Journal #2 - Story That Teaches Manners

Pavel the Giraffe Throws a Party!

-A Sequel to "How the Giraffe Got Its Long Neck"-

It had been only a few weeks since the giraffes of the savannah were changed for the better. The additional length to their necks made it easier for the once short creatures to reach the tastiest leaves of the trees.

Being the first long-necked giraffe in existance, Pavel's neck still lingered above the rest of his herd's heads. Until his death, his neck would serve as a reminder to everyone that he was the giraffe who made a difference.

Overcome with joy at his herd's transformation, Pavel wanted to a throw a party for everyone. He gathered the sweetest, most flavor-filled leaves of the tallest trees and tossed them into a large pile that was almost as big as him. The location of the pile was right next to a small spring filled with the sweetest water in the area. Pavel cleared the small area of its tall grasses and formed a nice, flat, socializing area. Everything was ready.

He giddily gallopped to the rest of his herd, excitedly telling them about the party he had planned and set up earlier in the day.

"A party, you say?" One of the older members of the herd spoke, "Well, I'd love to come!"

The rest of the giraffes chimed in and with Pavel leading the way, the party began.

Everyone loved the taste of the leaves Pavel had gathered. They had never been able to reach such sweet leaves, not even with their extended necks. They slurped up the springwater, ate, and had a grand time. When the sun began to set, fireflies made their way out of the grasses and lit up the area, inviting the giraffes to dance around them.

The night went on, the giraffes dancing their hooves off, and all too soon it was over.

Pavel thanked everyone for coming and bid them a good night, glad that they all enjoyed themselves so much.

The next day, Pavel woke up to the sound of three young giraffes galloping towards him. He yawned and stood up, smiling to greet them. They appeared to be about the same age as him.

"Are you having another party tonight, Pavel? That was so much fun! And the food was amazing!" One of the giraffes exclaimed.

Pavel hesitated, "Well, I wasn't planning on it." He considered it, smiled and said, "I guess I could. One more couldn't hurt. It was a lot of fun."

"Great!" They cheered and ran back to their other friends.

Pavel sighed and went to collect more of the sweet upper-tree leaves. If he was going to have a party, the food might as well be as good as before!

So, he spent the day plucking off branch after branch of leaves until he accumulated the same size of a pile as he had before. The sweet water from the spring still flowed in a gentle pattern, so there would still be enough to drink. He trampled down a larger area for socializing, having greatly underestimated the quantity of his herd that would be there. By late afternoon, everything was organized. The giraffes of the herd galloped towards him and immediately started to eat the food provided.

As the night before, everything was going smoothly. The moon came out, luminating the makeshift dance floor as the fireflies waltzed out of the nearby tall grass. The giraffes danced into the night until they could not dance any longer. Then, thoroughly exhausted, they quietly thanked Pavel and headed home.

Once the area had cleared, Pavel sighed and will a small smile he said, "Well, at least everyone had a good time." He quietly cleaned up the pile of twigs and branches that were left behind from his now-deceased pile of sweet leaves. Thoroughly tired himself, Pavel then headed to bed.

In the morning, Pavel awoke to the bright glare of the sun in his eyes. He must have overslept. Normally, he was up by dawn, but the sun was well into the sky then. He stretched and attempted to rid his mouth of that awful morning taste --- unsuccessfully.

He walked to a nearby tree and ate a few sweet leaves from the top for breakfast.

A few members of his herd noticed him and smiled, walking over to him. Pavel swallowed his leaf and smiled at his herd members. "How are you today?" He asked them.

"We're good. We are rather sore though. We danced the night away!"

Pavel laughed, "Yes, yes. Many of you did, including myself."

"You are having another party tonight, right?" They asked, hope gleaming in their eyes.

Pavel's eyes widened, "I...was not planning on it, bu-."

"Oh, come on, Pavel! Lighten up! Everyone has a great time at your parties! Don't you want everyone to have a good time?"

And so that was that. They had convinced him. And for the next five days, they continued to convince him. Day after day, Pavel woke up, gathered sweet leaves, trampled a dance floor, and hosted a party. On the final day that week, he woke up, his eyes crusted over from a lack of sleep, and dragged himself over to the nearby stream. He flicked his tongue out to drink the sweet waters, but there was nothing there. He stared with confusion at the stream. Why was there no water?

He looked around him, trying to bring moisture to his mouth in any way. He squinted his eyes and searched for any other source of water. None.

He slowly walked over to the rest of his herd and saw them in a group, chatting about him.

"The food was not good last night! The leaves had hardly any flavor!"

"By the time I went to get a drink, there was nothing there!"

Pavel looked sadly over at them. He only wanted to please his fellow herd members, but he had failed. They were anything but pleased.

One giraffe in the group noticed Pavel out of the corner of his eye and angrily stomped towards him, "What gives, Pavel? You used to throw the best parties!"

"I'm very sorry, friend. I have just been low on sweet leaves. I had to use leaves from the lower portions of the trees because the tops had been cleared. Also, the water from the spring has stopped flowing, so there is none left," It was then that he noticed his surroundings. Dry, waterless grasses. Bare, stripped trees. Nothing was left. "I have nothing more to give you."

The herd looked around them. They too noticed the state of their temporary home.

One elder of the herd spoke up, "We have been working this poor, young giraffe to the bone. We only wanted to enjoy ourselves, but we never thought of him."

The other members of the herd sadly agreed.

The elder continued, "He has stripped the trees to nothing, and used up all of our water just so that we could have a good time. We never stopped to help him or give him a break."

There was silence.

"I am disgraced with all of us, including myself."

Because of the state of the area, the giraffes were forced to move on to a new area. In half a day, they were able to find a nice, grassy area with a watering hole large enough to quench the thirsts of everyone in the herd. Despite everything being okay again, the members of the herd learned a valuable lesson about hospitality. They learned that it is okay to accept hospitality when it is given to them, but they must never use it to their advantage.

Since then, whenever the giraffes wanted to have a party, everyone helped.

To be potentially continued in a new journal... 

Puritan Reflections

Despite Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet not being typical writers of their time period, being women, their writings are still very typical of a Puritan of that time. Puritan writing often included interpretations of events such as works of God. It also had an unadorned writing style. Their writing also was about true events. Also, despite the plainness of the style, these women are still able to make their writings sort of touching.

When Mary Rowlandson talks about the small good things that came her way while she was a captive, she always credits God for them. For instance, when she recalls how her youngest child died and she was forced to spend the night beside it, she writes "I have thought since of the wonderful goodness of God to me, preserving me so in the use of my reason and senses in that distressed time" (Rowlandson 83). Even though something horrible had happened she still thanks God for that one small blessing. When Anne Bradstreet reflects on how her house was destroyed, she rebukes herself with the thought that God had given all of that to her, and it was his right to take it away if he wished (Bradstreet 16-19). Both women see events as acts of God, and because they are works of God the women always look to the bright side. After all, God only does things for the good of his people. Even though the writings are about sad things, they still seem to be slightly optimistic.

Reading through the two story, I do not believe that I read a single simile or metaphor. Even in descriptions that could use that kind of detail, like when Mary describes how much she worried about her children, the language is simple and to the point (Rowlandson 84-85). In Anne's work, the amount of flouring language is about the same. The closest she even comes to that kind of description is when she writes about all of the things that will never happen again in her house (Bradstreet 29-34). Even without all of the long descriptions that I am accustomed to, both works still make me upset because of the topic that they are about. The way the things are written makes me feel like all of the fancy words and long expressions would get in the way of the feelings behind the words. Puritans seem to get by just fine without using similes.

It seems to me that Puritans wrote about the things that happened in their lives because they believed those things were the real workings of God. That may have made them more special to the Puritans, thus inspiring them to write about them. Both Mary Rowlandson and Anne Bradstreet wrote about actual events in their lives instead of things they had imagined. because the things they wrote about were true, even though the language was plain they were still able to get across the way they felt about what happened very clearly. Because of this, I really liked reading these stories.

Bradstreet, Anne. "Upon the Burning of Our House." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Rowlandson, Mary. "A Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson." Comp. Jeffrey D. Wilhelm, Ph.D. and Douglas Fisher, Ph.D. Glencoe Literature. American Literature ed. Columbus: McGraw-Hill Companies, 2009. 97-99. Print.

Journal #1 - Creation Story

How the Giraffe Got Its Long Neck

Most people believe that the giraffe species has always had a long, proud neck atop its shoulders. Despite their beliefs, that is not the case. The start of its existence begins long before the creature was discovered by men.

The giraffes had always been part of a large, yet peaceful herd. They were able to eat their fill of leaves from the trees around them, but they were only able to reach the bottom of each tree's foliage. Nonetheless, there were plenty of trees to go around and everyone was happy.

