Katies Blog

Journal #7- Chapters 25 - 28 (Jem)

2009-05-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Journal #6- Chapters 16 - 19 (Mayella Ewell)

2009-05-20T21:00:00.000-07:00

I sat there in the court room watching as my father was being questioned as to what had happened to me the night of November twenty-first. My father knew as well as I about what really happened that night. I had always felt lonely and so distant from all the other kids; That was until the day I asked, that one boy, Tom Robinson to come help me and chop up a chiffarobe. I told him that if he came over the fence this instant and help me chop up that chiffarobe n' I'd give him a nickel. That Tom said he wasn't gonna take no nickel and to keep my money. I asked him why not and he said because he didn't want no nickel. He was so nice to me, that Tom was the only person who talked to me with much respect and ever since then by the time he came by, I'd have something for him to do. Whether it was telling him to come ad help me with the garden, of help me chop up another piece of furniture, I would always have something for him to do for me.

One day I suggested that he help me fix a door that I knew was perfectly fine and things got a little out of hand. My daddy saw and took all of rage out on me by forcin himself on me. I was screamin' and hollarin'... My daddy blammed it all on that Tom Robinson, and threatened me that if I didn't cooporate, he would hurt me again and again until I swore to him that I would go along with prosecuting him.

So during Toms trial, that Atticus start callin' me ma'am and Miss Mayella. That got me so mad! Why was he sayin that type of stuff to me? It was rude and I had finally had enough. I told that Atticus that he should watch what he was sayin' and that I wasn't even about to cooperate with him if he was gonna call me that. Judge Taylor told me that he was just bein' polite. An' then all of a sudden, Mr. Atticus asks me if my dad drink alot. I was terribly confussed for I had no idea what that question had to do with convicting Tom of rape and so I answered truthfully. I told him that he did drink and that sometimes he would get out of hand but wouldn't hurt me. I almost blew it by saying that he did but then caught myself before my father could beat me again.

Although I didn't say that he abuses me, I could see him sitting on the edge of his seat. I was off the stand and it was time for the jury to come to a decision. I told them what had happened, for the most part, but I knew that no matter what happened, my only friend was going to be gone forever after this. Atticus gave a speech that I thought was very convincing and heart felt. As old as he was, Atticus was still courteous and a very respectable man for all I knew. No matter how accurate or correct Atticus' assumptions were about my father and I, the jury still pleaded Tom guilty but only because he was black.

Although I knew that I had just been a part of convicting an innocent black man, I was also humiliated,just as my father probably felt right then. Atticus had accused my father of beating and abusing me. I just walked out of the court room with my head down all the way to my house in shame of what I had just been a part of.

Journal #5- Chapters 13 -15 (Atticus)

2009-05-17T21:00:00.000-07:00

Ah… Summer. Although summer is my favorite season, this summer was going to be different. My sister, Alexandra, talked me into letting her live with us for a while. Said she needed to talk some sense into both Jem and Scout about proper etiquette. As I am getting older, I felt no need to argue with my sister, for she is a lady and can teach Scout more things about a women than I ever could and can be there for Jem when I am not around to teach him to be a gentlemen. Maybe she could be like a mother figure for a while, though no one could ever replace my dear wife. Oh I loved her so much…

“How’d you like for your Aunty to come live with us?” I asked when I got home. I knew that Alexandra wasn’t Scouts most favorable family member, and really didn’t want to scold her if she said that she wouldn’t accept her living here. I could see it deep in her eyes that she really had no choice but to sound enthusiastic and welcome her into our home. Maycomb welcomed her with open arms. Miss Maudie Atkinson baked her one of her famous Lane cakes, Miss Stephenie Crawford come over for longs visits, and Miss Rachel would invite her over for coffee in the afternoons. Scout and Jem weren’t causing fuss and I hadn’t heard Alexandra complain about anything yet so I thought that this summer wasn’t going to be so bad after all. That was until my sister insisted that Jem and Scout know about their family history and that they should start actin’ like true Finches, and live up to the family name. I really found no need in telling them our family history. I had no problem with the way I have raised my kids and don’t mind if my daughter, Jean Louise Finch, goes walkin’ around in overalls and barefoot. She is my daughter and no matter what happens, I will always love her exactly the way she is.

Before bed, I knocked on Jems bedroom door and found both Jem and Scout and thought it appropriate to try and explain to them about the family tree.
“Have we done something?” Jem asked.
I really didn’t know where to begin with the subject, “No, I just want to explain o you that- your Aunt Alexandra asked me… son, you know you’re a Finch, don’t you?”
“That’s what I’ve been told.” I could tell that Jem was uncomfortable with the situation and rose awkwardly. “Atticus, what’s the matter?”
I crossed my knees and folded my arms. “I’m trying to tell you the facts about life.” Jem began to loose his patience and it came out in his tone of voice.
“I know all that stuff,” he said.
How else was I supposed to get the message across if they aren’t listening to what I have to say? I took a more serious tone with them, “Your aunt has asked me to try and impress you upon you and Jean Louise that you are not from run-of-the-mill people, that you are the product of several generations’ gentle breeding-“ I paused watching Scout locate an elusive redbug on her leg. “Gentle breeding,” I continued. “and that you should try to live up to your name. She asked me to tell you you must try to behave like the little lady and gentlemen that you are. She wants to talk to you about the family and what it’s meant to Maycomb County through the years, so you’ll have some idea of who you are, so you might be moved to behave accordingly,” I concluded at a fast pace. I picked at my collar uncomfortably and then Scout picked up a comb off of Jem’s dresser and ran its teeth along the edge.
“Stop that noise,” I said curtly. After I said it, I regretted it. I knew that Scout had expected more of her father figure and she immediately began to cry. She come up to me and dug her face into my chest. The silence was uncomfortably quiet, so much that you could hear my watch ticking, and the sound of our breathing.
“Your stomach’s growling,” she said.
I found it no longer necessary to keep a firm tone and said, “I know it.”
“You better take some soda.”
“I will,” I said. I put my hand on to the back of her head and told her that there was nothing to worry about. “It’s no time to worry,” I said.

I stood up and left the room almost slamming the door into the fragile door trim but caught it just in time for it to squeak. I opened the door again and peered around, finding Jem and Scout staring at where the closed door had just been. “Get more like Cousin Joshua every day, don’t I? Do you think I’ll end up costing the family five hundred dollars?” They knew I was teasing and smiled a soft smile their way before saying goodnight, and heading down stairs.

One Saturday night, Scout asked me what rape was and I told her that it was simply the carnal knowledge of a female by force and without consent.
“Well if that’s all it is why did Calpurnia dry me up when I asked her what it was?”
She asked Calpurnia what?! This must’ve happened when I left town. “What was that again?”
“Well, I asked Calpurnia comin’ from church that day what is was and she said ask you but I forgot and now I’m askin’ you,” she said.
The daily paper was now in my lap as I looked at her again and asked her to repeat. She began tellin’ me how they went with Calpurnia to her church on Sunday and I honestly enjoyed the idea of them going with Cal to church. It was nice of her to let Jem and Scout join her for mass.
“You all were coming back from Calpurnia’s church that Sunday?”
Jem answered, “Yessum, she took us.”
Scout said the same thing, “Yessum, and she promised me I could come out to her house some afternoon. Atticus, I’ll go next Sunday if it’s all right, can I? Cal said she’d come get me if you were off in the car.” I thought it was a great idea for Scout and Jem to go again but before I could even say my opinion on the subject, my sister was the first one up.
“You may not!” she growled. I glaced at her with amusing eyes but then Scout turned to her and said, “I didn’t ask you!” I was up from my chair in no time, not quite looking in any certain direction.
“Apologize to you aunt,” I said.
“I didn’t ask her, I asked you-“
I turned my head towards her, pinned her down against the wall with my good eye and said, “First apologize to your aunt.” Although Scout mutter almost inaudiable, I knew she had said sorry.
“Now then,” I said. “Let’s get this clear: you do as Calpurnia tells you, you do as I tell you, and as longs as your aunt’s in this house, you will do as she tells you. Understand?” Scout nodded her head and stood there in the living room for a while before she went off on her way. While she was gone, I sat back down in my chiar, Jem was reading a football magazine, and my sister began saying, “…you’ve got to do something about her. You’ve let things go on too long, Atticus, too long.”
“I don’t see any harm in letting her go out there. Cal’d look after her there as well as she does here,” I retorted.
“Atticus, it’s all right to be soft-hearted,” she continued. “You’re an easy man, but you have a daughter to think of. A daughter who’s growing up.”
“That is what I am thinking of,” I said.
“And don’t try to get around it. You’ve got to face it sooner or later and it might as well be tonight. We don’t need her now.” How dare she even consider kicking Calpurnia out of this household.
“Alexandra,” I said with an even voice. “Calpurnia’s not leaving this house until she wants to. You may think otherwise, but I couldn’t have got along without her all these years. She’s a faithful member of this family and you’ll simply have to accept things the way they are. Besides, sister, I don’t want you working your head off for us- you’ve no reason to do that. We still need Cal as much as we ever did.”
“But Atticus,” she began.
I cut her off. “Besides, I don’t think the children’ve suffered one bit from her having brought them up. If anything, she’s been harder on then in some ways than a mother would have been… she’s never let them get away with anything, she’s never indulged them the way most colored nurses do. She tried to bring them up according to her lights, and Cal’s lights are pretty good- and another thing, the children love her.” Right then, Scout entered the living room. I retreated back to reading my newspaper and Alexandra continued with her embroidery. I could tell that she was furious but I couldn’t have cared less. No matter how much I loved my sister, sometimes she just gets way too over her head about things and I have to settle them with a serious tone and put her where she belongs. Jem and Scout left the room together and I heard only one door close upstairs. They must be talking about what just happened.

I heard a clunk and decided to go up and investigate what was going on. When I entered the room, I immediately had to pull Scout off of Jem. My temper wasn’t too steady and ordered them to go to bed. “Both of you go to bed right now.”
“Taah!” Scout retorted back to Jem.
“Who started it?” I asked.
“Jem did. He was tryin’ to tell me what to do. I don’t have to listen to him now, do I?” Scout asked.
I smiled. Oh how I found it so entertaining to see my children bicker over such a small concept. I will always love Scout’s dedication to her beliefs and courage to stand up for what she believed in, but there comes a time where it’s inappropriate to result in violence. “Let’s leave it at this,” I said. “You mind Jem whenever he can make you. Fair enough?” Alexandra was present but silent, like she should be, and walked down the hall with me.
“Just one of the things I’ve been telling you about.” All I wanted was silence but then I heard my name being called. “Atticus, can you come here a minute sir?” What was the matter? Was he or Scout hurt? I rushed up stairs as fast as I could. I walked into the middle of the room looking at Dill Harris, filthy as could be. I assumed that Dill must’ve been very hungry and told Scout to go get him a pan of cold corn bread.

“Mr. Finch, don’t tell Aunt Rachel, don’t make me go back, please sir! I’ll run off again-!”
“Whoa son,” I said. “Nobody’s about to make you go anywhere but to bed pretty soon. I’m just over to tell Miss Rachel you’re here and ask her if you could spend the night with us- you’d like that, wouldn’t you? And for goodness’ sake put some of the county back where it belongs, the soil erosion’s bad enough as it is.”

I was just about to fall over I was so tired. I also was overwhelmed by the Tom Robinson case but told the children to ignore anything the town or their classmates said about me, or them. That they were just words and that they didn’t mean nothin’. As their father, I don’t want them to have to worry about anything that is being said for my actions and responsibilities. They just deserved to have fun just like any other kid in the town.

Journal #4- Chapters 10 - 12 (Ms. Dubose)

2009-05-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

I always knew that my morphine addiction would eat away at my soul but it always kept the pain tame and settle. It was just about time before I knew I’d go crazy. Besides, look at me, I’ve been dying for years now and all I wanted to do was die free of everything. I would have to suffer the consequences of the withdrawals and try to amount to as much pain as I could. My porch, bed, and bathroom were about as far as I could get around now-a-days. I would always just sit on my porch and watch my neighbors pass by every morning and afternoon. One day, Mr. Finch’s girl called out to me, “Hey, Mrs. Dubose.” Did that girl have any manners at all?

“Don’t you say hey to me, you ugly girl! You say good afternoon, Mrs. Dubose,” I retorted. Before I could full comprehend what I had just yelled, both her and her brother were gone and heading into town. I had once heard them both refer to their father as “Atticus”. How rude. That’s their father their speaking to and that is no way to talk to your superiors. Those children needed some serious punishin’ and I was determined to give it to them. No matter how sick I was, they needed to know what their family truly was. I once told them that it was quite a pity for their father for he had not remarried after their mother’s death. A lovelier lady like their mother never lived and it was heartbreak to see that Atticus Finch let his children run wild.

This particular morning, I saw Miss. and Mr. Finch walking into town mid day and asked them what they were doin’ out that time of day. I told them that if they were playin’ hookey, like they usual did, I would call up the principal and tell him what they were up to.

“Aw, it’s Saturday, Mrs. Dubose,” said the boy.
“Makes no difference if it’s Saturday,” I said obscurely. “I wonder if your father knows where you are?” I bet he didn’t have a clue that they were just runnin’ wild all over the town and disruptin’ this neighbor hood.
“Mrs. Dubose, we’ve been goin’ to town by ourselves since we were this high.” The boy placed his palm down about two feet above the sidewalk.
“Don’t you lie to me! Jeremy Finch, Maudie Atkinson told me you broke down her scuppernong arbor this morning. She’s going to tell your father and then you’ll wish you never saw the light of day!” I said. “If you aren’t sent to the reform school before next week, my name’s not Dubose!” If they were smart enough, they’d know that if they didn’t get to reform school in a week, then I would be the one to send them there myself! All of a sudden, Mr. Jeremy started talkin’ ‘bout how he ain’t been near Miss Maudies scuppernong arbor since last summer.
“Don’t you contradict me!” I bawled. I looked at what Miss Jean Louise was wearin’ and found it the right moment to point out how she wasn’t lady like if she was gonna wear those overalls the rest of her life. “You should be in a dress and camisole, young lady! You’ll grow up waiting on tables if somebody doesn’t change your ways – a Finch aiting on tables at the O.K Café- hah!” I laughed just thinking about it. “Not only a Finch waiting on tables but one in the courthouse lawin’ for niggers!” There I got them. They stood stiff in their tracks and all Jeremy did was turn scarlet and pull at his sleeve. After a moment, they turned in silence and continued one their way for town. Serves them right; What has Atticus let these children become? They’re filthy. After a while, they passed again but this time I wasn’t sitting on my porch. I was lying in bed when I heard banging outside my front door. That Jeremy Finch had cut off each top off of each camellia bush I owned and left a broken baton on my porch to find.

