Finishing "the Pearl" and in the Midst of "The Old Man and the Sea"

The Pearl , by John Steinbeck was about a man who finds the pearl of the world and is soon swallowed up by greed, paranoia and corruption. At first he wanted to use the money from the pearl for good intentions, like marrying his wife, paying for the medical treatment of his son, and sending him to school. But soon enough, he becomes mistrusting of everyone, thinking they will cheat him to get the pearl, and soon his dreams of a better lifestyle get swallowed up by his greed. Soon enough, his paranoia and greed turns to violence and bloodshed, and the eventual death of his son. The symbolism in this book is very deep, greed as the pearl, and the end being his son dying shows the extent Kino's greed has killed his soul and his family--the two things he cared about most were killed when he decided to love the pearl instead.

The other book I'm reading is The Old Man and the Sea, by Ernest Hemingway, which is about a fisherman, living in complete poverty, with only the charity his apprentice provides, and his knowledge and love of the sea and fishing.

Heart of Darkness

Heart of Darkness is about our narrator, Charlie Marlow, who takes a journey up the Congo River for the Belgian Trading company to discover the corruption and despair in the Congo. During this time period of imperialism, Belgians inhabited the Congo saying it was the "white man's burden" to educate the Africans whom they considered inferior. What ended up resulting instead is the exploitation of rubber in the area, also many atrocities occurred as a result of Imperialism but the atrocities in the Congo were amongst the worste. This book was one of the first to provide a critical perspective of European imperialism. It was considered controversial becuase Heart of Darkness suggests that imperialism falls apart when men are allowed to operate outside a social system of checks and balances: power, especially power over other human beings, inevitably corrupts. So far in the book, I've learned that Marlow is not one who sees things superficially but derives meaning from everything and takes nothing for granted. At the moment, he and his crew are sailing up the Congo River. This book so far is kind of boring but I hope it'll get better!

Kite Runner: back to Afghanistan.

This book has just shifted into high-gear (not that it wasn't moving fast before, it's now faster). Fifteen years after the death of his father, Amir gets a call from Rahim Khan. Updating each other on their lives, Rahim Khan tells Amir "there is a way to be good again" and asks him to come visit him in Pakistan to see him one last time before dying. Amir soon hops on a plane to Rahim Khan and finds out his old friend didn't only want to see him before dying, but offer him a path to salvation. Of course, we first find out about what has happened ever since Amir has gone to America. Rahim Khan had moved into Baba's house to save it for him to move back into, had Hassan move back in to help him tend the grounds, and time after, Hassan is shot--as well as his wife. This sad situation left his son an orphan, and this is where Amir comes in.... Rahim Khan believes Amir can atone for his sins by rescuing the orphaned boy from Afghanistan. AT FIRST, Amir is reluctant, having just found out so much information in such a short period of time, but then decides to do it, seeing that he owes it to Hassan. This book is quite depressing. The fact that my favorite character, Hassan, is dead makes me so sad. I really like the character of Hassan because his loyalty never falters, and his pure personality is one of someone you'd most definitely want as a friend. I can't believe Amir had been so mean to him as a kid because Hassan had been such a great friend to him... almost like a brother(spoiler alert). No wonder they really are brothers! Love that part, but I wish we'd known earlier about this... when Hassan was living in the story.

Kite Runner continued...

As war breaks out in Afghanistan, Amir and his father flee to the U.S. Fleeing was the difficult part: not only that they were leaving their home country--a hard thing to do for someone like Amir's father--but also, the trip was risky. Luckily, they reach America safely but they pretty much have to start from scratch upon arriving there. Amir finishes high school then goes to college to begin studying to become a writer. While his father begins to work in a gas station to support them. I feel bad for them at this time because back in Afghanistan they had everything they could ever possibly want: they were rich, respected, and all knew them because of their famous family members who made a name for them. Amir is the only one who feels happy to escape Afghanistan because of the memories he'd leave behind, only they seem to follow him nonetheless. Regardless, he falls in love with a girl he meets in America and soon sets out to marry her. Too bad though, his father soon dies after. This book is so bitter-sweet but great at the same time.

The Kite Runner

This book is so good so far! It's interesting to read a book that takes place in a different setting from the places in other books that I've read. The Kite Runner takes place in Afghanistan in the early '80s and progresses as the main character, Amir, grows up. Amir has a tough life: his father is disappointed in him constantly for not being like him, his mother died during child birth, and his only friend is his servant, Hassan. Only, Amir refuses to call him his "friend" even though he's person who he spends time playing with and sees the "face of Afghanistan [as] a thin-boned frame, a shaved head, and low-set ears, a boy with a Chinese doll face perpetually lit by a harelipped smile" (Hosseini 25). He doesn't call Hassan his friend because of their roots and their places in society. Hassan was a Hazara and Amir was a Pashtun, Hassan was a servant-boy and Amir was rich. This is a major motif during the book: these divisions in their society are what separates the boys from practically being brothers.

