The book I'm currently reading is Maggot Moon by Sally Gardner. This is one of the books on this year's Teen Book Club Book List. It's set back in the 1950s. The main character is Standish Treadwell, a fifteen-year-old kid with a weird name and dyslexia. One of his teachers, Miss Connolly used to say "Can't read, can't write. Standish Treadwell isn't bright" Gardner (3). He can neither read nor write, but he understands. His parents were taken away (or killed) and his friend Hector suddenly vanished. He lives with his Gramps. They live a Communist-like society, where the people in charge were part of the Motherland. He, along with Gramps and his neighbores live in a place called Zone Seven, location of the undesirables. And Standish definitely knows he is one, what with his different color eyes and slow understanding.
In Chapters 26-30, a series of events took place, starting with the standoff between Standish and grumpy and mean, Mr. Gunnell, a native of the Motherland. Mr. Gunnell yelled at Standish for being late after Standish was beaten up by school bully, Hans Fielder. Mr. Gunnell tells Standish that his shoelaces were untied, he took advantage of the the fact that Standish's defenses were down, and hit him hard on the back with his walking cane. Standish straighten and then punched him right in his jaw. Everyone laughed, but a small kid, Little Eric, wasn't able to contain his laughter; unfortunately, this made Mr. Gunnell set his sights on him. He grabbed Eric by the ear close to him and started beating him with the cane unitl it broke, throwing punches at his body, and later resorted to "kicking the s*** out Little Eric" as Standish put it (77). He kept kicking until Eric wasn't moving anymore. Mr. Gunnell would have even smashed Eric's head if Standish hadn't clocked him in the nose.
When a teacher, Mrs. Phillips, came out to see why Mr. Gunnell's class hadn't come for the assembly, and asked him about Eric's body, he immediately blamed it on Standish. Standish, asked by Mrs. Phillips, told her what really happened. Mr. Gunnell immediately started lying and blaming and Standish more fervently. Surprisingly, Hans Fielder stepped to agree with Standish's story. Mr. Gunnell accused him of lying, to which Hans replied " "I never lie, sir," He said. "Never." " (81). The left Eric's body on the ground and went inside to hear the assembly. Afterwards, Hans Fielder was beaten by the principal, Mr. Hellman, Standish was expelled from school, and Mr. Gunnell was shot in the head.
These scenes might be similar to the Holocaust that occured during WWII. Mr. Gunnell could represent Adolf Hitler, or his Nazi soliders. They both look down on the so-called inferiors: Hitler on the non-Aryan peoples and Mr. Gunnell on the undesirables. Hitler felt that a race that only consisted of blond-haired, blue-eyed, white people was the superior race, just like Mr. Gunnell believed that the Motherland was supreme. When he was kicking Eric, he was also yelling, " "Don't you ever laugh at me again.... I am to be treated with respect!" " (77). The Motherland brainwashed him into thinking that he is better than not only Eric, but also the people of Zone Seven. Also, during the Holocaust, there were people brave enough to speak out against the crimes against humanity, only to be silence. Standish showed that bravery by confronting Mr. Gunnell, even though Mr. Gunnell hates his guts, by telling him, " "You can't keep hitting.... I'm taller than you. Pick on someone your own size" " (75).
Monday, January 5, 2015
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Post 3: Islands of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer Chapters 22- End
Between Chapter 22 and the end, Chapter 47, many conflicts arise and are resolved. Jack and Thorgil, as young as they are, have experienced so much and changed as people in so many ways that it's hard to believe they survived through all of it. They went to Edwin's Town, home of Einar Adder-Tooth and defeated the onimous Hogboon. A hogboon is similar to the draugr, except it requires a sacrifice regularily. But Thorgil was wearing the Rune of Protection which made the hogboon peel apart and turn into dust. Shortly after, Thorgil, Jack, and Dragon Tongue journeyed to Notland, in where the fin folk dwell, and Dragon Tongue talked the draugr into not seeking revenge on a priest. He lured her into her grave with a mirror and comb, two objects the fin folk hold in high regard. After this, Thorgil and Jack were booted off to Grim's Island where they discover St. Columba's cave, with his cloak and staff.
