Blog 4: Catcher in the Rye, Ch. 1&2

"Only seniors were allowed to bring girls with them." This shows that the school is strict. Holden is jealous of this and feels that he should be able to. He doesn't really care what Pency Prep says, he is leaving and is carefree. Holden is also a troublemaker and has an unsteady life style. 

Have you ever felt jealous of someone older than you?

Blog 3: Pre-thinking about Catcher in the Rye

Being "phony" is to be fake, unreal, and not yourself. Adults are more phony than children because children don't understand not being yourself. Many adults are afraid to be themselves and show off who they are. They are sometimes embarrassed at what they are and what they like. When they are embarrassed, they tend to act differently so people don't know what they are really like. That is being "phony". Another "phony" thing that people do is do something because their friends do. This could be a serious or non serious thing that they follow. 

Blog 2: Montana 1948, Epilogue

Blog 2: Montana 1948, Epilogue

The death of Julian and Wesley

Julian and Wesley died of a stroke. Julian died first, than later Wesley. Losing both family members to this was detrimental to David's emotional level. He was upset more at the fact that his father died than his grandfather.

Marie Little Soldier

In this part of the Epilogue, there is a flask back about Ronnie Tall Bear and Marie. They are playing football with David. David was too tired to continue so they went back to the house and went in through the garage door. Gail gave the three cider to drink and the flask back was over. This symbolizes how David misses Marie Little Soldier and remembers the good times they had together. 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 16, 2008

Blog 1: Montana 1948, Part III, pgs. 141-162

Of part II in Montana 1948, Larry Watson sets the mood for the characters by changing the description of Frank. He does this by changing him from being the nice guy, who everyone knows and loves, to the mean, scary guy that parents keep their children away from. The Hayden family, Gail, Wesley, and David see him as a criminal, while the town/ Native Americans see him as worse. They see him as a sex offender, murder, and criminal. Wesley tries and defend his brother from humiliation as well as the media, but at the same time, brings in  justice. Gail wants to lock him up in jail so he serves his time, but at the same time wants to get him out of her house and get her and her family away from danger. The grandparents fight Wesley claiming that he should be loyal to his family because they are brothers, and let him go. David is confused cause of his young age, but at the same time understands the situation at hand. David wants to bring peace to his family and bring things back to normal. We, as the readers, understand that it will not be the same. Because David is only twelve, he cannot take all the the information and mental and emotional pain. All of this shows how emotional and physical levels can change based on everyday situations.

At the end of Montana 1948, Wesley finds his brother Frank dead in the basement. Frank cut himself with pieces of broken glass. The night before, Wesley and Gail stayed up listening to Frank in the basement throwing and braking all of the spare food containers against the wall. He shattered all of the glass bottles and cut himself with a piece. Frank cut his wrists and that night bleed to death. Wesley went down stairs once it was quiet to check on him to find him dead on the basement floor. He was covered in blood. For the first time he included David in the "adult talk" and told him to go tell his mother, but not to let her come down. David was shocked that his uncle was dead, but he was thrilled that he was given an adult responsibility that required being mature and knowledgeable.