Most of them, that is.

A young, short giraffe named Pavel pranced around the clump of trees that their herd had recently stopped by. He looked forward to filling his empty stomach on the dark green leaves of the trees. Running up to one, he happily lifted up on his hind legs and - using the tree to balance him - reached to bite one. To his dismay, the leaves were to high for him to reach. He sighed and looked around him. All of the trees in this patch were too high for him.

He walked with defeat in his steps towards a small, dry bush that sat a few feet from the tree. Realizing that this would probably be his only food for this stop, he reluctantly took a few bites. The leaves were not appalling, but compared to the sweet, fresh taste of the leaves from the trees, they were boring and tasteless.

After he had eaten his fill of the leaves from his bush, Pavel decided to walk around for a little while. His family and friends were talking amongst themselves, so he would have some time to himself.

"If only I could reach the leaves of the trees," Pavel thought, "Then, I would be able to eat like a king."

Deciding to hike up a tall hill nearby, Pavel decided that he would ask his god to be taller, so that he may eat the fresh leaves of the trees like the rest of his herd. 

-And so he did. Reaching the top of the hill, Pavel looked up to the heavens and pronounced, "My God, I ask that you make me taller so that I may eat the fresh green leaves  from the top of the trees! No taste could be sweeter than that!"

After moments of waiting, Pavel felt a spiritual presence overwhelm him.

"It shall be done," a deep voice sounded from above, "You may have your wish."

Suddenly, Pavel was knocked unconscious. When he awoke, he wobbled to his feet, noticing that it was harder than usual for him to keep his balance. He stood tall, looking about his surroundings, realizing that he could see farther than usual. Remembering his experience from before he was unconscious, he realized that his god had granted him his wish. He was tall. His legs had grown significantly, but his neck was where the biggest change had occurred. It stretched several feet into the air and would surely give him access to all of the trees of the area.

Giddy about his new features, Pavel galloped down the steep hill to greet his family and friends in his herd. They were silently eating from the bottom leaves of the trees, but Pavel ran straight to them, breaking their silence, happily explaining his experience.

They stared at the once small giraffe in disbelief, a few of them giggling at how ridiculous he appeared to them. Soon, they all chimed in, ridiculing him for his new look.

Angry about their reaction, Pavel snorted, "I can reach the freshest, most flavor-filled leaves of the trees. Whether I look different or not, this is a gift from God, and I am willing to use it to its full potential." He reached his neck far into the air and snatched the highest leaf of the tree, holding it in his mouth to let the flavor fill it. He happily munched at his meal.

Despite his achievements, Pavel continued to be insulted by whom he had believed to be his family and friends. It grew to the point where the young giraffe could no longer take it, so he left. He took off in the opposite direction that his herd was headed with the full intention of never seeing them again.

Tragedy struck the herd of giraffes a few months later. A great and terrible storm attacked the valley in which they were living temporarily. The winds and rains of the storm caused the leaves of the trees to be blown away, leaving only a few clusters of leaves behind at the very top of each tree. The ground was muddy and almost nothing green remained. The storm raged on for many days, until the herd became fragile from starvation. The members of the herd were too tired to move.

Pavel, who was passing by the area, noticed his old herd struggling. He saw the leaves at the top of the trees around them and felt pity towards them because they could not reach them. His mind became conflicted as he tried to decide whether or not to help them. In the end, he chose to help them. They were his family afterall, despite their mean comments towards him.

He galloped to his herd and they noticed him immediately.

"Stand tall everyone. I will help you reach the food," Pavel spoke, his voice showing no sign of weakness, indicating that he had been well fed and healthy this entire time.

He reached for the top of one tall tree and grabbed ahold of its flimsy upper branches. After getting a decent hold on the branch, he pulled and pulled until it snapped off. He dropped the leafy bundle on the ground before his fellow giraffes and they happily ate from it. Pavel continued to break off branches of leaves for his family and friends until they were well fed and happy again.

They thanked him for his help and apologized sincerely about the horrible things they had said.

Realizing that their apology was sincere, Pavel accepted it and rejoined his herd.

Up in the heavens, God looked upon the herd of giraffes with a smile. He was amazed by how much Pavel's long neck was able to help that one group of giraffes. Deciding that it was time for a change, God transformed all of the giraffes in the world to look like Pavel. Since then, the giraffes of the world have been tall and strong, allowing them to reach the tallest, most tasty leaves of any tree.

The End.

The Moon is Down - According to History...

Does this novel accurately reflect events in history??? Yes. Doing a mental recap of all the books I have read in my life, I can pick no other novel that reflects certain events in history better than this one. As I have stated in a few other blogs, this novel was written as propaganda during World War II to help inspire people in conquered countries and towns across Western Europe to fight back. Looking back in history, this novel accurately reflected events that took place as the Nazi's invaded Norway during World War II. This novel represents the Norwegian resistance that actually took place during the war.

As for how well Steinbeck understands certain relationships, I believe that he got them pretty spot on. One of the most noticeable kind of relationships I noticed during this novel was the relationship between a soldier and his commanding officer. Growing up, I was told that in the army they break you down so that they can build you up again as not a man or woman, but a soldier. This is obviously true, because there are so many points in this novel in which Colonel Lanser refers to a member of his army as not even being a man anymore. "You're not a man anymore. You are a soldier. Your comfort is of no importance and, Lieutenant, your life isn't of much importance. (Steinbeck 99). Hearing this, we can see how life really is in the army. In the end, you are just taking orders, and you had better respect those orders.

The other main relationship that I noticed Steinbeck trying to show us was the relationship between a political official and his people. The readers can see that the author strongly believes that politicians should be dedicated to the people they serve, and represent them to the very best of their ability. "When the town makes up its mind what it wants to do, I'll probably do that." (Steinbeck 19). The Mayor believes that his decisions can only be what the people want, or else everything would fall apart. There is obviously a lot of respect on either side of this relationship. The people respect the Mayor and his final decisions, but the Mayor respects his people enough to take their thoughts into consideration. It really seems that Steinbeck described these relationships well. He was able to accurately capture the time period during the war and incorporate it into his novel.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Writing Techniques?

Because I look at these questions before reading the book, I find myself constantly searching for answers. I felt myself scanning the pages, asking myself, "What is this author doing?" The most consistent technique I noticed that Steinbeck used was suspense. It is only fitting, seeing as though this is war novel, and war tends to be a suspenseful topic. As I read, I could never tell what was going to happen next. That made it a lot easier to read because I found myself wanting to continue to read, something that unfortunately does not happen much with the summer reading we do for Honors English. One second I was on page 15 and the next I was at 100.

One of the most notable forms of suspense were during the parts where the book talked about the Anders Brothers' plan to spread word of the villagers' situation (Steinbeck 80-84). We knew that the Mayor was planning on getting weapons into the city that could help the villagers rebel, but we did not know if their plan was going to work. What if they were caught? What if they were able to drive the soldiers out of the city? What if the soldiers just confiscated the weapons and punished the villagers for it? There was an endless amount of possibilities and the reader was glued to the book trying to figure out which one would happen.

Another technique I found in this novel was the author making the people of the town grow. I do not mean that they physically grew, though I'm sure some of them did. I mean that the characters started out weak and unaware, but they grew in strength and courage. The villagers were not ready to rebel at the beginning of the novel, not at all. But at the end, we knew that they could handle it. The mayor had utmost confidence in them. He even showed confidence in them in the beginning, "My people don't like to have others think for them. Maybe they are different from your people. I am confused, but that I am sure of." (Steinbeck 17). When the readers noticed that the villagers were growing in this way, they realized that they could grow in the same way as well. This could have drawn people to read this book.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Why do we STILL read this book?

I believe that we still read this book because of its lasting theme of never giving up. Almost everyone can relate to this goal because almost everyone has something that they are trying to achieve. They could be trying to achieve anything from running a marathon to winning a talent show to beating the world record in the Olympics. In the end, the book can still inspire these people as they witness a town that started off weak and helpless grow in strength and determination that could one day help them succeed.

It could also still be popular because of its historical impact on the world. Written during World War II, The Moon is Down was used as war propaganda to spread word of the resistance movement in Western Europe. Where according to John Steinbeck, it did not meet that goal in Western Europe as much as he wanted it to, it still had a lasting impact on the rest of society. The book was passed around secretly, spreading the message to the world that you have to keep trying, no matter the circumstances. The rest of the world revelled in this war propaganda book. Many people still read it so that they can experience what the people of that time experienced. They might even try to envision themselves in the same situation so that they can think about how the people of the time may have taken it. Altogether, the book just has had a lasting impact on history in Western Europe so it became popular for that.