I called Atticus Finch and told them that his kid had ruined all of my plants and left a mess on my front porch. I also told him that I wanted to speak with him and show him the wreck that Mr. Jeremy had left me. Later that evening, I was out relaxing on my porch when I heard foot steps approaching. It was Jeremy Finch. Supposedly he came over to apologize and clean up the mess he had left me. He also promised me that he would come over every Saturday to water my plants until all the tops grew back. As that didn’t compensate for him getting mad at me simply for telling him the straight up truth, I told him that as a part of his punishment, he could come over everyday, including Saturdays, and read to me.

That following Monday afternoon, I heard a knock at the door and told Jessie to go answer it for me.
“Mrs. Dubose?” he called.
“Is that you, Jem Finch?” she asked. “You got your sister with you. I don’t know...” said Jessie.
Stubborn Jessie, that girl. “Let them both in, Jessie,” I said. I was lying under a pile of quilts in my bed anxiously awaiting their presence. “So you brought that dirty little sister of yours, did you?” was the first thing I said to Jem when they walked in.
“My sister ain’t dirty and I ain’t scared of you,” he said.
“You may commence reading, Jeremy,” was all I said before I the clock started ticking. Jeremy opened up Ivanhoe and while doing so, both pulled up chairs near my bed. Although I knew that I was not quite going to listen to every detail Mr. Finch was saying, I knew that I would be half deaf if I didn’t tell them to come closer. “Come to the side of the bed.” They moved their chairs forward and he began reading. At times, I heard him take a slight pause and knew that he was leaving out some context and would ask him to say it best he could or for him to spell it out.

15 minutes down. My eyes had a permanent hold on the steel alarm clock but would try concentrating on the children’s faces instead. I was slowly drifted into a cold sleep. In both corners of my mouth, I was salivating and saliva was dripping down my chin and onto my pillow case. Saliva would collect on my lips and I would lick them again and again until I gave up and let the suffer and consequence take all of me. The alarm clock rang and was glad that it was finally over, for now. It was about time. I could feel my arms and legs trembling underneath the heavy layering of blankets. I had chills running down my spine and saliva down my chin. Jessie must’ve sent the children away because I didn’t hear them leave. Every day, I would set the alarm clock later and later each day to see how long I could last without having a seizure.

The reading continued for a month as agreed but was surprised when Mr. Jeremy read to me one extra week. It was nice though. I wanted him to know how much I appreciated him takin’ the time to come over and read to an old sick lady like me and told Jessie to put a nice camellia plant into a candy box before I died. I just hope he knows how much I appreciated him coming over everyday to read to me. Slowly, I watched as the light slowly grew dimmer every second until everything went dark and cold.

Journal #3- Chapters 8-9 (Scout)

2009-05-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

Well today, today was different. Since 1885, Maycomb hasn't seen a flurry of snow until today. I didn't even know what the slush in my front yard was until Jem and Atticus told me. Mr. Avery has always believed that the seasons changed whenever the children disobey their parents so you could practically envision him going on and on about how naughty the children have been. Mrs. Radley died that winter but her death caused nearly a ripple. Atticus said she died of natural causes but Jem pressured me to ask him and plus, I was honestly curious.

“Ask him,” Jem whispered.
“You ask him, you’re the oldest.”
“That’s why you oughta ask him”
I finally got the courage to ask him and said, “Atticus, did you see Mr. Arthur?” He looked sternly around his newspaper at me. “I did not,” he said. Atticus was still worried about Jem and I being nosey about the Radleys ever since that one night.

Also today, Jem and I built a snowman. We went over to Ms. Maudies house and brought some of her snow back to our house in baskets, which was 73% dirt and slush. Jem had this idea that we were going to build something called a snowman. I didn’t know what Jem was doing but I just followed his lead. Jem scooped up an armful of dirt, patted it into a mount on which he added another load, and another until he had constructed a torso. The amount of dirt that ours snowman had made it look as though it was all black.

“Jem, I ain’t ever heard of a nigger snowman,” I said.
“He won’t be black long,” he grunted.

Jem pulled off some peachtree switches from the back yard, bent them, and then covered them in snow. I thought it looked like Miss Stephenie Crawford with her hands on her hips. “Fat in the middle and little-bitty arms,” I said. Jem sloshed over the mud and added more dirt. Jem then went around and added a big stomach below the waistline. Both Jem and I thought our snowman looked a lot like Mr. Avery. Jem scooped up some white snow and began to cover the cover the back of Mr. Avery. Slowly, the snowman turned white. Using bits of wood for the eyes, mouth, and buttons, Jem succeeded in making Mr. Avery looking cross.

“It’s lovely Jem,” I said. “Looks almost like he’d talk to you.” I couldn’t wait until atticus came home for dinner so that he could see our snowman. He said that it looked lovely but that we had to cover him up just in case Mr. Avery saw. I wouldn’t want him coming up to Jem and me and giving us a big talk about how disobeying we are. Right now, my feet feel as though they are going to freeze off and Atticus and Calpurnia have already put more coal into our stoves to keep us warm. As soon as I felt as if I had finally fallen asleep, I heard, “Baby get up.” Was it morning already? Atticus was holding out my bathrobe and coat. “Put your robe on first,” he said. What time was it? It still looked pitch black. “Hurry hun. Here’re your shoes and socks.” Stupidly, I put them on. Finally I asked, “is it morning?”

“No. It’s a little past one. Hurry now.” What could possibly be so important that they had to wake me at one in the morning? “Whats the matter?” I asked. I knew when there was trouble in our street. Soft muffled scurrying sounds filled me with helpless dread. “Whose is it?”

“Miss Maudie’s, hon,” said Atticus gently. At the front door, I saw fire spewing from Miss Maudie’s house across the street.
“Its gone ain’t it?” reckoned Jem. Atticus told Jem and I to go down by the Radley Place and keep out of trouble. Jem was ordered to take are of me and was in charge or making sure we were both kept out of harms way.

“That book…” I said.
“What?”
“That Tom Swift book, it ain’t mine. Its Dill’s…”
“Don worry, Scout, it ain’t time to worry yet,” said Jem. I thought that those words would comfort me until I saw smoke arising off of our house. Not once did I let go of his coat. There were three fire trucks that came by but finally all that was left of the fire was smoke and Miss Maudies house in ashes. I feel so bad for her. I would be so devestated if our house burtned down. I really want to talk to her to see if she's alright but Atticus always looked at us shaking his head. Maybe it wasn't the right moment. When Jem and I met back up with Atticus the first thing he pointed out was the blanket I had wraped around my shoulders.

"What did I tell you about stayin' put?" I just stood there trying to find an explination for the newly fitted blanket around my arms, but I couldn't. He turned to Jem who was just as confussed as I was. "Well I guess everyone came out tonight." We were standing in frong of the Radley Pla- Boo?! Could he have come out and put that blanket around me while I wasn't looking? Damn. If only I had turned around. Oh well, I know he'll have to come sooner or later.

Journal #2- Chapters 4-7 (Jem)

2009-05-10T20:43:00.000-07:00

Every time I think I have made myself perfectly clear about the deadly consequences of eating anything near the Radley house, today I found Scout chewing a piece of Wrigley’s Double-Mint gum that she found in a tree. Any ordinary tree would be inexcusable, but this one was found in one of the Radley trees. “Spit it out right now!” I screamed at her. She spat it out and said, “I’ve been chewin’ it all afternoon and I ain’t dead yet, not even sick.”

I stomped my foot. “Don’t you know you’re not supposed to even touch the trees over there? You’ll get killed if you do! You go gargle- right now, you hear me?” When she didn’t obey me, I threatened to tell Calpurnia on her and after I did, she didn’t question me again on the subject. Summer was coming quickly and was waiting apprehensively with Scout as the days slowly passed by. All I could think about was about how much fun we were gonna have once Dill came to visit. At last, the last day of school arrived and Scout and I were released early from the school grounds where we walked home together. As we walked by to the live oaks at the Radley Place, Scout pointed out to a knot-hole where she must’ve found her gum. Both Scout and I noticed another piece of tinfoil.

“I see it, Scout! I see it.” I looked around and reached up to grab it. I gingerly pocketed the tiny shiny package and we ran home as fast as we could. On the front porch, Scout and I examined the small box that had patchwork and bits of tinfoil collected from chewing gum wrappers. I flicked open the tiny catch and saw two scrubbed and polished pennies, one on top of the other.

“Indian heads,” I said. “Nineteen-six and Scout, one of ‘em’s nineteen-hundred. These are real old.” Scout and I debated whether or not this knot-hole could be someone’s hiding place. We came to the conclusion that the finders keepers title was in play and that we were going to keep any items we found in that knot-hole from now on. I told Scout that the Indian-heads were of value to someone and that we were to ask around once school started again.

“How’s that Jem?” she asked. “Well, Indian-heads- well, they come from the Indians. They’re real strong magic, they make you have good luck. Not like fried chicken when you’re not lookin’ for it, but things like long life ‘n’ good health, ‘n’ passin’ six-weeks tests… these are real valuable to somebody. I’m gonna put ‘em in my truck.” Before going to my room, I took a long time staring back at the Radley house and just thinking about how this summer was going to be once Dill arrived. Two days later, Dill arrived in a train of glory. He had ridden the train all by himself from Meridian to Maycomb Juction and was somewhat heavier. “What’ll we play today?” I asked Dill once he was done telling us about his black bearded father and helping engineer for a while.

“Tom and Sam and Dick,” said Dill. He wanted to use the Rover Boys because there were three respectable parts. He was clearly tired of being out character man. “I’m tired of those,” complained Scout. “Make us up one Jem,” she said. “I’m tired of makin’ ‘em up,” I said.

After our first days of freedom, we were tired. We had strolled the front yard, where Dill stood looking down the street at the dreary face of the Radley Place. “I-small-death,” he said. “I do, I meant it,” Dill said when Scout told him to shut up. “you mean when somebody’s dyin’ you can smell it?” Scout asked. “No, I mean I can smell somebody an’ tell if they’re gonna die.” Dill leaned over Scout and sniffed her. “Jean Louise Finch, you are going to die in three days.”

“Dill if you hush I’ll knock you bowlegged. I mean it, now—“
“Yawl hush,” I growled, “you act like you believe in Hot Steams.”
“What’s a Hot Steam?” asked Dill.
I asked him if he had ever walked along a lonesome road at night and passed by a hot place and told him that a Hot Steam was somebody who couldn’t get to heaven. Somebody who just wallows around on lonesome roads an’ that if you walked through them, when you die you’ll become one too, an’ you’ll go around at night suckin’ people’s breath.

“How can you keep from passing through one?” he asked. I told him you couldn’t. Scout told Dill that he shouldn’t believe a word I said and wouldn’t shut it so I finally spoke up and said, “Well, are we gonna play anything or not?” Scout suggested that we roll in the tire and sighed because I knew I was too big. Scout told me that I could push her. She ran to the backyard and pulled on old car tire from under the house. She slapped it up to the front yard. “I’m first,” she announced. When she folded herself inside, I decided to push her down the sidewalk with all the strength that I had in my body that would later then compensate for what she said. I chased her down the sidewalk and shouting as loud as I possible could until I saw whose lawn she had landed into. “Scout, get away from there, come on!” She raised her head and stared at the Radley Place steps in front of her. I began to shout at her. “Come on, Scout, don’t just lie there! Get up, can’tcha? Get the tire! Bring it with you! Ain’t you got any sense at all?” Scout ran back to us as fast as her shaky legs would allow her to. “Why didn’t you bring it?” I yelled.

“Why don’t you get it?” she screamed. I looked at her furiously and then ran down the side walk, treaded water at the gate, then dashed in and retrieved the tire. I looked at her triumphantly, “See there? Nothin’ to it. I swear Scout, sometimes you act so much like a girl it’s mortifyin’.” I knew there was more to why she was all scared but threw that in just for my benefit. Calpurnia appeared in the front door and yelled, “Lemonade time! You all get in outa that hot sun ‘fore you fry alive!” I gulped down my second glassful and slapped my chest. “I know what were going to play,” I announced. “Something new, something different”

“What is it Jem?” asked Dill.
“Boo Radley.” Dill asked how it went and I started giving out roles. “Scout, you can be Mrs. Radley”
Scout began to declare if she was or not. “ ‘Smatter?,” said Dill. “Still scared?”
“He can get out at night when we’re all asleep…” she said. “Oh Scout. How’s he gonna know what we’re doin’? Besides, I don’t think he’s still there. He dies years ago and they stuffed him up the chimney.”
“Jem, you and me can play and Scout can watch if she’s scared,” said Dill. Scout decided to toughen up and play and so I parceled the roles. Scout was going to be Mrs. Radley, and all she had to do in the game was come out and sweep the porch. Dill was Mr. Radley, all he had to do was walk up and down the sidewalk and cough when I spoke to him. I, naturally, was Boo. I went under the front steps and shrieked and howled from time to time. As the summer progressed, so did our game. We added dialogue and even a plot until we had manufactured a small play upon which we rang changes to everyday.

The three of us were the boys who got in trouble; Scout was the probate judge and Dill led me away and crammed me beneath the steps, poking me with a brush broom. I would reappear when needed in the shapes of the sheriff, assorted townsfolk, and Miss Stephanie Crawford, who had more to say about the Radleys than anybody in Maycomb. When it was time to play Boo’s big scene, I would sneak into the house and steal scissors from the sewing machine drawer then sit in the swing and cut up newspapers. Dill would walk by me, cough, and I would fake a plunge into Dill’s thigh. Our activities would be put on a halt when any of our neighbors appeared. One day we were so busily playing Chapter XXV, Book II of One Man’s Family, that we did not see Atticus standing on the sidewalk looking at us and slapping a rolled magazine against his knee.

“What are you all playing?” he asked.
“Nothing,” I said. I hadn’t exactly told Dill or Scout to keep our game a secret but I hoped that they would get the idea from my intervention.
“What are you doing with those scissors then? Why are you tearing up that newspaper? If it’s today’s I’ll tan you.” Atticus’ tone was firm and demanding.
“Nothing,” I repeated.
“Nothing what?”
“Nothing, sir.”
“Give me those scissors,” said Atticus. “They’re no things to play with. Does this by any chance hace anything to do with the Radleys?” He asked.
“No sir,” I said, probably reddening.
“I hope it doesn’t,” he said shortly. He went inside the house but when Dill or Scout began to say anything, I told them to shut up and that he could hear every word we said.

