Reflections of College Literature

I decided that my one of my last blog posts should probably be a reflection of this class, college literature. Though I haven't completely finished the class, I feel that I have made it though enough to really state my opinions and reflections about this class.
First off, my parents couldn't be happier to see me reading on the couch at night. I think that alone might have made this class worth it for me (or at least for them), because they were so overjoyed. Not that I don't ever read, but reading has become very low on my priority list. But also, I realized I do miss reading frequently. I like thinking about the stories that I'm reading about during the day without even realizing it. I spent many car rides and showers thinking about the characters and plots of The Book Thief, I'll admit.
One thing I didn't like was how much reading was assigned per night. I managed without too much of a problem because of a block study hall, but I know that many of my classmates had a hard time keeping up, as I felt occasionally.
One cool thing about this class is how it has a theme. Not many classes I've taken has had a theme throughout the quarter. Also, it's nice because we can all relate to it. Coming of age is something that we all are, or will experience very soon. We got to relate to numerous characters, and even learn from their experiences. I enjoyed this aspect of the class.
I feel like I have many more things to say about this class; however, the badgers are losing to Butler and I feel they need my full attention in order to win. Goodbye fellow bloggers :)

Persepolis & The Book Thief

When going from book to book, I like to find similarities between the literature I read. In the books Persepolis and The Book Thief, I found that both main characters told their stories while their home country was in a time of war. 


In Persepolis, the main character Marjane Satrapi lives during the time of the Iranian Revolution (1979). The revolution started by the events involving the overthrow of Iran's monarchy (Pahlavi dynasty) under Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and its replacement with an Islamic republic under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of this revolution.


In The Book Thief, the main character Liesel Meminger lives during World War II. This obviously as many of you know was a global military conflict during the years of 1939-1945. Liesel lives in Germany where Hilter rules supremely over the land. The citizens follow his lead by becoming Nazis and hating the Jewish, disabled and homosexuals. The holocaust victimized between 11 to 17 million people. 

The Book Thief & Defiance

The Book Thief is an extremely interesting story, and one of the main reasons of that is the setting. The story takes place in Molching, Germany during the Holocaust. Times are tough for all, but specifically the people of Jewish decent. The character Max and his story really reminded me of a movie that I saw last year. It is called Defiance and tells the tale of a group of Jewish people fleeing Hitler and his Nazi regime. It tells their story of triumphs and failures, and ultimately how they desperately tried to survive. It was a fantastic movie, and I highly recommend it. (trailer below)

Wrongs of Passage

I agree with Sydney's argument concerning the wrongs of passage. Our society has taken the wrong path on the rights of passage. These steps of adulthood have been blown out of proportion. And she used the perfect example of Cher and her sweet sixteen car. I actually saw this episode and thought that this girl was ridiculous. But that is what our generation sees and is influenced by.

I suppose a right of passage I have experienced was getting my driver's license and receiving my car. I always knew I would get a car when I got my license because my sister's old car was just sitting in the driveway awaiting a new owner. This was a positive experience for me because I felt like I had earned responsibility by getting this new privilege of having the ability to drive. My parents did put restrictions on me, but I still felt I had moved a little closer to adulthood with this new responsibility.

da blogs thoughts on The Book Thief

So far this book is actually kind of interesting. At first I was extremely upset that I chose thee longest book possible and would have to do so much reading. But after two days, I'm already 120 pages in. I can't believe I've actually read this much. But the book is a good read and you really do fly through it.

It's really different having the narrator of the story but the grim reaper or the voice of death. At first I was really confused and didn't understand who was telling the story. And then I finally figured it out. I kind of like how he always describes specific colors that are involved in the scenes. I feel like that is a theme in the story and will definitely come up later when we discuss the book.

Reflections on Jane Eyre

1) I actually thought this exact question when I finished reading this section. Would I, if i were in Jane's shoes, stay and be with Rochester? Could I still love a man who is married ( and LIED to me about being married)? I think it would be an extremely difficult decision, but I believe I would leave. Jane is smart and daring, I don't think being out on her own scares her. And even though she has a wonderful love, her love is already taken. I believe that things happen for a reason, and maybe Rochester being married was meant to be, and a sign that Jane should move on with her life.
2) I really didn't get into the book very much until the romance between Jane and Rochester sparked. The read was just so long and boring, it was very hard to become interested in. But once their love affair began the reading was much more enjoyable, and I actually wanted to read to find out what will happen. So the romance worked for me, but the troublesome childhood and lengthy description paragraphs did not.
3) This is a tough question. I am really not sure. I believe the book does have great literature values, and should be taught. But I also understand that this book may not be exciting to everyone, and may be a bad match for some people. Then again, everyone knows going into a literature class you won't always like the books you read. So I do believe this book should be read, it has great symbolism and a lot of detailed description that every writer can learn something from.

Wedding Bells?

I can't believe that Mr. Rochester and Jane are going to be married! I actually got excited when I read this section in the book. Which means I'm actually starting to get interested in the story line, which I didn't think would happen. Anyways, I kept reading and the wedding day finally comes and Jane and Rochester seem to be very excited! :) But when they get to the church, the ceremony is abruptly interrupted by Mr. Mason & company. I really wanted to keep reading but I ran out of time!

This section was so intriguing! What is going to happen? Who is this other wife of Mr. Rochester, and will he be able to marry Jane? I guess there is a lot left in the book so I guess I'll have to wait and see. I really do hope Jane and Rochester are married, I like them together. :)