Going back to the theme, we can see how much the town grew in strength and determination. We saw how they responded when they realized their food was being rationed and their freedom was questioned. "The cold hatred grew with the winter, the silent, sullen hatred, the waiting hatred. The food supply was controlled - issued to the obedient and withheld from the disobedient - so that the whole population turned coldly obedient." (Steinbeck 57). Reading through that passage, we can see how the town is realizing what is going on. The people of the town did not understand the reality of war in the beginning of the book, but they were slowly beginning to understand as the book progressed. One person, Alexander Morgen, gets so mad that he attacks one of the soldiers, though he hits the wrong one (Steinbeck 38). Knowing that the town was able to fight back, the people who read this novel will be inspired. They will realize that if actions speak louder than words, so if you do not take action, you will not succeed.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - According to the Time Period...

The strange thing about The Moon is Down is that it does not have a very descriptive setting. We, the readers, do not know when or where this book is taking place. It is one of those stories that is literally about a town in a country that is being conquered by people in a war from another country who are lead by one "Leader". Everything about it is very vague.

The readers can only assume that this novel takes place during the time that it was written. When it was first written, John Steinbeck was writing this novel as propaganda for World War II. Seeing as though this novel is about a war, I believe it takes place during World War II and their "Leader" is Hitler. This novel reflects the time period because many towns were being taken over during the war. I am sure that many of said towns were as afraid as the townsfolk in the book were. From reading this, the readers gain a better understanding of what happened during World War II in Western Europe.

The novel is very symbolic because it was written to give the people from captured towns in Europe a little bit of hope. In the book, we witness how a small, peaceful town is able to finally rebel. By writing this novel, Steinbeck hoped that he would get the message across to captured towns in Europe that they did not have to be afraid to fight back. Even now, while the war is over, people can still look to this novel and be inspired by the theme of it.

Steinbeck really captured the essence of war through this novel, so the readers were able to learn a lot about that time period. "Lanser had been in Belgium and France twenty years before and he tried not to think what he knew—that war is treachery and hatred, the muddling of incompetent generals, the torture and killing and sickness and tiredness, until at last it is over and nothing has changed except for new weariness and new hatreds." (Steinbeck 23). From this section, we get a summary about how war is to the average soldier. We got info from both sides of the war.

Overall, the novel really explained how life was like during World War II. It gave a lot of subtle hints about the time period, that when noticed, can give a lot of infortmation.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - The Hero?

Before I even read these summer reading books, I take a look at the questions that we have to answer about them. I kept in mind that I would have to pick out a hero in the book, so I prepared for that. I expected it to be right there. Normally, the heroes in these kinds of books are introduced immediately. They are normally the main characters of the books. Not this time.

As I read through The Moon is Down, looking for it's hero, I could not pick one out until the end. The one thing I noticed as I read was that there is not one single hero in this novel, but an entire group of heroes. I believe that a hero is a person who can make a difference and take a stand. The people of the town that was conquered fit that description. At the beginning of the book, the people of the town did not understand what war truly was. As soon as they realized that their freedom was being threatened, they fought back. They may not have all made plans to rebel, but they knew that they needed to think of something. "The people of the conquered country settled in a slow, silent, waiting revenge." (Steinbeck 57). They realized that something had to be done.

By the end of the novel, we see that these people are strong-willed. They know that they will not get their freedom back by sitting around and obeying their conquerors. They realize this, as well as their mayor. "If I tell them to fight, they will be sorry, but they will fight. If I tell them to fight, they will be glad, and I who am not a very brave man will have made them a little braver." (Steinbeck 110-111). The people of the town are determined. Their determination will lead them to their freedom, although we never got to know whether they did or no. Their qualities will get help them succeed. I respect them greatly for their courage.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Universal Themes and Human Nature

I noticed one specific main theme as I read through this novel. John Steinbeck first wrote this novel as a form of propaganda during World War II. His main purpose of writing this book was to inspire those who had been invaded by the Nazi's during the war to keep their hopes up and fight back. Even though the book never got its desired effect in Western Europe, Steinbeck's theme there was that you should never give up without a fight. I believe that this is a good theme for people to live by, as long as they do not take it too seriously. We should no pick fights with everyone we disagree with. With the author having this as a theme, we can also see that he understands human nature. It is not in human nature for people to just submit when we are taken over. We are not just mindless cows waiting to be led. We have feelings and emotions that often conflict with those who try to conquer us. Steinbeck understood this, so he wanted to incorporate it into his novel. And, might I say, he did a rather good job. We can really see how the people in the town began to realize this as the story progressed. The Mayor even said early on in the book, "My people don't like to have others think for them. Maybe they are different from your people." (Steinbeck 17). Obviously, there was already a little bit of rebellion within the people of the town. Even the soldiers noticed this inner strength that the people had. Lieutenant Tonder was talking about how he believed they would not be able to control the townsfolk for much longer, "Flies conquer the flypaper," (Steinbeck 68). Because the soldiers began to realize this, they grew fearful and paranoid. This gave the townsfolk an advantage. John Steinbeck wanted the people of the world to know that it is okay to fight if what you are fighting for is right, whether it is freedom or some other thing. He made this theme very clear in his writing and it clearly shows that he understands how humans work in such situations.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Conflict : Causes, Gains, Losses

In The Moon is Down, we are introduced to the conflict in literally the first two sentences. "By ten-forty-five it was all over. The town was occupied, the defenders defeated, and the war finished." (Steinbeck 1). Great, so their peaceful town has been captured. We learn that these invaders are there for the coal mine and the fishing there, and that they do not mean any harm (Steinbeck 14). No harm or not, that is a big deal. They just took away the freedom that the little town had. It continues to be a problem until the very end of the book.

Obviously, this conflict is being caused by the group of soldiers that have pretty much only been referred to as the "conquerors" or the "invaders". Where they start off being rather polite to the people of the town, as the townsfolk start to misbehave, they begin to lose their tempers. They begin to put food rations on the people, the food was "issued to the obedient, withheld from the disobedient" (Steinbeck 57). This only fueled the conflict.

After a lot of thought, I have come to the conclusion that only one major thing was gained because of this conflict. The townsfolk gained a new and strong sense of determination and strength. At first, they were just a simple, peaceful town, but by the end, they were willing to do whatever it took to earn back their freedom. Even in the middle of the novel, we can see that the townsfolk are fueled by hatred and a need for revenge, "The people of the conquered country settled in slow, silent, waiting revenge." (Steinbeck 57). They gained new strength that even the Mayor noticed in the end. "If I tell them not to fight, they will be sorry, but they will fight. If I tell them to fight, they will be glad, and I who am not a very brave man will have made them a little braver." (Steinbeck 110-111).

Many things were lost during the duration of this conflict. The main loss was the townsfolk's loss of freedom. They were no longer their own town, but under the control of another country. They have to work for them in their own coal mines under their terms (Steinbeck 15). Along with this, many lives were lost, including many of the characters we met personally during the novel.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Author's Values and Attitudes

I believe that through the events of The Moon is Down, we can safely guess at what the author's values are. The specific values that I believe John Steinbeck has are a hatred of war and an understanding that if you have the home field, you have the advantage. Seeing as though this novel was written as propaganda during World War II, Steinbeck was obviously trying to say something about war. Throughout the novel, he showed us reasons why war can be so treacherous and deceiving. He was trying to show the people of Western Europe that they can fight back and win, even though it is dangerous. The Moon is Down also showed the people of the world that the enemy is not always as horrible as you think. They are all human. They have families. I believe that Steinbeck was trying to show everyone that war is pointless. There is no good or bad side. Wars come in shades of gray, each side has its faults and its virtues. Steinbeck was able to show the world that enemies have feelings too, so they really should not be our enemies. "Please don't hate me. I'm only a lieutenant. I didn't ask to come here. You didn't ask to be my enemy. I'm only a man, not a conquering man." (Steinbeck 78).

I believe that Steinbeck also valued having courage and strength, especially when you have the home field advantage. The people of the conquered town submitted to the enemy at first. They were not being oppressed in the way that most people would expect, but they did not have their freedom. As things started getting worse for them, they realized that they had to earn their freedom back. They realized that they could not just wait for the war to be over. Unfortunately, those who did fight back were punished. Alexander was executed for fighting back (Steinbeck 55). Near the end of the novel, we learn that there have been preparations made for a mass revolt against the invadors. Some people may ask why they would do this, seeing as though all of the people who revolted were punished or killed? I understood what Steinbeck was trying to say, though. I think that Steinbeck believes in the phrase, "All or nothing." By getting the entire town to revolt, they would be able to take back their freedom. It is very inspirational.

Also, the perspective that this story is told from is third person omniscient. Steinbeck brings a large group of characters into play, but no one of them is telling the story.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Colonel Lanser is the Antagonist?

