Summary: Ms. Mackay divides the Brodie set and begins questioning them about Miss Brodie. I thought this would be the moment where we find out who betrays her, but none of the girls who tell her anything. There are two sewing teachers named Ellen and Alison Kerr who begin to do housekeeping for Mr. Lowther and Ellen Kerr tells Miss Mackay about the night dress under Mr. Lowther's pillow. It seems as though Mr. Lloyd has taken an interest in Rose. Although, his paintings of her and other schoolgirls all resemble Miss Brodie. Sandy insists with “near-blackmailing insolence” that Mr. Lloyd’s paintings reveal his obsession with Miss Brodie. Her attitude angers him, and he kisses Sandy intensely and then insults her.
Miss Brodie chooses to confide in one of the girls and she chooses sandy. she can remark that all of her ambitions are fixed on Sandy and on Rose, who continues to sit for Mr. Lloyd. Miss Brodie says Sandy has insight and Rose has instinct. She also concludes that Miss Brodie wants Rose to become Mr. Lloyd’s lover (i thought Miss Brodie and Mr. Lloyd were lovers? why would she want one of her students to do that?) and for Sandy “to act as informant on the affair.” However, Rose only models for Mr. Lloyd, and Rose is the one who carries the information back when Sandy has sex with him. WHOAAA, this is craaaaazy! After several months, Mr. Lowther’s engagement to Miss Lockwood is announced in the paper. The new girl, Joyce Emily Hammond, also admires her. Taking Miss Brodie’s political views to heart, Joyce Emily disappears from school, and six weeks later students learn that she has run away to Spain and died in a train accident.
Miss Brodie predicts that “Rose and Teddy Lloyd will soon be lovers.” Sandy realizes that this fantasy is not a game, it is real manipulation. Sandy realizes Miss Brodie “was obsessed by the need for Rose to sleep with the man she herself was in love with.” Sandy understands now that Miss Brodie’s has a real intention to play God in the lives of her students: “She thinks she is Providence … she thinks she is the God of Calvin.” Rose is not manipulated into becoming Mr. Lloyd’s lover, however.
Ironically, as she wonders which of the students betrayed her, Miss Brodie tells Sandy that she is “exempt from suspicion.”and Sandy says: “If you did not betray us it is impossible that you could have been betrayed by us.” As a nun, Sandy publishes a book on psychology entitled The Transfiguration of the Commonplace. She is visited by people who admire the book and by other members of Miss Brodie’s set. To a young man who visits, Sandy admits being influenced by her childhood teacher. Eunice lays flowers on Miss Brodie’s grave. Monica asks Sandy about the betrayal, and Sandy asserts, “It’s only possible to betray where loyalty is due.” So here we find out that it is SANDY who betrays Miss Brodie!
Quote: "Monica came again. 'Before she died,' she said, 'Miss Brodie thought it was you who betrayed her.'
'Its only possible to betray where loyalty is dude,' said Sandy.
'Well, wasnt it due to Miss Brodie?'
'Only up to a point' said Sandy." (Spark 136-137).
Reaction: From reading this quote i can infer that Sandy is the one who "betrayed" Miss Brodie. Although, Sandy doesnt feel as though she betrayed Miss Brodie because she didnt owe her any loyalty. When Sandy found out that Miss Brodie was basically trying to play "God" in her students' lives, she didnt feel that she owed her any loyalty. It's weird how the one person Miss Brodie trusted the most, is the one who betrayed her!
Monday, June 20, 2011
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (pages 1-68)
Summary: To be honest, the first half of the novel is very confusing to read. It is full of flashbacks from Miss Brodie's life that occur at random moments. Its hard to tell whether you're in the past or the present, and sometimes there are little details about the future that are thrown in. Miss Brodie taught at the Marcia Blaine School for girls, and her pupils were called "The Brodie Set". Each one of the girls were famous for something. Monica Douglas- famous for her mathematics skills
Rose Stanely- famous for sex
Eunicer Gardiner- famous for her gymnastics and swimming
Sandy Stranger- famous for her vowel sounds
Miss Brodie had expressed to the girls that there were plots going around to get her to resign from Blaine. This had happened a couple times in the past but Miss Brodie never resigned. The other teachers were not familiar with her teaching methods and felt that she taught her students meaningless things that had nothing to do with the curriculum. Some members of the faculty feel that her teaching style would be better for a progressive school but Miss Brodie refuses to leave Blaine.
Miss Brodie tells the girls of her lover named Hugh who proposed to Miss Brodie but ended up dying. The girls were all in tears because of the story and when Miss McKay walked by, they all were silent because they didnt want her to know what they were talking about. Then the novel flashes to the future and tells us that Mary Macgregor, a member of the Brodie set, is going to die in a hotel fire. Mary Mcgregor is very clumsy and was always blamed for everything. When her boyfriend leaves her, she thinks about a time when she was really happy, and she says that she was really happy with Miss Brodie.
Then the story switches over to Sandy Stranger and Jenny Gray when they are 10years old and having tea. They talk about "sexual intercourse" and how the days with Miss Brodie were supposed to be the happiest days of their lives. Then the story switches to Eunice, who plans on returning to Edinburgh and she wants to put flowers on Miss Brodie’s grave. When talking to her husband, she says that Miss Brodie was forced to retire, because she was “betrayed by one of her own girls,” and right after World War II she died. Hmmm... who betrayed Miss Brodie?!
Miss Brodie begins to have an affair with two teachers at Blaine. Monica catches Miss Brodie kissing Mr. Lloyd and then later Mr. Lowther and Miss Brodie are absent from school for 2 weeks, so it is assumed they are together. A man exposes himself to Jenny and is questioned by the police. the woman police officer becomes the protagonist in one of Sandy's stories. Sandy and Jenny notice that Rose has developed, which was probbably the start to Rose being famous for sex.
Quote: "Just after the war. She was retired by then. Her retirement was rather a tragedy, she was forced to retire before time. The head never liked her. There's a long story attached to Miss Brodie's retirement. She was betrayed by one of her own girls, we were called the Brodie Set. I never found out which one betrayed her" (Spark 26).
Reaction: I was completely shocked when i read that conversation Eunice had with her husband about Miss Brodie! I'm soooo curious as to who betrayed Miss Brodie and how. I think one of the girls must have told the head about her affairs with Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Lowther because it seems thats the only secret Miss Brodie really had. I'm not sure which girl has betrayed her yet because all of the girls seem to have a sort of dedication to miss brodie and a faithfulness to her. They all appreciate her so I have NO idea who betrayed her but im eager to find out, IF the speaker tells us!
Rose Stanely- famous for sex
Eunicer Gardiner- famous for her gymnastics and swimming
Sandy Stranger- famous for her vowel sounds
Miss Brodie had expressed to the girls that there were plots going around to get her to resign from Blaine. This had happened a couple times in the past but Miss Brodie never resigned. The other teachers were not familiar with her teaching methods and felt that she taught her students meaningless things that had nothing to do with the curriculum. Some members of the faculty feel that her teaching style would be better for a progressive school but Miss Brodie refuses to leave Blaine.
Miss Brodie tells the girls of her lover named Hugh who proposed to Miss Brodie but ended up dying. The girls were all in tears because of the story and when Miss McKay walked by, they all were silent because they didnt want her to know what they were talking about. Then the novel flashes to the future and tells us that Mary Macgregor, a member of the Brodie set, is going to die in a hotel fire. Mary Mcgregor is very clumsy and was always blamed for everything. When her boyfriend leaves her, she thinks about a time when she was really happy, and she says that she was really happy with Miss Brodie.
Then the story switches over to Sandy Stranger and Jenny Gray when they are 10years old and having tea. They talk about "sexual intercourse" and how the days with Miss Brodie were supposed to be the happiest days of their lives. Then the story switches to Eunice, who plans on returning to Edinburgh and she wants to put flowers on Miss Brodie’s grave. When talking to her husband, she says that Miss Brodie was forced to retire, because she was “betrayed by one of her own girls,” and right after World War II she died. Hmmm... who betrayed Miss Brodie?!
Miss Brodie begins to have an affair with two teachers at Blaine. Monica catches Miss Brodie kissing Mr. Lloyd and then later Mr. Lowther and Miss Brodie are absent from school for 2 weeks, so it is assumed they are together. A man exposes himself to Jenny and is questioned by the police. the woman police officer becomes the protagonist in one of Sandy's stories. Sandy and Jenny notice that Rose has developed, which was probbably the start to Rose being famous for sex.
Quote: "Just after the war. She was retired by then. Her retirement was rather a tragedy, she was forced to retire before time. The head never liked her. There's a long story attached to Miss Brodie's retirement. She was betrayed by one of her own girls, we were called the Brodie Set. I never found out which one betrayed her" (Spark 26).
Reaction: I was completely shocked when i read that conversation Eunice had with her husband about Miss Brodie! I'm soooo curious as to who betrayed Miss Brodie and how. I think one of the girls must have told the head about her affairs with Mr. Lloyd and Mr. Lowther because it seems thats the only secret Miss Brodie really had. I'm not sure which girl has betrayed her yet because all of the girls seem to have a sort of dedication to miss brodie and a faithfulness to her. They all appreciate her so I have NO idea who betrayed her but im eager to find out, IF the speaker tells us!
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Accidental Billionaires (pages 200-252)
Summary:
Facebook continued to make moves in the cooperate world. Thousands upon thousands of new members were joining each day, it was crazy! The Winklevoss twins (tyler and cameron) were still pretty upset about the way things worked out with Mark. They were all the way in a different country, England to be exact, competing in a rowing race. They lost by about 2 seconds, which was extremely devastating. Then, to add insult to injury, someone asked them if they had a facebook account. Someone in ENGLAND asked if they had a facebook account, which was only open to selected colleges in the US... unbelievable! This reaaaaaally made tyler and cameron mad. That was the last straw for them, they were going to file a lawsuit. Justice had to be served.
Meanwhile, Eduardo was in New York still, completing his internship and finding investors, looking at possible VC's who wanted to be involved with Facebook. While Eduardo was keeping busy in New York, Mark and his roommates, including Sean Parker were having the time of their lives in California. They also had many offers coming at them from big companies, who were offfering a lot of money. Also, Sean was taking Mark under his wing in a way, taking him to all the coolest parties, meeting important people, the works. Eduardo pretty much wasn't in the picture anymore because, well let's face it, he was all the way across the country and the was no way he could be involved in every little decision they made. Speaking of decisions, Mark and Dustin had decided they weren't going to go back to Harvard for the next semester, they were going to take a semester off and work on the facebook, staying in California. On the other hand, there was NO way Eduardo was going to take time off, school meant everything to him. He was a senior, going to graduate in 5 months, it would make no sense for him to take time off to work on the facebook when he had been doing that the whole summer!
When Mark and Eduardo did get the chance to speak through quick phone calls, every time Eduardo would try to inform Mark about the offers he had received and the investments he was looking into, Mark always jumped in to talk about the awesome party he went to with Sean the other night. Eduardo was SICK of Sean. To him, Sean had nothing to do with the Facebook, he was just a HOUSE GUEST, that's it. It was Eduardo's money going into the account for the facebook. It was HIS money that was housing them in California while they went to parties every night. All his money was being wasted and to make it worse, he wasn't even being included, even though he owned 30% of Facebook! Eduardo wrote Mark a very stern letter, talking about his problems with the way things were working out. Mark seemed to sort of brush the letter off, telling Eduardo that he would be more included if he wasn't all the way in New York, if he stayed out in California for a while. Obviously, Mark didn't get the picture, so Eduardo had to take drastic measures. He went straight to the bank and froze the account for the facebook, he had to show them he meant business.
