3rd Quarter Synthesis Reading Response "Runaway Jury"

The struggle between the power and resistance in John Grisham's  Runaway Jury is intense, and up until the very end, you are actually unsure who is the power, and who is the resistance! (SPOILERS AHEAD) Runaway Jury is a story about a trial on cigarettes, in which a widow is suing big tobacco for her husband's death with lung cancer. But behind the scenes, a jury consultant named Rankin Fitch, and his team are watching every move, and only juror number 2, Nicholas Easter, and his accomplice Marlee, have any chance of preventing Fitch from single-handedly deciding the verdict. Grotesquely, the power struggle in the shadows is slowly creeping into the light throughout the book, and the hideous faces of the power and resistance are revealed.

Using textual evidence, in the first half of the book it seems pretty clear that Rankin Fitch is the power, and Nicholas and Marlee are the resistance. For example, when Rankin Fitch is first observing everyone in jury selection, he takes account of their every move. Rankin Fitch is in a way asserting his power upon all of the jurors. In fact in my opinion this is a way to make him feel as if he is the one in charge, and that he calls the shots, so he definitely is seeming to be the power. Also, There is a subplot in which the trial is going on, and the Plaintiff seems severely underfunded compared to the defense, and it seems pretty bleak for them so far. Truly, in this case, It is obvious that the Big Tobacco defendant is the power, and the plaintiff is the resistance. And to think, as it says in the book, that this is the most formidable opponent that the Tobacco industry has ever faced. Sadly the resistance's resources are numbered, and because of Fitch, so are their days.

But, farther on in the book, the line between power and resistance blurs. Yes, Nicholas Easter starts quietly asserting more and more power over Judge Harkin, the judge in this specific trial, and starts taking advantage of the judge, unbeknownst to Fitch. In fact, it seems, now that more information is revealed, that Easter and Marlee have some qualities that are similar to the qualities that the power typically has. Indeed Fitch is afraid that he doesn't know anything about Easter and Marlee, and he should be. And even more so, towards the end of the book, Nick and Marlee start becoming the power. And When Fitch realizes at the end that he had been played all along he is furious at defeat, and will not under any circumstance accept even second place. Indeed, Fitch from this point onward, is clearly the resistance, and he is wondering where he went wrong. Truly, Fitch's cockiness killed him.

Yes, the power and resistance struggle is mostly obscured from vision to people both in and out of the book. Indeed, it is a tug-of-war battle between Fitch and Easter, and Easter at first doesn't flex his muscle, and even went along with Fitch for a while, then smacked Fitch hard in the face. Although the power and resistance struggle in this book is at first very subtle, towards the end comes up with a vast wealth of resources, showing the depth of the struggle all along.

Cross-Dressers of the Civil War: NF Reading Response

Women throughout most of history have been looked on as people not fit for soldiers, but 150 years before the United States combat ban was lifted, many women were already fighting in the U.S. army. Yes, Veronica Majerol's article Cross-Dressers of the Civil War in this month's Upfront magazine, showcases that. For example, some of the women fought to be close to loved ones, others because the army paid well, yet others because they believed strongly in the cause that they fought for. Women of all backgrounds fought for both sides in the american civil war, and they statistically served even better than the men who fought. But, the path was treacherous, as the slightest hunch or injury could lead to your expulsion from the military. Nevertheless, many women bravely served their country in the American Civil War.

Back in those times, women were looked down as people fit only for work around the house. But, as the author says, the women fought, no matter the cost. Yes, women in the civil war became "free" from their cliche feminine obligations; as one female soldier said "I am as independent as a hog on ice". In fact, they were shown to work better than the men, as in the article, it is stated that "14 percent of women were promoted compared with 10 percent of men." Indeed, Majerol did a very good job of showing that the women fought long and hard for both what they wanted, and what they believed in. She strongly shows how the women were so inspired in the struggle for all reasons.

In response to this story, I am very surprised how many women were willing to risk life, limb, and honor for a cause that was not mandatory. Up until very recently, women really weren't represented fairly in the armed forces. There were many willing to pay the ultimate price for that which they held dear. Historically, it is clear that women could have fought well, simply there was no scientific evidence proving that women could be soldiers. There was and is no reason for women to be any lesser than men in the armed forces, and I believe that now, with the combat ban on women finally lifted, women are represented fairly by the U.S..