Right from the start, I could tell that Colonel Lanser would be the main antagonist. When we first met him, I was really confused because he was acting so nice and polite. It made me pretty suspicious, but as the book progressed, we learn that that is just who he is. He is just the polite leader of the invaders. His goal from the beginning of the novel is to occupy the town with as little trouble as possible. He knows that their army needs the coal from the coal mines that are beneath the town, and he also knows that his army will need access to their fish. The novel progresses and we learn that Colonel Lanser has actually been through a war before. We can only assume that he's talking about World War I. Despite his rank in the army, his opinions on war were full of hatred. His war experience in the past made him understand its harsh realities, which would explain why he did not want to cause any problems during his seige over the town. I noticed that as I read the novel, I started to sympathize with the soldiers despite the fact that they are supposed to be the enemy. Lanser also seemed to be really reluctant with his takeover of the town. He pretty much let the government run the same way for the most part besides making the people give his army coal. He seemed almost apologetic that he had conquered the town.  "I'm very sorry about this. I have a job to do. You surely recognize that. We don't act on our own judgment. There are rules laid down for us. Rules made in the Capitol." (Steinbeck 47). Because of this, we, the readers, become very conflicted as to which side we are on. Through the events of the book, we unfortunately see Colonel Lanser's attitude go from polite and kind to bitter. We can see that, like the rest of his men, he is getting lonely, paranoid, and homesick. In the end, Colonel Lanser and his army are only doing the things they are because they have been told to. It leads me to believe that they are not truly the antagonists here. They are more like puppets for the real antagonist, who is the person they refer to as their "Leader."

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Lieutenant Tonder

Lieutenant Tonder is my favorite of all the soldiers who came with Colonel Tonder. I really like him, despite him and Lieutenant Prackle being described by Steinbeck as "snot-noses and undergraduates" (Steinbeck 21). He seemed to be a very romantic and naive. He also dreamed up perfect futures that he planned to pursue. Even though it was all really childish, I still found it really sweet. When he first came to the town when they capured it, he seemed really happy and optimistic. He really thinks the town has nice people. "There are some beautiful farms here. If four or five of them were thrown together, it would be a nice place to settle, I think." (Steinbeck 29).

He also seemed to believe that the war was going to be ending soon. He liked to believe that the people they conquered actually like them, which is why he started to fall in love with Molly, the woman that was married to Alexander. While he believed this, he obviously did not realize the plans for revenge that were boiling up around him. "Now it was that the conqueror was surrounded, the men of the battalion alone among silent enemies, and no man might relax his guard for even a moment" (Steinbeck 58). Knowing that they had no friends in the town, Tonder became very lonely. I slightly feel bad for him and the other soldiers. I especially felt bad for Lieutenant Tonder when he tried to talk with Molly. One thing that he said really hit me. "Please don't hate me. I'm only a lieutenant. I didn't ask to come here. You didn't ask to be my enemy. I'm only a man, not a conquering man." (Steinbeck 78). That quote basically summarizes war and soldiers, and makes me think that not everyone on the other side of a war is against you. Many times, there are people thrown unwillingly into war, when they do not really want to fight. I believe that Tonder was one of these people. Unfortunately, when he finds out that he was the one who murdered Molly's wife, he is overcome with grief. It is then that he realizes that he has no chance with Molly. Despite this, he says that he will return. We learn later that Molly killed him when he returned. I am really not happy about that. I believe that Tonder represents the average unwilling soldier, and I am really sad that he ended up dying. He always wished to die on the battlefield, so in a way, since they were in a war situation, him getting killed by Molly was sort of fulfilling that wish.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Mayor Orden

Before I get to the actual questions for this novel, I want to talk about Mayor Orden. He was one of my favorite characters in this book because of his personality. He is just so amazing. Throughout the book, Colonel Lanser would tell him that he needed to restrain or control his people. In response, the Mayor always responded with something along the lines of, "I can't." For example, in the end, when he was told that the rebellions needed to stop, he just smiled and said "They cannot stop, sir." (Steinbeck 109). He went on to say, "When I have become a hindrance to the people, they will do without me." (Steinbeck 109). He is basically saying here that the people do not need him anymore, nor have they ever truly needed him. He understands that his people can live and fight for their freedom without the guidance of their mayor. I really admire the trust that he has in them.

Mayor Orden has got to be one of the most memorable characters in all of John Steinbeck's novels. In the first chapter, we saw him as a very simpleminded, childish character and he did not leave much of an impact on us. As the chapters progressed, we got to see more of him, and he became such a likeable character. I also admire his caring nature towards people. After he realized that Alexander was going to be convicted, he sent people to comfort and keep the company of Alexander's wife, Molly. Also, during the actual trial, the Mayor was kind to Alex by letting him sit and, when the time came for him to die, he kissed him on the cheek and said goodbye (Steinbeck 55). We could tell from his actions in the novel that he was genuinely upset when Alexander was killed.

Overall, to me, Mayor Orden is the most likeable and caring person in this novel. He had fantastic dialogue and he truly cared about the people of his small town. He is my favorite character in this book.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Ending Thoughts

I honestly believed that I was going to hate this book. It is nothing that I would really want to read again for fun, but it had a good message behind it. I will go more into said message in another blog, but basically, it is trying to say that you cannot give up. Despite the book's depressing plot and equally upseting ending, I can definately say that the message was uplifting. Even though the soldiers who came were not exactly mean (they just wanted coal and fish), they did stir up a good deal of trouble in the town. They forced the people to work in the coal mines for them, and many of the people did not want to work. If you did not work, you were punished. It is as simple as that.

Even though I slightly enjoyed reading this book, I did find the plot to be not that great. It was not a really complex detailed story that most english books are about. Basically, the town was captured and people were not happy about it, so they started to rebel. The End. The characters were believeable, though, so I respected that. Many of them had flaws. For example, the mayor was not very brave, Alexander had a short-temper, and Annie got irritated easily. These flaws made the characters more realistic, which, in turn, made the story more enjoyable to read. In the end, my favorite thing about this book would have to be the dialogue. It just seems so realistic! I am a person who has to read aloud the things I read sometimes because it helps me understand them better. As I was reading this, I realized how easily the things they said came out of my mouth. It really seemed as though they were having a conversation, and it really helped me out during the whole "understanding" process of the book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book because of its message, characters, and dialogue. It was fun to read once I got into it, and there was suspense that made me want to keep reading.

The Moon is Down - Chapter Eight

This is a rather short chapter, but hopefully it will sum things up well. At the beginning of the chapter, we learn that the news of the Mayor's arrest has spread like wildfire. Everyone is freaking out about it. Also, children across the town are finding the parachutes and taking the contents, bringing them to their parents. The parachutes have causes a massive goosehunt to ensue on both sides of the war. The story segues to Annie, who is cleaning up the house. A guard is standing in front of the Mayor's room, not allowing him to leave. Doctor Winter is brought in by another soldier. They both begin to talk about what they think will happen to each other, but they wait a while before bringing up death. They later decide to not think of such sad things, but of the old times. The Mayor began to quote some speech from his past, and the doctor corrected him whenever he messed up on a word or something. The Colonel comes in quietly with Prackle and the two of them listen to the Mayor, also correcting him when he messed certain things up. After the mayor's speech, Lanser says that the rebellion has to stop. Instead of getting angry or upset, Orden only smiles at him saying, "They cannot stop, sir." (Steinbeck 109). The Mayor goes on to say that his people will fight whether he tells them to or not. "Yes, they will light it. I have no choice of living or dying, you see, sir, but - I do have a choice of how I do it. If I tell them not to fight, they will be sorry, but they will fight. If I tell them to fight, they will be glad, and I who am not a very brave man will hae made them a little braver," (Steinbeck 110-111). This sentence shows me how much he believes in the people of his town. He realizes that they do not need him to function and he trusts that they will do what is right when the time comes. I really admire that about him. He continues to say that he has no doubt that the people of the town will drive them out. "The people don't like to be conquered, sir, and so they will not be." (Steinbeck 111).  After this talk, an explosion is heard outside. The Colonel and the other soldiers leave the building, leaving the mayor to wait for his execution. Then, the book ends.