Girls always imagined things, that’s why other people hate them so, and if Scout started behaving like one, she could just go off and find some to play with.

TO BE CONTINUED….

Journal #1- Chapters 1-3 (Miss Caroline)

2009-05-03T20:46:00.000-07:00

The first day of school is always the best for me, but this year is different. I just came from Winston County and hopefully everyone will accept me into this small town of Maycomb. As it is my first day as a teacher in my new school, I chose to wear my red- and- white striped dress and high-heeled pumps, and just to spice things up a bit, I put on my peppermint body spray. When kids walked in the room I could tell that my outfit was a bit eccentric but I enjoyed it. Today I am going to read a book about cats and tell them a little bit about me, as I am going to be their first grade teacher. I heard that the kids here aren’t very well educated and that’s exactly how I like it. Its easier when the students aren’t able to read or write. Why? Well to me it gives me a chance to be like there mothers out of the house and teach them from scratch.

As the sudents walked into my classroom, I walked over to the blackboard and printed my name. “This says I am Caroline Fisher. I am from North Alabama, from Winston County.” Just as I said that, the class mummured apprehensively. I couldn’t understand what they could’ve found amussing but I assumed it was just a mumur because I was new here. I continued to read them the story about cats. The cats had long conversations, wore cunning clothes, and lived in warm houses underneath the kitchen stove. By about the time Mrs. Cat called the drugstore for chocolate, the class was wiggling around like worms. “Oh, my, wasn’t that nice?” The way they moved around irked me but I set the book down and began to write the alphabet up on the board. I asked if anyone knew what the letters I had just printed were and was surprised when everyone did. I found out the apparently all of the kids had failed the first grade before. I chose a girl who looked medium built and looked as though she was paying attention. As she began to read through the alphebet, my eyesbrows pulled together in confusion. I asked this girl to read from My First Reader and The Mobile Register. This girl presevered and was literate. “Tell your father to stop teaching you . It interferes with your reading and that is no good.”

“Teach me?” She sounded surprised. “He hasn’t taught me anything, Miss Caroline. Atticus ain’t got time to teach me anything.” I shook my head.

“If he doesn’t teach you then who did? Somebody did. You weren’t just born reading The Mobile Register.” This girl just kept mentioning this boy named Jem, as if I would have even the slightest idea of who he was, and knew this girl must’ve been lying to me. “Now you tell your father not to teach you any more. It’s best to begin reading with a fresh mind. You tell him I’ll take over from here and try to undo the damage-“ The girl interrupted me mid sentence.

“Ma’am?” I said that her father doesn’t know how to teach and to take a seat. The girl murmured something in-audiable under her breath and decided to leave it alone. After recess, I would show them the words “the,” “cat,” “rat,” “man,” and “you.” When doing so, I caught her writing some letter to someone.

“Tell your father to stop teaching you. Besides, we don’t write in first grade, we print. You won’t learn how to write until you’re in the thrid grade.” By this time, she was really starting to annoy me and knew that lunch was about to begin so decided to ask the class is they all had soemthing to eat. The students who did have their lunch set them on the top of their desk and I walked up and down the rows, peering into every students lunches. Some lunches didn’t seem quite pleasing to me and cringed at some, but then I stopped in front of this boy who appeared as if he was starved. “Where’s yours?” I ased him. He told everyone in the first grade that he had hookworms. He wasn’t wearing any shoes but diid have a clean shirt and neatly mended overalls. “Did you forget your lunch this morning?” The boy didn’t answer me so I repeated myself. “Did you forget your lunch this morning?” This time I saw his jaw twitch and heard him mutter, “Yeb’m.”

I went to my desk and opened my bag and pulled out a quarter and handed it to the poor starved boy. “Go and eat downtown today. You can pay me abck tomorrow.” He refused. Who would refuse a meal? I found this very odd and knew that he was fooling everyone if he denied that he needed food. Poor boy looked as skinny as a bone and insisted that he take the quarter out of my hand. “Go on and tell her Scout,” I heard a student point out. I turned her way and saw her hesitate. She slowly arose our of her seat and announced, “Miss Caroline, he’s a Cunningham.” She sat back down.

“What, Jean Louise?”

“Walter’s one of the Cunninghams, Miss Caroline.” I was still confused.

“That’s okay, ma’am, you’ll het to know all the country folks after a while. The Cunninghams never took anything they can’t pay back- no church baskets, and no script stamps. They never took anything off anybody, they get along with what they have. They don’t have much, but they get along on it.” According to what Scout had just said, Walter is a boy who ain’t got lots of money and doesn’t eat much. “You’re shamin’ him, Miss Caroline. Walter ain’t got a quarter at home to bring you, and you can’t use any stovewood.” I stood shock still and then grabed her by the collar. I hauled her to my desk and grabbed my ruler.

“Jean Louise, I’ve had about enough of youthis morning. You’re starting off on the wrong foot in every way, my dear. Hold out your hand.” Scout cooperated with me and held out her hand. She appeared confused and looked back towards the class for an answer and then looked back towards me. I gave her half a dozen quick little pats on the hand and told her to go stand in the corner. A storm of laughter broke out and as I threatened them with the same fate, the class exploded with laughter again. Miss Blount, the sixth grade homeroom teacher from next door, came into the room and announced that if she heard another sound from this room, that she would burn up everybody in it.

Slowly but surely, the day came to an end and how glad I am going to be when the sun sets this evening. With the night slowly coming to and end and morning quickly arrising, I was not looking forward to the moment when I had to step foot in my classroom again. The first day didn’t exactly go the way I had invissioned it to go but then found myself once again standing in the middle of the first grade homeroom. “AH! It’s alive!” I screamed. Little Chuck Little had a little facination for living things .

“Which way did he go Miss Caroline? Tell us where he went quick!” I pointed my finger, which was apperently shaking, towards a boy that had a bush for hair and mud for a face. He told me that his name was Burris Ewell. “Well, Burris, I think we’d better excuse you for the rest of the afternoon. I want you to go home and wash your hair,” I told him. He was the filthiest human I had ever seen. There was only a single patch of skin that wasn’t covered with drak grey filth. He peered back at me.

“You ain’t sendin’ me home, missus. I was on the verge of leavin’- I done done my time for this year.” Again with the statements that I didn’t quite understand. Aparently, the Ewells only stay for the first day of first grade and then are absent for rest of the year. I insisted that he leave and go home but he retorted agaisn’t me and shouted at me with a very rude tone. You couldn’t deny that his pronoucement wasn’t ment to be offensive. He was just so condecending towards me the I began to cry. The students came up towrds me and comforted me with comforting words and convinced me to tell them more of the cat story.

If I got anything out of these first couple days of school, its that I have got a lot to learn about the indigenous Maycombians and that it is going to be a VERY long year.

Immigration Project Reflection

2009-03-29T21:00:00.000-07:00

Honestly, my experience with my LC book, this time around, was great! I was entirely comfortable with The Woman Warrior and enjoyed reading it very much. I was, in a way, able to connect to the author on a personal level, and enjoyed visualizing how the author handled certain situations. I also enjoyed reading this book because I was able to travel back in time and kinda get a feel for what it might have been like to be a young Chinese girl trying to fit in with an American lifestyle, yet still trying to balance out her culture at home. One thing my lit circles group has taught me, has been to think things through and really take the time to view situations from all perspectives and not just one. In The Woman Warrior, Maxine really struggles to stand out and feel wanted by her family. She got good grades and always strived to succeed in life, and so by reading this book, I have also taken into account that you only have one life to live and what you do with that is up to you. Maxine could’ve made different decisions. She could’ve dropped out of school or left the house, but she didn’t which really tells us that she is a very strong woman.
Throughout the lit circle process, I believe that we could’ve had some time in class after posting blogs to just have a face to face, open- discussion, to talk or comment more about the book or make predictions about what might happen next. I loved the fact that we were able to do a blog post this time. In my opinion, it made responding easier and made the entire lit circles process so much more organized. Before I always had to keep track of my dialectical journal slips and everything would get misplaced. Although blogging was fun, sometimes I would find myself in a situation where my internet was down or I did not have access to a computer.
I found the idea of reading my peers interpretations of the book almost fascinating, or as if exploring new heights. After reading what my fellow group members had to say about the same quotes or about the passage I chose, it opened my eyes to a different way of emotionally connecting to the passage. It made me think of all the different ways you may use to solve a mathematical solution but with words. Also, with the posts being online, I could always go back and re-read something that I liked or enjoyed. It made it helpful to have access to it outside of school.
After reading all of my options that I had to choose from for my art piece, I finally set my mind on making a new book cover because it felt as though it was something that I could make complex, yet simple. I really felt as though I could put some of my thoughts and what I visualized while reading the book, on the book cove that might intrigue other readers. I think that if you know both the countries involved in The Woman Warrior and what role the play throughout the book, I feel as though the connection between the book and my art piece should be clear. Other than that, absolutely; I do feel as though there is a connection between my literature book and my art piece. Reflecting on my painting, I believe I did a fairly-well job, but also feel as though I could’ve added more either towards the top or bottom of the painting. The material I used was a mixture of oil pastels and acrylic paint so it made it difficult when painting in the miniscule details. I do enjoy the way my final product turned out to be. I think it, overall, looks like a decent book cover. Something that could’ve enhanced the quality of my painting might have been to be more detailed or to accent the detail. Overall, I like the idea of being able to express your thoughts about a book or get your take of that book and put it onto a canvas and make it a painting of your very own. I learned that all books, no matter what genre it may be, each have a certain emotion that they portray you to feel and that after reading that book, it makes you want to paint what your feeling.
In terms of the interviewing process, I must say that I got a bit aggravated just because it was difficult communicating with my lady. It felt as though I was trying to force two parallel lines together to make them intertwine somehow. My schedule is busy enough without the hassle of trying to set up a time with a lady who has a FULL time schedule. Despite all the aggravation, I liked the idea of trying different interview methods. I opened me up to try to things and also because a better communicator. Number one: I learned that you can never rely on a email sending the perfect copy ONCE so always send it twice, just in case. Number two: I learned that you REALLY have to listen intently to what the person is saying while talking on the phone but that you have to listen 3 times as hard if they have a hard accent. And number three: The moment you meet your person and know that you are going to need to take some free time to meet them, ask them if they plan on traveling in the next month. Since my lady is a family friend, I was glad that she opened up to me for a project. In some countries, individuals just need to immigrate to another country for personal reasons and it made me realize, “Hey, although all these people have immigrated here to the U.S, that doesn’t mean America isn’t having problems. Of course every situation has their pros and cons, but we need to make sure we made the right decisions that will make a positive impact on our lives.” Interviewing an individual who has immigrated here to America just made all of the studies we learned that much more REAL. My lady was able to share with me her thoughts about America, and her own country, and just all of the emotions she felt when coming to America. The hardships, the laughter, and the friends that she made, those are really personal experiences and I’m just really glad that she was willing to share so much with me.

The Woman Warrior - DJ #6

2009-03-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Quote 1:
"She wore the same clothers, hair cut, and manner as when we were in elementary school, no make-up on the pink and white face, while the other Asian girls were starting to tape their eyelids." - page 182, paragraph 2, Maxine

Significance:
This quote stood out to me because beauty in America was only defined one way, and that was by your eyes. It makes me sad to think that girls in junior high would tape their eyelids so they could be 'beautiful'. Its heat breaking to think that, up til this day, Asian girls still use that method to beautify them.

Personal Connection:
I can relate because as an asian girl, I have felt the need and want for gorgeous eyes but then I acept myself for who I am and go on my way. People portray beauty as a fake fairy tale in which they want the princess to be a mouth dropping , heart stopping, typical American.

Question 1:
How far would you go to be absolutly gorgeous? Why?

Quote 2:
"I studies hard, got straight A's, but nobody seemed to see that I was smart and had nothing in common with this monster, this birth defect." - page 195, paragraph 2, Maxine

Significance:
I choose this quote because it tells us more about Maxine and how her parents wanted her to marry and FOB (Fresh-off-the-Boat). This is what the Chinese-American kids at school would call the young immigrants. I don't like the fact that her parents would want her to marry a guy who their daughter doesn't want to and/or love.

Character Judgement:
I think that Maxine is a very strong woman in the respect that she doesn't get any attention or much love. She is only descriminated agaisnt because of her sex and because of nationality. Her great uncle didn't even care for her and her cousins or sister. He called her and all of her other female siblings, maggots. For a girl who gets straight A's, strives for attention, and lives in a world among ghosts, she does not deserve to be though of as aburden.

Question 2:
Would you stand to live in a house full of your own family treating you as if you were just another old family trinket that they had to take care of? Why or why not? Would you continue to strive for what you want and axcel in school even if these were the circumstances?

Vocab for DJ #6:
canerry (pg 180) - canerry
gesticulating (pg 183) - to make or use gestures
camphoraceous (pg 187) - camphoraceous
rictus (pg187) - the gape of the mouth of a bird
trestle (pg 188) - a frame typically composed of a horizontal bar or beam
frivolous (pg 189) -characterized by lack of seriousness or sense

The Woman Warrior - DJ # 5

2009-03-05T20:41:00.000-08:00

Quote 1:
"Brave Orchid saw that all variety had gone from her sister. She was indeed mad. 'The difference between mad people and sane people,' Brave Orchid explained to the children, 'is that sane people have variety when they talk story. Mad people have only one story that they talk over and over." - page 159, paragraph 4, Brave Orchid (Aiaa)

Significance:
I choose this quote because it's kinda showing the harships and challanges that Brave Orchids family is having to deal with because of Moon Orchids going mad. They are having to sneak out of the house because Moon Orchid will grab a hold of the families clothing so that they wouldn't leave her to the "Mexican Ghosts". I blame this on Brave Orchid because she dragged her on a plane from China to the U.S. Then made her go up and down the west coast, back and forth through cities and L.A. I think that Brave Orchid pushed her sister too far, that she went emotionally dead, and ultimately mad.

Character Judgement:
I think that Brave Moon is very pushy, demanding, and guilty for her sister's madness. A part of me thinks that Brave Moon does feel guilty and wants to be with her sister ever step of the way, yet another side of me is telling me that she is a bad sister and justs wants to do whats best for herself. Coming from all this, I have ultimately decided that Moon Orchid is very immature, has not life challanging experiences, but has had to deal with servere heart-ache. She is a very strong woman but needs help.

