The Outsiders Blog#4

This book relates to my life in some ways. Some ways the book relates to my life are that some of the people I know are in gangs. It also relates to my life because I have friends that will do ust about anything for me, just like Ponyboy's friends. My brothers are alot like Ponyboy's brothers, they're like a father type to me because my dad died when I was a baby. But they can be fun to hang out with too, they can have serious as well.

Blog #3-The Outsiders

I believe that Randy's experience caused him to grow. I feel this way because he doesn't want to fight in the big rumble, (Socs vs. Greasers). He doesn't want to fight in the rumble anymore because of the gang sh!t, his best friend was killed. His best friend's name was Bob, the Socs were all drunk one night and were looking for a fight. They happened to run into Ponyboy and Johnny and they jumped them. Johnny looked up from off the ground and seen that Bob had Ponyboy's face in a bird bath, nearly drowning him. Johnny ran over there and he pulled a knife out and stabbed and killed Bob.

I think that Randy decided he doesn't want to be in the rumble because he doesn't want to end up like his friend Bob. On the other hand he thinks he has to be in it because the other Socs might think he is a punk. Or the might think that he probably wants revenge.

Blog #5

This book was written not to long ago. I can tell because the details in the story tells me that it isn't recent like my teenage years but recent like my childhood years. This book mentioned artist such as 2PAC and he was killed when I was only 6years old so this book wasn't written so long ago. This book has been out for more then 10 years so I do think that people will still be reading this book in the next 10 years but I don't know about the next 50 to 100 years because by then everything will be advances ain't no telling if people still be reading out of the actual book. I do believe that this book can be written now because it may be a fiction but to me it still can be based on a true life story. This book can be reflected by someones life because it seem so realistic.

Blog#5

The actions of the characters seemed very plausible because the way they acted when a problem came about. When Neil and Sharon were kidnapped Neil dad's was very worried they wouldn't live and he didn't want anything to happen to them. What person doesn't worry and hopes nothing happen to their family. Right off the bat that's how any person would react. Anyone would immediately start worrying and would be very scared for their family's life. Neil and Sharon also were very worried because they didn't know what was going to happen to them. They thought they were going to die. I would have thought I was going to die if someone kidnapped me. So all these things are just instant thoughts or reactions.

Blog #4

If I could ask the character any question I would probably ask her what's her inspiration to write the book "fly girl". In the story she's an author as I've said before and she has a very different kind of out look on life and she expressed it in her book. I can tell that she has been through alot and have done alot and I would like to what exactly she would say is her inspiration to come up with in the things she has written. Why was it important for her to write the things down in a book? What's the reason to actually publish the book? I feel that these question are important because as a writer people looks up to her and I want to know is that one of the reasons for writing the book. Is the thought of her audience really important to her or is she just writing the book because it's just something she wants to do? I would also ask the author of this novel "for the love of money" the same questions because I'm sometimes interested in the person outside of the book as far as there believes, and is it an good idea of reading there books.

Blog 4

In the novel A Stranger Is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark, all the characters in the story seem very realistic. Most of the characters in the story have many predicaments. I can relate to the predicaments that are going on in the story because there are many issues going on today about abducting in the U.S. and even over seas. In my novel it's about a woman, Sharon and a little boy named Neil. They both got abducted. All these kidnappings are happening because of money issues. It may be an illegal thing or something that happened legally went wrong. This story reminds me of one of my old friends. Her name is Desire. She was abducted by her father's friend. He abducted her because her father and his friend were gambling illegally and Desire's father refused to give him the money when he lost. So the man thought he could get his money back by abducting Desire and having Desire's father pay the ransom. Well all in the end Desire's father paid the ransom but later on the abductor was caught a couple of days later.

The Allure of the West

<i>Into the Wild</i>, Jon Krakauer, pgs 144-207 (end)

<i>Death of a Salesman</i>, Arthur Miller, pgs 1-97

So, I finished <i>Into the Wild</i> and started rereading a book that I'm studying with my AP Literature class.  As I read the first act of the play I was struck by the similarity between Chris McCandless and many of the characters from <i>Death of a Salesman</i>.  The main character of this story, Willy Loman frets over a missed opportunity to accompany his older brother to Alaska to make money. Instead he is 60 and stuck in a dead end sales job.  Interestingly enough, Willy's father abandoned <i>him</i> as a child to also seek fortune in Alaska.  In a weird twist, Willy is disappointed in his son Biff because he is constantly seeking work outside of the norm of the day.  He's worked on cattle farms and other jobs that Willy does not respect.  Biff explains that he likes these jobs because he's not stuck inside at a desk and can be out in the open air.