So. Intense.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Chapter Seven

As most of these chapters have begun, this chapter began with a description of the town. It is obviously a very treacherous winter, and people and animals all across the town are sad and depressed about it. It seems like a very dark time. We segue into a conversation being had by the soldiers guarding the mine entrance about a dog who will not stop howling. Some of them want to shoot it. Suddenly, they see that planes are flying high above them. They brace themselves, believing that they will drop bombs. Then , the plane start to drop parachutes. These parachutes have little devices attached to them that the soldiers believe to be time bombs, but they are actually directions to a revolt. Colonel Lanswer, Captain Loft, and a few other soldiers meet in the mayor's house to discuss these revolt instructions. It is then revealed that Tonder was killed when he returned to Molly's house... That's just peachy. If you saw my last blog, you will have heard my thoughts on this. Poor guy. Never stood a chance... Lieutenant Prackle then enters the room, asking to go home because he is showing the same signs of loneliness and fear that Tonder showed before he died. He is refused to, though. After that, Mr. Corell enters. He tells the Colonel, "On the night when your lieutenant was murdered I was waylaid. The patrol saved me. Some of the townsmen escaped in my boat that night." (Steinbeck 101). He wants the mayor and the doctor put under arrest. The invaders' plan is to, if there is rebellion, kill the leaders of the town to gain authority. Then, they can have what they want.

Pretty intense chapter, even though it was made up of mostly just arguements. I am really anxious to find out how the town will take the arrest of the doctor and the mayor, seeing as though they are the two main figures of authority in the town. We'll see. It might spark even more rebellion.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Chapter Six

When the chapter opens, we get a description of the town. Apparently, a sense of fear has crept over the down. The lights are turned out and the streets are quiet. After the death of Alexander, Annie visits his wife, Molly, to keep her company. We learn that Mayor Orden plans to visit to speak with her as well. Apparently, the Anders' brothers have decided to leave that night. After everyone left, a few minutes passed before there was another knock at the door. She expected it to be Annie or someone else, but we find that it is Lieutenant Tonder and he has a few things to say! He explains to her how he has seen her in the town and how he really has been wanting to talk to her. He says that he is "lonely to the point of illness" (Steinbeck 74). Molly just smiles sadly, stating that he does not know who she is and that she does not have a husband anymore (Steinbeck 74). Tonder asks if it was anything that their army did, and she replies with a yes. He offers to help and explains how he has a bit of a crush on her (Steinbeck 75). After he sweetly tries to convince her to like him, she explains in a rather haunting way that he killed her husband, that he was the one who shot him (Here I felt kind of bad for Tonder... he only wanted love). Tonder filled with misery and bit her a goodnight, realizing that they could never have a relationship now. He leaves and Annie returns, asking Molly if she had joined the conquerers. She replies that she had not, and then she, Annie, the Anders brothers, and the Mayor discuss leaving. They plan to take Mr. Corell, the man who betrayed the town in the first place, so that they could use his boat. Then, they all begin to discuss how they can get the town to retaliate against the soldiers. Molly slips away during the conversation and she hears a constant knock at her door. She knows that it is the Lieutenant. She slowly grabs some scissors from her knitting kit and hides them in her dress, going to answer the door.

I... don't know what to make of this. I am honestly worried that Molly is going to kill Lieutenant Tonder. I will seriously cry. I know that he is on the invading side, but I believe his words that he just wants to find love. I felt bad for him because he said he was lonely. I am really anxious about the next chapter.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Chapter Five

Reading into chapter five of this novel, we can see that the soldiers are not as into it as they used to be. Months have passed and they are getting tired; they just want to go home. Even the people of the town are wearing down. They are slow and lazy at mining the coal for the soliders. Also, some pretty bad stuff is apparently happening. Avalanches are tearing up railroads, the English are bombing the coal mines, and people are dying. There is also a ration on food so that the army can keep the people in line. Aren't they nice? In they end, they are just average people who want to go home after working for months on end. "Their talk was of friends and relatives who loved them and their longings were for wrmth and love, because a man can be a soldier for only so many hours a day and for only so many months in a year." (Steinbeck 58). This sentence really made me think about war. Not every soldier is a bad one who is only out to kill you unless you're on their side. They usually have families and friends as well. Soon, the soldiers got paranoid, "Thus it came about that the conquerors grew afraid of the conquered and their nerves wore thin and they shot at shadows in the night." (Steinbeck 59). Basically, everything is beginning to fall apart, invaders and townsfolk alike. If I was in the soldiers situation, I would want to leave as well. Who would want to be away from their family for so long? In the end, the soldiers, especially Lieutenant Tonder, just wanted to go home.

I am not sure what is going to happen next, but with everything falling apart the way it is, I can see things getting interesting soon. There appearts to be hatred and revenge developing in the townsfolk as they get sick and tired of the soldiers being there. The soldiers are getting lazy, irritated, and paranoid of their surroundings. The end result can only be chaos.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Chapter Four and Thoughts So Far

Chapter four is a really depressing chapter. We know that Alexander is going to have to die, though many of us want him to be allowed to live. I feel sorry for both him and his wife. Basically, all that goes on in this chapter is Alexander's trial and death sentence. When asked if he denied killing Captain Bentick, Alexander replied sadly that he did not mean to kill him. His actual intention was to hit Captain Loft, no Bentick, but Bentick got in the way. Also, when asked if he is sorry for what he did, he replied with, "Sorry? I'm not sorry. He told me to go to work - me, a free man! I used to be alderman. He said I had to work." (Steinbeck 53). My only reaction was, "You're just making it worse for yourself." Truthfully, though, the death sentence was going to occur no matter what.  We also can see from the dialogue between Mayor Orden and Alexander that they are friends, which makes the situation even worse. We learn that because their town has been invaded, even though he is the mayor, Orden can not do anything about this sentence. Alex understands and sadly goes outside to be shot. Immediately afterwards, another shot rings out. Lieutenant Prackle has apparently been shot in the shoulder. Now, the whole town is pretty much on lockdown... Great.

I like this novel so far. Again, its not my favorite, but it is not as boring as I believe it would be. It has good, believable dialogue, which I really enjoy. In normal conversations, people tend to try to add a little bit of humor. They also get side-tracked sometimes. The characters in this story do exactly those things, and it often makes me smile. The book is rather dark though, so that part kind of upsets me, but its real life. The characters in this novel are in the middle of a war-situation, and that is a dark and serious time. I feel that the author has accurately captured these sullen emotions. I look forward to reading on.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Chapter Three

At the beginning of the chapter, we hear a discussion between Annie and Joseph, two of the servants at the mayor's house. It appears that they are trying to move a table around the dining room. As they try to do this, they begin to talk about how Alexander Morden is being put on trial for the murder of Captian Bentick. When I heard this, I can not say that I was pleased. Out of the five men we learned about the last chapter, I liked Captain Benick the most. He just seemed like a good guy, despite the fact that he was on the invading side. After reading through these chapters, I found out that Alexander was ordered to go back to work in the coal mines, but refused to. He wanted to fight for his freedom. He got angry and tried to attack Captain Loft with his pick axe, but Captain Bentick got in the way. In the end, Bentick died. Joseph lets Annie know what he thinks will happen to Alexander, "[They'll] Shoot him," (Steinbeck 41). Annie expresses her angry thoughts on that idea, suggesting that she would kill a few of the men herself. Joseph kills her dreams by stating bluntly that she would just be shot as well. Later on, Alex's wife, Molly, went to the mayor, asking if he would actually convict Alex of the crime. He replied that he would not, but he still knows deep down that he would have to (Steinbeck 40-41).

When he realized this, Mayor Orden sent Madame to keep Molly company as she goes through this hard time. Colonel Lanser says that there are rules that confirm that Alexander Morden would have to die. In the partial defense of Alexander, Mayor Orden states that everything that the invaders are doing is in violation of the laws of the town. I believe that the only reason Lanser is trying to do this is because he wants the people of the town to believe that their mayor is on the side of the soldiers. That would give him more and more control. I still have yet to find out what will happen at the trial, but I'm sure I'll find out next chapter.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Chapter Two

In chapter two, the readers basically just get descriptions of the five soldiers staying with Colonel Lanser at the mayor's house. First, we learn about Major Hunter, who is apparently an engineer. "Except in case of war, no one would have thought of giving him command of men." (Steinbeck 20). From that description, we can tell that the people around him do not depend on him to be very controlling or good at leadership. He has also been married many times. Next, we learn about Captain Bentick, who is basically your friendly neighborhood family man. He is old and loves the British culture. He seems like a really sweet man, despite the fact that he is a soldier in a war. The next soldier we learn about it Captain Loft, who, unlike Bentick, is very young. Also, from what I gather, he is a complete know-it-all as well. He is all about his job as a soldier. It is his life. He is very full of himself as well. He is just overly proud of himself for being a soldier and he feels like the rest of the world revolves around him. "If he considered God at all, he thought of Him as an old and honored general, retired and gray, living among remembered battles and putting wreaths on the graves of his lieutenants several times a year." (Steinbeck 21). Obviously, war was all he cared about. After hearing about him, we learn about Lieutenants Prackle and Tonder. According to Steinbeck, they are known as snot-nosed undergraduates (Steinbeck 21). Prackle is apparently an artist of sorts, which makes me respect him a little bit, since I am an artist. He also really cares for his many blonde-haired sisters. Lieutenant Tonder is a poet who loves fantasizing about his future, such as his plans for his death. ""He imagined his death very ofter, lighted by a fair setting sun which glinted on broken military equipment, his men standing silently around him, with heads sunk low" (Steinbeck 22). For me, I would just say, "I'm going to go to bed and then pass away quietly in my sleep," but no, he has this all planned out.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

The Moon is Down - Chapter One

To be honest, I never even knew this book existed. You would think that I would have heard of it at some point seeing as though John Steinbeck is so famous, but I digress. After the long process of actually aquiring the book so that I could read it, I was able to get to it. Turns out that it is not really that popular of a book, go figure.