Question 1:
If one of your siblings went sane or mad, how would you deal with the situation? Why?

Quote 2:
"During air raid drills (it was during the Korean War, which you knew about because every day the front page of the newspaper printed a map of Korea with the top part red and going up and down like a window shade,) we curled up in this basement. Now everyone was gone. The playroom was army green and had nothing in it but a long trough with drinking spigots in rows... When someone flushed you could hear the water and other matter, which the children named, running inside the big pipe above the drinking spigots." - page 174, paragraph 1, Maxine

Significance:
In this quote, it is saying that during school they would have air raid drills when they would hide in the basement and wait for the air to be later cleared. Its telling us more about their life here in America. During the Korean War, schools had drills just like we have fire drills but to think that America has turned into a safe, secure, living space, makes a lot of people want to live here. Although at one time there were such things as air raid drills, it is nice to know that America has shown that we can be strong and pull through. Those raid drills were just for protection but it would've scared me to death just thinking about being in "war" territory.

Personal Connection:
Although America is safe, when I think of war, I think about 9-11 and when the twin towers came down. That was a big shock but it made us stronger. Many lives were taken but many poeople steped up to help one another which America is all about. Also, it just makes me thankful for all of the security and safety we, as Americans, feel living here in America. We are fortunate to not have to worry about people coming and knocking on our doors asking if they can seach our houses.

Question 2:
Do you think that a lot of kids were worried about, possibly, getting bombed on or having war break out right there on school campus? Why or why not?

Vocab for DJ #5:
burlap (pg 148) - a plain-woven, coarse fabric of jute, hemp
frena (pg 164) - a fold of membrane that checks or restrains the motion of a part
frenum (pg 165) - a fold of membrane that checks or restrains the motion of a part
self-assertion (pg 172) - insistence on or an expression of one's own importance

The Woman Warrior - DJ #4

2009-03-01T12:24:00.000-08:00

Quote 1:
"How greedy to play with presents in front of the giver. How impolite ("untraditional" in Chinese) her children were." - page 121, paragraph 2, Brave Orchid/Narrator

Significance:
I chose this quote because it tells the reader how Maxine's mom still keeps the traditional culture alive in the house and how it was thought to be disrespectful to take gifts. Also, in this part of the book, we are introduced to Aiaa's sister Moon Orchid. She is really disrespected by her niece's and nephew's and has just come from China. Although she comes from China, when giving her family rock candy, she wants them to enjoy and take as much as they want; despite the "untraditional" factor of her actions.

Character Judgement:
I think that this part in the book shows us a whole different side of Brave Orchid, or Aiaa's, family and her children. Aiaa has been so close to her culture and all of the traditions that her children are disrespectful to their own aunt who they haven't seen in over 5 years. Also, in this part, it shows how Moon Orchid is struggling to make do with the fact that her husband is living in LA with his second wife and taking care of her kids. She deserves better.

Question 1:
Would you feel abandoned and un-loved if you found out that your spouce had run off to be with another person other than yourself, and in another COUNTRY!?

Quote 2:
"She felt she had accomplished a great deal by folding towels. She spent the evening observing the children. She liked to figure them out. She described them aloud." - page 140, paragraph 3, Brave Orchid/Narrator

Significance:
I chose this quote because it is showing us that Moon Orchid, Aiaa's sister, is trying to understand the American culture by observing her niece's and nephew's who have lived in America her whole life. This quote also tells us readers that Moon Orchid is totally unfamilliar with any activities or doings that her family is performing. Also, she is just trying to get to know and figure out what her family likes to do and kinda connect to them in that way.

Personal Connection:
I am going to have a baby nephew on the way and I know that when he is born that I am going to be observing him very closely to figure out how to entertain him just like Moon Orchid is trying to figure out as well, with her family. Difference is, is that I know my family won't be disrespectful to me or to each other just like Aiaa's children are to Moon Orchid.

Question 2:
Have you ever felt so lost or confussed to the point where you had to closely observe something so that you didn't feel like such an out cast? When and why did you feel that way?

Vocab for DJ #4:
doily (pg 120) - any small, ornamental mat, as of embroidery or lace
lenient (pg 127) - agreeably tolerant
demure (pg 133) - characterized by shyness and modesty

The Woman Warrior - DJ #3

2009-02-25T19:42:00.000-08:00

Quote 1:
"Among the sellers with their ropes, cages, and water tanks were the sellers of little girls. Sometimes just one man would be standing by the side of the roads selling one girl. There were fathers and mother selling their daughters, whom they pushed forward and then pulled back again. ... If they could just hear from the buyer's own mouth about a chair in the kitchen, they could tell each other in the years to come that their daughter was even now resting in that kitchen chair." - page 79, paragraph 2, Maxine

Significance:
I thought that it was really sad to see how people would sell their own children as slaves to work for other families; and to think that so many children aren't cared for or loved just because they are girls!? That is heart breaking to me and hits home for me. A lot of countries still have sexist problems where women have either no rights or very few at all. Its really sad to think that there are women who have intelligent minds yet are not acknowledged because of it and are simply put down because they are women.

Personal Connection:
This part in the story really hit a nerve for me because I was given up just like most girls in China. I was found in a basket, and with me a blanket, at a train station with a red ribbon attached to my sweater stating only my birth date. Luckily for me, I was found and put into an orphanage for save care and protection. It still hurts to think that people keep their children up till an age where they have a brain and can talk, walk, sit, stand, and then put them up for sale as slave girls or ditch them at a public transportation center. I would like to think that my biological parents cared for me, but then I always think, 'you know what? If they really cared for you then they wouldn't have cared if you were a girl or a boy. They would've loved you and given you the best care they could provide for you at the time.' It was just really hard to read this part in the book because of my birth story.

Question 1:
What do you think some of the reasons why some parents would want to market their daughter as a slave?

Quote 2:
"... That's because she was sixteen years old. Eight-year-olds were about twenty dollars. Five-year-olds were ten dollars and up. Two-year-olds were about five dollars. Babies were free. During the war, though, when you were born, many people gave older girls away for free. And here I was in the United States paying two hundred dollars for you." - page 83, paragraph 2, Aiaa (Maxine's mother)

Significance:
I choose this quote for very similar reasons as the 1st. It is sickening to think that people gave away their children because they were, as a so called, 'burden' to them. Personally, I think that it was really wrong for Aiaa to even consider barganing for a slave girl. But I am really glad that she gave her 'slave' some what of a good abode and found her a nice husband. Its saddening to think that people sold their own children for less than 10 dollars, depending on age. Why not find them a good home or go to an orphanage and make sure that they help fund for the kid or at least make sure they get to good hands. I still can't think of why anyone would want to sell their daughters besides for money and selfishness.

Personal Connection:
Although I was not sold on the streets, it is a possibility that I easily could have been. I still and very fortunate that I was found and given to an orphanage where I would be taken care of and later be put up for adoptioin. Without the generocity of that person, I may not be living the life I am today.

Question 2:
Picture yourself as one of the parents who is selling their young daughter off on the streets for 10 dollars. Tell me why you think you doing that is okay.

Vocab for DJ #3:
surfeited (pg 74) - to feed or supply to excess
permeate (pg 83) - to pass into or through every part of
palanquins (pg 84) - a covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of four or more bearers, formerly used in eastern Asia
defecate (pg 86) - have a bowel movement
recedes (pg 87) - move back or away from a limit, point, or mark
dromedaries (pg 90) - the single-humped camel

The Woman Warrior - DJ #2

2009-02-18T20:46:00.000-08:00

Quote 1:
"We had lost males before, cousins and uncles would were conscripted into armies or bonded as apprentices, who are almost as lowly as slave girls." - page 33, paragraph 1, Maxine

Significance:
I choose this quote because it told us alot about the author, Maxine. She has seen a lot and had to deal with tragedy before and that the people who recruited her family members are treated just as if they were slave girls; without care, without respect, and highly frowned upon.

Personal Connection:
There will always be those times when you feel like you looked down upon in, maybe, differnt or similar ways as Maxine being a female. Also, there are still many countries out in the world that do still have sexism and woman have either no rights or very limited rights as a woman.

Question 1:
Try picturing yourself as a teenage girl living in a country full of sexism and racism. How do you think that those years of sexism and lonely-ness will affect the decisions you make for your future?

Quote 2:
"I went away to college -Berkeley in the sixties- and I studies, and I marched to change the world, but I did not turn into a boy. I would have liked to bring myself back as a boy for my parents to welcome with chickens and pigs. ... If I went to Vietnam, I would not come back; female desert families. It was said, 'There is an outward tendency in females,' which meant that I was getting straight A's for the good of my future husband's family, not my own." - page 47, paragraph 4 & 5, Maxine

Significance:
I think that this quote really tells us readers that the move to America has been life changing for Maxine. With all of her success in school and her helping around the house while juggling two part time jobs -one at an art supply store and the other at a land developers' association- not a single moment is she recognized for her hard work and dedication. And the only reason that is, is because she is a female. If she were male, she would have the world at her feet; her family would congratulate her and support her and the decisions she makes. If she were a man, she wouldn't be beated or hit if she said or acted out of line. Who knows, maybe she would but her family would be grateful for her existance which is not the way it is for Maxine right now. The result of that is that Maxine doesn't want to feel like a burden anymore and she wants to avenge her family.

"To avenge my family, I'd have to storm across China to take back our farm from the Communists; I'd have to rage across the United States to take back the laundry in New York and the one in California. Nobody in history has conqured and united both North America and Asia." - page 49, paragraph 6, Maxine

Also, the 1st quote above is telling me that the Chinese culture respects men more than females and all do respect but in my opinion, it seems as though they could have less cares in the world than to give birth to a baby girl. Thats why I thank and truely do respect people in countries, inclusing China, who respect and love every one, no matter their race, their religion, or their gender.

Character Judgement:
So currently we have been slowly unwrapping our narrator Maxine and finding out little things that make her unique. From the quote obove, it tells us that Maxine is a good student and got a really good education at Berkeley here in California. I really do respect Maxine's thoughts in which she wants to avenge her family. I do understand where she is coming from and would respect her decision if she really were to. Although, I would really worry about Maxine if she were kicked out or left to fend for herself. Especially since she is still in the 60's when America was still having dificulties with segregation in the public and dificulties accepting people of a differnt culture and/or religion. I think that Maxine is a strong woman and strives to complete the goals she sets for herself.

Question 2:
Do you agree with some of the reasons for Maxine's anger towards her family? Why or why not?

Vocab for DJ #2:
gourd (pg 33) - the hard-shelled fruit of any of various plants
culled (pg 36) - to pick out from others
abreast (pg 37) - side by side; beside each other in a line
marauders (pg 37) - to roam or go around in quest of plunder
fontanel (pg 40) - one of the spaces, covered by membrane, between the bones of the fetal or young skull
palpable (pg 41) - readily or plainly seen, heard, perceived
avenge (pg 49) - inflict a punishment or penalty in return for
enumerate (pg 57) - specify, as in a list

The Woman Warrior - DJ #1

2009-02-15T14:16:00.000-08:00

Quote 1:
"There were ghost plagues, bandit plagues, wars with the Japanese, floods. My Chinese brother and sister had died of an unknown sickness. Adultery, perhaps only a mistake during good times, became a crime when the village needed food." - page 13, paragraph 2, Maxine

Significance:
In Maxines (narrator) home country, it was a hard life. The Chinese culture had a lot of punishments and supperstitions realated to spiritual belifs and therefore had many restrictions on what and wasn't allowed to be done. This phrase above also tells me that adultery might had been only taken very seriously if or when a village or family was in need of money and food. In their need of food, the family might have used the excuse of adultery to raid someones house and steal their food or take their animals for food. Otherwise, the phrase above is telling me that they would not think to use this as an excuse to break into someones house, it would just mean that the person guilty of doing it would curse themselves and their family forever.

Personal Connection:
Well, here in the U.S, we have crimes such as adultery still going on and we have other terrible things happing due to sexual assult and it seemes as though it happened in China too.

Question 1:
From reading this first part of The Woman Warrior, do you think that the narrators (Maxine) aunt was raped? Because she states that her aunt always gave up her family for beauty and men, so I'm still wondering if she was that relentless as to what the consequences might have been.

Quote 2:
"The Chinese are always very frightened of the drowned one, whoese weeping ghost, wet hair hanging and skin bloated, waits silently by the water to pull down a substitute." - page 16, last paragraph, Maxine

Question 2:
So we are introduced to alot of the authors (Maxine) relatives in this first part of the sotry and I am still confussed wether or not her aunt (Aiaa pg, 13) drowned herself with the baby. Any thoughts on that?

Quote 3:
"I watched powerful men count their money, and starving men count theirs." - page 30, paragraph 3, Maxine

Significance:
In their home country, there is extreme poverty and even her family stuggled to make a substancial living, but it was even harder for them when the village people came and raided all of their belongings taking everything and destroying everything that was on their property. I thought that it was really cruel and unneccesary to sloughter all of their animals. It was hard making a living and so I think that this is why Maxine's family laster leaves for America. Along with the fact that her family is being split up to go fight in war in America.

Personal Connection:
All the time, there will be people who are wealthier than yourself, but we have to remember that there are always people who are struggling with extreme cases of poverty, and so it just reminds me how thankful I am to have a home, a fmily, an education, to have clothes on my back and much more. It just hurts me to think that there are people on the street trying to make a dollar go as far as they can, but in reality, things these days cost much more than just a dollar.

Question 3:
Do you think that Maxine really has enough self-control to hold herself back from going to help save her new husband and her brother? or will she go without considering what the old folks told her about waiting and not wasting the 7 1/2 years of her life training?

Vocab for DJ #1:
abhorrent (pg 11) - utterly opposed, or contrary, or in conflict
atavism (pg 12) - the reappearance in an individual of characteristics of some remote ancestor that have been absent in intervening generations
talisman (pg 13) - any amulet or charm
spasmodically (pg 14) - pertaining to or of the nature of a spasm
alighted (pg 24) - to settle or stay after descending
peony (pg 24) - any of various plants or shrubs of the genus Paeonia
self-immolation (pg 28) - voluntary sacrifice or denial of oneself
transmigration (pg 28) - the passage of a soul after death into another body

Immigration Field Trip Reflection

2009-02-13T20:59:00.000-08:00

PART I - From Heaven to Home:

In this exhibit, I was told more about Jewish history and their struggles to make a substancial life in America. In 1654, many Jews fled their hometowns due to violet attacks towards them, poor living conditions, and from Nazi prosecution. To get to America, most had to travel from Spain all the way to Portugal, then would get deported to South America where they later arrived in New York or 'Amsterdam'. Arriving, were 23 adults and children which later led the way for the many immigrants coming to America. Most Jews coming to America from the 1820's-1923, were mostly German and Austrian Jews. From the 1880's-1923, Eastern Europeans were fleeing from the Nazi prosecution.

