humanities: March 2008

Friday, March 28, 2008

Book Report SPRING BREAK EDITION - To Kill A Mockingbird

Lee, Harper. To Kill A Mockingbird. New York, NY. HarperCollins Books: 1999.

I chose this book because I realized I have never read it (for some reason every class I was in never read it) and it is probably one of the most referenced, appreciated, classic book in literature. So, I picked it up to see what the hype was about. It takes place in the 1930's in a town called Maycomb, Alabama.

The story is narrated by a six year old girl who goes by the name Scout, who lives with her older brother Jem and her father Atticus. The kids and their friend Dill are fascinated by a neighbor man named Boo Radley, who is never seen anymore. They talk about rumors that describe how he might look and why he is hiding. The kids start to discover small gifts being left in a hole in a tree outside of the Radley house for them. Atticus, who is a lawyer, agrees to defend a black man named Tom Robinson who is accused of raping a white woman named Mayella Ewell. This is subject to much controversy from the townspeople. The time for the trial comes along and Atticus doesn't want the children to watch it, so the kids sneak in and watch from a balcony where the "colored folk" sit. As the trial goes on, Atticus questions Bob Ewell, the town drunk and father of Mayella. Ewell says how he came from the woods on the day of the "rape" and heard his daughter scream and looked in the window of the house and saw his daughter being raped by Tom Robinson. Afterwards Atticus tells him to write his name to prove he is left-handed (because bruises on the right side of Mayella's face (supposedly from Tom Robinson) were most likely from a person hitting her with their left hand). Mayella testifies after her father and says she called Tom inside the house to do some chores for her, and then he preceded to take advantage of her. Atticus cross examines her with great questions, one asking how Tom could have committed the crime if his left hand is ruined from an accident with a cotton gin from childhood. When the prosecution rests, Atticus calls Tom to the stand and asks him his side of the story. He says when he was passing by the Ewell home, like he does every day, Mayella called him in. He did some chores and one of them involved him getting on top of a chair to get a box down from on top of a dresser. While he stood, Mayella grabbed his legs, startling him enough for him to jump down. She wrapped her arms around his waist and told him to kiss her and Bob caught her through the window, called her a whore and even threatened to kill her. Tom then ran away. Mr. Gilmer, the prosecutor, cross examines him and badgers him. The kids leave the courtroom for a bit and return when Atticus is imploring the jury to see Tom as not guilty. Atticus sends them home afterwards. Tom is convicted and later he is shot and killed trying to escape from prison. Bob Ewell makes threats to Atticus for making him look like a fool. Jem is sad about how unjst it is and Scout even asks him how her third grade teacher, when she lectures on how horrible Hitler was and how important equality is, could preach about equality when she said racist things when she exited the courtroom on the day of the trial. Ewell causes mischeif around town with the people involved with the trial and on Halloween night, he attempts to kill Jem and Scout when they are returning home from a school play. In the dark of the night the struggle ensues and Jem gets his arm broken and knocked unconcious. The fighting is stopped and after a few moments Scout who is unharmed sees a man in the light of the streetlight carrying Jem towards their house. When they get home Atticus calls the sheriff while Aunt Alexandra calls a doctor. They both arrive and the sheriff says Bob Ewell is dead with a knife in him under a tree. Scout tells everyone what happened and realizes the man that carried Jem is Boo Radley. The sheriff decides to call Ewell's death an accident even though every one knows Boo Radley did it to protect the kids because Tom Robinson died for no reason and Ewell was responsible and he also says that Boo doesn't need to be bothered by all of the townsfolk. Scout and Boo say good night to Jem and Scout walks Boo home. She goes back to her home and Atticus reads to her until she falls asleep.

Boo Radley is a reclusive man is involved in the story in a strange way. The rumors about him fuel the imgatinations of the kids at the beginning of the story and then it seems as though he isn't going to be talked about again. But then randomly he is the one to save the kids from being killed. He sort of adds another message to the main "equality is hard to find but very valuable" message that you get from the story. The message I think Boo adds is just simply something along the lines of "prejudice is bad." Simple, but powerful nonetheless.

I liked the novel. It delivers a good message and is realistic when it shows the reactions of children in the face of the injustice that went on. This makes the message even more powerful. And the fact that it was released in 1960 makes me have much respect for it because that was another time when people needed a lesson on equality.

I have never heard of Harper Lee before this book so I have not a clue what she has written before. I didn't even know she was a woman until I read the sleeve. It doesn't look like I'll be reading another book by her but I do see why this one is such a classic now.