They also witness a halted Wild Hunt where Jack and Thorgil talk with Thorgil's foster-father Olaf One-Brow and see friends who have fallen in battle and went to Valhalla, such as Bjorn Skull-Splitter and Eric Broad-Shoulders. Jack also talks with Odin, the god of all the nine worlds. This is also where Thorgil discovers that Valhalla is not all that glorious, despite her quest fall in battle throughout the trilogy. They then travel back to Bebba's Town, only to see that the whole town is basically deserted. They learn from a group of Saxon men that the town has been infected with Flying Venom, a terrible disease in which the result is death, and the disease has been contained in the monastery. They help out whoever is in there, giving them food from the nearby storehouse and cleaning up the monastery. At the end, they are reunited with Dragon Tongue and are taken to the Island of the Blessed to go to a School of Bards.
Another theme ever-present in this book, as well as the in the Sea of Trolls trilogy is sacrifice. Many of the main and secondary characters have suffered countless times in many situations. One such instance is found in Chapter 44, appropiately titled The Rune of Protection. The Rune of Protection has a mind of its own in a way; it can only passed down to a person when the time is right and it can't be given back to its previous owner. Dragon Tongue had it at the begining of the trilogy, then it was passed down to Jack, and later to Thorgil. The Rune saved both Jack and Thorgil from the hogboon. Jack realized that the hogboon could touch anyone wearing it since "it burned anyone who tried to take it by force" (Farmer 439). Thorgil later went on the pass it down to Ethne, Dragon Tongue's daughter, because she was dying of Flying Venom. Thorgil made an oath to Dragon Tongue to save Ethne; as a Northman, she can't break it because it's considered dishonest. She sacrifice the rune to keep Ethne because it's what kept Thorgil alive and well since she "wanted to die with a sword in [her] hand" (646) and she didn't value her life because of it.
They also witness a halted Wild Hunt where Jack and Thorgil talk with Thorgil's foster-father Olaf One-Brow and see friends who have fallen in battle and went to Valhalla, such as Bjorn Skull-Splitter and Eric Broad-Shoulders. Jack also talks with Odin, the god of all the nine worlds. This is also where Thorgil discovers that Valhalla is not all that glorious, despite her quest fall in battle throughout the trilogy. They then travel back to Bebba's Town, only to see that the whole town is basically deserted. They learn from a group of Saxon men that the town has been infected with Flying Venom, a terrible disease in which the result is death, and the disease has been contained in the monastery. They help out whoever is in there, giving them food from the nearby storehouse and cleaning up the monastery. At the end, they are reunited with Dragon Tongue and are taken to the Island of the Blessed to go to a School of Bards.
Another theme ever-present in this book, as well as the in the Sea of Trolls trilogy is sacrifice. Many of the main and secondary characters have suffered countless times in many situations. One such instance is found in Chapter 44, appropiately titled The Rune of Protection. The Rune of Protection has a mind of its own in a way; it can only passed down to a person when the time is right and it can't be given back to its previous owner. Dragon Tongue had it at the begining of the trilogy, then it was passed down to Jack, and later to Thorgil. The Rune saved both Jack and Thorgil from the hogboon. Jack realized that the hogboon could touch anyone wearing it since "it burned anyone who tried to take it by force" (Farmer 439). Thorgil later went on the pass it down to Ethne, Dragon Tongue's daughter, because she was dying of Flying Venom. Thorgil made an oath to Dragon Tongue to save Ethne; as a Northman, she can't break it because it's considered dishonest. She sacrifice the rune to keep Ethne because it's what kept Thorgil alive and well since she "wanted to die with a sword in [her] hand" (646) and she didn't value her life because of it.
Monday, October 20, 2014
Post 2: Islands of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer Chapters 19-21
Right now, I'm up to Chapter 22 of Islands of the Blessed. Many things have taken place so far. In Chapter 19, Jack, Thorgil and Dragon Tongue discovered that the Tanners had taken Fair Lamenting when they wanted to show it to Father Severus in St. Filian's Monastery last chapter. The Tanners were known for stealing so it was easy to blame them. It was even easier to find them thanks to Schlaup and his incredible sense of smell. When Jack and Schlaup find them, they discovered that the bell has not only been rung twice, but also the clapper inside of it was ripped out because one of the Tanner daughters figured out it was magic. This caused more worry to Dragon Tongue because he doesn't want the draugr to unleash her mayhem. In Chapter 20, Jack, Thorgil, Dragon Tongue, and the Northmen make a plan to have Dragon Tongue, Jack, and Thorgil lure the draugr to a place called Notland where her tomb lies.