When coming to America, the Jews began lived in small houses, housing as many people possible, and being put to work in jobs where they got very little pay. They Jews fought for equality for 122 years; from 1654-1776. At one point, General Grant attempeted to abolish all Jewsish people from the states of Kentucky and Tennessee but president Lincoln Refused. Once George Washington was the 1st American president, the 2 thousand Jews that were currently residing in America turned to George Washington to assure them that the goverment would protect religious liberty.

In 1790, president George Washinton stated, "Shall give to bigitry no sanction, to persecution no assistance." By the 1860's the Jews were still fighting for their religious rights and the Civil War broke out. By that time in history, 7 thousand Jews fought for thr north and liberty from slavery, while 3 thousand fought in the southern regions. I found out that Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel and Martin Luther King walked in the Cilvil Rights march together. For a long time, the poeple of the Jewish religion had to pay to be a part of the navy and army to fight for their country.

After many years, the had this rule abolished. Something else that facinated me, was hearing that 20 thousand Jewish woman broke into the butcher shops and tossed all of their meat into the streets. It surprised me when I heard that mostly woman were boy-cotting the butcher markets, because the kosher meats - which they were eating at the time - were doubled in price. After a few years, they finally dropped the price from 18 cents to 14 cents. Although it was not much, they were satisfied and the boy-cotting finally ended.

Slowly but surely, America was making process. In 1838, Rebecca Gratz founded the first sunday school and in 1841, the first Jew sat in congress. Also, in 1906, Oscur Stratus becames the first Jew to be a part of the U.S cabinet and to believe it or not, the Jews helped pineer most of the things that began America; such as theatre, rock and roll, and even hollywood. Jews were the bigginging of Las Vegas and were even a part of the first mafia.

Overall, I learned that without the Jewish people settling and immigrating to America, we wouldn't be the America that we are today. Without all their sacrifice and strive to make their new home country the best one, the America we live in now, would probably have more discrimination, more religious prosecutions, and a country without American theatre.

PART II - Children of Immigrants:

Quote:
"I believe as an individual I can help America achieve its goals. I remember last year I helped collect canned foods for the soup kitchen. Also I raised money when the Twin Towers fells. I believe things like this may seems little but can mout to larger and bigger things." -Zainab Sozzer, Pakistan

I choose this quote because it sends the message that even the smallest things make a difference. Wether it is helping someone up off the ground, to raising money and sending it to a charity, as long as we help one another out, then we will be passing on helping hands which we know America is known for.

Photograph:
I choose a phtograph that was taken in 2000 and that had two kids - both under the age of 7 or 6 - and riding one of those electronic elephant rides in Chinatown, New York. You could tell that they were both sibilings and that the younger one was clingging to his brothers weist. The first thing I saw were the expression on the kids eyes. They seemed very relaxed in the situation that they were in and I could see people waling by and little markets in the background which I interpurated as if the phtographer were trying to indicate that their life was speeding by but that they were lving in the monet, because their faces were completly focused.

Immigration Reflection

2009-02-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

An immigrant is a person who enters a different country to reside in for many personal reasons. Some may include finding better job opportunities, living a more substantial life style, and/or possibly for relative needs. Some people grow up in a country that may not enforce the certain protection rights that they may want/need. Also, some people grow up believing in different beliefs, religious or non-religious and want to move to a country they believe will be accepting and/or recognizable. In some countries, there are social unrest religious persecutions going on and the person may feel unsafe and un-protected. In their country, their may be problems with sexual harassment and sexual discrimination against gay and lesbian rights. Also, there may be country disasters where the individual is feared for their life and belongings and would want to immigrate to a different country. Another reason an individual would want to reside in a different country, would be because of freedom of speech. Some countries don’t approve of their citizens speaking out against them and lock them up, torture them, kill them, or they disappear. In some countries, their punishment acts would be to cut off human limbs and torture the.

In the United Sates of America, all citizens’ are under the protection of the constitution and the bill of rights. Because of this, they are entitled to a free and appropriate public education, have the right to buy property, all citizens have the right to vote, and all of America’s citizens have the right to a fair and speedy trial under the law. They also have the right to public services such as the police, health care policies, and insurance.

Immigration has changed our country very much. We have added different language studies into the classrooms, we have different cultural events, and we allow people to gather as a group if they want to or they can do what they please. I believe that my life has been affected by immigration because I have been able to learn different languages and experience different experiences by taking trips to different cultural events around the city or being able to taste the different cultural foods. I think that my awareness for different cultures and traditions has really widened and opened up because I have been able to learn and be introduced to many different living styles.

Immigration Reflection Questions -

2009-02-08T19:40:00.000-08:00

1) Whatis an immigrant?
2) What are some reasons an immigrant would want to leave their home country?
3) What does our country have to offer that other countries may not offer?
4) How has the US been affected with immigrantion? (culture, languange, food, laws, etc.)
5) How has your life changed due to immgrantion?

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

2009-01-19T20:59:00.000-08:00

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down

Author ANNE FADIMAN
Reviewed by KATIE SILVERSTEIN

The book The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, or in Hmong, quab dab peg, is the story of a special girl Lia Lee who happened to be the first of her 13 brothers and sisters to be born in a hospital. 3 days after she was born, on July 19 1982, and discharged from the hospital, she had to be admitted back because of a grand mal seizure. Her parents Foua and Nao Kao, are very spiritual people and believe, as many Hmong do, that even though a body may be lifeless, that persons soul continues to live on in the after life.

Taking place in Merced, California, the Lee family struggles to understand English and the doctors recommended dosages. The book was very detailed about the spiritual beliefs of the Hmong and how their culture thought about the American doctors and hospital treatments. Over and over again, the Lee family had to stay strong and make the right decisions that they thought were right for their daughter. Lia being the first child of Nao and Foua, must’ve been a real tough decision to make because of their spiritual beliefs and what the Hmongs thought of the American culture and people.

Nao Kao and Foua never left their daughters side in the hospital and always had faith that their daughters soul would live on forever. Just the thought of having my own epileptic child and putting myself in Nao and Foua’s shoes made me so grateful to be healthy. This was a hard time for the Lee’s and even harder because they couldn’t understand the language and what medicine the doctors wanted to give to their daughter. I can’t even imagine what Foua and Nao had to go through yet I felt bad for Lia while reading this book because her health was affected by her diagnoses of epilepsy.

This book really opened my eyes to the struggles that many families have to go through for their loved ones health. To learn some history of the Hmong culture and how they left for Laos and some to America, it was very inspirational to see such a spiritual family go through such hard times and yet still stay strong and love each other no matter what, it was very touching and hit me very hard.

To me, the authors’ style of writing was by information she was able to get from the family and from research. She sounded like she really knew a lot about the Hmong culture and the history of the Hmong. I recommend this book to people who enjoy learning about different cultures and differently medical terms. It felt to me as though it was more of a medical and cultural book and felt as though I couldn’t get as much out of it as perhaps an older and more mature person might. I recommend this book to the age group of 20’s or pre adults and higher and preferably from my experience, to many middle scholars or high scholars because of their maturity level.

chapter 13 - LOTF

2008-10-19T15:17:00.000-07:00

chapter 13 - reliving nightmares

RELIVING NIGHTMARES-

Ralph was now looking back at the island, the lord of the flies, up in flames. His wounds didn’t hurt in comparison to the way his eyes felt. Passing out was the last thing Ralph wanted right now. If only he could share this private moment with his dear friends Simon and Piggy. Oh how much he would trade to have them back with him again. Ralph was all alone now. He had to confide in himself, keep his mind shut off from the outside world, and ask no questions but the ones that were necessary. He looked back from over his shoulder to see poor Percival in such a lousy condition, which concerned Ralph very much. He wanted to comfort him but didn’t know if he could handle being human and walking over towards him. Ralph looked around to see if any of the other boys would notice him going to Percival’s side. Ralph got up slowly from his place on the deck, and over to where Percival was mumbling something unintelligible to himself. Ralph took his time to make his way across the small empty space between him and Percival, holding his small blanket that the Naval Officer and his men provided to all the boys. Ralph took his blanket off and put it around Percival’s shoulders, for he only had his blanket wrapped tightly around his legs and feet. The littluns, who made it on ship, were quiet for once and didn’t look as though they planned to speak any time soon, but peered their eyes up to see Ralph putting the blanket around Percival. Percival looked up at the sudden touch of blanket on his shoulders and chest.

“Wha- what you do-doin’ Ralph?” He asked Ralph, stuttering over some of the words because of how cold he was. Percival seemed confused as to why Ralph had just covered his shoulders and back with his own blanket. Ralph returned the expression equally confused but then found a way to respond casually and his expression went back to normal.

“Percival, it’s ok if you’re scared or afraid. I’m scared too.” Ralph looked around to see the Naval Officer talking to one of his men. “I just want you to know that we are going to get home.” After Ralph said the words, he wished he hadn’t said them. What if they weren’t going to get home? What if Ralph just promised something that he knew might not be true? Ralph’s expression turned remorseful. He tried to look away from Percival’s wondering eyes.
“What-s-s wro-ong Ral-ph-ph?” Ralph couldn’t hide the fear that he had his eyes anymore. He turned to Percival and lied once again.

“Don’t worry Percival. Were going to be fine.”

“No we won’t Ralph.” Ralph looked up at him. Ralph could tell that he had the same worries as him.

“Percival” Ralph said with his eyes closed. His mind was wandering. Going back to what they just lived through. All the deaths, the struggles, the pain, the thunder. The thunder… Ralph lost all consciousness and his eyelids won him over. Flashes of the boys’ life on the island, passed through Ralph’s head. One by one. Simon getting stabbed, Piggy getting crushed, himself hiding in the creepers. The thunder storms, the darkness, the solitude. Nothing in the dream was in order or in specific detail. Chanting while the cold rain poured onto their skin, the blood that covered his hands when we pulled his hand away from his wound, “Kill the Beast!” The thought of his mom and his dad being at home; wondering if he was running through their thoughts of worry. Being afraid and alone. “KILL THE BEAT! CUT HIS THROST! SPILL HIS BLOOD!” Ralph’s body was twitching vigorously and drenched in sweat. His eyelids flew open and his breath stirred to a pant. Percival was hovered over Ralph shaking him.

“Ralph! Ralph!”

With his mouth still open, and his breaths still in a pant, he softly said to Percival, “Storm.” Ralph’s eye wandered up past Percival’s darkened eyes, to stare up at the grey sky that surrounded them. It came to Ralph’s realization that they were on a boat with men they didn’t know, but trusted without much question as to where they were headed. Ralph was just pleased to get off the island, which he forgot all about being a civilized person. Ralph was right. There was a storm coming. Something bad was coming, and he felt it pulse through every nerve of his body.

Percival had drawn attention to Ralph which had all the boys scrambling to come to Ralph’s side; all but one boy. An imaginary one, that Ralph pictured in his head. A red haired one, whose plan to murder the boy now lying on the floor. Ralph looked over to see his fuzzy silhouette of Jack sitting in the middle of the winds path making it seem like he was so brave and strong.

“Hello?” Ralph called to the boy he thought was Jack.
All of the boys around him just looked at him as if he was serious. Percival just stared at Ralph’s body, which was now inclined a little bit towards the empty deck space he was now talking to. The boys couldn’t understand why Ralph was talking to an empty area. All the boys that came on bored were around Ralph. Why could he only see Jack?

“Will you answer me?” Ralph asked again. This time the blurred image in Ralph’s head that took the shape of Jack did not turn. Ralph took a deep breathe still looking at the sky when Percival took Ralph’s shoulders again and shock him intensely.
“Ralph. Ralph!”

Ralph looked up at Percival confused. “Where’s Jack?”

“Ralph… He stayed on the island with Roger and Bill. They wanted to stay. They did stay, Ralph.” The way Percival said it, it was as though he was confessing a terrible confession or saying something that was unforgivable. Ralph turned his face back away from Percival and the rest of the boys. Ralph thought about all of the dangers with that island. The flames burned the pupils of his eyes and burnt back the tears before they could leak out. Percival pushed everyone away and then went to lay back down, his back towards Ralph’s side. Ralph lay there trying to understand why he just saw Jack if he was on the island and what it was supposed to mean. Was Jack in trouble? Why should Ralph care.

*****

Back on the island, Jack, Roger, and Bill, had all split up by what had just happened. Jack ran towards the waters edge and looked back at the island that was now up in flames. What had he done? He didn’t know where Bill or Roger had gone, but only knew that there were only two solutions to where they could be; either hiding somewhere in the jungle that isn’t burning, or getting chased like a fish in an ocean of sea serpents by the flames. Jack just stood on the beach, watching while a cordon of flames took over the field of grass in front of him. The brown dirt began to turn dry and brittle in a matter of seconds and Jack found himself panting on the sand, gasping for clean air. On the opposite side of the beach, in a distance, he saw Roger’s blackened face, pop into view. Roger was on the verge of being dead, the smoke tint on his face made that clear.

Jack shouted over the snapping of braches and the crashes of trees, “Where’s Bill!?” All he saw were Roger’s hands come up to about shoulder length, and palms up. Roger had lost track of him too even before the Naval Officer came to rescue the boys off the island. Jack looked over his shoulder to see the ship that Ralph was on, and now regretted not getting on the ship that was now going back home to where his family was. He was sure that he was going to die at any moment. The flames came nearer and dearer to where he was bent over, coughing due to the amount of smoke around him. Jack’s vision was getting duller and fainter, to the point where Rogers body was just a faint speck. Jack backed up towards the ocean and closed his eyes hoping that the burn would go away. Roger was by his side, with the same stance as him, back arched and his finger pinching his eyes shut.

“Jack!!”

Jack had backed up into the ocean, now going below waist deep. Roger just realized this now, that his eyes were open, free from the burning sensation on his pupils. Roger, as weak as he was at the moment, he made an effort to go and rescue his fellow friend, and leader. The smoke layer now embedded once again on his eyes, stung from the contact of the salt in the ocean.

“Jack!” Roger cried out. “Stay with me! Where are you? I can’t see anything! Jack!”