In American culture the west has always been symbolic of the open frontier, a vast unexplored wilderness where a man could make his living outside of the realm of laws and societal constraints.  It's interesting that these two books, written 50 years apart, have such similar themes.

Does anyone else know of any characters who seek a life outside of society?  Anyone have a friend or family member who constantly wants to go out on the open road?  What do you think drives a person to feel like this?

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<b>Dear Blogger:</b>  This is not a spam post.  I am mailing to publish this on all of my student's blogs in order to provide a sample and to engage in discussions.  Please call off the spambots.

The Outsiders Pages 1-72

I believe that I wouldn't have made the same decision that Ponyboy made. He made a decision to runaway from home because of his older brother hitting him. Now he thinks that it was a bad decision because he is in even more trouble. When he and his friend Johnny decided to runaway, they ran into their rival gang The Socs. When The Socs started beating up Ponyboy and Johnny, Johnny pulled out a switch blade and stabbed one of The Socs. When all the other Socs ran Ponyboy and Johnny realized that the boy was dead.

They knew now they couldn't stay around, so they went to Dally's house who was apart of their gang. When they got there they told Dally the whole story, and he helped them out. He helped them by giving them some money, a gun, and he told them a hideout they can go to. I wouldn't have made the same choice as Ponyboy because if my older brother hit me i whould've just hit him back, I wouldn't have ranaway like a baby because of my older brother hitting me.

Blog 3

One of the main characters in the novel, Sharon Martin has many experiences that cause her to grow. Sharon Martin was dating this man named Steve. Her and Steve were not really getting along like they were supposed to be because of Steve's son Neil. Neil really didn't like his father dating ever since his mother passed. Well anyways when Sharon was kidnapped Steve was very worried. Sharon on the other hand was to. She was missing for three days. For those three days that she went missing she had time to sit and realize that she really loved Steve and his son even though he didn't approve of her. She grow into another person. After she was rescued she changed her ways and tried everything she could to make Neil like her. She convinced him now Neil and Sharon are getting along. Steve is very happy because he wants Neil to have a mother in his life.

Blog #3

The main character Tracy seems very real to me. She relates very much to me because of her personally and the way she carries and relate to herself. She is a very independent and a little out spoken African American like myself. She says exactly whats on her mind at any giving time. I relate to her very much not only because of her race and where she come from but because she inspires those around her that's much younger to her. I feel as if I am a role model to those that are younger then me and that's actually what she is, even though she isn't a real person being that the book is fiction, in my eyes she's just as real as me that's why I relate to her very much.

My reactions

In the book "for the love of money" by Omar Tyree the character reacts to different situations similar to the way I would react. For example, the main character Tracy, who is known as "fly girl" which is the title of part one to this book, in the story she's suppose to have had wrote the book "fly girl" and she was going back to her high school in her old neighborhood to talk to the kids about the book but we all know teenagers today does not have very good listening skills they seem to always judge before allowing people to speak. That's exactly what they did to her they immediately began to jump down her throat criticizing her book, the only ones that were listening and allowing her to speak was the young ladies who is the majority of the ones who actually read the book.The boys were being books and automatically she was annoyed and her reactions was the same as mines would of been, "come at the boys" she didn't hold anything back she said exactly what was in her mind and the young ladies of the high school had her back because they all know how ignorant and rude boys are. How she react to the situation wasn't troubling at all for but but it may have been for those adults in the room. Some people feel a n adult you have to talk to younger people in a different matter but I feel as if she had every right to say what she had to say simply because if there old enough to say it how it is there old enough to be taught the way it is.

Tracy language was sort of unappropriated for the situation but the boys where saying inappropriate things as well. I know if I was in that situations I would of probably acted the same way maybe even worst, but as I read I was behind her as well as the other female characters at the school. To me she wasn't in the wrong, but as oppose to others, she was. She's an adult and she's suppose to go about the situation in a different direction. More in a positive direct then the negative, because she's suppose to be an role model, there were plenty of girls in that high school that looked up to her. Even though they didn't disagree with her other adults did, that's why the way she handle the situation could be troubling for her.

