago describes the sea as harsh even though it is beautiful.(Hemingway,29) Catching the marlin in the first place was a challenge. Every time Santiago put up a fight, so did the fish. However, once he caught the fish and tied it to the side of his boat a new set of problems began. The sharks smelled the blood of the fish and were beginning to gnaw away at the marlin. So, by the time the old man got to shore, there was just a skeleton where the fish would have been. The other conflict that I thought of was internal, and it was between Santiago and himself. Because Santiago is becoming older, he is becoming limited in what he can do. The reason I think he fought so hard for the marlin is so he could prove to himself that he is capable of bringing in a fish that big. If he could prove that to himself than he wouldn't feel so old.

The cause of the first conflict I think has to do with Santiago and the marlin being too much alike. Part of the reason it was so hard to catch the fish was because he wouldn't stop fighting. Santiago would never stop fighting either. (Hemingway, 63) The second conflict was caused just by old age I think. Getting older must be kind of hard. Eventually, you realize you can't do all of the things you used to and that's a bummer. That is probably how Santiago felt. He always stayed strong and calm, but deep down, he knew he was getting older.

The gains of the conflict are that you learn patience, courage, and strength. Santiago has all of these things and keeps them throughout the book even when things get hard. The losses of the conflict is that he didn't end up getting a big fish, despite all his efforts. (Hemingway, 126)

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Old Man and the Sea #1

The Old Man and the Sea was an enjoyable book to read. I liked it because it was not only short, but it was simple and straight to the point. I like books where you don't have to over analyse everything, but you just read it and understand what its saying. Well, in the story, Santiago loses his luck in catching fish. He goes out to sea everyday for hours and hours and still catches nothing. Many of the other fisherman make fun of him and give him trouble because he continues to waste his time fishing. The only one who really believes in him is his friend Manolin. Manolin is a young boy who also fishes. Manolin loves fishing with the old man because he learns alot. Santiago however, wants him to stick with a lucky fishing boat so that he will not get in trouble and he will continue to catch fish. So day after day the man fishes, when finally one day he hooks a big fish. The fish and him continue to fight for hours, and the hours lead to days. Finally Santiago catches the fish and hooks him to the side of his boat. But Santiago's troubles don't stop there. Smelling the fishes blood sharks start to surface and after beating one off, others come. Santiago finally returns back to shore with nothing left but a skeleton on the side of his boat. Tired and weary he still returns with no fish. Manolin takes care of him and says he must get better so that they can continue fishing together.

The author's values and attitudes in this book I believe, are courage, strength, and patience. Santiago was courageous because he would fish even though people laughed at him and he would go far out to sea, knowing that it probably wasn't the safest thing to do. This book also portrays strength. It portrays strength because even after hours of fighting with the fish, the old man would keep going, despite his cramping hands and back.(Hemingway, 58) Last but not least, this teaches patience. Santiago ends up still without a fish to show off in the end. Even though he has no fish, he always keeps a good attitude and doesn't ever get mad or frustrated. Santiago decides he will still continue to fish with Manolin. (Hemingway, 126) This book is written in third person because the readers know what the characters are feeling and what is happening in the book.

Hemingway, Ernest. The Old Man and the Sea. New York: Scibner Paperback

Fiction, 1995. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath Characters 2

Grandpa and Grandma Joad are not very different from each other. Grandpa, in his younger days, used to have a terrible temper, but now because of his age he is limited in what he can say or do. Grandpa also loves to torment grandma and delights in shocking people with his sinful talk. When the Joads decide they are going to move to California Grandpa refuses to leave, so the family drugs him in order to move him from his home.(Steinbeck, 113) Grandpa passes away soon after leaving home. Grandma on the other hand is a devoted Christian and loves to get on Grandpa for his talk and his temper. She also passes away shortly after Grandpa.

The other children in the Joad household include, Noah, Ruthie and Winfield. Noah is Tom's older brother. He has always been a little deformed since birth and tells Tom that their parents have always loved the other children more than him. Instead of going with them all the way to California, Noah decides to stay back and live by a stream on the border of California. (Steinbeck, 209) Ruthie is the second and youngest daughter in the family. She has a fiery personality and is very dependant on her little brother Winfield. Winfield is the youngest child in the Joad family. He is ten years of age, and Ma Joad worries that he will grow up to be wild because he does not live in a proper home.