Finally, in Chapter 21, Jack, Thorgil, and Dragon Tongue make enough money from selling their goods to buy grain for their village. They also made regular visits to Dragon Tongue's elf daughter Ethne and Pangur Ban the cat to make sure that Ethne hasn't gone back to her elvish ways. They make a deal with Father Severus for Thorgil to be allowed to check on Ethne, but to Dragon Tongue's dismay, Ethne looks horrible and her spirits have been downed by the monastery life, according to Thorgil. So Dragon Tongue tells Thorgil to bring things to cheer Ethne up, such as a comb, mirror, water, and sweets.
There are many themes displayed throughout the book; one of them is the idea of power and using power wisely. Within Chapter 20, Jack asks why Father Severus was so mean to them at the monastery. In the previous book, The Land of the Silver Apples, Severus was more kind-hearted toward Jack and Thorgil, even though he was weakened with fatigue. But ever since he took over the monastery from Brother Aiden, he's been barking out orders and punishments as if he were passing out slips of paper to all the monks and nuns. Dragon Tongue tells him that " 'Severus is an able and courageous man, but he has a fatal weakness' " (Farmer 375-76). That weakness is that he loves power. Instead of the citizens of Bebba's Town to go to King Brutus, they go to Father Severus, because Brutus is lazy but generous and throws parties as much as Severus hands out penances.
Power is advantageous at some times and dangerous at others. Power, on one hand, makes one feel stong, inconquerable, and important. Dragon Tongue went on explain to Jack that Severus "didn't want to recognize [him], because [he] reminded him of when he was unimportant" (376). Father Severus doesn't want to go back to that time where he wasn't needed anywhere and he was weak. However, the power is going very far into Severus's head and this is where abusing power is unhealthy. There are new rules in St. Filian's Monastery made by Father Severus the monks, and most nuns and servants must abide by:
Finally, in Chapter 21, Jack, Thorgil, and Dragon Tongue make enough money from selling their goods to buy grain for their village. They also made regular visits to Dragon Tongue's elf daughter Ethne and Pangur Ban the cat to make sure that Ethne hasn't gone back to her elvish ways. They make a deal with Father Severus for Thorgil to be allowed to check on Ethne, but to Dragon Tongue's dismay, Ethne looks horrible and her spirits have been downed by the monastery life, according to Thorgil. So Dragon Tongue tells Thorgil to bring things to cheer Ethne up, such as a comb, mirror, water, and sweets.
There are many themes displayed throughout the book; one of them is the idea of power and using power wisely. Within Chapter 20, Jack asks why Father Severus was so mean to them at the monastery. In the previous book, The Land of the Silver Apples, Severus was more kind-hearted toward Jack and Thorgil, even though he was weakened with fatigue. But ever since he took over the monastery from Brother Aiden, he's been barking out orders and punishments as if he were passing out slips of paper to all the monks and nuns. Dragon Tongue tells him that " 'Severus is an able and courageous man, but he has a fatal weakness' " (Farmer 375-76). That weakness is that he loves power. Instead of the citizens of Bebba's Town to go to King Brutus, they go to Father Severus, because Brutus is lazy but generous and throws parties as much as Severus hands out penances.
Power is advantageous at some times and dangerous at others. Power, on one hand, makes one feel stong, inconquerable, and important. Dragon Tongue went on explain to Jack that Severus "didn't want to recognize [him], because [he] reminded him of when he was unimportant" (376). Father Severus doesn't want to go back to that time where he wasn't needed anywhere and he was weak. However, the power is going very far into Severus's head and this is where abusing power is unhealthy. There are new rules in St. Filian's Monastery made by Father Severus the monks, and most nuns and servants must abide by:
The monks attend prayers seven times a day, and the rest of the time they work. Every afternoon I counsel them on obedience. Wherever they walk, their heads must be bowed and their eyes cast down. They must be content with the most menial treatment. They must admit they are inferior and of less value than the vermin crawing upon a dog's belly. Also, laughing is forbidden. (390)This type of treatment made Jack question Severus's authority and even made him doubt his Christian beliefs. As another example, one type of punishment give orders out is called trial by ordeal. One of the nuns, Sister Wulfhilda went through this and came out with a large scar on her hand. She had to hold a heated metal bar in her hand and walk a series of nine steps because she was accused of poisoning her husband. This shows the two-side argument with the use of power.