A Stranger Is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark

In this book there are many conflicts that just pop out at you. You never know when there is one coming. I look forward to learning about how all the conflicts in my book are going to be resolved. For instance, there's this man named Steve. His wife got murdered by a man named Ronald. Ronald is supposed to be going to jail in a couple of days for murder but he wants revenge on Steve for putting him in jail. So Ronald kidnapped Steve's son Neil. Now Steve has to follow Ronald's directions to get his son back alive. So now I want to know if Steve's going to follow his directions and I want to know if Neil is going to die. I want to know what's going to happen to the people who are starting these conflicts and what's going to happen to the people who are the innocent ones in these conflicts. I think the characters in this story will face horrible problems.

They may face problems they can't take. For example, going to prison for a long time or maybe even life. The main character Steve is a nice and very honest person. I think all the problems he is going through will be resolved. Hopefully his son Neil and his girlfriend Sharon Martin will get returned safely. Steve has been through too much for him to not get his family back. Everything will change when Ronald Thompson is put in jail and they know that everything is safe now. The one person who committed crimes and murdered many people will now be put in jail. But before all this can happen the police has to find Ronald and put him away for life.

Into the Wild, Jon Krakauer Pages: 1-144

So, the book I'm reading is about this early twenty something kid who
is pretty alienated. It's a nonfiction book, and since I haven't
summed it up yet in a previous response, it's about a kid who is
searching for meaning in life and seeks this meaning by exploring.
At the beginning of the book we find out that he ends up dying in the
middle of Alaska to exposure.

Even though I think I'm supposed to, I'm having a really hard time
identifying with the main character, Chris McCandless. I look at
the cover and there's this picture of Emile Hirsch portraying
McCandless. He's a good looking kid, and he's kind of sitting in this
"top of the world" type dominant pose. The author seems to really
identify with the character, and spends a couple of chapters relating
his own similar experiences. And McCandless is seemingly the rugged,
individualistic antihero that Americans celebrate.

But, I can't get into him, and I think it's because I'm a parent
now. I see the way this kid abandoned his parents, went off into the
middle of nowhere, took chances, didn't write home, and espoused his
theories on the way life works to whomever would listen, and I'm
like, "dude...call your mom, dad and sister. They're worried sick."
The kid is kind of portrayed as this spiritual, deep Thoreau quoting
prophetic figure, but he just strikes me as naive and self centered.
I don't know what I'd do if I was his parent. I would be devastated
if my son took off after graduating college and just disappeared.
It's really rather sad.

(By the way, if you're wondering, this response is to the 7th bullet
under character. The total length of this response is 279 words. I
summed up the book to start because I figured you'd need that
information, but then I really tried to stick to talking about
whether or not I identified with the main character and why.)

The Outsiders

This book is about three brothers that are part of a gang. Their gang is called "greasers", they always get in a gang fight with another gang called "Socs". The author of this book is S.E. Hinton.

One thing I like about this book is its about how some kids around the world actually grow up in gangs. There is also one thing I don't like about this book which is the time setting. This book is set more in the 80's than in modern time.

"For The Love Of Money", Omar Tyree

The book "For The Love Of Money" by Omar Tyree is about a girl who is known as "fly girl", this book as actually the sequel of the book "Fly Girl" also by Omar Tyree. This book is basically about the young African American women growing up in a particular neighborhood and how she likes the finer things in life. Her life story as I would say to describe her is "money, money and more money".

One thing I like about this book is that this book is fiction but it has real life basics about it. I love books that describe different things that could or has happen before. Even though it's fiction I'm sure that there's someone in the world who can relate to this book.

1st post

A Stranger Is Watching by Mary Higgins Clark
This novel is about a man named Steve trying to get revenge on this guy Ronald Thompson. Ronald Thompson killed Steve's wife Nina. Steve met a new woman and he's trying to get his son to like her. But since his mom's death he 's been in shock. Now since Ronald Thompson is about to go to jail he wants revenge on Steve.

I like this novel because it's a suspense story. It makes you want to read more to see what's going to happen next. It's something very interesting and very mysterious. I like to read mysterious books because it just makes you want to read more and it has you thinking about how the end of the book is going to end.

Your 1st Post!

Today in class we will be posting to our blogs. To keep things simple, this
first post will be a kind of introductory thing. Here's what I'd like each
of you to write (make sure it is under your own display name):

1. In 2-3 sentences, give us a taste of the book. What is the title? Who
is the author? What is the "gist"? (It's about a girl who...)
2. In a separate paragraph of 2-3 sentences, finish this sentence: One
thing I like (or don't like) about the book so far is...