The Joads encounter many other people on their journey such as Ivy and Sairy Wilson. The Joad's meet the Wilson's while traveling on route 66. The Wilsons let the Joads borrow their tent so that Grandpa can have a descent resting place and in return the Joads fix the Wilsons broken down car. The two families decide to stick together for awhile and help each other out. Eventually though, the Wilsons have to stop due to Sairy's health. There are also other important characters in this book, but I decided to just cover some of the main ones.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath Characters 1

Tom Joad is the main character in the novel The Grapes of Wrath. He is also the protagonist in the story. Tom is a very thoughtful person and even though he killed a man, he does not live with a guilty conscience. He lives in the present day always. Because he lives this way, it helps the family worry less and stay positive. Tom is loved and respected by his family and is very moral throughout the book. Ma Joad is another respected character. Ma excepts her role in the family and like Tom she stays up beat and optimistic throughout their journey.

Unlike Ma Joad, Pa Joad feels out of place in his weaker position while in California. He leans on Ma Joad for strength while trying to find steady work. Pa is very kind and also very respected. Another character that is very important in the novel is former preacher Jim Casey. Casey decided to stop preaching because of his belief that the whole human experience is holy. (Steinbeck, 24) He helps the Joad family out alot and even gets arrested for a fight that broke out between laborers and the California police. He also helps organize with the migrant workers.

Rose of Sharon is the Joad's oldest daughter. She is a helpless romantic and sometimes impractical. Rose of Sharon and her husband Connie are expecting their first child. They both have dreams of settling down in California and becoming a cute little family.But when the harsh reality of life sets in, Connie abandons Rose of Sharon and the baby. (Steinbeck, 277) Later after being in California for awhile, Rose of Sharon has her child, but it is stillborn. I think Rose of Sharon grew up and matured alot throughout the book.

Another Joad sibling is Al Joad. Al Joad is Tom's younger brother. The only thing he is interested in is cars and girls and although very cocky, he looks up to his older brother Tom. However, by the end of the novel he decides to stay with the women he loves and becomes his own man.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath #8

I would say that the novel The Grapes of Wrath reflects events in history pretty well. Like I said in an earlier blog, even though the Joads were a fictional family, they represent many real families that lived in that time period. The struggles they went through were the same struggles that many real families went through as well. The Dust Bowl did really happen and the people being kicked off of their land happened as well. Then you have all of the people trying to find work in California, and that really happened too. So overall, I would say yes, this novel does reflect the events in history pretty well for the most part.

Well The Grapes of Wrath was written in 1939 and the events in the novel were taking place in the 1930s so I am assuming that he lived during this time. Because he lived through this period, it probably influenced him to write about what he may have witnessed. Friends and family of his could have influenced him to write this novel because they themselves could have been going through things that the Joads had to go through.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath #7

John Steinbeck, the author of The Grapes of Wrath, used many techniques throughout the book. Techniques are mainly used by authors in order to keep the readers interested. Techniques can include humor, mystery and suspense. Steinbeck on the other hand, used alot of imagery and short narratives to describe what it was like living in that era and to show what the people were doing in the book. Steinbeck also uses alot of foreshadowing. For example, starting in chapter three Tom sees a little land turtle on the side of the road. A truck passes on the road, jusy barely missing the turtle. Tom picks the little turtle up deciding to bring it home for his little brother. (Steinbeck, 18) On the way the way to his home Tom meets Jim Casey. While talking to Casey the turtle almost escapes several times and is very persistant, but Tom catches it every time. The readers cant help feel a little bad for the turtle because you see how hard it is struggling to get out. Once Tom and Casey reach the house and find that it is abandoned. Tom finally lets that turtle go with a sigh. The turtle's struggle to get away foreshadows the events that will happen to them and all of the struggles they will have to go through. Like the persistant turtle, the Joad family will not give up.