Jack’s legs were giving out on him. ‘No not now!’ Jack thought. His lungs were filled with smoke and slowly filling with water. The blackness of the dirt was washing out of Jacks hair. The, now, orange hair floated at the top of the oceans levels, flowing along with the crashes of waves and the grey clouds of thunder. The reflection of the burning island was a perfect fit with the way Jack hair floated swiftly, from side to side. Jack was loosing consciousness now, but from underneath the waves, was a silent song coming from God’s spoken words. The waters sang to Jack in his ears and the burning hair was now sinking deeper and deeper along with the body that it was attached to. ‘Come on Jack! Pull yourself up! You need air!’ Jack thought to himself. His final act upon leaving this world, of anarchy and distress, was to motion the sign of the cross against his chest. ‘Goodbye Roger. I’ll meet up with you soon again.’ Piggy’s glasses that were attached to his waist, floated up to the top of the surface.

“Jack,” Roger screamed. Roger’s arms were too weak to continue but the water was getting to him as well. “JACK!” Roger made attempts to keep himself afloat, but he had no other choice than to die here in the same waters that took the blood of Simon, Piggy, and Jack, or to die on the island that ate the blood of a Wemy Madison boy, and Bill. He reached the point where Jacks legs failed and decided that he would leave the world with the same tradition as his dear friend Jack; the sign of the cross was a proper way to ask for forgiveness and goodbye. Letting the water creep slowly up his lungs, he gave his final goodbyes to life he once lived. The orange waters were going to have one more addition to their list of lives they took.

*****

Ralph was sweating rapidly again and was rolling from side to side. “Jack! Stay with me! Where are you? I can’t see anything,” he muttered. “Jack!” His eyes flew open and, again, Percival was over him shaking him.

“What is it Ralph. What happened?!”

Ralph was going back through the nightmare that he just dreamt and relived it horrifically. What was happening to him?
He dreamt as though he was there, gasping for air under the crashing waves, and hearing the waves sing to him. He dreamt as though he was the one reaching for surface sunlight and watching the orange hair disappear underneath the current. “Jack.” Ralph panted. He stood up without hesitation and ran over to the side of the boat.

Orange hair was floating at top of the calm ocean right besides the boat along with the exposed back of the red haired boy; Jack. Ralph dove off one of the benches that lined the side of the boat. The splashes of the waves brought everyone to his attention. The Naval Officer and the boys looked down at Ralph to see him diving for the dead corpse in the water. Ralph picked up Jacks body out, as far as he could, of the water and called to the men on the ship, “Give me a hand will you?” The boys helped Ralph lift Jacks body over the side of the boat and then helped him, up too, after getting Jack safely onto the deck.

“Son, who is this boy?” The Naval Officer asked.

“Ralph,” said Percival, astounded by what Ralph had just done. All of the other boys couldn’t believe what they just saw either. One of the boys got Ralph’s blanket and covered him with it before he could get sick from the cold.

“How did you know?” “Yea! How did you know?” All the boys threw these questions at him all at once.

“I really don’t know,” said Ralph. “I was having a really bad nightmare and… and…” Ralph couldn’t admit that fact that he felt like he was the one drowning.

“What is it Ralph?”

“..I felt as though something was wrong. Like… I pictured my self as him.” Ralph chocked on the last word. As he said this, his eyes and head looked at Jack lying there on the cold floor of the deck, and couldn’t remember why he let him stay there on the island. His face wasn’t like what he remembered it looking like, the last time he was on the island. This time Ralph noticed that it was darker and that his eyelids were turning the slightest bit purple.

“You know this boy?” Asked the Naval Officer. His eyes looked piercing but Ralph wondered if he only meant good.

“Yes,” Ralph looked around. “We all do.” Ralph hesitated looking at Percival, wondering if it was safe to give information. “He was one of our friends that got stuck on the island; one of the ones who survived the plane crash that we were all in.” Ralph saw Percival look away as though afraid to admit something or just worried he had said too much.

“How many did you say died?” Ralph looked over at Percival and remembered that his cousin, the birth marked boy, was the first one to go.

“Three. But now it appears as though four, but who knows what happened to Roger or Bill.” Ralph looked back up from Jacks dead body and Percival’s hung head. Did he just give out to much information?

“Well... I guess since this lad was your mate, we better give him a goodbye before letting him go. Someone get him a blanket.” On of the taller, skinnier, men on his boat stopped staring at Ralph and Percival and got up to get a blanket to put over Jacks body and face. All the boys and the boat men, all gave a moment of silence to Jack Merridew, a true leader, and inside, a true civilized human being. All that got to him was insanity and the true Lord of the Flies.

Each of the littlun’s and the bigun’s that were aboard the ship took Jacks wrapped body and gently scooped him up into their arms. Silently walking over to the side of the boat, they lowered his body to the surface of the water and let go as smoothly as possible. They all watched as Jacks body sank deeper and deeper into darkness as their ride home continued to sail on.

All it was, was the Lord of the Flies. Nothing else, and Ralph could see Jack so clearly because he was becoming the next Lord of the Flies. He was going to be the new Roger and Jack. No… This isn’t the boy that just admitted himself to being the slightest bit delusional, but the boy who had big dreams to be successful as he could in life, for he had to start anew.
His beloved friends Piggy and Simon, being his motivational strength and sunshine, for he needed it to be sunny right this instant, and Percival and his cousin for opening their hearts to him.

Goodbye Jack. I’ll meet up with you when it’s my time. I won’t let you down. Like you said, “Let’s be moving. We’re wasting time.”

chapter 12 - LOTF

2008-10-07T18:28:00.000-07:00

chapter 12- cry of the hunters
perspective- jack

RALPH, GET YOUR ASSMAR BACK HERE-

I could already feel the warm blood turn cold in my fingers. Ralph was going to die.. and soon. He had it coming. He was nothing but unworthy, unloyal, and just didn't belong here. So we were going to make sure he didn't need to be here; at all. Roger had the scure all ready to make the Ralph shis-ki-bob. It was the next morning and I was ready for a fight. I started with a base line and set the whole mountain on fire making sure that it didn't get anyone from my tribe. All I wanted to do was scare Ralph away from where he was hidding. I saw Samn'Eric staring down towards a pile of creepers. What could they be looking at? I continued to ignore them. I told them how I had already set the mountain on fire and that Ralph was going to die; and very very soon. I couldn't believe that Ralph was hidding from us. I mean all we wanted to do was kill him and put his corpse on a stick, but I mean besides that, he was making our game a lot of fun. Our Cordon was mainly the fire but my tribe was still sticking close together like a tight rope across the island. Our ululations were heard up to the tips of the stars and up to the moon. We made sure that no one got left behind.. of course with only 4 exceptions; the birthmarked boy, Simon, Piggy, and Ralph. Ralph.. oh Ralph.. He was indeed playing well. I asked Samn'Eric if they'd seen him in the forest. They said no. I tried to diddle it out of them because they weren't doing any good just standing their like sticks; being useless. I bent their bodies backwards and into an arched shaped backbend. I could hear their groans. That must've hurt their bellys, I could imagine, because it sure would have hurt mine. We haven't eaten in weeks. I can not wait to get off this island. Anyways, Samn'Eric said that they saw him in a creeper near by. I stared at the one they were urging towards. It was the one they'd been staring at this whole time. They knew where he was. Filthy scams. Ralph better be gripping onto his last few seconds of life left because they were coming to and end very quick. Bye Ralph.

chapter 11 - LOTF

2008-10-05T20:19:00.000-07:00

chapter 11- castle rock
perspective- ralph

BYE PIGGY-

We awoke that morning feeling utterly betrayed. The cessation between our silence was never broken; not once. Myself along with Piggy, SamnEric decided to go visit the castle rock to have a word with Jack and his tribe. Piggy, useless and blind, was not going to leave my side. He could fall off the cliff if I didn't hold on to him at all times. When we got there, Roger was there gaurding their fortress of rocks. "Roger, its me. Ralph." I started off calmly, trying to to start a rakuss. I needed to call a meeting. We needed to get things straight on exactly what happend and set things right. Piggy was going to get his glasses at the end of our little "gathering" as one big group again. Just as I said that, I could hear the scuffs of feet on the rocks above us. Roger was about 3 floors higher than Piggy, SamnEric, and I were. The boys atrted emerging over the cliff about a floor below Roger. Jacks face the first one to pop out. It was agrivating trying to decipher who was who because of the paint all over their faces, but I could tell by the way he stood and acted, Jack was the one out the furthest. "No. Your not calling a meeting." Jack was sturn and had already made his mind up by this point. There was no compromissing for Jack. That was written clearly over the planes of his taty features. Why was Jack being so stubborn. Now he has completely been sucked into beast mode now. There would be now turning back for him. The more I explained, the more he argued. This just wasn't going to work for him. Roger and most of the 'Jacks tribe' began to toss smaller pebbles and stones at the four of us. It was getting quite agrivating now. Piggy reminded me that it did not need to go into the direction of LEADERSHIP and RESPONCIBILITIES; although Jack does need a taste of his own medicine, I didn't want to push it. "Come on Jack. Just give Piggys specks back." "Says who?" he retorted. I felt like I was going to burst. "Because its whats right! Piggy is blind and can't see. We would have given you anything you wanted but you just had to go and steal his specks so you could have your own fire. Now youve had your fair share for fires, just give me the specks, Jack." I heard Piggys stuffles behind me and we all looked over. Piggy was standing up now. He was using the side of the rocks to help himself up. "Is it better to be a leader or a hunter?" Piggy challenged. I could tell that he was talking to Jack by the tone of his voice. He was still trying to be settle about this situation but still.. for him to think that he had a chance agains't Jack, impossible. Even I wasn't going anywhere with him and I could see. What was Piggy doing. This was terrible. Piggy kept comparing Jack and I which I wished he wouldn't do because I could sense something fishy was up, but then again, I did like to hear my leadership qualitys being put out on the floor. Roger pushed the leaver supposrting the oversized boulder whish crumpled underneath it. More rocks tumbled onto the ledge that we were on but as I turned to check on Piggy, it seemed as though Roger aimed it specifically for him. "NO!!" The conch held tight by Piggys firm grip upon itgave loose and the conch was slammed into the rocks. The boulder went over the edge taking Piggy along with it. Once over the edge, Piggy went everywhere. All you could see was Piggys last twitches from below. I looked back at Jack unable to move or say anything. I tried to say my goodbyes to my friend, Piggy, but did not have much time for I knew that Jack was out for some more bloodlust. When I went back to look at him, he had his eyes on SamnEric who, I could tell, were still trying to take in what just happend; just as I. "Tie them up!" Jack instructed. Some of the boys went to Sam and Erics side and tied both of them up. How could Jack honestly think that having all the boys on His side? Jack was delutional now and all of the boys followed HIS lead. What kind of influence is that?? All the boys now were delirious. Jack started throwing spears aimed at me. The solo one now. Of course all of the boys pitch in and one struck me. I pulled it out. The pain was vigirous. I wonder how far of extent my wounds will go. I started to run. I bolted straight to the forest. Not knowing where I went of if I ran into the creepers. All I wanted was to get away. Their truculently foot bounds were trailing me, and not much far behind. If I slipped in pace, I knew I would not have another breathe. I spead up my pace, trying to cut out my agony and complaints for when I could find a good ditch far into the creepers. As soon as I felt I could slip into a creeper, I slowed my pace immediately and did not hessitate to crouch below the earth. My eyes began to ajust to the faint of light. What just happend?!? Ill tell you what happened, Jack went crazy and so did all the other boys. Roger killed Piggy, Two boys tied up Sam and Eric, and the rest charged after me. Slowly, it started to darken. I could not afford a dark sleep right now, and forced my eyelids to stay open. I felt like I was going to die, but not just yet. I wasn't ready to accept that I was going next along with Piggy and Simon. No. I was going to stay for just a few minutes later.

chapter 10 - LOTF

2008-10-02T19:40:00.000-07:00

chapter 10- the shell and the glasses
perspective- piggy

CAN'T BREATHE OR SEE, CAN'T ANYONE UNDERSTAND THAT?-

I heared something coming nearer. "Ralph, Ralph!" I could tell that Ralph was annoyed now, but I didn't care. Jack and some of his tribe were out there and I knew it. "Piggy!" those barmy brats called. "Piggy... where are you?" I didn't dare to move. I gripped Ralph, who was fully awake now, and held on for dear life, trying to see as cleary as I could with the remainning of my specks. Before I could even adjust my eyes to the shadows of the figures, my grip was loosend from Ralph. My stomach felt like it was going through my back and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't feel my lungs. I heard SamnEric's quicks of breathes and thought I could hear Ralphs too. I seemed as though all four of us were getting beat up by Jacks tribe. I tried to purge myself right, but then I could feel my jaw getting pined to the floor. I couldn't brethe, hear, or see, and I tried once again to free myself from the arms which then released me after doing a number on my face. I couldn't feel anything anymore. I had no more senses. I remember just laying there hoping that death would come. It was as though I could see heavens doors awaiting my entrance, but all I saw was black. Not white like you think theological. ----------------------------------------- Just as soon as the pain began, I felt myself being hauld over across the hard dirt surface of the earth. "Piggy are you alright?" "Piggy" "Piggy". I keep hearing my name being repeated over and over again. I couldn't tell if I was just remembering the crys for my name before I got attacked, or if I was still concious but just hearing my name get called to see if I could reaspond. My whole body ached from the brutal, immediate, hits and my head felt as though it was hanging from a string; but I gave it my best effort to show that I could hear them calling. As I slowly reasponded, I could hear how furious Ralph, SamnEric, were about this whole situation. It happend all too suddenly, as though we were flying for one second then comming across sement in a metter or milliseconds. I can't remember anything but I think I have a pretty good idea from the achyness of my body. Slowly but surely, I opened my eyes. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't tell if it was just because my eyes were swollen and were protesting against me telling them to open, or if it was because my glasses go knocked off of my face during the attack. Im not sure but I better find them in the morning because theres no way I can be useful without them. I was already half blind and having to always tilt my face just the slittest more to the side, so I could get an absolute shot of what was happening. Now, all I could hear was Ralph ask us what they saw or heard. Sam went off about he couldn't tell if he had someone ontop of him and so started punching whatever contact he could find. He described how he started feeling some add pains in the places where he thought he was attacking his attacker. Later he realized that he was just attacking himself. He was jsut sitting there and in the process of illumination. Those boys are really going to get it tomorrow. They won't know what hit them after we deal with them. There may be only four of us now, and very badly beaten, but four may just be enough.