When the book starts (I am actually reading it as I type), we learn that a town has been occupied by soldiers. Apparently, this occupation was well prepared for. We also find out that the policeman and the postman of the town were on a fishing trip in a boat owned by a popular storekeeper in the town named Mr. Corell. They were out fishing when the town was occupied. Upon returning, they were arrested. Great. Oh! More good news. The troops that are normally there are six miles away enjoying lunch and shooting competitions. Upon their return, they were shot upon by the invaders, leaving them dead, half-dead, or fleeing from the scene. The invaders quickly make themselves at home, and the colonel amung them requests the audience of the mayor. So, the mayor gets all ready to see the colonel. A few soldiers come early to check the place out for weapons. We then find out that the kindly storekeeper was on the invaders side. Nothing like a little bit of betrayal to get the plot going. The people who are currently at the mayor's house are discussing whether or not to serve the colonel tea or wine. Colonel Lanser arrives and we find out that the only reason his troops are there is because they need the coal mines and the fishing areas. It's understandable. At least they are not trying to rule the people of the town. The colonel wants the people of the town to mine the coal for them, though, because aparently the soldiers need it. As they are making these plans, we find that the Mayor's cook, Annie, is getting angered by the soldiers on their porch. The Mayor and Colonel Lanser have a pretty humorous (to me, as in, I laughed...out loud) arguement about what to do with Annie. Afterwards, Colonel Lanser leaves, saying, "I hope we can trust you" (Steinbeck 19). The fact that he repeated it makes me think that something bad is going to happen. It just puts me on edge.

On the topic of these invaders, I cannot help but notice how nice they are being. They are being all respectful and kind. For example, they are letting the mayor stay in control of the town, despite their capturing of it. I do not yet know what to make of it, but its fine with me. I like this book so far. It's not my favorite, but it is not as horrible as I thought it would be. I look forward to reading more.

Steinbeck, John. The Moon Is Down. New York: Penguin Classics, 1942. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Why I liked it so much.

As I was reading through Fahrenheit 451, I found myself getting more and more caught up into it. I could not understand why until I realized its genre. It is a dystopian future. Looking back at the books that I've read these past few years, a good number of them are dystopian future novels. The Hunger Games series for starters. I am obsessed with it, have been since it first came out. That is a great example of a dystopian future. I have also read books such as Divergent and the Maze Runner. These dystopian novels attract me because they are so different than other novels. Anything can happen in them! There are almost no boundries. I am also a person who believes strongly that things can not go right forever. Perfection leads to destruction to keep it short.

These books tend to have one or more people who want to rise up above these oppressive times and make a change, and I truly respect that. I am not a very rebellious individual, but when I read about people who want to make a change, it inspires me. Not that I'm going to rebel against things I do not enjoy, but I will make more of an effort to stand up for what I believe in. It may sound cheesy, but it is true. We live in a world where we are constantly monitored and must attempt to avoid being controlled by our parents, teachers, bosses, and most of all the pressure of peer conformity. They tell us to not draw negative attention by being someone or doing something that you aren’t supposed to. We are told to be what society tells us that we need to be. That's all great for some people, but for others, they want to be different. They want to live life the way they want to. Since they want to run their own lives, it inspires others to as well, including me. That's why I like it so much.

In the case of Fahrenheit 451, we see how Montag wants to rebel against everyone because they are ignorant to all forms of literature, knowledge, and opinion. He gets so passionate about it. I really admired his courage to go against what he thought was wrong with society, so it made me get sucked into the book. Being able to read about these kinds of characters just sparks interest in me, so it made the book very interesting to me.

Fahrenheit 451 - Dark and Gloomy Tone

After finishing this book, all I can really conclude about its tone is that it is dark and considerably gloomy. It's not exactly a really happy topic, you know, the whole burning of all knowledge thing. Nonetheless, the gloominess is somewhat necessary. Ray Bradbury wanted everyone to realize how horrible the world would be if there were no books or the personal thoughts and opinions within their pages. If he wrote a happy or light hearted tale about the same events in this novel, the readers would not be able to take the decline of individuality seriously.

Even though it is gloomy, it is more than that. There is also alot of fear and tension found within the writing. “The perspiration gathered with the silence and the subaudible trembling around and about and in the women who were burning with tension. Any moment they might hiss a long sputtering hiss and explode (Bradbury 95-96).” I think the sentences feel so tense because they are building toward something about to happen. Just a few pages later: “The room was blazing hot, he was all fire, he was all coldness; they sat in the middle of an empty desert with three chairs and him standing, swaying, and him waiting (Bradbury 99).” I think this sounds tense because of all the references to the heat.

I have found that the tone of this novel, where gloomy and tense, is actually really sad. I noticed the sadness especially when Bradbury was talking about Montag or Mildred. Of course, the decline of love in a "family" is not exactly happy. “He felt his smile slide away, melt, fold over and down on itself like a tallow skin, like the stuff of a fantastic candle burning too long and now collapsing and now blown out (Bradbury 12).” That sentence is just...really sad. The fact that he could no longer smile, because he realized there was no happiness in his life. I can imagine the depression was coursing through him like liquid lead in his veins. Even though the novel is very sad and depressing, it makes the readers understand the reality of the entire situation. Without personal thought or expression, where would the world be?

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Beatty

Anyone who took the time to notice how Beatty acted in the novel would realize how intellegent he is. If he thinks so much, then how could he possibly hate books when they are contained with so many thoughts. How can any person intelligent enough to understand why books are burnt want to burn them? I have a couple of theories, and it may be just one of them or both of them put together. It may not have been either of them.

The most reasonable theory I have is that Beatty wanted power over people by keeping them thoughtless. Controlling people may not be possible, because you cannot control their thoughts, but if they do not have thoughts they are just like cows waiting to be led around. Even though it's the most reasonable theory, I do have a problem with it.  There is nowhere that he could lead people and nothing for him to lead them to do. My other problem with it is that what in the world would a suicidal person want with power? I do not understand it. Everything that happened with Beatty is very unexplainable.

There is also a possibility that Beatty is just not a nice man. When he talks about people, his tone of voice sounds like he's disgusted (Bradbury 61). I think he may like keeping people thoughtless because it makes him feel superior to them. Then, if he is a nasty as that sounds, he can at least feel like he is better than the thoughtless animals around him. This makes more sense to me, because if he can only feel good when the people around him are thoughtless, he must really be as suicidal as Montag suspected him to be.

In the end, I really just wonder why he could be suicidal. He could potentially hate himself for burning books. If so, he could only keep burning books to keep people less smart than him so at least he can feel good about that. If that is the case, then there is something seriously wrong with him. Maybe he is smart enough to know how wonderful books are, but he does not want to have his house burned down by his men. Obviously, his life is very conflicted, so he could lead a suicidal life because of that.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - They're...Married?

As the book progressed, I found Montag’s relationship with Mildred to be pretty interesting. He knows his wife is pretty much a slave to the television, and admits he does not love her, but he shows his books to her (risking his job and his freedom) and tries to make her read them. I also think that it is strange that he felt it was important to remember when they first met although he does not love her. I honestly can not tell how one actually gets a husband or wife in this terrible world. Everyone is too caught up in their Jersey-Shore-esque televesion shows to notice the world around them, let alone the people they "know".

It seems that Montag has realized that Mildred is almost completely empty inside, and knows he does not love her (Bradbury 44). He gets so upset at the realization that he would not cry if she died that he starts crying (Bradbury 44). I think the reason this upsets him is that he very much wants to love Mildred, seeing as though she is his wife, but he knows that she is too braindead to ever care about him, vice versa. He wants to feel some deep and important emotion for his wife. I think that he shows her the books and has her read them with him for the same reason. He wants to fill the emptiness in her and help her to start thinking about things so he can love her. It really is not possible to love someone without a self, and Montag hopes that giving her things to think about will help her find herself. That is partially why I admire Montag so much. He gets so passionate about everything.