Steinbeck also repeats phrases throughout the novel. He does this so it adds extra emphasis to the phrase and it gets the point across to the reader. For example, in chapter 12 a migrant family is on their way to California. The migrants are arguing back in forth on what they think California will be like and whether their car can hold up and take them all the way there. Meanwhile, their little boy in the backseat is complaining about how thirsty he is. (Steinbeck, 121) About four different times Steinbeck interrupts his descriptive words about the trip with the phrase "Danny wants a cup of water." He does this so that its almost as if the migrant is telling the reader to get Danny water but they are helpless in doing so. These are just two of the many techniques Steinbeck uses in The Grapes of Wrath.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath #6

The Grapes of Wrath is a classic novel. It was first published in 1939 and yet here we are still reading it in the year 2011. There is more than one reason to why I think we still read this book today. First, this book talks about real events that happened in history. Reading this book allows us to understand what it was really like back in that time period. If the events hadn't happened in real life I think the book would have been way less effective and we might not still be reading it today, but because we know there were families like the Joads, it makes the story real.

The characters in this book is partly what makes it timeless. Just like any other book when you read it, its almost like you get to know the characters. It gets to the point when you want the characters to be happy and you want everything to work out well. This is how it was in The Grapes of Wrath. The characters were very relatable as well. That makes the novel timeless because no matter what time period you live in, you can relate to them. Understanding how the characters feel, to me, makes the book enjoyable to read.

The main message in Steinbeck's book is I believe, not just living your individual life, but joining together with people and helping each other out. (Steinbeck 163) By doing this people can be stronger and can rely on each other when they need too. Then, even if you lose all of your possesions or your home or even everything you have, you can still count on your fellow man to be there. People can learn alot from this timeless story. We as people can learn to value, not all of our possessions, but other people. When you value other people you can be dependant on them and vice versa. Possessions can be taken away, but relationships run deep. Thats why its important to value people. The Grapes of Wrath will continue to be a classic novel for many years to come.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath #5

This novel reflects the history of the time period and setting in many different ways. This is the time period in which many families or tenant farmers were kicked off of their land and forced to move west. California was where most families went to go find work. This is what happened to the Joad family. This novel is about their journey to California and their stories after they arrive. Even though this novel is fiction and has made up characters, the events that happened are true and really did happen to families much like the Joads, which makes this book historical fiction.

Because this book is historical fiction, Steinbeck made the characters behavior much like real people in that time would behave. The behavior in that time was probably not that much different from todays. I mean we would probably react the same if kicked off of our land, but it was maybe a little different. At the camp for example, people would fight over food, money, and land. Also, the book describes Ma as feeling in-humane. (Steinbeck 304 ) It was probably a little more crazy of a time for people back then because everything was usually gender based. The men would do the hard labor and alot of outside work, while the women would cook, clean, and take care of the children. But when families were moving west and finding jobs, there were many tasks that needed to be done. So sometimes the women did it, and sometimes the men did it. It was no longer based on gender. There is one part in the book when Casey helps Ma salt meat before the trip. At first, Ma wouldn't let him help because it was considered women's work. Casey said that he would do any work as long as it was work that had to be done. (Steinbeck 107)

The thematic significance of the book is the struggles of the migrant workers and their families. This is very important to know because it shows how things worked during the Dust Bowl.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath #4

Honestly, I'm not sure if there is one main hero in this book. I feel like all of the characters were heros in their own way because they all accomplished so many things together as a family. But if I had to pick one I guess it would be Tom Joad. I feel like he was a hero because at the end he decides to help struggling people like himself and to remain selfless. He decides to put others first and help his fellow man regardless of the consequences. However, I also felt like Ma Joad could have been a hero too. Even though Tom is basically the main character, Ma was the one who tried to keep the family together throughout the novel.

Like Tom, Ma also at times decided to be selfless and put others before herself. For example, when Ma gives the extra stew to the hungry children at the camp, when she could have kept it for her and her family. (Steinbeck, 257) Without her the family may have not ended up where they did. They have not ended up all together either. (Well, except for Noah.) (Steinbeck, 208)

Both Tom and Ma accomplish alot. They accomplish the hardships and they learn what it means to be a generous and good person. However, Ma Joad and Tom Joad to me stand for two different things. If I had to choose one word for Ma it would be stregnth. I imagine it would be very hard to keep a family together during a time like that and to have to be positive and strong for everyone all of the time. Instead of falling apart, Ma remained opptimistic in the hope that her family would be happy again too living in California. That is why she is strong. Tom on the other hand I feel represents understanding. Tom learned many different things from people throughout the book, most of all I think from Casey. Casey taught him about people living as "one soul" and how we should be selfless and generous. (Steinbeck, 24 ) Tom finally understood what family ment and taking care of each other because you are all in the same boat. That is why I chose understanding for Tom Joad.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print