chapter 9 - LOTF

2008-10-01T22:02:00.001-07:00

chapter 9- view to a death
Perspective- jack
WERE DOING THIS MY WAY-

All but Piggy, Ralph, Simon, and the two tending to the sow, were at our little gathering. We were laughing, singing, laying, squatting, or just standing on the grass holding food in our hands. Before the feast/party really began, a great log had been dragged into the center of the lawn, which I painted, decorated, and sat upon as if a god. Beside me, were leaves barring meat, coconut shells full of drink, and fruit ready to eat. Piggy and Ralph then came to the edge of the grassy platform; and the boys, noticing their presence, went silent one by one. At this silence, I looked around at the amount of boys at the meeting and noticed that all I could hear was the crackling noises of the fire. I did not miss the fact that Ralph looked away cautiously as if going to glare at Sam. Sam, also taking in the movement, slowly put down his bone with a giggle. I still did not take my eyes off where Ralph and Piggy were standing, but then caught Ralph point to a palm tree while whispering something inaudible to Piggy. At this same moment, Piggy and Ralph giggled the same giggle as Sam. Ralph, picking his feet up then, came closer to the meeting huddle and Piggy whistled to the two boys roasting the pig. As the two boys approached, sprinting and with meat in their hands, bumped into Piggy. Immediately, myself and all the other boys broke out with a laugher that united us all back together. Again, Piggy was the center of social mockery, but it did not bother me what-so-ever, for he, to me, was like a child who did not know his left from right; and for right now, that WAS kinda of true because of his specks being cracked. Serves him right. Anyways, I stood up and waved my spear in the air, “take them some meat.” I said. The boys gave Piggy and Ralph a very appetizing slice of meat, and ate it under the stars and thunder that was coming shortly. I waved my spear again. “Has everybody eaten as much as they want?” I looked back over to the food that was still sizzling on the wooden spits, and put on top of green leaves. Piggy threw his bone onto the sand and bent down for more. “Has everybody eaten as much as they want?” The boys ate faster. Without a reason for a pause, I stood up and walked to the edge of the grass. I peeked down from behind my paint at Ralph and Piggy. I spoke again. “Give me a drink” I demanded. Henry brought me a coconut shell and I drank from it still keeping my eyes on Ralph and Piggy over the rim of the shell. “All sit down.” I commanded. The boys arranged themselves into rows, in front of me, but Ralph and Piggy remained standing off towards the sand line. What. Does Ralph really think that he still has control over these boys? Huh? I tried ignoring them by refocusing my attention to the boys sitting in front of me. I pointed my spear at them and asked them, “Who is going to join my tribe?” I heard Ralph stumble and the boys and I looked up. “I gave you food,” I said. “And my hunters will protect you from the beast.” I was getting mad now. Could Ralph possibly consider himself still as chief? “Who will join my tribe?” I asked with more intensity. The monster inside me was beginning to get unleashed. “Im chief because you chose me.” I looked up to see Ralph speaking to all the boys in front of me. And we are going to keep the fire going. Now you run after food-“ Oh so now he was getting all ‘huntingly’ with me? That’s where I interrupted him. “You ran yourself! Look at that bone in your hands!” I was absolutely furious. I was the one who has provided meals. I am the reason for our survival. Without my leadership, we’d all be dead by now. As I said this, Ralph’s face went crimson. “I said you were hunters. That’s your job.” Oh so now he wants to talk about jobs and roles does he? I tried to ignore this. “Who will join my tribe and have fun?” I emphasized on the ‘have fun’ part. Ralph was the one to respond again. “Im chief. And what about the fire? And I’ve got the conch-“ Oh my goodness. We’ve been over this before! The conch has no power in it, what-so-ever, anymore. I took that power away, and frankly, it’s in no one else’s possession but my own. “You haven’t got it with you. You left it behind. See, clever? And the conch doesn’t count at this end of the island-“ The thunder rumbled but this time, there was a point of impact on the explosion. “The conch counts here too. And all over the island,” said Ralph. “What are you going to do about it then?” I asked, challenging him as his expression went blank. I could tell he did not plan this out thoroughly had he? Ralph looked around at the boys and there was no intention on helping him now, and turned away looking confused and sweaty. Piggy whispered something to him. “The fire- rescue,” he finally said. That wasn’t the point. There was only him and me. “Who’ll join my tribe?” I asked, this time, sounding demanding. I heard an “I will,” a “me.” And more “I will” s. “I’ll blow the conch and call an assembly.” Ralph looked warn out and appeared, to me, like he knew he had no chance. “We shant hear it.” I told him with a stern voice. Piggy touched Ralph’s wrist and said something, again, inaudible. There was a blink of bright light beyond the forest and the thunder exploded again so that a littlun started to wine. Big drops of rain began to fall then. Ah, rain. That’s the last thing we need. But we’ll pull through. We can survive without any shelters. We’ve got each other. “Going to be a storm and you’ll have rain like when we dropped here. Who’s clever now? Where are your shelters? What are you going to do about that?” Another flash of light along with another louder boom sent all the littluns screaming. The only thing that I could think of at that moment was to get us all doing something together. I leapt to my feet. “Do our dance! Come on! Dance!” I stumbled through the thick sand to the open space of rock beyond the fire. Between the flashes of lightning, the air was dark and terrible. The boys followed me. Almost instantly, Roger was on all fours grunting and charging towards me. My hunters took spears, the cooks took spits, and the rest of them picked up clubs of firewood. A circling movement developed into a chant. I noticed that Roger was mimicking the terror of the pig, and the littluns jumped on the outside of the circle. Piggy and Ralph looked eager to take place in our chant. “Kill the beast! Cut his throat! Spill his blood!” Our movement became more and more repetitive and began to beat like a steady pulse. It looked like Roger had just about had it with being the pig that got hunted, and became a hunter once again. Out of my peripheral vision, I could tell that the littluns had made a circle of their own. An instant later, the thunder was booming louder and louder up above them. We were getting stronger and louder. I could feel the rain running off my arms and my back and could feel my power pouring onto my shoulders. Just at that moment, a corpulent looking thing came out crawling towards us on all fours. We were prepared and it helped because we were already prepared with our preparation of Roger. It was shouting or wailing something that was, again, inaudiable because of the magnetuide of our chant. As it came into the center of our ring, we all stabed it and made sure it bled hard and cold. The beast shall not have the lives of any of us here and was going to pay for showing his face. As soon as we made sure it was dead, it bled to death on the sand shore. We could all see the little glimses of its blood washing out to sea. The rain was pouring vigorously now, and then I heard a big whoop. I guess we all heard it because we all looked up. To our amazment, we saw a parachute barring a dead soldier that must've been in the war that was going on back home. I could tell because the blimpse of lightning would just be enough to make out the epaulettes. Just as fast as it came, the storm was slowly begining to thaough and the prophorescense started to fill the sky. All the boys including myself bent over the dead beast to realize that it was not the beast we had just slaughtered. It was our friend. Simon. No.. it couldn't have been Simon. I swear I saw him here at the party before we even began to chant. No.. I swore I saw the beast. It was crawling on all fours yelling something or blurting something out. This couldn't be true. It was a mistake. No. I thought to myself. He deserved to die. yea.. He had it coming. The evil still warm and fresh from our chant was still circling my head filled with thoughts. No. He was our friend. Simon. Everyone killed him. Why didn't anyone stop them? I couldn't have been a part of his death. I swear I killed a beast. Not Simon. No. Not Simon. A beast.

chapter 8 - LOTF

2008-09-29T15:45:00.000-07:00

chapter 8- gift for the darkness
perspective- jack

MY MEETING-

"We'd talk but we wouldn't fight a tiger. We'd hide. Even Jack 'ud hide" I heard Ralph say to Piggy. I continued to stare at the sand. "And what about my hunters?" I asked without looking up. Ralph ignored my question and pointed to the touch of yellow above the sea.Ralph continued to babble on about how we weren't going to get saved without a fire. "What about my hunters?" I asked again. Ralph just looked at me blankly while saying "boys armed with sticks." I got to my feet. I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks as I stomped away. I picked up the conch furiously and blew it with one hard blow. In just a matter of seconds Ralph, Piggy, Simon, and the littluns were ready to listen. Ralph just took over immediately. I told him that I was the one who called the meeting and so I should be the one talking this time. I told the littluns how Ralph is a coward and how ignorent he is to everything going on. He doesn't know what he is doing or saying. He has just been lying about pointing fingers and giving orders. I tried to pursuade the littluns to come over to my group that I was creating, by twisting our little trip over up to the top of the mountain. And how Ralph was too scared to go up and confront the beastie. When I came o the point in my speech for asking people to raise heir hand if they think that Ralph makes a bad leader or chief, no one raised their hands. I felt the blood rutern to my face and tears wheld up in thier sockets. I just turned my face away so nobody could see the ebarresment in my features and just said "well if you feel like you want to hunt for fodo or anything, you can come with me", and just turned to leave. I had made about 5 long stides before I heard Ralph's voice call my name. I just flung my head back towards his direction in a hard sturn voice, "No." After a little while of being alone, Samn'Eric came and some other littluns and biguns. This time we were going to go for the big strike. The sow. We saw it sleeping with its litter and decided to strike. "NOW!" with a desiganted target in mind, we all through our spears at the sow. It immediately started sqealing and all its litter started going wild too. It was a good chase. All of us had bloodlust writtten in our eyes. We paunched it again and again, until I had access to its throat. I slit it with my knife and fel the warm blood of the sow run down my palms and forearms. We cut off the sows head leaving it as a token to the beastie. We scured its head onto a stick and planted the stick into the ground. We ran off chanting with our victory. We planned to ambush Ralph's group and 'invite' them to come eat with us while we steal their fire and wood. And all this never would have been ppossible if I hadn't had the guts to leave Ralph. It was all my doing that had us where we were today. And thanks to me, we might be able to get off this island.

chapter 7 - LOTF

2008-09-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

chapter 7- shadows and tall trees
perspective- ralph

LETS GO HUNTING-

I was relaxing on the rocks when I heard someone up above me. Simon. Simon lately has been a very peaceful person. Like the only one who isn't going mad about the situation. The one who is just accepting the fact that we are stuck on this island. I saw is back arched and foam coming out of the corners of his mouth. This wasn't the first time that I've seen this occur to Simon, but I didn't know what to make of it so i just sat there turning back to look towards the water. I saw a foot by my face and looked up. Simon.. again. "Simon, do you think we'll ever get off this island?" I asked him just wondering what his thoughts were give or take. His looks became reassuring. "Of course. Why wouldn't you tink we would get off?" I really couldn't answer besides the fact that no ships or boats come near the island. No civilization. An island that has not been discovered yet. "I don't know. It feels like theres a border around this island preventing ships or planes to come near us." He told me that I shouldn't think things like that and that it was all in my head. "Maybe youre right." I thought about whether I agreed with myself after saying that, "Thanks for the advice. Lets go catch up with the others." We ran towards the others when we all heard something rustling in the bushes. The leaves were shaking and two tusks were stick out on either side of the bush. Without even telling my arm too, I through my spear with vigirous speed. It hit something. A boar emerged from behind the bush with my spear daggling from the end of its snout. Amazing.. I hit that pig. I did.. Me... "Everyone! I sturck a pig!" Now I could tell how Jack found this 'hunting' thing entertaining. I could do this all day. Even though I did not kill the pig I had wounded him. I felt the need to shout it. Jack turned to me and told me that we were on a beat hunt. Not a pig hunt. He said that we were going to go the rest of the way but I felt like someone should at leat notify Piggy still staying with the littluns. Simon voluntered. I was really scared for him. Walking back to Piggy on the beach? .. Alone? ... In the dark? I don't think thats a very good idea but by the time I was going to say my thoughts, Jack bursted in with his 'prooving his leadership qualities'. "Your not scared are you. I mean I could go up while you stay here. I don't see whats so scary about it." I took him in on that, and said I would just sit on a tree stump with Robert. Jack hicked up the mountain then came running back. "I saw it he beast." My mind was already getting to me but I felt the need to proove myself as well. I can do this. "Lets go. What are you waiting for?" I took a gulp but hid it in the darkness. This time I wen up in front while Jack on the other hand was the furthest one back. Thats when I heard it. The flapping of its wings and the roughness of its claws. And then I SAW it. It wings were out streched and its head was bowing back and forth. Thinking that it could see me, I crouched lower. It was a dark creature. It appeared as though it could see me. I was definantly scared. Could it be the beast? The answer was, yes. Yes it could.

chapter 6 - LOTF

2008-09-24T20:16:00.000-07:00

chapter 6- beast from air
perspective- piggy

STUCK WITH THE ASTHMA-

Today Sam and Eric, the twins, were keeping watch on the fire when they came shouting down the mountain, "Wake up! Ralph! Wake up!" Of course Ralph just looks at them like they've just ruined him from a long awaited sleep that probably felt interminable. I overheard part of the conversation while simultaniously being half conscious. "We saw it!" They exclaimed. "The beastie! We saw it!". The way they yelled it sounded as though they were waxy but they weren't. They were just trying to say too many things at once. "Piggy! Piggiy!" I heard Ralph call my name. I responded without my body telling it too when he told me to spread the word to everyone that we were having a meeting. In a matter of minutes everyone gathered for our meeting but this time Jack and Ralph were the ones talking. They asked Eric and Sam what they saw and the way they decribed it, it had teeth, claws, eyes, and wings. I didn't want to go anywhere near where Jack and Ralph were headed; towards the 'thing'. Just thinking about it sent chills down my spin and caused goose bumps to rise on my arms. Jack and his hunters, Ralph, and Simon, were all going to go hunt the beastie. When they asked me if I wanted to come, I was embroiled and felt uncomfortable going, so I just stayed on a rock that was covered in guano to watch the littluns... and for the beast. The ones that stayed looked extremely frightened, and I could understand why. Something Simon said last night, well.. its been itching at me every since he said it. He said "I think its just us." Meaning us as the beast. Who could think that!? I mean Jack right now is kinda a state of HUNT. But I know he means well. Even if he always picks me to bother or tease. I just sat here defidently waiting for the group to come back.

