Ironic Opposites

Author's Note - a response to the novel The Power and the Glory
In the novel The Power and the Glory by Graham Greene the priest who is being hunted by the government is portrayed as the opposite of what a priest is supposed to be. Many call him a "whiskey priest," because of how much and how often he drinks alcohol. Normal priests live by the rule that they are not allowed to drink an excess amount, because if people see them drinking they could believe that it is okay and lead these people off course. Priests are people who are meant to guide people away from sin, not straight towards it. Another ironic aspect of the priest's life would be that he has a daughter, a family. When men decide to become priests, they essentially give up being able to have a family or get married. The whiskey priest goes against all rules and has this daughter, who doesn't even seem to like him. Graham Greene uses him as an ironic symbol of how sometimes the people in life we believe are good and pure are the complete opposite.

All Alone

Author's Note: this is a poem about when the main character Novalee in Where the Heart Is is left by her boyfriend at a Wal-Mart

Left all alone
With no way to get home
Out on your own
In a strange new place
Scared and confused
Wondering what to do

Wandering the streets
Unsure of what comes next
Searching for someone
Searching for anyone

Along comes help
A family, a home
People who are there for you
Through the good and the bad

Thinking about the times
When you used to be on your own
Remembering the day
When you found a home
And didn't feel all alone

The Number Seven

Author's Note: this is a response to the novel Where the Heart Is

In the novel Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts, the main character Novalee Nation is extremely superstitious about the number seven. The young girl had a bad history with the number, starting with her seventh birthday--the day when her mom ran away with a baseball umpire. In 7th grade, Novalee's only friend stole an ice cream truck and was sent away to a state school for girls. Then, after she had dropped out of school she began waitressing at a diner, and one night a regular customer went crazy. Novalee had tried to calm her down, but the woman stabbed her with a steak knife, and it took seventy-seven stitches to close up the wound on her arm.

The fact that sevens were unlucky for Novalee seems quite strange, because they are usually lucky for others and are used as good symbols in several instances. For example, in the bible, when God was creating the world, he rested on the seventh day because his work of creation was complete, entire, and perfect. Therefore the seventh day of the week, Sunday or the Sabbath, is a day of rest and peace. There are also several other occasions in the bible where patterns of sevens have been mentioned. The idea that the number is inauspicious for Novalee is very ironic, because of their normally fortunate implication.

Life of Pi Essay

You can read my Life of Pi Summative Essay here:
http://alexjessays.blogspot.com/2010/03/life-of-pi-essay.html

Exploring Religions

Author's Note: this is a response to the novel Life of Pi

In the novel Life of Pi, Pi Patel becomes involved in several religions. Each religion and its beliefs are fascinating to him. His fascination lead to Pi becoming a regular Christian, Muslim, and Hindu. "At the rate you're going, if you go to the temple on Thursday; mosque on Friday, synagogue on Satuday, and church on Sunday, you only need to convert to three more religions to be on holiday for the rest of your life." (70) Pi hides the fact that he has been practicing all of these religions from his parents, but they learn the truth when they run into the three wise men. "Piscine's piety is admirable. In these troubled times it's good to see a boy so keen on God. We all agree on that. But he can't be a Hindu, a Christian and a Muslim. It's impossible. He must choose." (69) The young boy is upset that he has to chose between the religions, all of which he has come to love. People should be able to practice any religion they wish, and have many beliefs if they chose. If we can have the freedom of religion in America, why can't Pi?

Fahrenheit 451 Project

My project is supposed to be a newspaper article, but when I uploaded it the header messed everything up so I had to go back and take it out. But at the top it's supposed to say "The Washington Press" and under that the title of the article should be "Technology's Effect On Our Community"

Suppose the local community organization realized that people have stopped showing up for community events and more and more people have been staying at home with their TV's and computers. No one is going to concerts, art shows, and they have come to you (a newspaper reporter), asking you to make an appeal to the people that to be a community we need to get more out there and not just be at home 24/7.

Fahrenheit 451 Project

In the novel Fahrenheit 451, everyone is obsessed with their TVs, as well as in my article. Guy Montag lives in a world where so many people around him are constantly with their wall-sized televisions, interacting with them as if they were real. He breaks free from that group of people, not afraid to be different from everyone else.

Fahrenheit 451

Author's Note: this is a response to the novel Fahrenheit 451

In the novel Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag lives in a world that is completely flipped upside down from the world we live in. Montag's boss seems to believe that burning everything bad, anything that may get an idea in their head, can solve all problems. "Ten minutes after death a man's a speck of black dust. Let's not quibble over individuals with memoriums. Forget them. Burn all, burn everything. Fire is bright and fire is clean." (60) Their government wants no one to have their own thoughts, and everyone under their control. They believe if one person gets an idea in their head, many more could as well, and their whole government would come crashing down.

While in Guy's world free thought is a horrible thing, it is something that is encouraged in ours. We have the freedom of speech, and the freedom of press. For us, anyone is allowed to say or write what they believe. Books are treasured by many, and millions are published each day. In the ironic world in Fahrenheit 451, books are banned unless distributed by the government. People found with books are punished, and many have their homes burned down along as well. As the novel progresses, Montag begins to become like the people he punishes for a living, and he starts to wonder if what his government does is right or not.