Summary (B)
These are the last two chapters of the book! Yay!
...mkay. So Ellie finally gets her high school diploma after taking two exhausting and rigerous tests. She is now free to go to college and get her actual teaching diploma. This frees her physically of the lowly under-provided-for life, emotionally from the hurt that surrounded her, and spiritually from all the chaos of her doubt. Ellie breaks out of a rocky relationship, and finds her husband on a subway of all places... this inspires me to believe in miracles. If I could tell Ellie one thing, it would be that her persistance and good attitude payed off and that she should be proud of herself. I really admire Ellie and everything she's been through. She kept a positive attitude and a clear mindset all the way throughout her ordeal... more so than any of the 'Americans' she so admires. In that sense, she beat not only her enemy, but her idols as well. For this, she should be proud of herself.
(A) Vocab and such
Vocab
Fedora (223)- a soft felt hat with a brim and a crease along the length of its crown Encarta
(® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)
Milieu-the surroundings or environment that somebody lives in and is influenced by
gossamer- something smooth and delacate
Appeals-
Mostly emotional appeal in these last two
(230)'snatching my bright red coolie from the closet I run down the stairs, out into the street. Ocean Avenue is basking in the golden rays of the late afternoon sun.' She describes her emotional happiness in imagery, which is very creative and endearing.
also, I like:
(232)'Papa, for me you're not gone. You're near me, within me foreer. Tears are trickling down my cheeks form under closed eyelids. I want you to be proud of me, Papa!''
You can definitely feel the pathos for this girl already building behind your eyes. She's so incredibly brave and you just want to hug her and tell her so. It's amazing how much emotion she puts into the page.
Quote:
(240)'... This entitles Mrs. Friedman to the equivilant of a high school diploma.'
Really puts her achievements into perspective, but not her struggles. She can see past everything she's been through in one moment of shining glory that this piece of paper gives her. The whole book seems to center around this moment. Plus, what a powerful ending.
Theme:
Achievement. Finally, it's nothing but achievement. No sorrow, so anger, just pure happiness and realization of achieving one's dreams. The book closes with this emotion radiating off of the page, and the reader feeling it right along with her.
Friday, October 19, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Ch 20-25
Summary and Thoughts, also known as post B
In these chapters, Ellie moves to a new apartment with her mother, and settles into her new home. Both are very thrilled about this fortunate event, and make the most of it, milking it for everything it's worth. They also witness thier first snowfall out of the window of their new home... a spectacular thing, since they haven't seen something so pure and innocent for a very long time. Ellie is then elected to go to camp- a huge honor coming from the school she teaches at. She says goodbye to her first graders, letting them go into the world, wondering what they will become, hoping she has taught them wrong from right. At the camp, Ellie accidentally enters a relationship with another councelor named Yishai. Ellie didn't understand the concept of 'giving someone your sweatshirt'. Incase some of you don't know what that means, it's basically an offer to date. So, Ellie accepted the sweatshirt, and then, when she realized what it meant, she quickly accepted the relationship without missing a beat... which I thought was amusing, because every time she thinks she has something down, it sneaks up on her another way. But she's getting so much better at the American ways. It also amuses me that she talks about the boys that are hounding her like hungry dogs as though they were just passing friendly faces. Because from the way I read the book, she's quite a little blonde bombshell!
Vocab and such, which most call post A
misanthropic (171)- someone who hates people
bungalow(192)- single story house
Appeals
A lot of emotional appeal in these chapters. For example, when Yishai wants his sweatshirt back, and because Ellie didn't go to the 'bushes' with him... I think you all know what that's suggesting. "'Would you mind returning my sweatshirt, Leah?'" (187) (Leah is her Jewish name) Naturally, Ellie is embarassed and angry, and conveys pathos to get the readers to feel for her.
"The head of the dark crwon waves turns, bits ofsound travel in the wind, shreds of sound, unintelligible fragments reach me. I cannot make them out." (220) Emotional appeal, portrayed quite nicely, in my opinion. She meets her potential husband on a subway! They exchange phone numbers, but never get eachothers' names. This is trying to convey anxiety to the reader.
Quote
"I've done it, Papa! The first stage of a fervent dream has come true!"
