The end of The Road

   So I kind of liked the ending of the book but at the same time I didn't. The parts I liked was the symbolism and meaning put into those last few pages. It shows how the boy has changed from who he was a the beginning of the book. He's become more of his own person, with his own interpretations of the world and his own will to survive. I also like how the boy and the man seem to switch roles at the end. All along the man has been completely taking care of the boy who he sees as a god-like creature whom he must protect with his life, but at the end of the book, with the man's disease finally taking hold, the boy assumes the role of care giver, if only for a short time. The boy then holds vigil and tries to protect him when he hears someone, the veteran, approaching. Later the boy reveals that he'd rather talk to his father than talk to God, so it seems that now it is the boy who reveres his father as a god like creature, one who took car of him and showed him how to keep the will to live. I also notice that after the father's death, the book doesn't reveal to the boy as 'the boy' anymore, but instead as 'He', where once the man was referred to as 'He.' This is another way in which McCarthy hints at their role reversal.

   What I didn't like about the ending is mostly my own personal feelings. I just thought it was a little to coincidental that so soon after his father's death, the boy would find 'good people' to be his new family. I just find it hard to accept. I feel it was supposed to be symbolic of a hopeful future, but I still think it was to much. I would have preferred the boy going out on his own, seeing how he had grown up so much during the journey's course. It still would've been hopeful because of his good nature. The reader would feel hope for the future thinking that there is one good person who is making it in this devastated world and  is still managing to keep such altruistic morals and if there is one, then there must surely be others out there.

The World is Dead- Found Poetry

   So here is my found poetry that I wrote in class:

The World is Dead

A little boy

Flickering

In the cold bleak depths

Of a dead black void

Sightless white eyes

With nothing to see

There is no light

There is no morning

A dimension without light

A dimension of night

A blacktop of a world

A darkness dripping darkness

Little boy face the truth

The world is dead

   I really liked this activity, because I love poetry. I got into my poetical state of mind and after skimming my words from the quotes I had collected I knew that I would write a poem about darkness and hopelessness because pretty much every word I found involved either one or both of those so I knew my poem would easily come to me. That's usually how I get when ever I do writing of any sort. I stop and think about what it is that I am going to write then, slowly the vision comes to me and I begin to write what I feel. This is why I am not good at writing research papers or times writings; I'm not given the time or the opportunity to be as creative or emotionally invested as I would like to be. I much rather prefer writing poems and short stories. I really hope we do more activities like this in class. 

The Road so far

   So far I am liking The Road pretty well. At times it can be a little slow paced but within the slowness is a very nicely crafted story. Every sentence and every word seems to have some kind of deep profound meaning and nothing is just there to fill space. I really like McCormac's writing style because of its fluidity and poetic feel. Not every sentence, but lots of them, seem like poetry with their feeling and emotion. I especially love the passage-

   What would you do if I died?
   If you died I would want to die too.
   So you could be with me?
   Yes. So I could be with you.
              -(Pg. 11)
  
   These few lines, to me, have so much passion and emotion and most of all they have so much reality. It sounds like lines from a beautiful poem. It makes me feel more than anything else I have ever read in any book. The words are simple but they speak with great depth and such emotion that anyone who reads this must be able to relate in some way and need to pause to think about who they love and who they would die for.  That's what I did when I read this and I will always remember this simple conversation because it captures exactly how I feel when I think about the people I love.

   I like post apocalyptic tales like The Book of Eli and A Crack in the Sky where we read about what might be a possible future for the human race. I think they are really cool and interesting because it shows humans striving to rise above their limits and find a way to keep themselves alive. These things are fun to read about because I don't really have the opportunity to experience these apocalyptic worlds first hand. All other post apocalyptic books I have read have had hope at the heart of them, but The Road is pretty cool because it turns away from that and simply has bleak and bleary, with little to no hope of salvation in it. It is real somber and kind of depressing but again, it gives a sense of experiencing what I may never have the opportunity to actually experience so it is a cool thing to read.

Final Post For The Fall Semester

   I've really enjoyed being in Mr. Mullins class. So far I think it has been one of my favorite english classes ever. We really got involved in our work and our various discussions. Everyday was interesting and we always had something to do that we didn't hate doing. I also really enjoyed all the short stories we've read this semester. They were all literary, but they were just as interesting and entertaining as any commercial writing. I also enjoy these blogs. They're a way to express our feelings and opinions. It's kind of fun to write them and I like reading what other people have to say too. Although at times they do interfere with other things that I have going on and I sometimes forget about them, which is why i'm writing this right now.