When I was reading the book, I started wondering why Montag felt it was so important to remember where he and Mildred met. After I wrote that last paragraph, I think I have a better idea of why. People always remember the important things in their lives. The fact that Montag cannot remember meeting Mildred is a sort of subconscious hint that she must not be important to him. Montag very much wants Mildred to be important to him, so he feels that it is very important for him to remember when they met. Also, would not it be somewhat of a slap in the face when your wife says remembering when they met is not important (Bradbury 43)? I believe that it is. Basically, their married life does not seem all too great if you ask me, which is why I question how the whole marital process works.
Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Ending Thoughts.

I really loved reading this book. I'm kind of shocked I haven't read it before now, it really is the kind of book that I would normally read. Part Three was exciting, but I have to say that Part Two was my favorite. Part Three had a lot of action, but to me the plot just kind of fizzled out when Guy ran away and joined the men on the train tracks. It bothers me that the men don't seem all that concerned with the books getting changed as they pass them down through storytelling. Things change drastically that way.  The books and words that they love so much and fought so hard for will change until they're barely recognizable anymore. I don't see how they can stand that. Their plan just seems like a messy solution to me. You would think they would care a little bit more, but nonetheless, at least the information is still there.

I was completely shocked when Montag killed Beatty. I didn't think he had it in him. Then to find out that the fire chief wanted to die. That really surprised me. He must have felt the same way that Mildred did, happy during the day while they were distracted, but so unhappy they couldn't stand it deep down inside them. They probably could not even notice their depression. Part Three seemed to be one surprise after the other. I never would have thought Mildred would have given up her parlor so easily, given that she thought of it like it was her "family". She showed absolutely no care for her husband as well. Guess that shows that you never know people as well as you think you do, especially in this twisted world they live in.

One of the reasons I liked this book so much was the author's use of imagery. I truly admire Ray Bradbury's way with words. One image that really stayed with me was when he compared the lights of the landing helicopters to the first snowflakes of winter. The use of similes like that really helped me to understand the story better, and it made the writing all the more beautiful. I'm really glad I chose this book.

Fahrenheit 451 - History and Society.

Based on the book, I think the author does believe certain responsibilities exist between groups in society . I also think that the author was probably influenced by his great love of literature, and a desire to protect it from alteration and other such horrible nonsense. That may have inspired him to write this book as a warning.

I think that the author believes in the idea that you have to be wrong sometime. He seems to believe that it is everyone's moral obligation to be wrong, so that you can think about it and fix it. Learn from your mistakes? If everyone starts to be right all the time, then there is never any improvement. Bradbury realizes that being wrong is crucial to one day being right. So, in order to show his readers what can happen if you take out all the "wrongs", he planned a world where books were burned and banned because they offended someone or other here and there (Bradbury 57). I think that perhaps there is a certain responsibility to offend and be offended every once in a while. Offense makes a person stop and think about things sometimes, and a society without disagreements between different groups just is not natural. When people do not fight with each other, something is essentially wrong. It is sad, but true. Beyond that, there is a certain responsibility to respect other people’s right to offend you. Freedom of speech being taken away is what really caused some of the more horrible parts of the future in the book, like the long list of banned books (Bradbury 34). Being offended really is not a fun thing, but not being allowed to voice an opinion when it is really important is not much fun either. Of the two, I would think the muzzle would be worse. The author understands that people responsible for being wrong so that they can improve on it.

I could be wrong, but I am almost positive that the author wrote this book because he loved books, and wanted to make sure that nothing happened to them in the future. Most people take for granted that they can read whatever they want. A book like this makes a person want to go out and read the most radical book they can find, just because they can. The book makes you realize just how wonderful it is to be able to go out and buy whatever book you want. The author was influenced by his love for books, and his writing about a world without them makes other people realize that they feel the same way. By spreading the word of the amazingness of books, he is helping society from becoming what it is in Fahrenheit 451.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Clarisse

I wanted to do a blog about Clarisse, because she really interested me, despite her short time in the book. She is a lot different from the other characters in the book because she is both young and thoughtful. When I found out that she was gone/dead, I got pretty upset. I really liked Clarisse and I wanted her to stay around so that she could help Montag improve himself. Nonetheless, her sudden disappearance may have had a better effect on Montag than if she stayed. It inspired him to become more thoughtful, since she was not there anymore.

When we read this book, we envision this terrible technological world where no one is happy. Thesetting is not actually described, so it seems like the entire place is nothing but a bland black and white world. Clarisse is like like the first flower that springs up out of the ground after winter (sorry for the cheesy simile). She points out little things like dandelions and rain, and it makes the setting seem a little happier (Bradbury 21). Of course, that could be taken as making things more frightening because nature is the same but no one notices it. She notices all of the really wonderful things and it gives her all the more reason to think and be an individual.

One of the most important things about her is that she thinks about things, which makes her pretty unique in comparrison to the rest of the world (Bradbury 23). Actually, it is rather unique for anyone to just sit and think about things in today's world as well. I think that is why I like her character so much. Thoughtful people are pretty rare. She is not very fond of the other people her age, but she does love the nature around her (Bradbury 30). If I was her, I do not think I would ever go to school again, who wants to spend all day with a bunch of thoughtless animals who do not care about her at all? She also seems to be a really curious person as well. She is always looking at and doing something different when Montag passes her on his way home (Bradbury 28). Her curiosity implies that she likes to learn things, because people who like learning are always looking for answers to their questions. It is no wonder Montag was so inspired by her.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Techniques.

As I read through the book, I noticed quite a bit of suspense that made me want to keep reading. Another reason that people today keep reading it is because the setting is very close to what we might imagine our future to be. A look into a possible future is a very good reason to keep reading a book. It interests us because many of us spend our lives staring at a screen. It puts fear into our minds that this could actually happen, so reading through it, we want to see how it all ends.

When Montag first meets Clarisse, he starts to become like her. He starts paying attention to the things she talks to him about (Bradbury 28) and starts to think about the books he burns (Bradbury 33). The fireman side and the intellectual side cannot co-exist, and he starts to struggle with it himself (Bradbury 24). There is suspense in wondering which of the two will end up being who Montag is. Eventually the thinking side wins out, and that puts him in conflict with a society that is very dangerous and has no problem killing those who do not fit in. For example, the firemen were willing and ready to burn a woman alive for owning books before she lit herself on fire (Bradbury 38). After he becomes different, the suspense in the book drifts to whether or not Montag will get away safely.

Another likely reason that people get hooked to reading this book is that the future Bradbury writes about seems scarily possible, especially in today's world. The way everything has to be done with quickly and how people spend entirely too much time in front of a television is fairly close to daily life in the story. So many people in this world say they do not like to read, and that they only read when they absolutely have to. It is just plain sad. It really makes me doubt the human race nowadays. An unfortunately large amount of people  these days spend dangerous amounts of time in front of a television or computer screen. Things like that make Bradbury’s future seem uncomfortably plausible, and make the reader more curious about it. Part of me wonders how people interpretted the book back in the early days of its existance. Did they realize how much Bradbury foreshadowed the near future?

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Why do we STILL read it?

I believe that we still read Fahrenheit 451 because its message is so important. It reminds people to think about their lives and not to cut things down to make things faster. If people did not have a reminder about things like that, who knows what would happen. It is a good thing that we continue to read this novel because with the progression of technology in our lives, we are becoming more and more sucked into it. Children are spending more time playing video games and watching television as they grow than playing outside or reading a book.

It is incredible how well the author predicted how our society would become. How could he predict so accurately how everything would become about doing things quickly in the most leisurely way possible?! He even realized how popular television would become, all the way back in the forties when he first envisioned this story. People think so little today that I have to wonder what the world would be like without this book, maybe people would be even worse off than they are. Hopefully, having this book as a warning will delay or possibly prevent the possible events of the future.

Reading through this book, images were sent to my mind about a world run by televisions and brainless people, which is a very frightening thought. I actually freaked out a little bit as I read it, turning off all the electricity around me as I read it. It was so silent in my room... Besides pointing out problems in our current society (which will unfortunately only get worse), the book made me appreciate the books that I have and have read. Books and the ideas within them change those who read them. They make people think, which spawns new ideas. Whether it is adding them to a list of thing they believe in, or making a decision about an idea being wrong, books help a person shape their mind. This causes individuality, which forms a healthy world.

Fahrenheit 451 makes people stop and think about the world. It makes people appreciate books and their individual thoughts much more. It is really amazing to me how close to the current future the author came, except for the prediction of nuclear wars and such (Bradbury 73). That has not happened... yet. No wonder this book is still read. It has a really powerful message that can potentially stop the future from becoming as brainless as it is in the novel.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - According to the Time Period...