This quote encompasses everything that has happened so far. Ellie has worked hard, and she has stuck to it. Every time she is down, she pushes herself back up, and doesn't let others get in her way. She impresses the reader with this final quote in the chapter, which fills in all the hazy unsure edges with certainty and no hesitation.
Theme
-the theme is most definitely overcoming obstacles in these chapters. This was the toughest chunk to digest so far, both as a reader, and a young girl myself. This issue was very prominent in all five chapters, and always kept the reader on edge.
In these chapters, Ellie moves to a new apartment with her mother, and settles into her new home. Both are very thrilled about this fortunate event, and make the most of it, milking it for everything it's worth. They also witness thier first snowfall out of the window of their new home... a spectacular thing, since they haven't seen something so pure and innocent for a very long time. Ellie is then elected to go to camp- a huge honor coming from the school she teaches at. She says goodbye to her first graders, letting them go into the world, wondering what they will become, hoping she has taught them wrong from right. At the camp, Ellie accidentally enters a relationship with another councelor named Yishai. Ellie didn't understand the concept of 'giving someone your sweatshirt'. Incase some of you don't know what that means, it's basically an offer to date. So, Ellie accepted the sweatshirt, and then, when she realized what it meant, she quickly accepted the relationship without missing a beat... which I thought was amusing, because every time she thinks she has something down, it sneaks up on her another way. But she's getting so much better at the American ways. It also amuses me that she talks about the boys that are hounding her like hungry dogs as though they were just passing friendly faces. Because from the way I read the book, she's quite a little blonde bombshell!
Vocab and such, which most call post A
misanthropic (171)- someone who hates people
bungalow(192)- single story house
Appeals
A lot of emotional appeal in these chapters. For example, when Yishai wants his sweatshirt back, and because Ellie didn't go to the 'bushes' with him... I think you all know what that's suggesting. "'Would you mind returning my sweatshirt, Leah?'" (187) (Leah is her Jewish name) Naturally, Ellie is embarassed and angry, and conveys pathos to get the readers to feel for her.
"The head of the dark crwon waves turns, bits ofsound travel in the wind, shreds of sound, unintelligible fragments reach me. I cannot make them out." (220) Emotional appeal, portrayed quite nicely, in my opinion. She meets her potential husband on a subway! They exchange phone numbers, but never get eachothers' names. This is trying to convey anxiety to the reader.
Quote
"I've done it, Papa! The first stage of a fervent dream has come true!"
This quote encompasses everything that has happened so far. Ellie has worked hard, and she has stuck to it. Every time she is down, she pushes herself back up, and doesn't let others get in her way. She impresses the reader with this final quote in the chapter, which fills in all the hazy unsure edges with certainty and no hesitation.
Theme
-the theme is most definitely overcoming obstacles in these chapters. This was the toughest chunk to digest so far, both as a reader, and a young girl myself. This issue was very prominent in all five chapters, and always kept the reader on edge.
Monday, October 15, 2007
The 400 Blows
The 400 Blows
The movie 400 Blows by François Truffaut is a memoir directed by the author. Taking place in France in the 30s, it shows a young boy, Antoine with little guidance in the world. This inspires the viewer to be grateful for modern opportunities to chase their dreams. Some aspects of the film were more present than others, and some were not at all strong. However, Truffaut combines vigilance with careful thought and inspiring situations in this thought provoking memoir of his own childhood.
I thought the movie was all around alright, not spectacular, but it did have it’s high points. It also conveys to the viewer the motivation in the characters to go get something that you want, and not let anything stand in the way. It was effective for me in a few ways, the one that stands out most being that if he can chase his dreams under those circumstances, then I can reach my goals as well. Antoine’s lack of a positive attitude did not inspire me, however, because he had no long term goals- no plans. No plan for survival once he ran away. Also, he didn’t try to make things better for himself, or fix them. He ran away from the problem instead of meeting it head on.