   Things I feel i've improved on are my essay writings. I did terrible on the first one we did at the beginning of the semester, but I did a lot better on our most recent one. Essays have always been one of my weakspots but I feel that with Mr. Mullins advise and lessons, i've gotten a a better handle on them.

   I can't wait for next semester when we get into our poetry unit, i've always loved poetry, but what i'm not looking forward to is more essays, especially our final project that involves reading three books with a common theme. That's going to be a downer.

   Overall I really did enjoy this semester and I hope that next semester is even better.

Satire

   I've always liked the idea of satire. They involve many great things such as irony, sarcasm, and poking fun at others, which is always fun. Satire, like allusions, is used all the time across the globe. It is a fun and entertaining way to get the point across.

   I've learned that there are three different types of satire;

   Horatian satire- Horatian satire is the most common of the three. It is meant to amusingly poke fun of some aspect of humanity, like greed for example or the search for true love. As the audience laughs at the silliness of others they are also laughing at themselves saying "True. True. That is just like me!" It is a more lighthearted thing meant to make people smile as they think about the subject at hand. An example of this would be Mark Twain's speech "Advice to Youth" which humorously and harmlessly makes fun of societies attempts to educate young people on proper behavior.

   Mennipus satire- This type of satire resembles Horatian satire in that it is harmless and humorous but the only different is that it does not focus on just one subject. The point is not really to get any kind of message across about anything. It is simply meant to be laughed at and enjoyed. An example of this type of satire would be Family Guy. Family Guy is an endless medley of satire upon satire upon satire. There are so many allusions and references in the show that there is not really any sensible story. It's simply something to laugh about.

   And the final form of satire is...

   Juvenal satire- This satire is the most serious of all satire. It sets out to make fun of something in a harsh and unforgiving manner. It is not meant to be funny it is focused on getting a message out and making people face it. This type of satire would be used by someone who really wants to make a point with force. This type of satire might be used during times of election when people are trying to make others look bad and foolish. It might also be used in times of trouble when people need to be pushed into action.

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich

   I felt pretty good when I went to the library to pick this book up and saw that it wasn't even 200 pgs long. I expected the book to be decently long since it was such a widely acclaimed book, but I guess it's hard to make a book incredibly long when it's entire plot takes place in one day. Besides, I don't think the author was worried about the length of his book. Solzhenitsyn set out to write a book that was real, true, and hit people in thier minds and hearts, and he succeeded.

   This book was really powerful. It spoke truth about humanity and how everyday is a struggle to stay alive in this messed up place we call our home. Whether we're living in a WWII Soviet prison camp, or livng right here in Lexington, everyday we must fight for our right to live, exist, to love, to be loved. If we are to live our lives happy and fulfilled we need to stay true to ourselves, despite society's attempt to crush our inividuality. We need to band and work together, to live in peace and harmony with one another if we want to thrive. We also need to take care of ourselves; to nourish our body, mind and spirit.

   I really like this book. It was inspirational and showed a side of humanity that hinted towards hope.

The Salem Play

   I really enjoyed this play. It was funny and serious at the same time and kept me entertained. It also seemed to be written to appeal to a teenage audience more, which helped to keep it interesting. The use of puppets as adults was a nice detail as it added to the fun factor of the play without making it childish. My favorite character was Mr. Johnson. He was an  awkwardly-funny-kind-old man.

   Going deeper into the play, I feel its message was to take the time to think about everyone's needs and feelings and treat everybody with respect and understanding. It doesn't matter what somebody's race, religion, age, gender, or personality is; Everybody deserves the chance to be understood and accepted. All of the characters in the play had different personalities and backgrounds and they all had almost nothing in common with one another, but they all learned to come to terms with each other and take the time to care for one another. In the end, the kids caring for each other kept their teacher from getting fired, helped Vynique's character earn more respect for the teacher, allowed the kids to perfect and perform their play and saved the janitor from hanging himself out of depression. A little caring and acceptance can go a long way towards making the world a happier place for everyone.