The Grapes of Wrath #3

There are several universal themes in the book Grapes of Wrath, one of them being man's selfishness. The migrants were not pushed off of there land due to bad weather or misfortune. They were forced off of their land by other men. This then separated people into either tenant farmers or landowners or like some put it, rich or poor. From here the migrant workers were treated like animals. They were not treated like the landowners were. The reason things panned out this way was because the rich aka. the land owners did not want the migrants to become strong and take back land. Back in the day before the Dust Bowl, California belonged to Mexico. However, eventually angry squatters took the land from them. The landowners were scared because they did not want history to repeat itself.

Another universal theme is about fellowship and family. Not only did the Joad's stick together as a family, but when they met up with the Wilsons it was almost as if they became one big family instead of two separate ones. (Steinbeck 163)They took care of each other even though they were not all biologically related. It is a universal theme because this shows generosity, which was one of the main values in the book. It also shows to take care of your fellow man.

Also a universal theme from the book, is the Joad's dignity. The book talks about them being treated like animals and being talked to as if they weren't human. While in the camp Ma Joad finds relieve when someone finally has a normal conversation with her. She feels that she is humane again and has her dignity. (Steinbeck 304)

There are many universal themes in The Grapes of Wrath. I think the author did a really nice job incorporating all of these themes into the book and I believe they are all themes that we can relate to and also understand. That is one of the many reasons that I really liked this book.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath #2

In books like The Grapes of Wrath, there is always going to be a conflict. To me, the conflict is always kind of hard to point out because people always tell you that the conflict is the main problem. However, sometimes I think maybe there is more than one main problem and those all cause everything, not just one specific thing. But I guess in this book I would have to say that the main problem is the Joad's not being able to find work. (Steinbeck, 294) I believe this is the main conflict because this is one main problem that leads to many other problems in the novel.

The causes of the conflict probably is alot of things going back to do with the landowners and forcing the tenant farmers off of their land. Even before that, the book talks about how the Mexicans used to have California. Then some squatters came and took the land from them. (Steinbeck, 231) I'm not an expert on everything that went on there, but the bank taking the Joad's land definately caused them to have to look for work and move to California.

Despite all that the Joad's were put through, they did manage to gain some things from their journey's hardships. The Joads became way closer as a family I think because they had endured so much together. Not only did they become closer with each other, but they made friendships with people in the camp, people that were going through hard things just the same as them. They gained values that they may have not gotten had they have not gone through what they did. Generosity and self-sacrifice were just two of them.

Well the Joads lost alot do to the conflict in the story. The Joads lost their home. They had to completely leave their old lives behind and start all over. Besides that, they still had to find work somewhere. Without making money they were limited to what they could do. They struggled to find good shelters and sometimes went hungry for awhile. Even though we established that the Joads gained some things, they did also lose alot.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.

The Grapes of Wrath #1

The writing reveals many different things about the author. The way Steinbeck writes often suggests that he is very spiritual. The stories that are told in the book, like the one about Mae and the truck drivers, serve almost as a parable or something along those lines. (Steinbeck 154)Steinbeck's writing also suggests that that family and friends are important to him. Throughout the book Ma Joad's main goal is to keep the family together no matter what. She is very optimistic and positive so that her family might be that way too. When the Joads meet up with the Wilsons its almost as if they go from being two separate families to being one big family that supports and takes care of each other because they are all in the same situation. That is why I believe the author values friendship and family. Another thing we find out toward the end of the book is the importance of generosity and self-sacrifice, or putting others before yourself. I believe that is important to the author because it was what Tom Joad finally realized in the end. (Steinbeck 419-420 ) Ma Joad and all of the others realized this as well. Examples include when Ma Joad gave the hungry children stew at the camp, even though she could have kept it for herself. When Rose of Sharon fed the old man despite all she had been through is also an example. These values were oviously important to the author, otherwise he probably would not have written about them.

The author narrates the story in third person. By being in third person the readers can tell what all of the character's are doing and what they feel throughout the book. I love when books are written this way because I think it makes them alot easier to read, and when they are easier to read, they are more enjoyable to read.

Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath. New York: Penguin, 2002. Print.