Synthesize me! Blog post quarter 2 cycle 2

Symbolism is universal in books, and it is really shown in literature if you look deep. Even the smallest thing might become a very important symbol, if you see through its semi-translucent surface. There were four books that I read, which really exemplified how symbols, however subtle, are very important. The first book I read was The Alchemist, by Paolo Cohelo, about a young man who goes to the pyramids to fulfill a prophecy, Sky Raiders, by Brandon Mull about a boy ripped from his home, and enslaved in another dimension, Vietnamerica By Gio-Bao Tran, a true story about an Vietnamese-American boy learning his families history from the Vietnam war, and  A Thousand Splendid Suns by Kahled Hosseini, a story about two girls living in Afghanistan. Symbols throughout all genres have many symbols that are very important.

In fantasy books symbolism is a lot more free, because you are able to play around with everything that surrounds the character. In The Alchemist, the main character, Santiago at first calls a Character known as Melchizedek "old man", but later, calls him "old king" this subtle change in speech makes a big impact o how we see into his thoughts. He is a lot more reverent of the "old king" now, and also we can see how his thoughts changed throughout his journey. In Sky Raiders, the main character Cole, gets very suspicious of people. At one point he just asks "Weren't you just trying to get rid of me?" Cole is letting all of his insecurities rise up into his character, and he is trying to absolve himself from his insecurities. Cole is trying to keep his luxury of trust, but at what cost? Symbolism in non-realistic fiction is a lot easier to play around with, but not necessarily more meaningful.

In realistic fiction, and non-fiction, symbolism is a little less free, but sometimes that can make it better. These books have often fewer, but more meaningful symbols. In Vietnamerica, Gao-Bao's parents receive a letter from Paris, France. This letter represents all that their family could have been had they moved to France. It represents both the good and bad about that scenario. Also, this letter represents the stark difference between the western world and Vietnam. This is a non-fiction story, so this letter had worth to Gao-Bao's family. In the book A Thousand Splendid Suns, the main character Marian has ice cream which she had so longed for in her life of poverty, once she had married in an arranged marriage. This first represents all the hope that she has for her new marriage, and her longing for something sweet to hold in her life. Secondly it represents that something that at first seems sweet, may really be ice cold. Even the smallest and subtlest of things can hold symbols that pack a really big punch.

All of these symbols, and all symbols throughout the literary world have at least one thing in common with all of the other symbols. They all represent things that are accentuated in their respective story later on. These symbols may seem very subtle on the surface, and their appearances may seem too sneaky, they are all catchable, and once you catch those symbols, they can make a world of difference in the story. Symbols like these are everywhere, both in books, and in real life, so we can use the knowledge obtained from these symbols to help us with our real life struggles, and to parse all of the information thrown at us. These symbols can help us understand our world.

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One Extra Credit symbolism-- Caesar Crossing the Rubicon

Caesar Flickerman is a very important (and dastardly) figure in all three Hunger Games movies, but his evil side is especially accentuated in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One. He really shows how puppeted he, and the rest of Panem (their country) is by the capitol. Caesar is the host for the Hunger Games (a gladiatorial competition in which 24 "tributes" fight to the death), so he obviously has the wrong taste in entertainment. In The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, Caesar is interviewing one of the victorious tributes, Peeta Malark, and Peeta is clearly forced to say exactly what  Caesar told him. In his interviews with Peeta crossed so many boundaries (hence the title of this blog post), including talking about sensitive subjects to the very people who can't handle those subjects, and also being, as many people call him "the ultimate coward". Caesar has earned that title, and is the epitome of the capitol's crude and suzerain way of life.