Some of the main characters include the rebellious, slightly reckless, largely an introvert, Antoine, who holds the main point of view. His mother, a fancy, self concerned woman who cares not for him, and his stepfather who follows Antoine’s mother are both examples of everything parents should not be to a child. Together, the three make up the semblance of a one dis-functioning, albeit, interesting family. The plot was mainly concerned with a boy who has been oppressed by his surroundings, and therefore has no goals. He ends up finding them when he runs away from his stagnant living environment. The memoir centered around the time period of France in the 30s, and followed Antoine as he braved the difficulties of unruliness in the classroom, loneliness at home- an apartment where Antoine’s only use it taking out the trash-, and eventually, an observation center where Antoine gets his first real taste of freedom. The theme beats happily next to Antoine’s nonconforming heart, letting the viewer know at every possible opportunity to never let go of your dreams. There were symbols in the characters, such as Antoine, the glaring metaphor for plain old rebellion. Also, the mother and stepfather duo, who represent ignorance in the story. However, there were positive symbols too. France in the 18th and 19th centuries built an amazingly successful colonial empire, which Antoine stumbled through daily, never realizing it’s potential or it’s symbolism- opportunity.
The dramatic part of the film was played exceptionally. For one as young as Patrick Auffay, who acted the part of Antoine’s best friend René, the talent was very apparent. He looked the part of an innocent schoolboy who goes with the flow. Slightly pudgy, kind faced and docile enough in character, he suited the acting and the image as I imagine he truly was. However much distaste I held for her character, the actress who played Antoine’s mother was the right pick as well. Ms. Maurier’s subtle useage of impatience and snooty attitude effectively got the viewer to detest her character right off the bat. Mr. Bigey, or ‘Sourpuss’ as the children call him outside of the classroom was played by Georges Flamant. Utilizing some of the same impatience that the mother’s character was so fond of, Mr. Flamant acted the personality of an impatient, hotheaded schoolteacher wonderfully. He was just the right age, and his facial features screamed of teaching unruly pupils. Overall, excellent casting.
The photography of the facial shots, I noticed, was much closer than one gets to another comfortably. For example, quite a few times, the camera looked Antoine squarely in the face, close enough so that the viewer could the details of his facial features quite clearly. The action was tagged by the camera movement almost all of the time, following the main flow of events. Antoine usually got most of the camera time. The memoir was pretty much 3rd person omniscient all of the time, but near the end it made a slightly awkward switch to what felt like first person from Antoine’s point of view. I was impressed with the duration of the shots, it felt almost like the camera was behind the eyes of an onlooker who was watching the main events constantly. So it reminded me of a person mostly only watching the interesting bits. The music I wasn’t really a fan of. However, it was a good mood stimulator. Only, it dumped moods onto me, not only suggested them. It was almost too forceful.
Both memoirs, Black Boy by Richard Wright and The 400 Blows directed by François Truffaut did a good job of not sympathizing with the younger child. In Black Boy, Richard Wright examines burning his house down and killing a kitten with a mature eye, rather than the point of view he must have held as a child. Truffaut examines being a twit in class and making not so smart decisions with property and time. Also, both of the mothers in the two stories showed a lack in care for the physical safety of their child, although Wright does insist in his memoir that his mother loved him by showing specific examples of her care. Truffaut showed exactly the opposite, of his mothers’ secret spite and a longing to be rid of the problem. One thing that was the exact opposite in the two films was the main character’s interests. Wright wanted nothing to do with the nameless, faceless oppression of his time. However, Truffaut seemed to show a tendency in Antoine to want to melt away from society and fall amongst those who have nothing to show for themselves.
I do not recommend this movie to those looking for a meaning in a memoir. For those who like to hear stories of self preservation, this might be a better fit. However, I thought the tale was drawn on longer than necessary, and the director used bits of his life that didn’t need to be known to the viewer. Stylistic choice as it may be, it was rather confusing and not easy to fit into one thing.
Truffaut utilizes many stylistic choices to show the viewer the bulk of his childhood, including, but not limited to dramatic, literary and cinematic elements. Providing that his main inspiration seems to come from the wish to expose his childhood emotions within a TV screen, he uses music and a background of black and white to get some of the more pressing feelings into the open without getting too much inside the main characters’ head. This, combined with the magic of theatre gives The 400 Blows an appropriately singled out feel, leaving the viewer with a sense of nostalgia by the last frame of the film.
The movie 400 Blows by François Truffaut is a memoir directed by the author. Taking place in France in the 30s, it shows a young boy, Antoine with little guidance in the world. This inspires the viewer to be grateful for modern opportunities to chase their dreams. Some aspects of the film were more present than others, and some were not at all strong. However, Truffaut combines vigilance with careful thought and inspiring situations in this thought provoking memoir of his own childhood.