Because Eduardo had financially cut them off, Mark was able to save up his own money to put into the account, which would hold them over only for a short amount of time, because as you know facebook was expanding rapidly. Eventually, Mark had cut Eduardo out of the company completely. Eduardo was so devastated, felt so betrayed that he decided he was going to file a law suit against Mark, because he took away his ownership. Facebook got up to 1,000,000 members within 10 months, which called for a celebration. They had a little party, hosted by Sean of course and there was lots of drinking, smoking and other bad things. Unexpectedly, the cops showed up and Sean was arrested, for reasons unaccounted for. After that, Sean was also cut from the facebook entirely, because frankly his reputation and unpredictable behavior wasn't a good look for making business deals. In the end, to mark, facebook wasn't about friendship, it was never about friends, it was all about business. who knows if he was really friends with Eduardo, maybe he just used him as a sort of financial supplier. It was all about business and at the end of the day, Mark was CEO, he could do whatever he wanted.
Quote: "whatever the reason, he'd walked right up to the Winklevoss twin, and had held out his hand. As the stunned kid had stared at him, Eduardo had let the words come spilling out: 'I'm sorry. He screwed me like he screwed you guys'. And without another word, he had turned-and disappeared back onto the dance floor" (Mezrich 252).
Reaction: When i read this quote, and even before i read it, i felt really bad for Eduardo. I could tell in a way he was jealous of Mark and Sean's sudden friendship and felt like Sean was taking his place. So when he tried to be assertive and make Mark understand what he's trying to say, he ends up getting cut out of Facebook entirely. Even though, he was the one who invested all the money into it, and he was with Mark back when he was in his dorm room, spending hours typing up codes. He and Mark started it together, although it was Mark's idea and work. I could understand how betrayed he must of felt, realizing that theres a chance Mark was never really his friend at all. And when he walks up the his "enemies" and apologizing, It then seems as though Mark was the bad guy all along, not Sean nor Tyler, Cameron, and Divya. They all felt "screwed over" by Mark, but there was nothing they could do about it because Facebook was Mark's creation, he owned it and he was going to do whatever it takes to make it successful.
Facebook continued to make moves in the cooperate world. Thousands upon thousands of new members were joining each day, it was crazy! The Winklevoss twins (tyler and cameron) were still pretty upset about the way things worked out with Mark. They were all the way in a different country, England to be exact, competing in a rowing race. They lost by about 2 seconds, which was extremely devastating. Then, to add insult to injury, someone asked them if they had a facebook account. Someone in ENGLAND asked if they had a facebook account, which was only open to selected colleges in the US... unbelievable! This reaaaaaally made tyler and cameron mad. That was the last straw for them, they were going to file a lawsuit. Justice had to be served.
Meanwhile, Eduardo was in New York still, completing his internship and finding investors, looking at possible VC's who wanted to be involved with Facebook. While Eduardo was keeping busy in New York, Mark and his roommates, including Sean Parker were having the time of their lives in California. They also had many offers coming at them from big companies, who were offfering a lot of money. Also, Sean was taking Mark under his wing in a way, taking him to all the coolest parties, meeting important people, the works. Eduardo pretty much wasn't in the picture anymore because, well let's face it, he was all the way across the country and the was no way he could be involved in every little decision they made. Speaking of decisions, Mark and Dustin had decided they weren't going to go back to Harvard for the next semester, they were going to take a semester off and work on the facebook, staying in California. On the other hand, there was NO way Eduardo was going to take time off, school meant everything to him. He was a senior, going to graduate in 5 months, it would make no sense for him to take time off to work on the facebook when he had been doing that the whole summer!
When Mark and Eduardo did get the chance to speak through quick phone calls, every time Eduardo would try to inform Mark about the offers he had received and the investments he was looking into, Mark always jumped in to talk about the awesome party he went to with Sean the other night. Eduardo was SICK of Sean. To him, Sean had nothing to do with the Facebook, he was just a HOUSE GUEST, that's it. It was Eduardo's money going into the account for the facebook. It was HIS money that was housing them in California while they went to parties every night. All his money was being wasted and to make it worse, he wasn't even being included, even though he owned 30% of Facebook! Eduardo wrote Mark a very stern letter, talking about his problems with the way things were working out. Mark seemed to sort of brush the letter off, telling Eduardo that he would be more included if he wasn't all the way in New York, if he stayed out in California for a while. Obviously, Mark didn't get the picture, so Eduardo had to take drastic measures. He went straight to the bank and froze the account for the facebook, he had to show them he meant business.
Because Eduardo had financially cut them off, Mark was able to save up his own money to put into the account, which would hold them over only for a short amount of time, because as you know facebook was expanding rapidly. Eventually, Mark had cut Eduardo out of the company completely. Eduardo was so devastated, felt so betrayed that he decided he was going to file a law suit against Mark, because he took away his ownership. Facebook got up to 1,000,000 members within 10 months, which called for a celebration. They had a little party, hosted by Sean of course and there was lots of drinking, smoking and other bad things. Unexpectedly, the cops showed up and Sean was arrested, for reasons unaccounted for. After that, Sean was also cut from the facebook entirely, because frankly his reputation and unpredictable behavior wasn't a good look for making business deals. In the end, to mark, facebook wasn't about friendship, it was never about friends, it was all about business. who knows if he was really friends with Eduardo, maybe he just used him as a sort of financial supplier. It was all about business and at the end of the day, Mark was CEO, he could do whatever he wanted.
Quote: "whatever the reason, he'd walked right up to the Winklevoss twin, and had held out his hand. As the stunned kid had stared at him, Eduardo had let the words come spilling out: 'I'm sorry. He screwed me like he screwed you guys'. And without another word, he had turned-and disappeared back onto the dance floor" (Mezrich 252).
Reaction: When i read this quote, and even before i read it, i felt really bad for Eduardo. I could tell in a way he was jealous of Mark and Sean's sudden friendship and felt like Sean was taking his place. So when he tried to be assertive and make Mark understand what he's trying to say, he ends up getting cut out of Facebook entirely. Even though, he was the one who invested all the money into it, and he was with Mark back when he was in his dorm room, spending hours typing up codes. He and Mark started it together, although it was Mark's idea and work. I could understand how betrayed he must of felt, realizing that theres a chance Mark was never really his friend at all. And when he walks up the his "enemies" and apologizing, It then seems as though Mark was the bad guy all along, not Sean nor Tyler, Cameron, and Divya. They all felt "screwed over" by Mark, but there was nothing they could do about it because Facebook was Mark's creation, he owned it and he was going to do whatever it takes to make it successful.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
The Accidental Billionaires (pages 150-200)
Summary: the year is ending and Eduardo is offered an internship in New York and Mark decides to stay in California for the summer with Dustin and Chris. Eduardo wasn't comfortable with them being seperated, because of course there would be a lot of people like Sean Parker wanted to get a piece of their creation; it just didn't seem like a good idea. Mark had already made up his mind, he was going to California for the summer.
With Facebook thousands of members each day, Mark, Dustin, and Chris needed more help with the programming so they decided to look for interns. A bunch of computer geeks gathered in the basement classroom to compete in a timed race to do some sort of coding, so Mark could get a good idea of their programming skills.
Meanwhile. Tyler, Divya, and Cameron were getting ready to launch their website, which the named changed to ConnectU. After two years of working on the site, no thanks to Mark Zuckerburg, it was finally ready to launch. They were still upset about all the hype Mark was getting for a web site that he practically "stole" the layout of from their own web site, but they were trying to enjoy this moment.
It turns out that the boys had moved in right next door to Sean's girlfriend's parent's house, in which he was staying at. He expressed to them that after a couple days, he was no longer going to be able to live there anymore and after that he would be homeless. It was like fate had made everything fall into place. Sean ended up staying with the boys and he would be able to help them with facebook and get it advertised out in California, maybe it'd get popular there too. since eduardo wasnt with them in California, he was pretty much out of the picture for the time being, and since he was the once paying for everything and attending meetings in NYC about facebook, that could be a problem.
Quote: "Eduardo might try to hang on- but he was already showing that he didn't have what it took. Poor kid, Sean thought to himself. What happens when the guy standing next to you catches a lightening bolt? Does it carry you up to the stratosphere along with him? Or do you simply get charred while trying to hold on?" (Mezrich 172).
Reaction: I absolutely LOVE this quote. Not only is this just a book about this history of facebook, it also uses a lot of literary devices. I love the idea of a guy (Mark) getting hit by a lightening bulb- a once in a lifetime chance and very very unlikely (Facebook becoming an overnight sensation), and someone else (Eduardo) trying to hold on and make it to the top with him, or get "charred" on the way up, meaning getting left behind while Mark rises to success. I think that this quote might be foreshadowing what is actually going to happen and it also creates suspense. it makes you wonder how this all is going to work out, and if Sean might be taking Eduardo's place, and what Seans true intentions are! This is definitely leading up the the climax :)
With Facebook thousands of members each day, Mark, Dustin, and Chris needed more help with the programming so they decided to look for interns. A bunch of computer geeks gathered in the basement classroom to compete in a timed race to do some sort of coding, so Mark could get a good idea of their programming skills.
Meanwhile. Tyler, Divya, and Cameron were getting ready to launch their website, which the named changed to ConnectU. After two years of working on the site, no thanks to Mark Zuckerburg, it was finally ready to launch. They were still upset about all the hype Mark was getting for a web site that he practically "stole" the layout of from their own web site, but they were trying to enjoy this moment.
It turns out that the boys had moved in right next door to Sean's girlfriend's parent's house, in which he was staying at. He expressed to them that after a couple days, he was no longer going to be able to live there anymore and after that he would be homeless. It was like fate had made everything fall into place. Sean ended up staying with the boys and he would be able to help them with facebook and get it advertised out in California, maybe it'd get popular there too. since eduardo wasnt with them in California, he was pretty much out of the picture for the time being, and since he was the once paying for everything and attending meetings in NYC about facebook, that could be a problem.
Quote: "Eduardo might try to hang on- but he was already showing that he didn't have what it took. Poor kid, Sean thought to himself. What happens when the guy standing next to you catches a lightening bolt? Does it carry you up to the stratosphere along with him? Or do you simply get charred while trying to hold on?" (Mezrich 172).
Reaction: I absolutely LOVE this quote. Not only is this just a book about this history of facebook, it also uses a lot of literary devices. I love the idea of a guy (Mark) getting hit by a lightening bulb- a once in a lifetime chance and very very unlikely (Facebook becoming an overnight sensation), and someone else (Eduardo) trying to hold on and make it to the top with him, or get "charred" on the way up, meaning getting left behind while Mark rises to success. I think that this quote might be foreshadowing what is actually going to happen and it also creates suspense. it makes you wonder how this all is going to work out, and if Sean might be taking Eduardo's place, and what Seans true intentions are! This is definitely leading up the the climax :)
The Accidental Billionaires (pages 100-150)
Summary: Tyler and Cameron were working out on the rowing machines when Divya came up to them, showing them the latest issue of Harvard's Crimson newspaper. It was talking about the overnight sensation, thefacebook.com created by Mark! As Divya continued to read the paper aloud, Tyler grew more and more upset. This whole "facebook" site was definitely gaining popularity and the similarities between their Harvard Connection site that was yet to be running and "thefacebook.com" seemed more than coincidental. "theft" is the word tyler used. Mark stole their idea! In the Crimson, he bragged that he doesn't know why it took Harvard so long to make a site like facebook because he did it in a week. Mind you, Mark put off programming The Harvard Connection for Divya, Tyler, and Cameron for 2 months, saying he was busy with school and other projects, but to Tyler, that was all a lie. He had led them on for 2 months just so steal their ideas and create his own website. They felt like this was completely unfair, but there was no contract, no paperwork or anything that prove Mark had used their ideas for his website or that he even did work for them at all. Tyler decided to call his dad, a very powerful businessman, and tell him everything that happened.
Tyler, Divya, and Cameron wrote a letter to Mark telling him how they felt about him launching "thefacebook.com" while he was supposed to be working for their site and that the sites were very similar. Mark responded with a letter explaining that he was initially intrigued by their project, and after their first meeting, he began working on Thefacebook, using none of the same code of The Harvard Connection. Mark and Eduardo decided that Mark's roommates Dustin and Chris could also help with the site, seeing as how they needed all the help they could get.