chapter 5 - LOTF

2008-09-23T15:57:00.000-07:00

chapter 5- beast from water
perspective- simon

PERCIVAL WEMYS MADISON. THE VICARAGE, HARCOURT ST. ANTHONY WEMYS MADISON, HANTS-

When Ralph rang the conch, just as he instructed us, we all met down by the meeting place. Tonight, it was dark and erie. In Ralphs eyes, you could tell that this time, the meeting was ordered and going to be serious. When all of us boys, biguns and littluns, all took our seat along the 6 logs that we designated as our meeting triangle, I sat to Ralphs right along with Jack and Maurice while Piggy on the other hand, stood on the outside of the logs which I could clearly meant that he would only listen. Ralph held the conch close in his hands. He made it clear about the rules and what was not allowed. First of all, Ralph started out with the subject of taking short. "We've all got to use the rocks again. This place is getting dirty." Ralph said. I agree. Its been dirty enough around here without all those littluns going near our only food suppply, or by where our shelters should be. Second, any sort of fire will be on the top of the mountain where our signal fire is right now. The fire wouldn't go to the food, the food would go to the fire. "Then there's huts and shelters" Ralph said. As he said this, I was already thinking about my secret place. Which also brings me the the third rule, we needed more than 3 shelters built. Ralph had a point. Everyone needed to pitch in and get our huts built so that if it were to rain, then we would have some sort of cover above our heads to keep us covered from the storm. And then last, the water situation. Some of the kids were expected to bring water over in coco nut shells, with water from the falls. You could tell that Ralph had tried to plan this meeting out, but how far could he go without being intterupted? I waited, listening intently as to what the reactions would be around the group if something got out about the beastie or us dying. My own thoughts scared me. I continuesd to listen. "All this I meant to say. Now Ive said it. You voted me for chief. Now you do what I say." Ralph said with not an inch of resentment in his voice. "We need an assembly. Not for fun. Not for laughing and falling off the logs." Right before Ralph spoke this, the littluns pretended to fall off just out of boredum. To be honest, Ralphs long and "prepared" speech was making me quite bored myself, but I felt like it was important to listen to what Ralph had to say. After all, he'd come so far with keeping his head held high, and his chin stuck up, making sure everyone knew the message was clear as to who was chief this meeting. Jack stood up intterupting Ralph but all Ralph said was "I haven't finished yet." And then of course Jack had to crack a joke and make it clear to Ralph how bored everyone was by him. "But youve talked and talked and talked-"I just hung and shook my head so slightly that no one even noticed how stupid I thought both of them were. Jack is making it terribly difficult on all of us, here on the island, and you could just tell the Ralph just about had it with Jack. He was on edge. This is when I went silent. "Ive got the conch" Said Ralph sturnly and Jack just sat back down. When Ralph said that he wanted to talk about something different, he immediatly had my attention. I really wanted to tell the rest of the group about my secret place and where I dissapear to sometimes, but Ralph already had a subject up his sleeve. Oh no.. The beastie. When Ralph brought up the beastie, all the littluns went wild and Jack just started yelling at them and telling them how ignorent they were to surviving and the fact that we NEEDED to survive or that they NEEDED to do the work theve been putting off in order to survive. Typical Jack.. Talking about survival skills. Ralph laid the conch on the truck beside him as a sign that the speech was over and then brought attention to a littlun who, apparently, was walking in his sleep, and made him stand. "Whats your name?" Evedently his name was Phil. I thought I remembered seeing him somewhere. Maybe one of those days when the littluns were bothering me to help them get their fruit. Yea.. that was it. "Phil here was walking in his sleep. I got up and was about to wake him up until his eyes popped open and his whole body began to shake" Ralph then asked Phil about what his dream was about, and he said about the creepers and how one minute they were sort of dancing or twined together somehow and then when he opened his eyes, they dissapeared and saw a shadow creeping away. Uh oh.. I remember that night. I just couldn't fall asleep fast enough and decided that once all the boys fll asleep, I would go get away from them and go to my secret place. And that I would just have to remember to get up erly and make sure I did my fair share of chores. "Who was out in the forest at night!?" Ralph asked the circle. I felt like he was demanding a confession for a wrong doing of sin. Unsure if I should lie to the group, I decided that it wouldve been wrong for me not to tell them about my discovery, and here was a great opportunity to. I stood up slowly. "I wanted- to go to a place- a place I know" I said couciously not sure as how to phraze my words together without sounding corney. Ralph looked at me through the little light that was left and said "Well don't do it again. Understand? Not at night." I thought that they would be eager to hear about my get away/hide away place. But no, so I just sat back down. The conversation went on about peoples thoughts on the beastie and what it really is. Piggy took the conch in hand and decided to share his opinion. He started out about how another littlun, this time the cousin of the birthmarked boy who first brought up chatter about a beastie, who saw it; the beastie. Piggy shouted out for him to speak his name. He did after a few gulpes. I felt so sorry for the littlun. I would have hated it if I were put in that situation. I debated on wheather I should ve gone over to confort him, but I chose not to, since lately Jack had been noticing my kind giving and generous offers, that gave me the title (in his mind) 'Fatty helper'. "Percival Wemys Madison. The Vicarage, Harcourt St. Anthony, telephone, telephone, tele-" Poor Percival. He had been cut off by his own break of sobs. I could tell that he was in pain. Pain and harship of loosing a loved one because of this island. Because of the way things are being ruled around here. Because of the stupid plane crashing us onto this island that is on no map ever written. Maurice, a couple ways down from me, pretended to fall off his log and onto his butt. of course it made everyone laugh. Even poor Percival craked a smile. Ralph asked Percival where he had seen this beast or where it lived because certainly Jack would have been everywhere on this island already. "It lives in the water" said Percival muttering it only once as if he WAS declaring himself to a sin. Once Jack said the words "going to hunt down the beastie", the littluns and the hunters took off and away as the dark grew heavier and heavier. Soon it was pitch black and I found myself reaching towards where Piggy and Ralph had just been. It was all quiet when I found Piggy and Ralph, but then we were surrounded by a shriek so high pitched and terrifying that had me clutching for them, but then realized, it wasn't just the roars of the winds. It was Percival. Near. Close. Dead? But the beast.. in the water.. Percival. The black engulfed me then. I couldn't see. Percival Wemys Madison?

chapter 4 - LOTF

2008-09-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

chapter 4- painted faces and long hair
perspective- jack

BE PROUD OF ME-

It started out a nice day. I was just making my way through the forest when I came across a leaf looking thing that appeared to be carrying some sort of dyed mushy substance. I scooped up the leave gently not knowing what to expect, and picked up a slight portion in my hand. I ground this odd, reddish, looking substance in my fingers, and was surprised by how easily it had smeared into the crevices of my palm. I quickly went in search for some more of this unique resource. After a slight and narrow trek through more forest, I came to a halt in front of one of the same plants carrying the same substance. Again I picked up the paint looking material, but to my amazement, this time the color inside did not have a red tint, but a pure black richness to it. Knowing how easily this new discovery spread across my skin, this time I did not try to smear it across the planes of my fingers. Instead, I gathered as much as I could in the time that I had and rushed back with the leaves bunched up against my side. When I got back, I found Roger relaxing on the shore with Johnny going off about his weird ways. I hurried quickly to their side. "Look at what Ive got!" I about yelled with excitement about my new discovery. I unraveled one of the leaves first, not realizing which one I was picking up in my hands, and smeared it across the lines of my jaw all the way to the tips of my forehead. As I dropped my hand, I noticed that I had just put red around my face. Just as quickly as I dropped my hand, I revealed the other one; black. I pinched some in between the tips of my fingers, and placed this darkest of color below my eyes and on my nose. By the time I had finished smudging this new discovery against, the already swarthiness, of my skin, I told them that, us hunters, could go into the forest and be prepared to gain on a new challenge; killing and feasting on a pig. With Roger and Johnny, we rounded up all the hunters and went out to begin our hunt with a new sense of confidence. Once we were all masked up, we found ourselves almost near the sand shore, crouching and circling a nice set of hoofs. We slashed our prey again and again until I had contact with the throat, and with no hesitation, pierced my knife into the squealing pig that knew what fate it had coming. With great achievement, I stood up and got my group of true, and focused, hunters into a chant that should have been heard, in my opinion, from miles and miles up the mountain. The gouts of black blood, covered the massive area of ground while we were making our way up the mountain to meet Ralph. I lead our troop up the mountain, knowing the whole way there, that Ralph and the others would be so proud of me and would finally understand their mistake of making Ralph "chief". Psh.. Ralph = Chief?.. what an odd combination. Whatever, I caught my first pig and the rest of the boys will be excited to finally have some nutrition in their system, and it would all be because of MY perspiration. MY determination. And all of MY efforts to continue the hunt with massive enthusiasm. The first sight of Ralph initiated a self confident flow through my blood stream and made me walked just a little bit faster. The rest of hunters were trying to keep up with my pace, and I could tell by the quickening of their steps and the heavy breathes that they took in. We reached the landing point that Ralph, Piggy, and Simon were standing on, looking out towards the sea. I tried to get their attention and once they heard me, they turned around with a natural belligerence look on each one of their faces, staring me down with blackened pupils. I tried to ignore that, and show off my catch, but before I could brag, Ralph interrupted me with a malevolent edge to his voice. "You let the fire go out." Darn, the fire... I really hadn't thought much about it lately but I guess since I had nothing much to say about the subject, why not try to avoid it by pointing to the twins, who had just joined us, carrying our pig in between them. "Its only been out for a few hours, BUT look at the pig that I caught!" Ralph, Simon, and Piggy were unimpressed. Ralph was the one to speak again. With even more sharpness, he glared at me while speaking, "There was a ship. And you let the fire go out." A ship? In the sea? Near OUR island?! But I caught a pig! "But look at the pig that we caught. I'll start the fire up again once we get this pig roasting." Before Ralph could stare me down again, Piggy was the one to step up. Ive never seen him so fierce or so full with emotion before. Whoa, where'd Piggy come from? I turned to look at him with boredom but tried to compose my face. He was ragging out about how I had just lost our chances of getting rescued off this bloody island, and then he had my attention at once. He didn't think that I wanted to get off the island too?! Ive been the one trying to get food so we can get off the island ALIVE! If we don't have a balanced nutrition, then we'll all die of the Montezuma’s revenge, because of all those berries that theve been picking up and eating along the way. I immediately lost the composed mask, and without thinking, smacked Piggy with so much force, that he feel to the ground and his specks flew off and onto a near by rock, where one side cracked in agony. Simon was the one to react this time. He went over to the rocks and picked up Piggy's glasses. Simon? Help the fatty? Hmm.. "Now I'ves only got one eye!" Piggy was readjusting himself so that he could see me through the one eye that wasn't broken. "Serves you right FATTY!" I couldn't help it but raise my voice a little louder. All Ralph said then was 'Start the fire'. As soon as the pig was cooked and ready, I started distributing separate portions of meat. All but Piggy was left without a piece and I made sure that it would be kept that way. As I went to go sit down, done from distributing, Piggy called out, "What about my piece?" "Well you didn't hunt," I told him. "Well neither did Ralph or Simon!" He retorted. The look on his face was disbelieving. I wasn't even paying attention to any of the other boys until I saw Simons arm in Piggys picture frame. I looked up at once. He was giving the fatty his meat! The meat that he deserved! Piggy grabbed the piece of meat with no hesitation and began to devour it immediately. "Eat! Damn you!" I through my piece vigorously at Simon and went to go cut my self off another piece. Ralph looked up and said with a set and hard voice, "Im calling a meeting." We all just stared at him like he was crazy, but he just repeated himself. A meeting in the dark? Oh no.. the beastie.

chapter 3 - LOTF

2008-09-16T15:57:00.000-07:00

chapter 3- huts on the beach
perspective- ralph

ALL ME-

Lately, all of the littluns have been going everywhere and are so exhausted during the day because they are having nightmares about the thought that there might be a beastie in the forest. They can't help it, and so today it was just Simon and myself constructing the huts on the beach that we need by now to shelter us as much as possible. First of all, Jack just took off with his "superpower hunting skills" and was determined to hunt us a pig. I mean he was so rapt with hunting this pig, that when he came back from his "hunting trip", he didn't even acknowledge that Simon and I worked our tails off, trying to set up two of the, so many, tents we are supposed to have set up by now. And he didn't even act contrite about the situation, what-so-ever. At that moment, I had so much compulsion to rip out his throat, that all I could do was shout or just look at him with opaque eyes. I mean, Jack didn't notice what vacissitudes I had to go through today, what, with keeping all the littluns in line along with his "crew" or hunters, AND helping Simon set up out huts. Today was a long day but Im just glad that Piggy hadn't heard our conversation Jack, Simon and I had erlier today. I wouldn't have liked to hear some of Piggy's opinions about which task should've been completed first; huts or pig. I mean, Piggy had more than a exceptional reason as to why he thougght the things he did, its just, those thoughts of his, made me look like a fool, when Im trying to get everyone off this bloody island. So, Piggy is just going to have to control his thoughts when he's around me or else im going to pop... and soon.

chapter 2 - LOTF

2008-09-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

chapter 2- fire on the mountain
perspective- piggy

UP IN FLAMES-

"Shut up Piggy!" Ever since we put Ralph incharge, it seems like him and Jack are always batting it out with eachother; trying to put eachother out with eachothers ideas just because Jack wasn't voted as "captain" of the group. Back and forth non stop, and then when I try to make a recrimination or suggestion, they just blow me off cause im the "fatty" and am just slightly overweight than some of the other kids here. I hate this. Ralph keeps saying that his dad is going to magically apear and rescue us from this island which I beleive is like a lost island, and is always TOO officious. One of the choir told us about a beastie, a snake-like-thing, that haunted him, and when Ralph briliantly suggested that we start a fire, the choir went mad and was totally errant all the way up the mountain! (including the boy who told us about the beastie. I really hope nothing happend to anymore of the choir or Jack and Ralph, but they have just really been irritating me lately. Ralph induced the rest of the boys, here on this islend, with the idea, that who ever is holding this conch, is when the rest of the group has to listen to the person but with only one exception of an intureption; himself (Ralph) . When I picked up the conch, they completly ingonored my pressence being there and went on as if I never had spoken. I was really frusturated by the thought that nobody cared, OR cares, if I talk or give my opinion on anything. And it all started when Ralph and Jack started calling me Piggy. When all the choir set off to start the fire, I was set the task to take roll of how many youth there were on the island so we could make sure we had everyone each time we had a meeting. But NOOO.... they just ran off like a herd of gazels and bolted towards the forest. Then whos fault was it for not counting them? Me. I was trying to catch up with them but it felt like my asthma was catching up to me right then because I was suddenly gasping for air. By the time they pinched my specks and used them to set the whole forest in an up roar of blazes, I was furious. After the forest was glowing with a variety of reds and yellows, everyone realized that it was time for the Pig to speak his thoughts.