I thought the movie was all around alright, not spectacular, but it did have it’s high points. It also conveys to the viewer the motivation in the characters to go get something that you want, and not let anything stand in the way. It was effective for me in a few ways, the one that stands out most being that if he can chase his dreams under those circumstances, then I can reach my goals as well. Antoine’s lack of a positive attitude did not inspire me, however, because he had no long term goals- no plans. No plan for survival once he ran away. Also, he didn’t try to make things better for himself, or fix them. He ran away from the problem instead of meeting it head on.
Some of the main characters include the rebellious, slightly reckless, largely an introvert, Antoine, who holds the main point of view. His mother, a fancy, self concerned woman who cares not for him, and his stepfather who follows Antoine’s mother are both examples of everything parents should not be to a child. Together, the three make up the semblance of a one dis-functioning, albeit, interesting family. The plot was mainly concerned with a boy who has been oppressed by his surroundings, and therefore has no goals. He ends up finding them when he runs away from his stagnant living environment. The memoir centered around the time period of France in the 30s, and followed Antoine as he braved the difficulties of unruliness in the classroom, loneliness at home- an apartment where Antoine’s only use it taking out the trash-, and eventually, an observation center where Antoine gets his first real taste of freedom. The theme beats happily next to Antoine’s nonconforming heart, letting the viewer know at every possible opportunity to never let go of your dreams. There were symbols in the characters, such as Antoine, the glaring metaphor for plain old rebellion. Also, the mother and stepfather duo, who represent ignorance in the story. However, there were positive symbols too. France in the 18th and 19th centuries built an amazingly successful colonial empire, which Antoine stumbled through daily, never realizing it’s potential or it’s symbolism- opportunity.
The dramatic part of the film was played exceptionally. For one as young as Patrick Auffay, who acted the part of Antoine’s best friend René, the talent was very apparent. He looked the part of an innocent schoolboy who goes with the flow. Slightly pudgy, kind faced and docile enough in character, he suited the acting and the image as I imagine he truly was. However much distaste I held for her character, the actress who played Antoine’s mother was the right pick as well. Ms. Maurier’s subtle useage of impatience and snooty attitude effectively got the viewer to detest her character right off the bat. Mr. Bigey, or ‘Sourpuss’ as the children call him outside of the classroom was played by Georges Flamant. Utilizing some of the same impatience that the mother’s character was so fond of, Mr. Flamant acted the personality of an impatient, hotheaded schoolteacher wonderfully. He was just the right age, and his facial features screamed of teaching unruly pupils. Overall, excellent casting.
The photography of the facial shots, I noticed, was much closer than one gets to another comfortably. For example, quite a few times, the camera looked Antoine squarely in the face, close enough so that the viewer could the details of his facial features quite clearly. The action was tagged by the camera movement almost all of the time, following the main flow of events. Antoine usually got most of the camera time. The memoir was pretty much 3rd person omniscient all of the time, but near the end it made a slightly awkward switch to what felt like first person from Antoine’s point of view. I was impressed with the duration of the shots, it felt almost like the camera was behind the eyes of an onlooker who was watching the main events constantly. So it reminded me of a person mostly only watching the interesting bits. The music I wasn’t really a fan of. However, it was a good mood stimulator. Only, it dumped moods onto me, not only suggested them. It was almost too forceful.
Both memoirs, Black Boy by Richard Wright and The 400 Blows directed by François Truffaut did a good job of not sympathizing with the younger child. In Black Boy, Richard Wright examines burning his house down and killing a kitten with a mature eye, rather than the point of view he must have held as a child. Truffaut examines being a twit in class and making not so smart decisions with property and time. Also, both of the mothers in the two stories showed a lack in care for the physical safety of their child, although Wright does insist in his memoir that his mother loved him by showing specific examples of her care. Truffaut showed exactly the opposite, of his mothers’ secret spite and a longing to be rid of the problem. One thing that was the exact opposite in the two films was the main character’s interests. Wright wanted nothing to do with the nameless, faceless oppression of his time. However, Truffaut seemed to show a tendency in Antoine to want to melt away from society and fall amongst those who have nothing to show for themselves.
I do not recommend this movie to those looking for a meaning in a memoir. For those who like to hear stories of self preservation, this might be a better fit. However, I thought the tale was drawn on longer than necessary, and the director used bits of his life that didn’t need to be known to the viewer. Stylistic choice as it may be, it was rather confusing and not easy to fit into one thing.