Tyler, Cameron, and Divya were so upset by Mark's response that they decided to take things to the next level. They met with the president of Harvard, hoping he would make Mark pay some type of consequences. But, to their surprise, he explained that the situation had nothing to do with Harvard itself, that it was a more personal problem that they needed to work out amongst themselves and that there was nothing they could accuse Mark of because he hadn't violated any contract.
The story then switches over to Sean Parker, a bad-boy computer genius known for founding famous sites like Napster and Plaxo that made tons of money. He stumbled across thefacebook.com and he instantly knew that this website was going to be BIG. That was just the kind of project he needed to take it to a higher level. He ended up meeting up with Mark, Eduardo, and Eduardo's girlfriend Kelly. Mark and Sean talked the whole time, as mark was completely fascinated by Sean, he was like God to him. Eduardo had a shady feeling about Sean, even calling him a "snake oil salesman".
Quote: "Eduardo had a feeling- Sean Parker couldn't possibly have been the only one who'd taken notice of their little Web site. It only a matter of time before deep pockets came calling, pockets that could afford a bit more than a dinner at a fancy New York restaurant" (Mezrich 150).
Reaction: Although I already know that Facebook has become a phenomenon, I can see how quickly it gained its popularity. I personally dont think that Mark stole ideas from the Harvard Connection because 1.) it hadn't even launched yet 2.) Mark hadn't even done any work on their site at all, all he did was look it over. He actually lost interest in it quickly 3) The harvard connection was supposed to be like a dating site for students at harvard, whereas facebook was just a place to make friends of people that attend harvard and, later on people at other colleges. I think Sean parker might be trying to weasel them out of their creation in a way, because all he's interested in is making money, and he might try to take ownership of the site and be taking advantage of Mark, because he looks up to him.
Tyler, Divya, and Cameron wrote a letter to Mark telling him how they felt about him launching "thefacebook.com" while he was supposed to be working for their site and that the sites were very similar. Mark responded with a letter explaining that he was initially intrigued by their project, and after their first meeting, he began working on Thefacebook, using none of the same code of The Harvard Connection. Mark and Eduardo decided that Mark's roommates Dustin and Chris could also help with the site, seeing as how they needed all the help they could get.
Tyler, Cameron, and Divya were so upset by Mark's response that they decided to take things to the next level. They met with the president of Harvard, hoping he would make Mark pay some type of consequences. But, to their surprise, he explained that the situation had nothing to do with Harvard itself, that it was a more personal problem that they needed to work out amongst themselves and that there was nothing they could accuse Mark of because he hadn't violated any contract.
The story then switches over to Sean Parker, a bad-boy computer genius known for founding famous sites like Napster and Plaxo that made tons of money. He stumbled across thefacebook.com and he instantly knew that this website was going to be BIG. That was just the kind of project he needed to take it to a higher level. He ended up meeting up with Mark, Eduardo, and Eduardo's girlfriend Kelly. Mark and Sean talked the whole time, as mark was completely fascinated by Sean, he was like God to him. Eduardo had a shady feeling about Sean, even calling him a "snake oil salesman".
Quote: "Eduardo had a feeling- Sean Parker couldn't possibly have been the only one who'd taken notice of their little Web site. It only a matter of time before deep pockets came calling, pockets that could afford a bit more than a dinner at a fancy New York restaurant" (Mezrich 150).
Reaction: Although I already know that Facebook has become a phenomenon, I can see how quickly it gained its popularity. I personally dont think that Mark stole ideas from the Harvard Connection because 1.) it hadn't even launched yet 2.) Mark hadn't even done any work on their site at all, all he did was look it over. He actually lost interest in it quickly 3) The harvard connection was supposed to be like a dating site for students at harvard, whereas facebook was just a place to make friends of people that attend harvard and, later on people at other colleges. I think Sean parker might be trying to weasel them out of their creation in a way, because all he's interested in is making money, and he might try to take ownership of the site and be taking advantage of Mark, because he looks up to him.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
The Accidental Billionaires (pages 50-100)
Summary: So, I left offf talking about Mark's crazy idea to invent "facemash". The were some houses that he wasn't able to hack into, so he snuck into the houses, connected his laptop to one of theirs, and downloaded the pictures he needed. After his intoxication wore off, he planned to go home, drop off his bookbag, and go to the dining hall to get something to eat. But, when he got to his room, he couldn't help but notice his desktop screen was frozen. "And then it dawned on him. The laptop screen was frozen because it was acting as a sever for facemash.com". Mark had emailed the link to facemash to couple of his friends, for them to check out, and those friends emailed it to their friends, and their friends emailed it to their friends, and so on. In under two hours, the site had already logged 22,000 votes and 400 kids had gone onto the site in the past 30mins! The link wasn't supposed to go out like that, he still wanted to tweak a few things, and check the legalities of downloading those pictures. He knew he'd be in big trouble, so he shut down the site.
Divya showed Tyler and Cameron the article in the Crimson (the harvard newspaper) that was written about facemash.com and they became very intrigued. Mark Zuckerburg sounded like the guy they needed in order to fulfill their Harvard Connection site, so they decided to send him an e-mail.
Mark had to attending an ad board meeting, the administration disciplinary organization, made up of deans and student advisors. He had to talk about the little stunt he pulled and was able to weasle his way out of a probation because he seemed like a kid who didn't mean any harm, and his stunt served as a way of pointing out flaws in the harvard defense system for their websites that they needed to improve on.
Tyler and cameron asked Mark if he'd be interested in working on the codes for their site and mark said he would look into it. Well, he thought through it and decided it wasn't worth his time.He was already stressed out with classes and other projects that he didn't even feel like working on the codes. Also, he was trying to launch his own site, thefacebook.com as well. "Well, Mark wondered, if people wanted to go online and check out their friends- couldn't they build a website that offered exactly that? An online community of friends- of pictures, profiles, whatever- that you could click into, visit, browse around" (Mezrich 79).He and Eduardo agreed to go 70% and 30% on the site, if it were to make money. Mark met with Tyler, Cameron, and Divya and explained to them why he didn't have the site up and running by then and they realized, aside from all the excuses he gave, that he wasn't really interested in it.
He went straight home and began the finishing touches to his site. you needed a harvard.edu email in order to log in, and that would make the site more exclusively popular. Eduardo had gotten into Pheonix and offered to send the think to members of the club, since they were more popular and could spread the word to more people. that was the beginning of facebook.
Quote: "Everyone wanted a piece of Mark, but Mark didn't need anyone else. Everything he needed was right in front of him" (Mezrich 96).
Reaction: I think that quote was very inspiring in a way because when someone is successful or really talented, everyone wants a piece of them to help themselves gain something. I like the fact that Mark didn't rely on anyone else to create his website and that he wasn't going to allow other people to use him, because that's something that people do in everyday life and i think its important to be independent and not let people take advantage of you.
Divya showed Tyler and Cameron the article in the Crimson (the harvard newspaper) that was written about facemash.com and they became very intrigued. Mark Zuckerburg sounded like the guy they needed in order to fulfill their Harvard Connection site, so they decided to send him an e-mail.
Mark had to attending an ad board meeting, the administration disciplinary organization, made up of deans and student advisors. He had to talk about the little stunt he pulled and was able to weasle his way out of a probation because he seemed like a kid who didn't mean any harm, and his stunt served as a way of pointing out flaws in the harvard defense system for their websites that they needed to improve on.
Tyler and cameron asked Mark if he'd be interested in working on the codes for their site and mark said he would look into it. Well, he thought through it and decided it wasn't worth his time.He was already stressed out with classes and other projects that he didn't even feel like working on the codes. Also, he was trying to launch his own site, thefacebook.com as well. "Well, Mark wondered, if people wanted to go online and check out their friends- couldn't they build a website that offered exactly that? An online community of friends- of pictures, profiles, whatever- that you could click into, visit, browse around" (Mezrich 79).He and Eduardo agreed to go 70% and 30% on the site, if it were to make money. Mark met with Tyler, Cameron, and Divya and explained to them why he didn't have the site up and running by then and they realized, aside from all the excuses he gave, that he wasn't really interested in it.
He went straight home and began the finishing touches to his site. you needed a harvard.edu email in order to log in, and that would make the site more exclusively popular. Eduardo had gotten into Pheonix and offered to send the think to members of the club, since they were more popular and could spread the word to more people. that was the beginning of facebook.
Quote: "Everyone wanted a piece of Mark, but Mark didn't need anyone else. Everything he needed was right in front of him" (Mezrich 96).
Reaction: I think that quote was very inspiring in a way because when someone is successful or really talented, everyone wants a piece of them to help themselves gain something. I like the fact that Mark didn't rely on anyone else to create his website and that he wasn't going to allow other people to use him, because that's something that people do in everyday life and i think its important to be independent and not let people take advantage of you.
The Accidental Billionaires (pages 1-50)
Summary:
The novel takes place at Harvard University. The speaker starts off by talking about a gentlemen named Eduardo. He spent most of his childhood between upper-middle class communities in Brazil and Miami, before attending Harvard. Eduardo was at one of the "punch parties", a gathering he needed to go to in order to potentially be apart of the infamous Pheonix club. The Pheonix club was part of Hardvard's elite. They were the most popular guys and they got all the girls. There at the punch party, he met an awkward kid with big curly hair named Mark, Mark Zuckerburg. He was a sophomore (as well as Eduardo), and supposedly he was a master hacker. He had created a program called Synapse that for plug-in mp3 players. He made Synapse available as a free download on the web and major companies were calling him about buying his invention. Supposedly, Microsoft had offered Mark between one to two MILLION dollars to go work for them, and he shockingly turned them down.
Mark and Eduardo exchanged friendly conversation. The asked each other which houses they belonged to (Eduardo- Eliot, Mark- Kirkland) and Eduardo then offered Mark to join him at a party that was being held on his floor. They both agreed to go and went with each other.
Eduardo had received the 4th punch invitation letter and this time he had to bring a date with him. This meant he actually had to talk to a girl. Lets just say, girls weren't exactly knocking down doors to be with him. The punches were going to be based on the dates they brought with them, so he had to make sure to find the perfect girl. He walked up to the hottest girl he knew, Marsha, a blonde bombshell, and asked her to attend the event with him. Surprisingly she said yes, most likely because it was about going to a final club dinner, being a part of the Pheonix.
The story then switches over to two identical twins named Tyler and Cameron. They were the typical jocks with a high social status at harvard. They were at experts at crew and they whole lives seemed revolved around rowing. They were also friends with an indian boy named Divya. They were seniors and tyler and cameron were apart of the Porcellian club, another elite at Harvard. It turns out that the boys wanted to create a social website called The Harvard Connection. The only problem was neither of them had the necessary computer background to actually get the site up and running. The was another member of their group named Victor, who was the computer wiz but he left. So now they needed a new programmer. The idea of the Harvard Connection was simpl; It would be a sort of online dating site for students at Harvard. It would be an easy way for guys like Tyler and Cameron, who spent all of their time rowing, eating, and sleeping, to get girls. Popular guys like them, never had time to get girls because they were so busy doing the things that made them popular. They decided to send out word that they were looking for people and victor said he'd give them some names.
Then, Eduardo arrives in a seminar with a big crate that had a blanket over it. He took a seat next to Mark and showed him what was in the crate, A CHICKEN. Apparently, as part of his initiation into Pheonix, he had to carry around a live chicken with him wherever he went and keep it alive and healthy for a week. Suddenly, the chicken started making loud noises and everyone except the professor heard. Eduardo met a girl named Angie at a Pheonix cocktail party the night before. she had a friend named Monica, and Eduardo wanted to set her up with Mark, so they could go on a double-date, and Mark agreed.