In The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part One, Caesar frequently interviews Peeta. He asks Peeta unfriendly and cruel questions about topics like his love for Katniss, and his feelings about the rebels and the Hunger Games. In one case, he even  has Peeta beaten by "peacekeeping troops" for telling Katniss that she is about to be attacked by nuclear weapons. Also, they turn Peeta into a living, breathing weapon, and Caesar just seems to keep being materialistic and content. Furthermore, his interviews are in front of millions of people with topics no one would want to talk about in front of anyone. Here is an excerpt from one interview. "It costs your life," says Caesar. "Oh, no. It costs a lot more than your life. To murder innocent people?" says Peeta. "It costs everything you are.""--pg 23 of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay. We can easily discern that this is because of his thoughts on his own suzerainty that he has the guts to ask this question. He would not to his equal, because he is "the ultimate coward". Grossly, the symbol of the capitol's way of life that he represents is reeking off of him in scenes like this.

Caesar is also in my opinion defamed by his nonchalant way of asking these questions. In the first two Hunger Games books, he just casually introduces twenty-four tributes that are about to fight to the death, and only one will survive. Oh, you know, just a Saturday afternoon stroll. In the interviews with Peeta, he has a fake kind of emotion that is supposed to bring the people of Panem rallying towards The Capitol's cause, but he is seeming not to want to linger too long on opinions that Peeta has that disagree with his. Again, a perfect depiction of the ultimate coward. While Peeta is getting beaten by peacekeepers, Caesar just blankly stares at the situation. He is exemplified as the person who barbarically will sit by while there is something terrible happening, and as in the Hunger Games, actually condone that act. He is a Capitol idiot, and an ultimate coward.

Caesar is the biggest window that the people of Panem have into the way of life of the capitol. He is a terrible person, and acts as such. He is a person who can not face his own enemies until he has complete control over them. He is seen all throughout Panem, and is clearly the biggest villain to the rebellion's propaganda team. Caesar is the spitting image of the ultimate coward, and so are most of the people living in the capitol, but he is really the only one of them that we get to see in his full atrocity. Caesar Flickerman is the ultimate coward, and this post shows proof.

Quarter Two Cycle One Synthesis Page Reading Response: A Tangled Web of Social Issues

There are so many social issues in books, and they intertwine in interesting and disturbing ways. In the two books I read, Cat's Cradle and The Kite Runner, there are many apparent social issues.The Kite Runner is a story about an afghan boy (the story follows him through to manhood) named Amir who has a stable life in Afghanistan, until the Russians invade, and he is a refugee in america. His father is his  "frenemy", and  he is in the upper class of Afghanistan. Cat's Cradle is a book about a man writing  a book on one of the fathers of the atomic bomb, and on his way, goes to an island known as San Lorenzo, and learns that the father of the atomic bomb also had a much more sinister weapon. There are issues including things such as destruction, deadly weapons, religious persecution, and issues with parents and marriage. These different issues intertwine, causing and feeding to each other, and mutually create distress and terror in the people in the area. When these issues appear, there is no escaping them, you have to face them and deal with them. These social issues are looming over many, and are a threat to much of the world. These social issues are everywhere, and they connect into a tangled-- and deadly web.

In  Kite Runner, there are many complex and worrying social issues. The first of these groups of issues present in the book is family. Amir's family goes through a lot of turmoil, both internal and external. When Amir is a child, his father never appreciates him, because he is "different" pretty much. Also, his mother died in childbirth, and his best friend's mother ran off with a troupe of dancers-- a fate devout Muslims consider worse than death. Amir's family alone would be trouble enough, but that is not all. Also, the country they live in has many issues. Afghanistan had a monarchy that was deposed by democratic rebels, creating an upset in the balance of power. After a decade or so of the democracy, the USSR came in and created a puppet communist government. And to make matters worse, the Taliban came to mess things up even more.Throughout the story, Amir has had so many troubles and social issues. There is a problem, and once you deal with it, you\have another.

In Cat's Cradle,  the social issues are much more large scale and *Spoiler Alert* (the world gets destroyed). The first major group of issues is war/violence. In the story there is a substance called ice-9, which freezes any water it touches under 128 degrees Fahrenheit. This example obviously affects the world of the book, because it destroys it. Also, there are people who get hanged for any crime that they commit. Whether it be petty theft or mass murder or even believing in a religion called Bokononism, you will be hanged on the "hy-oo-oo-kah" (inside joke for readers of the book). This greatly affects the main character, and the world around him. The second major group of issues in the book is equality. San Lorenzo prides itself on being a catholic country, and will kill anyone and everyone who openly practices a religion that secretly all of the San Lorenzans believe in. Furthermore, there is also a big controversy in the book about the castle company, which owned all of San Lorenzo, and practically enslaved all of the natives for sugar cane farming. These both are really not good ways to show the equality of different groups.