Friday, March 7, 2008

Current Event

Title: Home-schooling ruling could affect thousands
Date: 3/7/08
Author:Maureen Magee
Source: The Union Tribune
Summary: According to a recent court ruling, it is now illegal in California for parents to home-school their children without cridentials. The number of home-schooled kids in California alone ranges from 100,000 to 200,000.
Reaction: It's hard to have a strong opinion on this just because I have never been home-schooled so I don't know the benefits first-hand, but I really don't think it should be illegal. It should be left up to the parent and the student whether or no they want to be home-schooled. And besides, if it's illegal, people are going to do it anyways. The only difference now is that it will be an underground thing. And, some kids actually do better in home-schooling than regualr schooling and feel more comfortable and learn more.

Thursday, March 6, 2008

Book Report WAR PROJECT EDITION - A Farewell to Arms

Hemmingway, Ernest. A Farewell to Arms. New York, NY. Scribner Paperback Fiction: 1995.

I read this book because first of all, I needed a non-fiction novel about World War I, and secondly, my mom said Hemming way is really good. I would call it historical fiction/romance I guess.

The book starts off in Italy during a summer in World War I. The main character and narrator, Henry, is an American lieutenant and he meets a British nurse named Catherine at a British hospital through his friend. They get close and Catherine asks Henry if he loves her, and he lies and says yes. Henry gets a wounded leg in battle and a doctor treats him before he is taken to the hospital. The doctors send him by train to a hospital in Milan where he will get better treatment but the night before a couple friends visit him. They let him know America has just declared war on Germany and Catherine will be serving at the hospital in Milan. When Catherine visits, Henry realizes he really is in love with her and they make love. They spend a lot of time with each other in Milan and they get acquainted with people in the town and go to things like horse races. The allied forces are not doing well and Henry's leg heals and gets three weeks of leave before he must return to battle. Catherine tells him she is 3 months pregnant. Henry gets sick and the hospital superintendent, Miss Van Campen finds empty liquor bottles under his bed and accuses him of purposefully making himself ill to avoid battle. She files a report that takes away his 3 weeks of leave and he is sent to battle again in the Bainsizza mountains. The Italian army is forced to retreat from the bombardment they recieve. Henry and his men separate from the large group and take a smaller road, before their car gets stuck in the mud, forcing them to continue on foot. On a bridge, they see German troops on a nearby bridge and are terrified. They hide in an abandoned farmhouse until nighttime, when they set out again and come across a large group of Italian troops being separated from each other by Battle Police. The Battle Police are singling out officers and interrogating them about how they are treacherous and were the reasons for the defeat. A nearby lieutenant colonelis questioned and then shot to death. Henry ecapes and jumps in the river, and avoids getting shot. After floating for a while he gets out and hops on a train. After he gets off in Milan, he goes to the hospital to find Catherine is in another city, Stresa. Henry finds her hotel and they are happy to see each other. They agree it would be nice to go to Switzerland and they go to bed. The next night the bartender warns Henry of military police coming to arrest him, and he sends Henry and Catherine with his row-boat to Switzerland on the river. After being caught by customs guards, they are taken to get visas to stay in Switzerland and stay in a hotel. The couple are moved in to a nice wooden house where they live a peaceful and romantic life for a while. In March, to be closer to a hospital, the couple moves and Catherine eventually goes into labor. She needs to have a C-Section. Afterwards, when he sees the doctor coem out with the baby, he rushes past them and talks to Catherine and tells her the baby is fine. The nurse takes him outside of the room and tells him the baby is dead because he was strangled by the umbilical cord. Henry gets dinner and returns to have the nurse tell him Catherine is hemmorraging. He is terrified and Catherine tells him she is going to die. Henry stays with her until she dies and tries to say good bye to her, but he finds it is like sayin bye to a statue. He then walks to his hotel in the rain.

Henry is interesting to me just because he is so ordinary. He wasn't some crazy hero or extra golden-hearted guy or anything and I think this makes him more appealing to me because i can relate to him a lot easier. At one point where a friend calls him a war hero, he even denies it and explains hy he isn't.

Honestly, I thought the book was kind of boring at times. Actually, it was really boring at times. But the action packed and romantic parts make up for the boring parts so overall I did like the book. It was fun to see how in love the two main characters are (yes, I'm touched by that kind of stuff) and te ending really evokes emotion from the reader.

When Henry escaped the Battle Police, I realized I would have done the same thing. Why should someone get accused of "treachery" just because they were forced to retreat from a violent battle that they couldn't have won anyway?

This was my first book from this author. I know Hemmingway wrote other classic books, like For Whom the Bell Tolls and the Old Man by the Sea and I think I will read them. I have no idea what they are about, but I think I like this author so I'll check them out sometime.