Apparently, the girl for Mark had rejected him and he became furious. He started writing on his blog that he wanted to take the pictures from each houses facebook (at harvard, each house had a "facebook" with the pictures of each person that lived there, nothing like the facebook we have today), and compare all the girls to each other, and possibly farm animals, and have people vote on which was hotter. He then began hacking into the databases of all the houses at harvard and downloading all their pictures. The site would be called Facemash.com
Quote: "Maybe grinning as he downed the rest of his Beck's, he spelled out the introduction that would greet everyone who sent to the site when he finally lauched it:
Were we let in for our looks? No. Will we be judged on them? Yes.
Yes, it was going to be fucking beautiful" (Mezrich 49).
Reaction: My reaction to this quote is a little confused. I dont really understand how just because a girl rejected him, he goes crazy and starts hacking each houses "facebooks" and gathers up the idea to compare girls on a site. I already knew from having a facebook of my own that it was created by Mark Zuckerburg, but i never knew the story behind it, or what his initial intentions were. I thought he just randomly thought to create a social site where people from all over the world could communicate, but after reading about "facemash.com", it makes me view him differently, he was kind-of a jerk! I think he could get in a lot of trouble for hacking the facebook pages at harvard. It also makes me thing of the "Boston" pages on facebook, who also compare pictures of people on facebook and declare whos better look, or who's "fresh" or who has the "best body".. its disgusting!
The novel takes place at Harvard University. The speaker starts off by talking about a gentlemen named Eduardo. He spent most of his childhood between upper-middle class communities in Brazil and Miami, before attending Harvard. Eduardo was at one of the "punch parties", a gathering he needed to go to in order to potentially be apart of the infamous Pheonix club. The Pheonix club was part of Hardvard's elite. They were the most popular guys and they got all the girls. There at the punch party, he met an awkward kid with big curly hair named Mark, Mark Zuckerburg. He was a sophomore (as well as Eduardo), and supposedly he was a master hacker. He had created a program called Synapse that for plug-in mp3 players. He made Synapse available as a free download on the web and major companies were calling him about buying his invention. Supposedly, Microsoft had offered Mark between one to two MILLION dollars to go work for them, and he shockingly turned them down.
Mark and Eduardo exchanged friendly conversation. The asked each other which houses they belonged to (Eduardo- Eliot, Mark- Kirkland) and Eduardo then offered Mark to join him at a party that was being held on his floor. They both agreed to go and went with each other.
Eduardo had received the 4th punch invitation letter and this time he had to bring a date with him. This meant he actually had to talk to a girl. Lets just say, girls weren't exactly knocking down doors to be with him. The punches were going to be based on the dates they brought with them, so he had to make sure to find the perfect girl. He walked up to the hottest girl he knew, Marsha, a blonde bombshell, and asked her to attend the event with him. Surprisingly she said yes, most likely because it was about going to a final club dinner, being a part of the Pheonix.
The story then switches over to two identical twins named Tyler and Cameron. They were the typical jocks with a high social status at harvard. They were at experts at crew and they whole lives seemed revolved around rowing. They were also friends with an indian boy named Divya. They were seniors and tyler and cameron were apart of the Porcellian club, another elite at Harvard. It turns out that the boys wanted to create a social website called The Harvard Connection. The only problem was neither of them had the necessary computer background to actually get the site up and running. The was another member of their group named Victor, who was the computer wiz but he left. So now they needed a new programmer. The idea of the Harvard Connection was simpl; It would be a sort of online dating site for students at Harvard. It would be an easy way for guys like Tyler and Cameron, who spent all of their time rowing, eating, and sleeping, to get girls. Popular guys like them, never had time to get girls because they were so busy doing the things that made them popular. They decided to send out word that they were looking for people and victor said he'd give them some names.
Then, Eduardo arrives in a seminar with a big crate that had a blanket over it. He took a seat next to Mark and showed him what was in the crate, A CHICKEN. Apparently, as part of his initiation into Pheonix, he had to carry around a live chicken with him wherever he went and keep it alive and healthy for a week. Suddenly, the chicken started making loud noises and everyone except the professor heard. Eduardo met a girl named Angie at a Pheonix cocktail party the night before. she had a friend named Monica, and Eduardo wanted to set her up with Mark, so they could go on a double-date, and Mark agreed.
Apparently, the girl for Mark had rejected him and he became furious. He started writing on his blog that he wanted to take the pictures from each houses facebook (at harvard, each house had a "facebook" with the pictures of each person that lived there, nothing like the facebook we have today), and compare all the girls to each other, and possibly farm animals, and have people vote on which was hotter. He then began hacking into the databases of all the houses at harvard and downloading all their pictures. The site would be called Facemash.com
Quote: "Maybe grinning as he downed the rest of his Beck's, he spelled out the introduction that would greet everyone who sent to the site when he finally lauched it:
Were we let in for our looks? No. Will we be judged on them? Yes.
Yes, it was going to be fucking beautiful" (Mezrich 49).
Reaction: My reaction to this quote is a little confused. I dont really understand how just because a girl rejected him, he goes crazy and starts hacking each houses "facebooks" and gathers up the idea to compare girls on a site. I already knew from having a facebook of my own that it was created by Mark Zuckerburg, but i never knew the story behind it, or what his initial intentions were. I thought he just randomly thought to create a social site where people from all over the world could communicate, but after reading about "facemash.com", it makes me view him differently, he was kind-of a jerk! I think he could get in a lot of trouble for hacking the facebook pages at harvard. It also makes me thing of the "Boston" pages on facebook, who also compare pictures of people on facebook and declare whos better look, or who's "fresh" or who has the "best body".. its disgusting!
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
A Walk to Remember: Work Cited Page for The New York Times review
Scott, A. O. "Movie Review - A Walk to Remember - FILM IN REVIEW; 'A Walk to Remember' - NYTimes.com." Movie Reviews, Showtimes and Trailers - Movies - New York Times - The New York Times. 23 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2011. <http://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9402E0DB163AF936A15752C0A9649C8B63>.
A Walk to Remember: Response to review
A Walk to Remember is one of my most favorite movies, and a lot of other girls my age think it's a really good movie, so I was surprised to read a review on the film that didn't really agree with me. The review was from The New York Times (online) and written by A. O. Scott. "I'm still not sure what I did wrong, but for some reason I was sentenced to spend 97 minutes in the wholesome purgatory that is ''A Walk to Remember.'' I wish I could say that the experience left me a better person, or that, in the favored idiom of studio publicity copy, it ''changed my life forever,'' but by the end I was tempted to go off in search of some industrial scaffolding and a shallow river of my own" (Scott). I feel like that comment he made was to get laughs out of people (well obviously), but in actuality he made himself look very immature. The movie wasn't supposed to "change your life forever", but instead to inspire you, or to simply entertain you.
"No indeed. One indication of Landon's reformation is that he tunes out Missy Elliott's naughty ''Get Ur Freak On'' in favor of Christian pop. The movie's deep message seems to be that bad music is good for you" (Scott). I semi-agree with this statement. The part in the movie when Landon turns off Missy Elliot to listen to Christian music WAS an indication that he was changing but it wasn't supposed to how that bad music is good for you. I understand that the review was from his opinion, but if the writer is supposed to be giving a GOOD review and going to be recommending or not recommending movies for people, he shouldn't have been so biased.
Half way through the review, i was shaking my head in disagreement at everything the writer was saying about the movie, clearly he had missed the beauty of it, the chemistry between the characters, the flowing plot, and the touching/heart-breaking moments. Then I decided to read the comments and I came across someone who basically took the words right out of my mouth. "When I first went and saw this film at my local movie theater the first night it was out in January of 2002, my first thoughts were like "Okay, I just wasted $6 on a not worth-a-sh*t movie, I'll proabably get up and leave about halfway through, and demand my money back." But as the film progressed, I began to realize "Hey, this is one of the best movies I have ever gone to see in my life"; in fact, never before, and only one other time, since, have I ever seen such a somber audience during such a film. That's what made this movie so special, because in some places, it will break your heart, such as when Jamie reveals that she has cancer (leukemia, more specifically), and when she goes Home to be with God at the end, leaving Landon by his lonesome. But it also leaves you breathless, because it makes you see that miracles really do exist" (ericebac24).
I completely agreed with that comment made by a reader. Yes, it is a really sappy love story, and for someone doesn't like that type of movie, then thats definitely not the movie for them. But for people who are open-minded, they might be able to see the beauty of it the way, the way it breaks your heart and puts it back together in the blink of an eye. As for the review, I completely disagree with it, but by looking at the comments made me reader, I see that i'm not alone :)
*work cited included in separate blog*
"No indeed. One indication of Landon's reformation is that he tunes out Missy Elliott's naughty ''Get Ur Freak On'' in favor of Christian pop. The movie's deep message seems to be that bad music is good for you" (Scott). I semi-agree with this statement. The part in the movie when Landon turns off Missy Elliot to listen to Christian music WAS an indication that he was changing but it wasn't supposed to how that bad music is good for you. I understand that the review was from his opinion, but if the writer is supposed to be giving a GOOD review and going to be recommending or not recommending movies for people, he shouldn't have been so biased.
Half way through the review, i was shaking my head in disagreement at everything the writer was saying about the movie, clearly he had missed the beauty of it, the chemistry between the characters, the flowing plot, and the touching/heart-breaking moments. Then I decided to read the comments and I came across someone who basically took the words right out of my mouth. "When I first went and saw this film at my local movie theater the first night it was out in January of 2002, my first thoughts were like "Okay, I just wasted $6 on a not worth-a-sh*t movie, I'll proabably get up and leave about halfway through, and demand my money back." But as the film progressed, I began to realize "Hey, this is one of the best movies I have ever gone to see in my life"; in fact, never before, and only one other time, since, have I ever seen such a somber audience during such a film. That's what made this movie so special, because in some places, it will break your heart, such as when Jamie reveals that she has cancer (leukemia, more specifically), and when she goes Home to be with God at the end, leaving Landon by his lonesome. But it also leaves you breathless, because it makes you see that miracles really do exist" (ericebac24).
I completely agreed with that comment made by a reader. Yes, it is a really sappy love story, and for someone doesn't like that type of movie, then thats definitely not the movie for them. But for people who are open-minded, they might be able to see the beauty of it the way, the way it breaks your heart and puts it back together in the blink of an eye. As for the review, I completely disagree with it, but by looking at the comments made me reader, I see that i'm not alone :)
*work cited included in separate blog*
A Walk to Remember: Film Response
When i first started watching the movie, i was immediately exciting because the film stars Mandy Moore and Shane West. I LOVE Mandy Moore, i think shes such a good actress, so i already had a feeling the movie was going to be really good. When the movie started, I began to realize that Landon and Jamie's names were still kept the same, but the names of Landon's friends were changed (nothing major though). The movie starts out with 3 cars driving into a junk yard, and the camera shoots this from a birds eye view. Landon and his friends all come out of their cars and they're waiting for a boy named Clay. Clay wanted to be a part of their "cool" crew, so that night he was going to have to pass the test. There's this really tall type of boardwalk that has a big mass of dirty water under it, and Clay had to make the dive. Landon tricked him by saying he was going to jump in with him, but when they counted down to three, Landon didnt jump. Clay belly flopped into the water and hit a pole that was in there. Landon climbed down the ladder and went in the water to save him, but by the time landon got in the water, a suspicious security guard was already calling for back up. Everyone left except for Landon, who couldnt leave in time. He was arrested by the police and got off with a slap on the wrist. As punishment by his principal, he had to participate in the school play (where he and Jamie started connecting). This whole part was not included in the book.
There were also other things that were different between the book and the novel. The play wasn't as big of a deal in the movie as it was in the film, Jamie's father was not involved in the play at all, although she did play the leading role, the play was not about her. A lot of the specific things that happened in the novel, like visiting the orphanage and Landon collecting jars didnt happen in the movie. But the overall plot of the story was kept.