Atonement -- Chapter one

This book is about a girl named Briony Tallis who lives a sheltered life during the 1930s with a rich family, and a love for writing--as well as a knack for it. So far the books seems okay, but I never quite believe 12-year-olds to be as deep and profound as they're made out to be in novels written in first-person narrative. In this book, Briony is made out to sound wise beyond her years and extremely insightful, but I doubt the fact that she's able to identify a power struggle between her cousin and herself at such an age. Oh well. At least it makes the book interesting to read and doesn't bore you with what would really come out of a 12-year-old's mouth. Speaking of interesting, it's intriguing how devoted Briony is to her writing and impressing her brother. I predict that she'll become quite a great writer, but her want for finding new character personalities (that aren't like her own) and her creativity pertaining to making up scandalous domestic-based stories are bound to get her in trouble....

Memoirs of a Geisha

This book was AWESOME: it was hard to put down, the story went by fast, and was really creative! The only thing that confused me is that it's called a "Memoir" but was written by a man...? Either way, I disregarded that fact and enjoyed the story because it was beautifully crafted and left me thinking about the characters long after the novel was done. The book was really interesting because you got to see Japan before, during and after WWII through the eyes of a geisha. I'd never known this before, but geishas were considered artists in the craft of entertainment: they learned instruments, dance, and conversation skills. Either way, this book gave both two insights into the life of a geisha: the good and the bad parts. Good, as in they got into a lot of aristocratic parties and met lots of people, Bad, as in their bodies were sold for money and they had no choice in life. For example, the main character, Chiyo (later known as Sayuri), was sold from her home to become a geisha, and had no say in what was going to happen in her future. Although this sort of thing happened in the past in the time of geishas, the story of Chiyo was quite an interesting one, and this book has come to be one of my favorites.

Perks of Being a Wallflower: The End.

I finished the book pretty quickly because, well, it's hard to put down! The character, Charlie, writes pretty addicting letters. Also, the events that happen show what life's all about: the good and the bad--it's hard to advertise just the good side of life, or just the bad side of life, so this book gives both perspectives, making it more relatable. Reading this book, I felt I could totally relate to Charlie, and at other times, I felt his life was totally different than mine which is what made the book great: it was dynamic. The only thing that bothered me in this book was the ambiguity at the end where they talk about how Charlie has issues in which he needs to go to the hospital and such. Online, there are theories of him being autistic. Not sure how legitimate that is but its possible. I, personally, think that he just reaches a stage in depression where medicine and therapists are the only answer. He seems like a genius but is socially awkward....So many possible problems. But then again, he could just be a struggling teenager. Who Knows! All we know is that the author chooses not to share it with us in order to leave your own mind to calculate its own predictions. Wow! How similar to "The Catcher in the Rye" is that! Pretty similar.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower

Charlie is freshman in high school, and still trying to get the swing of things. After being emotionally scarred by the horrible event of his friend's suicide, his life takes a turn. He makes new friends who show him how to live and have a good time, and realizes life's too short to be a bystander, but a participator. His friends Patrick and Sam show him just how to do that, and the best part is that these friends genuinely understand him: "he's a wallflower....[he] see[s] things. [He] keep[s] quiet about them. and [he] understand[s]" (37).
This book reminds me a lot of "The Catcher in the Rye", both novels having to do with growing up and coming of age. I somewhat like "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" better because it takes place in a more modern setting, making it more relate-able to myself.
Right now, his friend Sam (who is Patrick's step-sister) has given him his first kiss to make sure his first kiss comes from someone who loves him. That's what she says at least. But in reality, I think she really does like Charlie but doesn't want to go out with him because he is younger. I can see Charlie coming to hate High School's "Rules" as Patrick had told him earlier in the book, because these "rules" are what separates his love, Sam, from him.

1984 ...

Apparently Winston's not the only person not-so-fond of Big Brother. The dark haired girl, Julia, is against Big Brother and all his interferences into their lives. The ironic part is that she appears as the ideal worker for B.B., but in reality she goes to many lengths to try bring privacy into her life. This results in her easily able to meet Winston in a place where no one is watching. In a place where no one can catch them and report them to authority.

I have a feeling this affair might lead to bad things for Winston and Julia. B.B. is way too involved in the lives of the citizens for them to have access to privacy.

Another event that took place in the book was Winston going out to the suburbs to buy random antiques from a store ,and more importantly, to strengthen past's memories. This is considered important because through B.B.'s propaganda, the memories of the people are deliberately being weakened. This is bad because it's already the government is changing the past... at one point, the past could totally disappear, and this is exactly what Winston doesn't want to happen.

1984 continued. . .

Paranoia seems to be a recurring theme EVERYWHERE. First Macbeth, then all those totalitarian rulers around the time of World War II (i.e. Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini), and now Winston from 1984.
Everywhere he goes he feels like he's being followed by Big Brother's eyes (which isn't exactly a pretense--for he is being watched constantly). Lack of privacy is one cost, but another is one's sanity and sense of security: seems like Winston's going crazy over who can see him, say, going into an old antique store in a "prole" neighborhood--a place where the people of the middle class--the proles--live. Him going into such an area is somewhat taboo, but he feels the inclined to go anyway based on how nostalgic he feels in its atmosphere--he senses the presence of his unknown past in these forbidden alleys. Only...he's EXTREMELY paranoid about this whole breaking-the-law thing, so as soon as he sees "the girl with the dark hair" from work (who later reveals herself to be an admirer of his) he immediately presumes she is spying on him.