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Post 1: Islands of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer Chapters 15-18
Currently I'm reading Islands of the Blessed by Nancy Farmer. This book is the last installment in the Sea of Trolls trilogy, which is named for its first book. From where I stopped, the main characters Jack, Thorgil, and Dragon Tongue (the Bard) are headed off to a place called Bebba's Town in order to save their small Saxon village from being attacked by a draugr, an undead spirit. They must ride with the Northmen, strong-willed, crazy berserkers who pretty much live off of pillaging other villages. Ever since the draugr appeared, strange things have been happening through out the village. For example, in the beginning of Chapter 7, John the Fletcher's rooster and hens were killed and there was a dead lamb in front of his door. This prompts Dragon Tongue to come up with solutions as to how he could save the people and animals of the village.
In Chapter 16, Jack, Thorgil, and the Bard are sailing with the Tanners, a deceitful family of three and the Northmen with a half-troll, Schlaup. Schlaup falls in love with Mrs. Tanner from the first sniff of her braid. From there, their relationship blossoms into that of a commensal relationship among some organisms. Mrs. Tanner benefits because she can order Schlaup around and Schlaup is not affected by it at all. According to the troll tradition, male trolls, or louts wants their females to be strong. Mrs. Tanner has already proven that by her sterness and the fact that she has two children.
To an extent, feminism is one of the theme present not only in this book, but also in this entire series, mostly with Thorgil. However in this chapter, it's Mrs. Tanner that has the power over Schlaup. She gave him a steady flow of orders, such as "hunting for snacks, furs to rest on, [and] bags of cider" and standing "obediently in the sun to provide her with shade" (Farmer 292). Where Schlaup comes from, it is common for females to be greater than or equal to the males. This is what feminists fight for today: woman power, for lack of better terms. They don't want to always submit to the male. But Mrs. Tanner is using Schlaup to get what she wants and she doesn't care about him. Even Jack had his doubts, thinking about whether "she wanted a half-troll trailing after her" (293).
In Chapter 16, Jack, Thorgil, and the Bard are sailing with the Tanners, a deceitful family of three and the Northmen with a half-troll, Schlaup. Schlaup falls in love with Mrs. Tanner from the first sniff of her braid. From there, their relationship blossoms into that of a commensal relationship among some organisms. Mrs. Tanner benefits because she can order Schlaup around and Schlaup is not affected by it at all. According to the troll tradition, male trolls, or louts wants their females to be strong. Mrs. Tanner has already proven that by her sterness and the fact that she has two children.
To an extent, feminism is one of the theme present not only in this book, but also in this entire series, mostly with Thorgil. However in this chapter, it's Mrs. Tanner that has the power over Schlaup. She gave him a steady flow of orders, such as "hunting for snacks, furs to rest on, [and] bags of cider" and standing "obediently in the sun to provide her with shade" (Farmer 292). Where Schlaup comes from, it is common for females to be greater than or equal to the males. This is what feminists fight for today: woman power, for lack of better terms. They don't want to always submit to the male. But Mrs. Tanner is using Schlaup to get what she wants and she doesn't care about him. Even Jack had his doubts, thinking about whether "she wanted a half-troll trailing after her" (293).
Monday, September 8, 2014
Personal Reading Analysis
My favorite genre of books is fiction. I like thinking about things that are realistic or impossible, or coming up with what-if questions for possible outcomes in certain situations in each book I read. This reinforces my analogy: reading a book is another form of television. I know when I've read a good book if I'm dreaming about it and adding my own twists. I enjoy books with adventure and mystery and, most times, a little romance. It keeps me glued to the book, to the point where I can't put it down and I carry it wherever I go (the bathroom, in most cases). I'm glad I picked reading back up when I was still young; otherwise, I wouldn't have the excitement for reading.
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