I reaaaaaaaaallllyyy enjoyed the movie, but it wasn't as good as the book. I feel like with the book, you really got to understand there thoughts and watch them gradually fall in love with each other. Whereas in the movie, Landon falling in love with Jamie happened pretty quickly. I would definately recommend the novel and the movie to anyone, and also any novel by Nicholas Sparks, he's AMAZING!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
A Walk to Remember (pages 155-207)
Jamie had been acting weird lately, then Landon finally told her how he felt. He said "I Love you, Jamie" and Jamie began to cry. As he hugged her, Landon realized she was very thin, his arms went all the way around her, she had lost weight. She told him he couldnt be in love with her, because she was dying.
Jamie had Leukemia and everything became so clear. Landon understood why Jamie was the christmas angel in the play this year, why hegbert freted that he keep coming by the house, why she wanted christmas at the orphanage to be special this year, why she didn't think she'd go to college, why she gave him her bible.
Jamie was getting very sick, very fast. Landon felt in his heart that there was still something he needed to do. He read the bible daily with Jamie and his father even paid for the medical machines to be brought to jamies house, so she could spent her final days at home. Landon prayed for a miracle, for jamie to get better. Then Landon realized what he had to do, what his heart was longing to do, marry Jamie.
So Landon and Jamie had a nice wedding, it was short notice but almost everyone in town showed up. As weak as she was, Jamie was determined to walk down the aisle on her own, and so she did. With her father holding her arm, Jamie walked down the aisle to her teary groom. there wasnt a dry eye in that church! Jamie and Landon got married and he recalls it to be the best moment of his entire life.
Quote: " I was so in love with her, so deeply in love that i didn't care if she was sick. I didn't care that we wouldn't have long together. None of those things mattered to me. All i cared about was doing something that my heart had told me was the right thing to do. In my mind it was the first time God had ever spoken directly to me, and I knew with certainty that i wasnt going to disobey" (Sparks, 202).
Reaction: I really loved the ending of this novel. I feel like it didn't have a happy ending, but then again it did. It would've been great if, jamie and landon, complete opposites, fell in love, got married, and spent the whole rest of their lives together, but that wouldve been too predictable. It wouldve made A Walk to Remember just like all those other cliche romance novels out there. The fact that Jamie doesnt live, takes away from the "happily ever after" ending, but on the other hand, the fact that they both found love and we able to get married before she died, gives it that happy ending that warms people's hearts <3.
Jamie was getting very sick, very fast. Landon felt in his heart that there was still something he needed to do. He read the bible daily with Jamie and his father even paid for the medical machines to be brought to jamies house, so she could spent her final days at home. Landon prayed for a miracle, for jamie to get better. Then Landon realized what he had to do, what his heart was longing to do, marry Jamie.
So Landon and Jamie had a nice wedding, it was short notice but almost everyone in town showed up. As weak as she was, Jamie was determined to walk down the aisle on her own, and so she did. With her father holding her arm, Jamie walked down the aisle to her teary groom. there wasnt a dry eye in that church! Jamie and Landon got married and he recalls it to be the best moment of his entire life.
Quote: " I was so in love with her, so deeply in love that i didn't care if she was sick. I didn't care that we wouldn't have long together. None of those things mattered to me. All i cared about was doing something that my heart had told me was the right thing to do. In my mind it was the first time God had ever spoken directly to me, and I knew with certainty that i wasnt going to disobey" (Sparks, 202).
Reaction: I really loved the ending of this novel. I feel like it didn't have a happy ending, but then again it did. It would've been great if, jamie and landon, complete opposites, fell in love, got married, and spent the whole rest of their lives together, but that wouldve been too predictable. It wouldve made A Walk to Remember just like all those other cliche romance novels out there. The fact that Jamie doesnt live, takes away from the "happily ever after" ending, but on the other hand, the fact that they both found love and we able to get married before she died, gives it that happy ending that warms people's hearts <3.
Monday, January 24, 2011
A Walk to Remember (pages 103-155)
Summary: When i left off, Landon was walking Jamie home when all of a sudden, Eric and his girlfriend Margaret drove him. Landon says that Eric's the kind of friend that liked to stick it to him once in a while, do things that would embarass him. So they drove up, and Eric was being extremely nice, because around Jamie, EVERYONE was extremely nice. He didn't do anything really bad, but the fact the Landon didn't want people knowing he was walking Jamie home made him really mad. So, without any control, he flipped out on Jamie. He told her the only reason he was doing the play was because of her father, and that he didn't want to do it at all, and that he and Jamie aren't friends and that he doesn't even want to talk to her. After he said all those hurtful things, he began to feel really bad.
It was the day of the play and Landon wasn't nervous until he stepped on stage and actually seen how much people there were in the audience. Landon had a line, where Tom first sees the angel, and he's supposed to say "You're beautiful" and actually mean it. But having to say it to Jamie, wasn't really working out for him because he couldn't get himself to say it with actual meaning. But, when Jamie stepped out on the stage, everyone's jaw dropped. She had her hair down, a touch of makeup on, and a white flowing dress, she WAS beautiful. And Landon was able to nail the line. and everyone knew he meant it.
Landon had apologized to Jamie for the way he acted the day he walked her home and for the things he said. He told her he'd do anything to make it up to her. So, she asked him to collect the jars that she put in stores all over town to help raise money for the orphanage, so she could buy the children gifts for christmas. Landon agreed to do it, and he collected all of the jars. When he counted up the money, there was only $77. Landon felt extremely bad. Landon met with Jamie the next day so they could count the money together, and magically, there was almost $247. Jamie invited Landon to the orphanage so they could see the children open their gifts, Jamie had enough money to buy each kid a couple of special things. Then, Jamie gave Landon her bible. This was an very touching part of the novel, because Jamie's mother died, and the bible was the only thing she had left of her. She cherished the bible, and she gave it to Landon. Landon was overwhelmed, he couldn't believe she gave it to him, he even cried. He gave her a sweater, like the ones she always wore, and she seemed very appreciative of it. That night, he fell in love with Jamie Sullivan.
Landon invited her over for dinner on christmas and they began spending alot of time together. On new years eve he took her out on a date. He went to her father to ask him for permission, but he said no. So, Landon begged him and he could see that Landon really loved his daughter, so he allowed it. As Landon was walking away, he saw that Hegbert had his face in his hands, crying.
Quote: "'i'm sorry for those things i used to do when i was younger, and i'm sorry that i didnt always treat Jamie the way she should have been treated. But from now on, things will change. I promise you that.' He seemed to look right through me. It wasn't enough. 'I love her,' i said finally, and when i said it, his attention focused on me again" (Sparks, 154).
Reaction: This quote is from the part in the story when Landon goes to ask Hegbert if he can take Jamie to dinner. This is a very crucial moment because Landon knows that Jamie is not going to go against her father, so he NEEDS Hegbert's approval before he can do anything with Jamie, and so far he hasn't been getting it. I feel like this is where we see that Landon has completely matured. He stopped hanging around with his bad influencing friends and he's owning up to his mistakes and responsibilities. It almost has the essence of a bildungsroman :)
It was the day of the play and Landon wasn't nervous until he stepped on stage and actually seen how much people there were in the audience. Landon had a line, where Tom first sees the angel, and he's supposed to say "You're beautiful" and actually mean it. But having to say it to Jamie, wasn't really working out for him because he couldn't get himself to say it with actual meaning. But, when Jamie stepped out on the stage, everyone's jaw dropped. She had her hair down, a touch of makeup on, and a white flowing dress, she WAS beautiful. And Landon was able to nail the line. and everyone knew he meant it.
Landon had apologized to Jamie for the way he acted the day he walked her home and for the things he said. He told her he'd do anything to make it up to her. So, she asked him to collect the jars that she put in stores all over town to help raise money for the orphanage, so she could buy the children gifts for christmas. Landon agreed to do it, and he collected all of the jars. When he counted up the money, there was only $77. Landon felt extremely bad. Landon met with Jamie the next day so they could count the money together, and magically, there was almost $247. Jamie invited Landon to the orphanage so they could see the children open their gifts, Jamie had enough money to buy each kid a couple of special things. Then, Jamie gave Landon her bible. This was an very touching part of the novel, because Jamie's mother died, and the bible was the only thing she had left of her. She cherished the bible, and she gave it to Landon. Landon was overwhelmed, he couldn't believe she gave it to him, he even cried. He gave her a sweater, like the ones she always wore, and she seemed very appreciative of it. That night, he fell in love with Jamie Sullivan.
Landon invited her over for dinner on christmas and they began spending alot of time together. On new years eve he took her out on a date. He went to her father to ask him for permission, but he said no. So, Landon begged him and he could see that Landon really loved his daughter, so he allowed it. As Landon was walking away, he saw that Hegbert had his face in his hands, crying.
Quote: "'i'm sorry for those things i used to do when i was younger, and i'm sorry that i didnt always treat Jamie the way she should have been treated. But from now on, things will change. I promise you that.' He seemed to look right through me. It wasn't enough. 'I love her,' i said finally, and when i said it, his attention focused on me again" (Sparks, 154).
Reaction: This quote is from the part in the story when Landon goes to ask Hegbert if he can take Jamie to dinner. This is a very crucial moment because Landon knows that Jamie is not going to go against her father, so he NEEDS Hegbert's approval before he can do anything with Jamie, and so far he hasn't been getting it. I feel like this is where we see that Landon has completely matured. He stopped hanging around with his bad influencing friends and he's owning up to his mistakes and responsibilities. It almost has the essence of a bildungsroman :)
A Walk to Remember (pages 1-103)
Summary:
The main character, and narrator of the story is a boy named Landon Carter, who's seventeen years old. The setting is 1958 Beaufort, North Carolina. He lived in a town that was very religious and was centered around churches. His father was a congressman, so he lived a pretty well-off lifestyle. He wasn't insanely rich but he was wealthier than most. His father and the minister of the Southern Baptist Church, Hegbert Sullivan, had been long time rivals because Hegbert had worked for Landon's grandfather, who never payed his workers. Landon and his friends used to make fun of Hegbert, and shout "Hegbert's a fornicator" at him. Hegbert's wife went through six miscarriages before their daughter Jamie was born, and then she died. That became the plot for a play that the church put on every year, called A Christmas Angel, which was Hegbert's version of A Christmas Carole.
Jamie was basically known as the minister's daughter. She always walked around with a bible with her, a brown sweater on and a long plaid skirt. She was often made fun of by Landon and his friends, like Eric Hunter, who was the most popular guy in school. Jamie was a sweetheart, and all the adults adored her. She volunteered at an orphanage, donated to charity, helped out anyone she could, and took stray animals to the animal shelter.
Landon's father tells him its a good idea for him to run for student body president, because it would look good on his college applications. None of his competitors stood a chance and Eric had helped Landon get votes, so Landon ended up being president. Being the student body president, he had to attend the homecoming dance, which he didn't have a date for. He had gone steady with a girl named Angela Clark, but she dumped him for a guy named Lew. Landon was desperate for a date and everyone had rejected him or didnt want to go. So, he ended up asking Jamie to the dance, and she said she would under one condition - He had to promise he wouldn't fall in love with her...
The dance wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be, except Lew spiked the punch bowl and Angela was throwing up all over the place. Jamie and Landon helped get her home. A couple days later, Jamie asked Landon to stop by her house. Then, she had asked him to be Tom Thorton in the A Christmas Angel play that the town would be putting on. Jamie would be playing the angel, of course, because her father wrote the play about her, and she wanted Landon to be the main character. Landon couldn't turn her down, because she was so nice, plus there wasn't anyone else who could play the part, so he agreed to do it. People at school began making up rumors about Landon and Jamie, saying they were dating, and Landon's friends were making fun of him, because he was always spending time with her.