1984

In George Orwell's 1984, the story takes place in--yes, you guessed it--1984. Although this is the setting, George Orwell wrote this book in the 1940's, predicting how life will be in 1984. Only, these hypotheses were not completely accurate. We do not have large computer screens in our living rooms in which "Big Brother" is constantly watching to see if we do anything that defies his rules or thinks something that the "Thought Police" would find threatening to Big Brother. If any suspected conspirators are found out they are quickly "vaporized" without trial and their history is erased off the face of society. Speaking of history, Big Brother's organizations erase any history that doesn't suit them, this makes doubt almost impossible to follow up on and doublethink an absolute. What I wonder is, how are so many people able to swallow what Big Brother dishes out? Well, not everyone does. People like Winston Smith who is against Big Brother's totalitarian rule and over-controlling aspects dare to think what he wants--to get rid of BB--and do what could lead to his execution--write a diary to the future telling of the wrongs that went on during their time.

I can't wait to see what will happen next. Will Winston find some accomplices? Will he get caught and vaporized? Will he be able to trigger an uprising against the horrid BB? We'll soon find out....

3rd Quarter

Of Mice and Men

"Of Mice and Men" was a GREAT book and I recommend it to anyone, even if they're not too much into the classics, because it's one of those books that hook you and actually give you something to think about once it's done. "Of Mice and Men" is about two men named Lennie and George. They are two migrant workers who wander from ranch to ranch looking for work to make a living. George is a smart, witty, and cautious man, while Lennie is a huge, muscular, and just-doesn't-get-it sort of person. They are complete opposites, yet they complement each other and are a packaged deal. Throughout the book, it is brought up that it is not very common for two men to travel together and look out for one another; when the norm is for a man to be somewhat of a loner, working, taking his pay, and picking up and leaving when he feels like it. Although, George says that he's looking out for him just because he promised his Aunt Clara he would, in reality, Lennie and George are just like family to one another. Lennie always listens and remembers what George says to him, while George is always looking out for Lennie.

I noticed a lot throughout the book that there's foreshadowing. I won't give away the ending, but the part in the middle when Candy, the old man, is sorrowful about his dog getting shot for being crippled and better off dead--well, being more sorrowful about the fact that he himself didn't put the poor dog out of his pain--has a lot to do with the ending, and Lennie and George's relationship. This is what I loved most about this book: the loyal, honest bond between Lennie and George. How even in the end--people might think otherwise, when in reality is, George was doing it for Lennie's own good--George was the best friend Lennie could ever ask for.

Oliver Twist : the ending

This book was pretty good, I mean, it did get boring at times, but the plot was strong and left you astounded. Unbelievable just how much bad was done to Oliver in his life, and a happy ending to be the result. I guess you could call it karma? Only, unexplained secrets of the past and unfair mistreatings were the barricades to a good life, which he well deserved, for Oliver. To think his happy ending can be traced from the day when he lost his temper and ran away from the countryside to London: also known as the day he took his life into his own hands and out of those of Mr.Beadle and that "fostering agency". Sure... there were some bumps along the road, (spoiler warning) his getting caught by the police when his days in the child-gang of pick-pocketers took a turn for the worse, when Sikes and Fagin came back into the picture when he'd thought he'd escaped them, the killing of Nancy, and the accidental-hanging of Sikes. At least Oliver got to where his rightful place life is supposed to be.

All in all, I liked this book, but some parts got pretty gruesome, and the language was hard at times to understand. On the bright side, i was able to see how Britain was during the Industrial Revolution.

Oliver Twist

Oliver Twist (by Charles Dickens) is the story of a poor orphan boy mistreated by those who have taken care of him. They treat him like an animal: giving him the minimum amount of food in order to just survive, disrespecting him because his mother died in child birth without a father to take care of him and just because of the fact that he's poor with no worldly possessions whatsoever. For what reason should he be mistreated if he's a kind boy who's just a victim of fate. People look at him as if he wasn't human! When in reality, he's just a hardened boy who's been put through a lot since birth. I find him to be such a great character. For a boy around the age of 10 years old, it's incredible how life has thrown so many curve-balls at him and he's still able to keep standing with the bat up to face the pitcher. Like, when his "masters" gang up on him after he simply punches a boy for insulting his dead mother. How they twisted the truth to make it so his anger was not only directed at the boy but at the rest of them, and made him out as a threat to their well-beings, when all he did was get mad and rebel against his bully. So instead of taking their bull , he hit the road to escape their atrocities, and wandered into the city where there's endless opportunities: only once he gets to the city, he soon makes friends with the wrong type of people: A child-gang who's taught to steel from the wealthy by discretely pick-pocketing.

I feel bad for Oliver. It seems like life's just not going his way, but what can I say, life's just not fair.