Given that this story takes place in a future that never happened, you would think that understanding the social behaviors of the time would be hard. Luckily, Ray Bradbury got the point across about how this society functioned. By that, I mean that their society did not function. In the world Bradbury created, people did not think enough to cause problems or create issues with each other, so there where not really any social issues. However, they think little enough to create plenty of behavioral issues. For instance, no one values anyone else’s life, and many do not value their own. Besides not valuing them, they often wish to end them. How nice.

When asked about whether or not she goes to school, Clarisse says she is afraid of her classmates because they kill each other, and the rest of them do not seem to mind (Bradbury 30). When people are not thinking about things and noticing things, I do not think they are really living. Without thought, what makes them different from animals? They do not really live, so it would be difficult to value their lives or the lives of others. One of Mildred’s friends says that her and her husband made a plan to not cry and then get remarried immediately if one of them died (Bradbury 95). She must not really care about him or value him at all or at least the amount of him that there is. The people that pump out Mildred's stomach and blood do not care that she is a person, they just refer to her attempted suicide as a “problem” (Bradbury 15). The lack of care or emotion in this future society stays very true to how the society would be given the circumstances. It stirs up a lot of behavioral issues that are expected given how the world is.

Another behavioral epidemic of the author’s society is suicide and attempts at suicide. Mildred's attempts suicide at the beginning of the book (Bradbury 13). A husband of one of Mildred's friends jumps off of a roof (Bradbury 94). When people do not think, they do not care what they do or where they go. They do not do well. Something inside them starts dying. Humans were made to think, feel, and create. Take that away and something horrible is missing, something people do not want to live without, and they do not even think enough to realize that what they are missing is thought. It is really sad when you think about it. They are losing all reason to live.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - The Fireman's a Hero. What do you know?

Yes, once again, the fireman is a hero. Unfortunately, this is a different kind of fireman, but nonetheless, he is a hero.  Guy Montag is the hero in the book. I noticed at the beginning of the book that once he started to think, he could not stop himself. His mind was overwhelmed by different thoughts and could not help but ponder everything. Even with that, he is pretty passionate when he believes something, and he gets frustrated easily too. When he discovered the wonder of books, his attempts to read and read made me think of him as a hero in this terrible future that Bradbury envisioned.

We can see him in the beginning of the book as he complains to himself about his “subconscious idiot that ran babbling at times" (Bradbury 11). Despite his irritation, if was not for his thoughts, he probably would have ignored Clarisse. Instead, the things she said made him curious, and he asks a whole lot of questions the next time they meet (Bradbury 21). Eventually, his interest in what Clarisse talked about turns into an interest in knowledge, which turns into an interest in books (Bradbury 51). His thoughtful nature is the driving force in the plot, because it puts him in conflict with the thoughtless society.

During one of their talks, Clarisse starts questioning him about being a fireman. After a little while he starts laughing nervously about it and gets defensive (Bradbury 8). He thinks that he very much loves being a fireman, and really does not want to hear anything that may even imply that it is wrong. He also thinks he loves his wife, and vividly objects when Clarisse teases him about not being in love (Bradbury 22). When he believes something, he defends it passionately, because he wants to feel passionately about it. Where that can be an irritating quality to some people, in this future, it is more than intriquing and appealing.

Another thing I noticed about Montag is that he gets frustrated really easily. He has a very short temper. When Clarisse asks him if he is happy, the question frustrates and bothers him (Bradbury 10). When his wife and her friends are watching the television thing, he gets so frustrated with their ignorance that he tries reading them poetry (Bradbury 100). He gets so frustrated that he can not stop himself from doing something stupid like that. He just gets so frustrated all of the time, and he really could not have helped getting found out. He has very defined emotions, and in this book, those emotions drive thoughts and personal opinions that are very rare. When he becomes passionate about books, he risks everything he has to learn more and more. I believe that in the society he lives in, that is a very courageous and heroic thing to do, given the consequences.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Human Nature

When I read this novel, I was shocked at how well Bradbury captured human nature and the trends of people in society. I could not believe it it was published in the nineteen fifties. When creating this unfortunately-possible future, he understood that a lot of the time people do not want to think, and that with the creation of television and radio, it was becoming easier and easier for people to not have to. He also understood that thinking and the depth that it implies are quite essential to being truly happy with your life.

Fahrenheit 451 shows us a future in which people spend all day in front of a television that tells them absolutely nothing useful or helpful (Bradbury 46). If the completely un-thought-provoking programming found today is anything relatable to what the television and radio of Bradbury’s future is like, I think I can see how brainless people are in it. People fill their mind with such nothingness as that, and they do not have real time or reason to think. The people of the future block out thoughts with their constant time in front of noise and confusion. When they are confronted with something thought provoking, like the poetry Montag reads to his wife’s friends, they get terribly upset and never come back (Bradbury 101). The poem may have been rather sad, but even sadness is beautiful. It provokes broad emotions within you that inspire you to think.

Ray Bradbury understands that without thought, people are just unhappy and find no reason for their life. How can they find a reason if they never reason? Millie tries to commit suicide because of it, and she does not even know that that is the reason why (Bradbury 19). Montag realizes that Beaty wanted to die too (Bradbury 122). A person not thinking is somewhat similar to a musician never paying attention to music. Without music, a musician dies inside, and without thought so do people. The thoughts we have make us who we are, and if we have no thoughts and have no “who”, then what really is the point of living? Bradbury understands this, so he chose to write about it. Which, in turn, made us think about our opinions on it. How ironic.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Conflict : Causes, Gains, and Losses

After finishing this book, I can only conclude that the conflict of this story is the way society has become. It is caused not just by the firemen, but also by the future society that both allows and supports the firemen. Many things are lost because of this conflict: books, individuality, and progression. Who could progress in a world without inovation and free thought? Even with the massive amount of loss, the knowledge that Montag learns is priceless.

Montag is made to burn down his own home in the course of the book (Bradbury 116). That is a hard thing for a person to do, but he gets through it. In the same sentence, he loses his job, and is told he will lose his freedom (Bradbury 117). That is a hard thing to be told. His wife calls the firemen on him and leaves him (Bradbury 114). To top things off, he might have lost his life to the mechanical hound that was chasing him through the night (Bradbury 133). Honestly, he lost a house that could never have been a real home, a job that forced him to destroy, and a woman who did not have enough thought to really have a self. The thoughts of a person make a person who they are. As for his becoming an outlaw, and seemingly losing his freedom, he gains the freedom of his mind by being with those who know the value of thought.

Though he started off like the rest of the world- dull and unaware-, with the discovery of books, he gains the wonder that is the working mind. When Clarisse shows him all of the wonderful things in nature that he never stopped to see, he starts to enjoy himself, and it makes him happy (Bradbury 23). Since he decided early in the book that he actually was not happy, this new found happiness is quite an amazing thing for him. His gains from his discovery of books will change his life for the better for the duration of his life.

Lastly, the cause of the conflict. The conflict is obviously caused by a society of people who believe that thinking is irrevelent , and therefore do not want the thoughts and opinions found in books. It is really horrible to think about such a large group being so against free thinking. I dearly hope that this book does not come true.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 - Author's Values and Attitudes

Reading through the book, it is extremely easy to see what the author values. He obviously really values books. It is not just that, though, he cares more about what the books have to say. He values the impact that they have on society. Books mean thought and opinions, and those things are extremely valuable. Even if differences in opinion cause people to be upset sometimes, those differences help sculpt people and make them diverse.

Fahrenheit 451 is about the fight to keep books in the world and to help show people how important books are; the importance being the thoughts and opinions in them. Montag starts to value thought as he talks to Clarisse. Her question about whether or not he is happy makes him think about the answer, and realize that he is not happy (Bradbury 12). When a person realizes something, they start ask "why?". When a person starts asking why, they start to think. Even if they never come up with an answer, the question is still thought. Ray Bradbury obviously values individual thought, otherwise he would not have made it so important in his book.

In the book, books are being burnt and outlawed is because they contain opinions, and an opinion is bound to offend someone, no matter what it is (Bradbury 57). It is apparent that the author values the disagreements, because even though he points out that the books disagree with each other, the author still values them a lot. Differing opinions are very important too. If everyone agreed with each other, there would be no reason to argue, and that would take away another reason to think. For that reason, Bradbury really values personal thought. I believe that the only way life can be made interesting is if you have different opinions or thoughts on definate subjects.

At the end of the book, when the main character states why books are so precious, the readers can easily see how much books mean to Ray Bradbury. In the story, Montag almost turns back toward a car that trying to hit him because he drops a book (Bradbury 127). He was about to risk his life to save a book without thinking about it. That only proves how much the author values and appreciates books.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Ballantine, 1996. Print.