Landon then invited Jamie over his house for dinner and he began walker her home often, because her house was on the way to his. They even visited the orphanage together, where they asked the director if they could put on the play for the kids, but he said no because he felt like the play might make them sad. Its about a father who loses his wife and wants to find the perfect gift for his daughter and an angel comes down from heaven and helps him. The part about him losing his wife might've been too much for the orphans. Landon didnt know if he was falling for Jamie or if he was just doing this all out of pity.
Quote:"'id love to,' she said finally, 'on one condition.' I steadied myself, hoping it wasn't something too awful. 'yes?' 'you have to promise that you won't fall in love with me.' I knew she was kidding by the way she laughed, and i couldnt help but breathe a sigh of relief. Sometimes, I had to admit, Jamie had a pretty good sense of humor. I smiled and gave her my word" (Sparks, 38).
Reaction: this is my FAVORITE part of the entire story, only because i know what happens in the end. I think that this quote foreshadows what will happen in the future, and it makes you wonder. Will Landon fall in love with her? Why CANT he fall in love with her? And why doesn't she want him to? I just really love this quote, and in the end you definately think back to it, maybe its a warning....
The main character, and narrator of the story is a boy named Landon Carter, who's seventeen years old. The setting is 1958 Beaufort, North Carolina. He lived in a town that was very religious and was centered around churches. His father was a congressman, so he lived a pretty well-off lifestyle. He wasn't insanely rich but he was wealthier than most. His father and the minister of the Southern Baptist Church, Hegbert Sullivan, had been long time rivals because Hegbert had worked for Landon's grandfather, who never payed his workers. Landon and his friends used to make fun of Hegbert, and shout "Hegbert's a fornicator" at him. Hegbert's wife went through six miscarriages before their daughter Jamie was born, and then she died. That became the plot for a play that the church put on every year, called A Christmas Angel, which was Hegbert's version of A Christmas Carole.
Jamie was basically known as the minister's daughter. She always walked around with a bible with her, a brown sweater on and a long plaid skirt. She was often made fun of by Landon and his friends, like Eric Hunter, who was the most popular guy in school. Jamie was a sweetheart, and all the adults adored her. She volunteered at an orphanage, donated to charity, helped out anyone she could, and took stray animals to the animal shelter.
Landon's father tells him its a good idea for him to run for student body president, because it would look good on his college applications. None of his competitors stood a chance and Eric had helped Landon get votes, so Landon ended up being president. Being the student body president, he had to attend the homecoming dance, which he didn't have a date for. He had gone steady with a girl named Angela Clark, but she dumped him for a guy named Lew. Landon was desperate for a date and everyone had rejected him or didnt want to go. So, he ended up asking Jamie to the dance, and she said she would under one condition - He had to promise he wouldn't fall in love with her...
The dance wasn't as bad as he'd thought it would be, except Lew spiked the punch bowl and Angela was throwing up all over the place. Jamie and Landon helped get her home. A couple days later, Jamie asked Landon to stop by her house. Then, she had asked him to be Tom Thorton in the A Christmas Angel play that the town would be putting on. Jamie would be playing the angel, of course, because her father wrote the play about her, and she wanted Landon to be the main character. Landon couldn't turn her down, because she was so nice, plus there wasn't anyone else who could play the part, so he agreed to do it. People at school began making up rumors about Landon and Jamie, saying they were dating, and Landon's friends were making fun of him, because he was always spending time with her.
Landon then invited Jamie over his house for dinner and he began walker her home often, because her house was on the way to his. They even visited the orphanage together, where they asked the director if they could put on the play for the kids, but he said no because he felt like the play might make them sad. Its about a father who loses his wife and wants to find the perfect gift for his daughter and an angel comes down from heaven and helps him. The part about him losing his wife might've been too much for the orphans. Landon didnt know if he was falling for Jamie or if he was just doing this all out of pity.
Quote:"'id love to,' she said finally, 'on one condition.' I steadied myself, hoping it wasn't something too awful. 'yes?' 'you have to promise that you won't fall in love with me.' I knew she was kidding by the way she laughed, and i couldnt help but breathe a sigh of relief. Sometimes, I had to admit, Jamie had a pretty good sense of humor. I smiled and gave her my word" (Sparks, 38).
Reaction: this is my FAVORITE part of the entire story, only because i know what happens in the end. I think that this quote foreshadows what will happen in the future, and it makes you wonder. Will Landon fall in love with her? Why CANT he fall in love with her? And why doesn't she want him to? I just really love this quote, and in the end you definately think back to it, maybe its a warning....
Monday, December 20, 2010
Someone Like You (pages 245-281)
Summary:
So this was the end. Halley and Scarlett getting ready for prom. Scarlett wore a dress Cameron's mom hand sewn for her. He was her date. Halley was going to prom with Noah Vaughn, her ex boyfriend from 2 years ago, whose family was close with hers. Halley didn;t have a choice, she was forced to go with him by her parents. Noah was completely drunk before they even arrived at the prom, and he accidentallly ripped Halley's dress in the back. Halley ran into the bathroom and a girl helped her put it together using bobby pins. Elizabeth Gunderson and Macon were back to dating. She came into the bathroom to check up on herself when she told Halley that Macon still loves her. He doesnt admitt to it, but she knows he does. She asked Halley if she still loved Macon, and Halley said no.
While they were in the bathroom, Ginny Taylor ran in the bathroom and told them Scarlett went into labor. Halley rushed out the bathroom and guided her outside, Scarlett refused to be in an ambulance. Macon ended up giving them a ride to the hospital. While they were in the delivery room, halley had never seen scarlett in so much pain before. She couldn't take it. She had to get out. Scarlett shouted "dont leave me!" but halley ran out. She was so ashamed. And just when she felt like giving up, she saw her mom walking down the hallway. She told her she couldn't do it, it was all too much. But her mom told her scarlett needed her and she had to be there for her. Her mother gave her strength. She went in there with her mother and scarlett gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Grace Halley Thomas.
Quote:
"I watched my mother do what she did best, and realized there would never be a way to cut myself from her entirely. No matter how strong or weak I was, she was a part of me, as crucial as my own heart. I would never be strong enough, in all my life, to do without her" (Dessen 275)
Reaction:
This quote really touched me. I can relate to Halley so much, and that quote was one of the reason's why. Sure teens and their parents argue, and they dont always get along, but at the end of the day, they need to realize that their parents are their backbones. No one in this world is going to love them like their parents do, and even if they think they'll be better off without them, in the end they're going to need them. I loved the ending of this book because it showed how Halleys mother gave her strength when she was weak, how no matter what, her mom was going to be there for her. It was a very inspirational and touching ending.
So this was the end. Halley and Scarlett getting ready for prom. Scarlett wore a dress Cameron's mom hand sewn for her. He was her date. Halley was going to prom with Noah Vaughn, her ex boyfriend from 2 years ago, whose family was close with hers. Halley didn;t have a choice, she was forced to go with him by her parents. Noah was completely drunk before they even arrived at the prom, and he accidentallly ripped Halley's dress in the back. Halley ran into the bathroom and a girl helped her put it together using bobby pins. Elizabeth Gunderson and Macon were back to dating. She came into the bathroom to check up on herself when she told Halley that Macon still loves her. He doesnt admitt to it, but she knows he does. She asked Halley if she still loved Macon, and Halley said no.
While they were in the bathroom, Ginny Taylor ran in the bathroom and told them Scarlett went into labor. Halley rushed out the bathroom and guided her outside, Scarlett refused to be in an ambulance. Macon ended up giving them a ride to the hospital. While they were in the delivery room, halley had never seen scarlett in so much pain before. She couldn't take it. She had to get out. Scarlett shouted "dont leave me!" but halley ran out. She was so ashamed. And just when she felt like giving up, she saw her mom walking down the hallway. She told her she couldn't do it, it was all too much. But her mom told her scarlett needed her and she had to be there for her. Her mother gave her strength. She went in there with her mother and scarlett gave birth to a baby girl, whom she named Grace Halley Thomas.
Quote:
"I watched my mother do what she did best, and realized there would never be a way to cut myself from her entirely. No matter how strong or weak I was, she was a part of me, as crucial as my own heart. I would never be strong enough, in all my life, to do without her" (Dessen 275)
Reaction:
This quote really touched me. I can relate to Halley so much, and that quote was one of the reason's why. Sure teens and their parents argue, and they dont always get along, but at the end of the day, they need to realize that their parents are their backbones. No one in this world is going to love them like their parents do, and even if they think they'll be better off without them, in the end they're going to need them. I loved the ending of this book because it showed how Halleys mother gave her strength when she was weak, how no matter what, her mom was going to be there for her. It was a very inspirational and touching ending.
Monday, December 13, 2010
Someone Like You (Pages 170-245)
Summary: Halley's mother decided to take her out for lunch at a little restaurant. Her mother started talking to her about Macon, which led to an argument. Her mother tried to explained to her that she only wanted what was best for her but Halley refused to listen. Her mother always thought she knew everything. They left the restaurant in shame and began their long car ride in silence. When they walked into the house, their father was on the phone and had a worried look on his face. Something was wrong. Her mother later told her that her grandmother fell and she was badly hurt. This put all the arguments between her and her mother on hold. Her mother left to visit and take care of her grandmother and her father was busy with his radio show, so Halley was able to basically do whatever she wanted.
Halley and Macon were becoming more distant. Every time they did see each other, they ended up kissing and Macon would try to put his hand lower towards her waistband, but Halley always stopped him. Macon was getting frustrated and wondered why it was such a big deal to Halley. She felt pressured to do something with Macon in order to keep him. She wanted to show him that she was capable of hanging around with his crowd. So on new years, Macon invited Halley to a party. She began drinking A LOT and even used a bong to take a couple hits of weed. She was turning into someone completely different. Someone her own grandmother didn't even recognize. At the partying, she had already planned to lose her virginity to Macon, but when he tried to unbutton her pants, she stopped him. She told him she felt really sick from drinking but Macon didn't wanna hear it. He was still trying to convince her to do it but Halley couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the house and into the woods. Apparently she passed out and Macon carried her to the car. He was furious, and while they started arguing, he began to drive faster and faster, avoiding the red light he was approaching. The car crashed, Halley was injured. She had a sprained wrist, lacerations on her back, stitches to bind the cut by her eye and two bruised ribs. She finally realized what was happening to her and the results of her actions.
Quote: " 'Halley, you don't always know what's at stake, and I do'
'I will never learn,' I said to her slowly, 'until you let me' " (Dessen, 245).
Reaction: I really love this quote because I can relate to how Halley felt. Parents, including my own, always try to tell their kids whats best for them and they try to prevent them from making mistakes. Although their intentions are good, they need to realize that their kids are not going to learn if they dont let them. If they never give them the chance to make mistakes, they'll never have the chance to learn from them, and when the parents are gone, they wont know how to handle things because they won't have experiences to look back on.
Halley and Macon were becoming more distant. Every time they did see each other, they ended up kissing and Macon would try to put his hand lower towards her waistband, but Halley always stopped him. Macon was getting frustrated and wondered why it was such a big deal to Halley. She felt pressured to do something with Macon in order to keep him. She wanted to show him that she was capable of hanging around with his crowd. So on new years, Macon invited Halley to a party. She began drinking A LOT and even used a bong to take a couple hits of weed. She was turning into someone completely different. Someone her own grandmother didn't even recognize. At the partying, she had already planned to lose her virginity to Macon, but when he tried to unbutton her pants, she stopped him. She told him she felt really sick from drinking but Macon didn't wanna hear it. He was still trying to convince her to do it but Halley couldn't take it anymore. She ran out of the house and into the woods. Apparently she passed out and Macon carried her to the car. He was furious, and while they started arguing, he began to drive faster and faster, avoiding the red light he was approaching. The car crashed, Halley was injured. She had a sprained wrist, lacerations on her back, stitches to bind the cut by her eye and two bruised ribs. She finally realized what was happening to her and the results of her actions.
Quote: " 'Halley, you don't always know what's at stake, and I do'
'I will never learn,' I said to her slowly, 'until you let me' " (Dessen, 245).