Truffaut utilizes many stylistic choices to show the viewer the bulk of his childhood, including, but not limited to dramatic, literary and cinematic elements. Providing that his main inspiration seems to come from the wish to expose his childhood emotions within a TV screen, he uses music and a background of black and white to get some of the more pressing feelings into the open without getting too much inside the main characters’ head. This, combined with the magic of theatre gives The 400 Blows an appropriately singled out feel, leaving the viewer with a sense of nostalgia by the last frame of the film.
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Chapters 11-20 A and B
Wow, I read a lot this week...
Anyway.
Rant Thing
I started to see Ellie recognize (finally) that America is not all that she's worshiped it for. Not that I don't love my country, but she made it seem like America was perfect, a word in which I have absolutely no belief. So she learns. For example, there are a number of incidents surrounding the number on her arm from the concentration camps.
Happily hired to a school to enlighten first graders in Hebrew, she finds that children are children, and they are not so different from those in her country. However, their innocence keeps them that way. Those who have grown out of this happy stage see Ellie differently. The pricipal at Ellie's school admonishes her for explaining to a curious child that the number on her arm was her 'identification number'. She lets slip the term 'concentration camp', and the principal tells her that it was not appropriate for children to hear... that she should have told the child that it was her phone number. I was terribly angry at the absolute blindness of those who did not want to acknowledge the Holocaust, when it was obvious and real and painfully THERE. Disgusting.
I was having a good day.... darn it.
Vocab:
banality (140) : unremarkable comment or feature
triteness (140) : overused
Appeals:
"Piece workers are paid per piece, and so their earnings depend on the number of pieces they manage to complete by the end of the workday. Thier earnings depend on speed." (142)
Logical Appeal in here- She's explaining to the reader the qualities of her mother's job.
"I no longer need to talk about the things that tured my night into a sring of nightmares. Just being here with Alex- in his company, and the nightmares dissolve." (168)
Emotional Appeal. She's been having dreams that disturb her quite a lot- of people who dare to point and laugh about her ID number. Basically, terrible nightmares.
Quote
"Friendship is free and open wihtout constraints... without obligations." (169, Ellie)
She and Alex aren't doing well. They agree on friendship. I think this sums up the whole chapter adequetely because it points out the compromise that is seen everywhere in this chapter.
Theme:
I guess it's compromise. There was really no other underlaying theme in these chapters, they were all really spread out and a little random. So Compromise.
Anyway.
Rant Thing
I started to see Ellie recognize (finally) that America is not all that she's worshiped it for. Not that I don't love my country, but she made it seem like America was perfect, a word in which I have absolutely no belief. So she learns. For example, there are a number of incidents surrounding the number on her arm from the concentration camps.
Happily hired to a school to enlighten first graders in Hebrew, she finds that children are children, and they are not so different from those in her country. However, their innocence keeps them that way. Those who have grown out of this happy stage see Ellie differently. The pricipal at Ellie's school admonishes her for explaining to a curious child that the number on her arm was her 'identification number'. She lets slip the term 'concentration camp', and the principal tells her that it was not appropriate for children to hear... that she should have told the child that it was her phone number. I was terribly angry at the absolute blindness of those who did not want to acknowledge the Holocaust, when it was obvious and real and painfully THERE. Disgusting.
I was having a good day.... darn it.
Vocab:
banality (140) : unremarkable comment or feature
triteness (140) : overused
Appeals:
"Piece workers are paid per piece, and so their earnings depend on the number of pieces they manage to complete by the end of the workday. Thier earnings depend on speed." (142)
Logical Appeal in here- She's explaining to the reader the qualities of her mother's job.
"I no longer need to talk about the things that tured my night into a sring of nightmares. Just being here with Alex- in his company, and the nightmares dissolve." (168)
Emotional Appeal. She's been having dreams that disturb her quite a lot- of people who dare to point and laugh about her ID number. Basically, terrible nightmares.
Quote
"Friendship is free and open wihtout constraints... without obligations." (169, Ellie)
She and Alex aren't doing well. They agree on friendship. I think this sums up the whole chapter adequetely because it points out the compromise that is seen everywhere in this chapter.
Theme:
I guess it's compromise. There was really no other underlaying theme in these chapters, they were all really spread out and a little random. So Compromise.
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