These issues may seem like isolated phenomena, and you may seem to want to dissociate yourself with them, because you do not want to face them. But, as Cat's Cradle and The Kite Runner display, even to stable lives, things can upset and destroy. Because we can not fully grasp what is going on right now, we can grasp how people have to deal with issues. We are perpetually very focused on what goes on that pertains to us, but if we reached out, we could do genuine good in this world.We need to work together to untangle such a troubled world, and destroy the bonds between social issues, and end those social issues once and for all.

Non- Fiction Reading Response 11/11/14

     The article "How The Murder of Four Teens Started a War" by Patricia Smith really shows how a chain reaction can cause a large conundrum in this crazy world. The article tells the true story of three Israeli teens that were kidnapped murdered by a Palestinian militant group, and then a Palestinian who was murdered by Israeli militants in retaliation. Then the article goes on to talk about how all of this (among other things in the past) started a seven week long war with hundreds upon hundreds of deaths, drawing great international scrutiny. The author frames this in a very specific manner to incite thought in you about how such a large scale event could be caused by four murders. (Granted, these are terrible acts, but should not have caused a full blown war).
    The author used many powerful "loaded words" to emphasize her point. She used the word "bludgeoned" for example to show the inhumanity and cruelty in events such as these.The definition of the word bludgeon is: to beat repeatedly with a cudgel or other heavy object. She also used words and phrases such as "extremist", "militant", and "murdered in cold blood", as well as "beast", and "anger" to show how devoted and determined both sides were to their cause, and what extent they were willing to go for that cause, to see it through to victory. For example, in the article it states "Israel's existence was secured, along with the seeds of Arab anger." to show how the two would in the future have a very hard time coexisting. It furthers this by stating later that "Hamas doesn't even recognize Israel's existence." The people on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have valid and legitimate problems, and there is a lot of difficulty in figuring out how to solve problems like these.
    This article really strikes a chord with me. I have cultural connections to the middle east, and these problems are valid and important issues. The teens being murdered was the result of the widespread hate and contempt in the middle east. When I heard about the three Israeli teens being murdered on the news, I pondered for hours on how and why people would do things like this. But, even in the darkest times, people need to find solace. The mother of the Palestinian boy who was murdered emphasized the need to coexist rather than wipe out the other side, so that issues like murder won't arise. The aunt of one of the Israeli teens, and the uncle of another seconded this notion. This article touched on a lot of deep, important  topics, and the author brought out all the flavor in those tidbits by usin loaded words.

Reading response to "Darkness too Visible"

     In the article "Darkness too Visible", by Megan Cox Gurdon, the fact that young adult books have become more and more dark is addressed. Also the article addresses the reality that things that many adults wouldn't read are frequently on the bookshelves of a twelve year old.Megan Cox Gurdon is strongly against how so many teens are reading books about sex, violence, and drugs, all in graphic detail. And the thing she finds most perverse is that many of these things in books are simply put in there gratuitously.

     The author emphasizes these things strongly using loaded words such as: "black-rot body parts" "nightmarish" and "gruesome". Imagery also affects the story greatly. She uses strong imagery in words including: "She had gouged her belly out until it was a mess of meat and blood." That phrase makes me literally nauseous. Also, Megan Cox Gurdon uses grisly quotes. For example: "She had sliced her arms to ribbons", which makes me really think that she is strongly getting her point across by using shock.

     Megan Cox Gurdon supported her claim by using shock and surprise to gross out and repulse her readers. She also strongly uses counterclaim about how having a book about something you are going through, however repulsive it may be can help you cope with your issues, but then she rebuts, saying that it might in fact encourage people to engage in this destructive behavior.

     Although I disagree with Megan Cox Gurdon's opinion that young adults shouldn't be allowed to read books like this, I agree with her on the grounds that violence, drug abuse, and sex in stories should not be as gratuitous. I also agree with her tat books like this should not make up the entire young adult genre. So, overall, although Megan Cox Gurdon did not convince me of her main point, she made a lot of points that I can really agree with.