Reaction: I really love this quote because I can relate to how Halley felt. Parents, including my own, always try to tell their kids whats best for them and they try to prevent them from making mistakes. Although their intentions are good, they need to realize that their kids are not going to learn if they dont let them. If they never give them the chance to make mistakes, they'll never have the chance to learn from them, and when the parents are gone, they wont know how to handle things because they won't have experiences to look back on.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Someone Like You (pages 120-170)
Summary:
Halley got grounded for sneaking around with Macon, but she was allowed to have a little fun on her birthday. She, her family, Scarlett, and the Vaughns (the family of Halley's ex boyfriend, who are close with her mom and dad). Afterwards, Macon stopped by and picked Halley up, she snuck out for her birthday. After all, she was entitled to have a little fun right? He drove her all the way to Topper Lake and they sat on the edge of a sort of dock. Halley couldn't really see anything because of how dark the night was. Then, out of nowhere, there was a big BOOM! A burst of light came out of nowhere and Halley saw the "DANGER DO NOT ENTER" signs. She realized she was sitting on a thin strip of concrete, looking over at the massive dam with roaring waters beneath her. She felt like she was falling in midair, it was beautiful.
At school, in art class, Halley went to the supply closet and the head cheerleader Elizabeth Gunderson approached her. She told Halley to watch out for Macon because he has a past of mistreating girls. She said he called used to talk to her friend Rachel and then never called her back. Halley just tried to brush it off. Then in the middle of class, Scarlett ran out of the room because she had to throw up. She and Halley THOUGHT they were alone in the bathroom, but sneaky Ginny Tabor was hiding in one of the stalls and overheard the whole conversation. She promised not to tell anyone but as soon as 3rd period ended, the whole school knew Scarlett was pregnant. Scarlett didn't really care and she made a new friend named Cameron who was from france.
Halley missed curfew again. She went over Macon's house, which he really doesnt spend much time at. He lived in a pent house and he never really talked about his mom or his family at all. Halley's mother and father were really upset about the fact that ever since Macon came around, Halley has been acting differently and misbehaving. They came to the conclusion that Halley can no longer see Macon anymore.
Quote:
"So i went, up to my room, my heart thumping. As I passed the mirror in the hallway I glanced at myself, at a girl with her hair tumbling over her shoulders, in a faded jeans jacket, lips red from kissing. I faced my reflection and committed this girl to memory: the girl who had risen out of that night at Topper Lake, the girl who belonged with Macon Faulkner, the girl who broke her mother's heart, never looking back. The girl I was" (Dessen 161)
Reaction:
This quote stuck out to me because I think that it shows Halley maturing, maybe not in the best way but she is maturing and growing up from the girl she used to be. That can be proof that this book is a bildungsroman. Also, this represents the life of a typical teenage girl growing up and giving to the temptations of what girls are doing around her and what is "cool".
Halley got grounded for sneaking around with Macon, but she was allowed to have a little fun on her birthday. She, her family, Scarlett, and the Vaughns (the family of Halley's ex boyfriend, who are close with her mom and dad). Afterwards, Macon stopped by and picked Halley up, she snuck out for her birthday. After all, she was entitled to have a little fun right? He drove her all the way to Topper Lake and they sat on the edge of a sort of dock. Halley couldn't really see anything because of how dark the night was. Then, out of nowhere, there was a big BOOM! A burst of light came out of nowhere and Halley saw the "DANGER DO NOT ENTER" signs. She realized she was sitting on a thin strip of concrete, looking over at the massive dam with roaring waters beneath her. She felt like she was falling in midair, it was beautiful.
At school, in art class, Halley went to the supply closet and the head cheerleader Elizabeth Gunderson approached her. She told Halley to watch out for Macon because he has a past of mistreating girls. She said he called used to talk to her friend Rachel and then never called her back. Halley just tried to brush it off. Then in the middle of class, Scarlett ran out of the room because she had to throw up. She and Halley THOUGHT they were alone in the bathroom, but sneaky Ginny Tabor was hiding in one of the stalls and overheard the whole conversation. She promised not to tell anyone but as soon as 3rd period ended, the whole school knew Scarlett was pregnant. Scarlett didn't really care and she made a new friend named Cameron who was from france.
Halley missed curfew again. She went over Macon's house, which he really doesnt spend much time at. He lived in a pent house and he never really talked about his mom or his family at all. Halley's mother and father were really upset about the fact that ever since Macon came around, Halley has been acting differently and misbehaving. They came to the conclusion that Halley can no longer see Macon anymore.
Quote:
"So i went, up to my room, my heart thumping. As I passed the mirror in the hallway I glanced at myself, at a girl with her hair tumbling over her shoulders, in a faded jeans jacket, lips red from kissing. I faced my reflection and committed this girl to memory: the girl who had risen out of that night at Topper Lake, the girl who belonged with Macon Faulkner, the girl who broke her mother's heart, never looking back. The girl I was" (Dessen 161)
Reaction:
This quote stuck out to me because I think that it shows Halley maturing, maybe not in the best way but she is maturing and growing up from the girl she used to be. That can be proof that this book is a bildungsroman. Also, this represents the life of a typical teenage girl growing up and giving to the temptations of what girls are doing around her and what is "cool".
Monday, November 29, 2010
Someone Like You (pages 60-120)
Summary:
Halley seems to have more feelings for Macon as the days go on. Everyday she looks forward to homeroom and P.E class just to see him. But whenever Halley talks to Scarlett about Macon, Scarlett always has a sad look on her face, maybe because it brings back memories of Michael. Halleys talk is the host of radio show that was now very popular in their town. One day he decided to tell an embarrassing story about a time when Halley was younger and she fell into a big mud puddle. Halley was so embarrassed and her mother told her father to leave Halley's life out of his show, even though she had written two books on she and Halley's relationship.
Macon had finally asked Halley out. He asked her to go to a party with him, and although Halley wasn't the type to party, she definately wasn't going to say no. She made Scarlett go with her. When they got to the party. there were tons of drunk kids smoking and hooking up and all kinds of things. She didn't see Macon there and eventually they left. When they got back, Macon was at her window and he told her how she stood him up, and she told him that he stood her up. Apparently Macon was upstairs (in the house party) with all the smokers, somewhere Halley didn't want to go.
Halley's dad made her mow the lawn, which was a difficult task because their lawn was very tricky. It has all kinds of obstacles that made it hard to mow. Macon stopped by and helped her mow the lawn, because he was a part of a group that mowed lawns in the neighborhood. That's when Halley's parents met Macon and Halley's dad already liked him because he mowed the lawn perfectly. Halley's mother, on the other hand, was a bit skeptical.
Scarlett and Halley were at the Zip Mart, a local market they both worked at. Scarlett called Halley to the bathroom and she revealed a pregnancy stick with the positive sign on it. All Halley could say was "no way!". Halley was in denial, and she told her those pregnancy tests were always wrong. But Scarlett told her uit was the 3rd one she's taken, a test cant be wrong three different times. Scarlett told Halley she and Michael had sex for the first time the day before he died. Scarlett told her mother about her being pregnant and her mother, Marion scheduled her an appoitment for the doctors the next day to get an abortion.
Scarlett went to her doctors appointment the next day and around 3rd period, Halley got called to the office. Her "mother" was on the phone, which was actually scarlett. she asked halley to pick her up from the clinic because she couldnt go through with it, she couldnt get an abortion. So hally and macon skipped 3rd period to pick up scarlett and after that they cruised around and hung out. When halley got home, she found out her mom had seen her near the mall during school hours and she was grounded for a month. her mom also called scarletts mom, who then found out that scarlett never went through with the abortion. She was keeping the baby.
Quote:
"I mean, of course its nice to have someone thats all yours, that uncondtional love, but with being a mother there are responsibilities: financial, emotional, physical. It will affect her education, her future, everything. Its not a smart decision to take all that on now." (Dessen 120)
Reaction: Halleys mother was telling this to halley and i couldn't agree more with what she was saying. I feel that by the author including that quote, she was speaking out to all the teenage girls who are reading the book and might be considering having a baby or who are pregnant and don't know whether to keep the baby or not. I think that this is something that really needs to be told to young girls because there are too many girls who are pregnant now and maybe if they had that kind of guidance, they wouldnt be making those decisions. Those girls dont think about the responsibilities of having a baby, they only think about how fun it will be to have a baby of their own and how cute they are, but all of that isn't as important as actually taking care of a child, having someone's life depend on you.
Halley seems to have more feelings for Macon as the days go on. Everyday she looks forward to homeroom and P.E class just to see him. But whenever Halley talks to Scarlett about Macon, Scarlett always has a sad look on her face, maybe because it brings back memories of Michael. Halleys talk is the host of radio show that was now very popular in their town. One day he decided to tell an embarrassing story about a time when Halley was younger and she fell into a big mud puddle. Halley was so embarrassed and her mother told her father to leave Halley's life out of his show, even though she had written two books on she and Halley's relationship.
Macon had finally asked Halley out. He asked her to go to a party with him, and although Halley wasn't the type to party, she definately wasn't going to say no. She made Scarlett go with her. When they got to the party. there were tons of drunk kids smoking and hooking up and all kinds of things. She didn't see Macon there and eventually they left. When they got back, Macon was at her window and he told her how she stood him up, and she told him that he stood her up. Apparently Macon was upstairs (in the house party) with all the smokers, somewhere Halley didn't want to go.
Halley's dad made her mow the lawn, which was a difficult task because their lawn was very tricky. It has all kinds of obstacles that made it hard to mow. Macon stopped by and helped her mow the lawn, because he was a part of a group that mowed lawns in the neighborhood. That's when Halley's parents met Macon and Halley's dad already liked him because he mowed the lawn perfectly. Halley's mother, on the other hand, was a bit skeptical.
Scarlett and Halley were at the Zip Mart, a local market they both worked at. Scarlett called Halley to the bathroom and she revealed a pregnancy stick with the positive sign on it. All Halley could say was "no way!". Halley was in denial, and she told her those pregnancy tests were always wrong. But Scarlett told her uit was the 3rd one she's taken, a test cant be wrong three different times. Scarlett told Halley she and Michael had sex for the first time the day before he died. Scarlett told her mother about her being pregnant and her mother, Marion scheduled her an appoitment for the doctors the next day to get an abortion.
Scarlett went to her doctors appointment the next day and around 3rd period, Halley got called to the office. Her "mother" was on the phone, which was actually scarlett. she asked halley to pick her up from the clinic because she couldnt go through with it, she couldnt get an abortion. So hally and macon skipped 3rd period to pick up scarlett and after that they cruised around and hung out. When halley got home, she found out her mom had seen her near the mall during school hours and she was grounded for a month. her mom also called scarletts mom, who then found out that scarlett never went through with the abortion. She was keeping the baby.
Quote:
"I mean, of course its nice to have someone thats all yours, that uncondtional love, but with being a mother there are responsibilities: financial, emotional, physical. It will affect her education, her future, everything. Its not a smart decision to take all that on now." (Dessen 120)
Reaction: Halleys mother was telling this to halley and i couldn't agree more with what she was saying. I feel that by the author including that quote, she was speaking out to all the teenage girls who are reading the book and might be considering having a baby or who are pregnant and don't know whether to keep the baby or not. I think that this is something that really needs to be told to young girls because there are too many girls who are pregnant now and maybe if they had that kind of guidance, they wouldnt be making those decisions. Those girls dont think about the responsibilities of having a baby, they only think about how fun it will be to have a baby of their own and how cute they are, but all of that isn't as important as actually taking care of a child, having someone's life depend on you.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Someone Like You (Pgs 1-60)
Summary:
It all began with the main character Halley at "Sisterhood Camp", when she got a phone call from her best friend Scarlett at two in the morning. Michael Sherwood, Scarlett's boyfriend, had died in a motorcycle accident. Scarlett was always the strong one, the one who Halley depended on, but now it was the other way arouund. She asked Hally to come home, she needed her. Hally called her mother who was a therapist and asked her to pick her up. Halley says that she and her mother have always had a close relationship, like bestfriends. And most of her mom's books (her mother writes novel about coping witha teenage daughter) are about how good of a relationship they have. But ever since summer started, their relationship was going downhill.
Hally's mother picked her up from the camp the next day. When she got home, she went straight to scarlett's house. Scarlett had streaks of tears coming down her face, she looked like she had been crying all day. Halley then flashed back to a time, earlier in the summer, when she, scarlett, and a girl named Ginny (who was famous for "getting around" with the players on the football team) would hang out everyday. That summer is when Halley started growing up. She had smoked her first cigarette (apparently all the kids where they live do it) and she hung around the pool with boys a lot and drank alcohol.
One of Michael's friends, Macon, was over scarlett's house, passed out on the bed. Apparently he wasn't taking michael's death very well. At the funeral, it was pooring down raining and when they asked him if he wanted a ride, he declined, and it was clear by his face that he had been crying. School started and on the first day of school, Halley had a real conversation with Macon. They have gym together, which she looks forward to everyday, and she's starting to like him.
Quote: "but this was the New Me, someone I was evolving into with every hot and humid long summer day. I learned to smoke cigarettes, drank my first beer, got a deep tan, and double-pierced my ears as I began to drift, almost imperceptibly at first, from my mother" (Dessen 18).
Reaction: This quote really stuck out to me because I can relate to what Halley was saying. I haven't done the things she talks about, but i see it happening around me A LOT with teen girls. When they're "growing up" they start to do things (usually bad) that they think everyone else is doing, like smoking and drinking. And alot of the times, when girls are in their teenage years, they start to become less close with their mothers. Also I thought it was interesting how, within the 1st chapter, the character already reveals that she is evolving and maturing and growing up.
It all began with the main character Halley at "Sisterhood Camp", when she got a phone call from her best friend Scarlett at two in the morning. Michael Sherwood, Scarlett's boyfriend, had died in a motorcycle accident. Scarlett was always the strong one, the one who Halley depended on, but now it was the other way arouund. She asked Hally to come home, she needed her. Hally called her mother who was a therapist and asked her to pick her up. Halley says that she and her mother have always had a close relationship, like bestfriends. And most of her mom's books (her mother writes novel about coping witha teenage daughter) are about how good of a relationship they have. But ever since summer started, their relationship was going downhill.
Hally's mother picked her up from the camp the next day. When she got home, she went straight to scarlett's house. Scarlett had streaks of tears coming down her face, she looked like she had been crying all day. Halley then flashed back to a time, earlier in the summer, when she, scarlett, and a girl named Ginny (who was famous for "getting around" with the players on the football team) would hang out everyday. That summer is when Halley started growing up. She had smoked her first cigarette (apparently all the kids where they live do it) and she hung around the pool with boys a lot and drank alcohol.
One of Michael's friends, Macon, was over scarlett's house, passed out on the bed. Apparently he wasn't taking michael's death very well. At the funeral, it was pooring down raining and when they asked him if he wanted a ride, he declined, and it was clear by his face that he had been crying. School started and on the first day of school, Halley had a real conversation with Macon. They have gym together, which she looks forward to everyday, and she's starting to like him.
Quote: "but this was the New Me, someone I was evolving into with every hot and humid long summer day. I learned to smoke cigarettes, drank my first beer, got a deep tan, and double-pierced my ears as I began to drift, almost imperceptibly at first, from my mother" (Dessen 18).
Reaction: This quote really stuck out to me because I can relate to what Halley was saying. I haven't done the things she talks about, but i see it happening around me A LOT with teen girls. When they're "growing up" they start to do things (usually bad) that they think everyone else is doing, like smoking and drinking. And alot of the times, when girls are in their teenage years, they start to become less close with their mothers. Also I thought it was interesting how, within the 1st chapter, the character already reveals that she is evolving and maturing and growing up.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Miles To Go (Pages 243-279)
Summary:
Miley talks about how, for her sweet sixteen party, she rented out Disney World and anyone who wanted to come, could come. They just had to pay. She only charged them to get in because all the money they made was donated to a good cause, which I think was the most selfless thing she could do for her birthday. Then she talked about promoting her book, and how each one of her fans could take away something special from the book. Whether it was Miley being bullied, the break-ups she went through, or losing a loved one, there's something in the book for everyone to relate to. She ended the novel by saying how grateful she was for everything that happened to her and that she's still taking things a step at a time and learning and growing each day. Also that, even though she already has, she was afraid of growing up and taking responsibilites but just like any other normal kid, growing up is inevitable. It's all part of coming of age.
Quote:
"In the original afterword, I wrote that I was scared to grow up. But I think I might have already done it- without even knowing. I mean, not totally. Like I said, I do still have miles to go. But the experiences of the past year have pushed me forward in ways I'd never have imagined. I sat on a beach and came to grips with letting go. I opened my heart and fell in love again. I lost love but gained friendship. I traveled to new countries and went back home to familiar places. And, you'd be proud to know, I learned to do my laundry!" (Cyrus, 279)
Reaction: When reading this quote, I realized how connected I felt with Miley after reading the whole book. I knew about her from watching her movies and tv shows, but I never knew the real her. I noticed that we have a lot in common and that with every page, I felt more and more connected to her. All the things she went through, it's what everyone has to go through. And to know that this girl, a superstar, its going through the same problems as me and everyone else, it's very comforting. Plus I still don't know how to do my own laundry! :)
Miley talks about how, for her sweet sixteen party, she rented out Disney World and anyone who wanted to come, could come. They just had to pay. She only charged them to get in because all the money they made was donated to a good cause, which I think was the most selfless thing she could do for her birthday. Then she talked about promoting her book, and how each one of her fans could take away something special from the book. Whether it was Miley being bullied, the break-ups she went through, or losing a loved one, there's something in the book for everyone to relate to. She ended the novel by saying how grateful she was for everything that happened to her and that she's still taking things a step at a time and learning and growing each day. Also that, even though she already has, she was afraid of growing up and taking responsibilites but just like any other normal kid, growing up is inevitable. It's all part of coming of age.
Quote:
"In the original afterword, I wrote that I was scared to grow up. But I think I might have already done it- without even knowing. I mean, not totally. Like I said, I do still have miles to go. But the experiences of the past year have pushed me forward in ways I'd never have imagined. I sat on a beach and came to grips with letting go. I opened my heart and fell in love again. I lost love but gained friendship. I traveled to new countries and went back home to familiar places. And, you'd be proud to know, I learned to do my laundry!" (Cyrus, 279)
Reaction: When reading this quote, I realized how connected I felt with Miley after reading the whole book. I knew about her from watching her movies and tv shows, but I never knew the real her. I noticed that we have a lot in common and that with every page, I felt more and more connected to her. All the things she went through, it's what everyone has to go through. And to know that this girl, a superstar, its going through the same problems as me and everyone else, it's very comforting. Plus I still don't know how to do my own laundry! :)
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Miles To Go (Pages 185-243)
Summary:
Miley begins with talking about her experiences going on the Best of Both Worlds tour. It was her very first tour where she would be performing as Hannah Montana (the character she plays on tv) and herself, Miley Cyrus. She was super excited or that, it would be the first time she performed songs that actually meant something to her, other than the songs that were about her character's double-life on tv. There was a part during the performance where 4 big strong guys had to lift her up, and kind-of throw her in the air. Well, one time they threw her a little too hard, so she came down really hard and she fell right through their hands. YES, she fell! Can you believe that?! Can you imagaine how embarrassing that must've been? Falling in front of between 10,000 and 20,000 people? I would've just ran off the stage, but she went on with the show.
Then she moved on to a more relatable subject: breaking up. She broke up with her "Prince Charming" and she was really depressed and hurt. He was like her first boyfriend and she was in love with him. She says that because of the break up, that seemed to be the only thing she could write about for her songs. So, a lot of the songs on her album were about that, like the song "7 things I hate about you".
Then she switched back to a serious topic that I brought up earlier, the little girl named Vanessa that was in the hospital with cancer. Miley had gone to visit her a while ago and after that, she was so busy with going on tour and promoting her album and book that she didn't get to go back and visit. Vanessa died and that really made Miley sad. That was the first time she had ever lost a friend, and I think it was very special for her to include that, because unfortunately a lot of people can relate to losing a loved one.
Then, Miley talks about her bond with her best friend Mandy and she goes into a little more detail about their friendship. Miley then talks about filming The Hannah Montana Movie, which was the first movie she starred in and the setting was back in her hometown Tennessee, which was very comforting for her. She also talked about filming the other movie she starred in, The Last Song, which was the movie to a book written by Nicolas Sparks.
She briefly touched on: promoting her show, movie, and book, a bonding moment with Emily Osment, she and her father's relationship, and questions she gets asked a lot.
Quote:
"As I start doing more grown-up, dramatic projects, I want to stick with that I believe and what makes sense for a girl my age. I want to be a good role model. That's why I signed on to work with the writer Nicholas Sparks. His books and movies show strong morals, and loving, hard relationships. I can do meaningful work- without compromising my values"
Reaction:
I really liked what she said in that quote. It stuck out to me because she sounded very mature. Despite what people think about her, she's just a teenager and shes learning from her mistakes. But people need to take into account that she does think about her actions and how they will represent her and the fact that she IS, whether she likes it or not, a role model to kids, so she doesnt want to compromise her values when she's doing certain projects.
Miley begins with talking about her experiences going on the Best of Both Worlds tour. It was her very first tour where she would be performing as Hannah Montana (the character she plays on tv) and herself, Miley Cyrus. She was super excited or that, it would be the first time she performed songs that actually meant something to her, other than the songs that were about her character's double-life on tv. There was a part during the performance where 4 big strong guys had to lift her up, and kind-of throw her in the air. Well, one time they threw her a little too hard, so she came down really hard and she fell right through their hands. YES, she fell! Can you believe that?! Can you imagaine how embarrassing that must've been? Falling in front of between 10,000 and 20,000 people? I would've just ran off the stage, but she went on with the show.
Then she moved on to a more relatable subject: breaking up. She broke up with her "Prince Charming" and she was really depressed and hurt. He was like her first boyfriend and she was in love with him. She says that because of the break up, that seemed to be the only thing she could write about for her songs. So, a lot of the songs on her album were about that, like the song "7 things I hate about you".
Then she switched back to a serious topic that I brought up earlier, the little girl named Vanessa that was in the hospital with cancer. Miley had gone to visit her a while ago and after that, she was so busy with going on tour and promoting her album and book that she didn't get to go back and visit. Vanessa died and that really made Miley sad. That was the first time she had ever lost a friend, and I think it was very special for her to include that, because unfortunately a lot of people can relate to losing a loved one.
Then, Miley talks about her bond with her best friend Mandy and she goes into a little more detail about their friendship. Miley then talks about filming The Hannah Montana Movie, which was the first movie she starred in and the setting was back in her hometown Tennessee, which was very comforting for her. She also talked about filming the other movie she starred in, The Last Song, which was the movie to a book written by Nicolas Sparks.
She briefly touched on: promoting her show, movie, and book, a bonding moment with Emily Osment, she and her father's relationship, and questions she gets asked a lot.
Quote:
"As I start doing more grown-up, dramatic projects, I want to stick with that I believe and what makes sense for a girl my age. I want to be a good role model. That's why I signed on to work with the writer Nicholas Sparks. His books and movies show strong morals, and loving, hard relationships. I can do meaningful work- without compromising my values"
Reaction:
I really liked what she said in that quote. It stuck out to me because she sounded very mature. Despite what people think about her, she's just a teenager and shes learning from her mistakes. But people need to take into account that she does think about her actions and how they will represent her and the fact that she IS, whether she likes it or not, a role model to kids, so she doesnt want to compromise her values when she's doing certain projects.
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