Blog #6 2/22//2015

In My Hands

Summary:

So far in the book Irene who is trying her best to come home is faced with another problem.  She takes a stroll in the park and finds a Soviet soldier who she recognizes from the hospital.  As she tries to escape the soldier who doesn't take notice her, she then is caught by another solider.  As she is taken to a building, commissar questions her about her being a spy.  This story was brought up by another doctor named Dr. Ksydzof who said she was spying against the Russians.  She is then accused for her made up story from the Russians and she lost time of how long she's been in the cell.  The commissar then tries a new method for her to spill out the plan and he says she is allowed to sleep with the friend she was with before.  She tells the soldier the address and she is let go, she runs to where the Poland's put to wait for their train.  She then learns that her train was delayed for 2 days ago and is leaving at 7 in the morning.  She returns back home finding her family is alive.

Inference

While I am reading the book I started to make an inference on Tatuś.  The German soldiers barge in the house and take away Tatuś for his expertise in designing.  They then learn that the German's and Russians are no longer ally and working together but are now rivals and are war against each other.  Irena's parent's start to discuss of what's going on in war and when it is going to end.  Irena then learns that the German's do not accept the Jews.  She ask her parent's to why the German's don't let the Jews leave but Tatuś responds that, that's not what Hitler wants.  In the story it states that, "'I don't think that's what Hitler has in mind' Tatuś began carefully. 'I'm afraid…'" This piece of evidence shows that Tatuś is like afraid of what is going to happen.  I think he might be a jew or his family could've been Jewish.  After all Irena did explain in the beginning of the book that they had religious beliefs.  Another could mean he is hiding a Jew or helping a Jew without keeping one in the house.  Janina gives Irena a tour of the new Radom but shows her the ghetto.  Glinice Ghetto where the Jews are put, it's as if they are planning to help Jews.  In page 84 it states, "Thus my reunion with my family cast into a shadow." This evidence shows that the family is keeping a secret from Irenka.  Which is making Irenka unknown of what's going on in her family.

Blog #5 2/12/15

In my Hands

Summary:

So far in In My Hands Irena goes back to Radom where she goes for her second year of being a nurse.  As she was about to enter the building not to faraway a bomb fell.  She then finds out that war was now taking place in Poland, being separated from her family.  As she is traveling in a train with nurses and soldiers she finds out that the German and Russian have now divided Poland.  Or what she says that is unrealistic, no more Poland.  The Poland army aren’t able to fight back so in this case the soldiers and others either commit suicide or live in the woods in Russia.  As Irena then becomes separate from her group she wakes up in a hospital.  She meets with friendly Russians in a hospital and also meets a Russian that is against her.  Later a doctor named Dr.David tells her there will be one of his friends waiting in the train station in Svetlana.  Her name is Miriam and they both live together as cousins. 

Conflict:

One conflict that Irena is facing is how to get back home.  While she was hiding with her fake cousin Miriam and Irena playing a role as Rachel Meyer, she gets a note from Dr.David (a previous doctor who send her to Miriam to be safe) that the Russians and German are letting any one who was Poland is allowed to cross the line and reunite with their families.  In the book it says "In January, another letter came from Dr.David. 'We have learned that the Russians and Germans have agreed to allow Poles who have been separated from their families by the invasion to cross battle lines in the spring.  If you know of anyone in that position, you should tell him or her to be ready to come to Ternopol for processing when the time comes.'"  This evidence shows that Dr.David received news and passed it on to Miriam and Rachel (Irena) for Irena to reunite with her family.  As for the conflict she takes a train to Ternopol where she was with Dr.David and sees a 5 block line.  In page 54 it says, "'Is this line- is this for the registration to go west?' I asked a man, praying that it was something else, a line for bread, a line for documents, a line for bread, a line for documents, a line for anything but what I wanted.  Even as I spoke, the man nodded and hitched his broken suitcase higher in his arms. 'I have been waiting on this line since yesterday,' he mumbled. 'Those stinking guards- they're taking a long time on purpose, just to spite us.'" This piece of evidence shows that the Soviets are maybe trying to make the line go slower and not do what they are told to.  This could result into Irena maybe never going home or have to wait for a very long time until they finally accept her.  This could also result in her having anxiety of what has happen to her family.

Blog #4 2/7/2015

In my Hands

Summary:

So far in the book the girl is named Irene Gut Opdyke.  It starts of with her remembering herself as a baby, when he baby crawls to a river, where her dog Myszka tries to pull her away from the river.  Later her dog is considered a hero throughout the town.  She then tell one where her parent's then gave birth to five sisters Janina, Marysia, Bronia, Wladzia.  The youngest being Wladzia in the Opdyke family.  The book then continues to when Irena and her sisters would save animals if they were hurt.  That's when in 1934 Hitler became Chancellor and President of Germany once the previous prsident dies.

Inference:

Since Irena has been talking about her now teenage life.  I've noticed somethings.  I want to inference the future of her and her family.  She says that Adolf Hitler became the President and chancellor of Germany in 1934.  Which means gives him some sort of power and most people would follow the president.  She then explains that Hitler gives threats to Poland. In the book it states that, "But much of the land Hitler wanted was Poland's, and always had been.  Many German immigrants had settle there, especially in the west, where my family was, but that did not make it Germany!  Hitler wanted Lebensraum, living space, for the Germans, and our Poland was the space he wanted."  This piece of evidence shows that Hitler is starting to aim for his target, which is Poland.  Meaning he will invade Poland sooner of later.  Another I want to point out is maybe Irena and her family will probably be separate from the war. A letter sent from Irena's parents writes to her, "'Irena, we want you to come home,' Tatus and Mamusia wrote to me in letters. 'Many people think this war is imminent, and we hate to think of you so far from us.  The family should be together.'"  This piece of evidence could foreshadow to the fact that maybe the family will become separate since Irena decided to become a nurse.  Since she is training to be a nurse, she is far away from her family.  It could be her that will have to face Hitler and his Nazi soldiers.  Then there is the neighbors, some of them are Poland descents but then switch to German Descents. In the book it states, "When I returned home at the end of my first year, I found Kozlowa Gora had changed, many of my neighbors had become German, renouncing their Polish heritage, speaking only German, openly admiring the policies of Hitler and his National Socialist party, the Nazis  And in some shops-not many, but some-there was signs saying, 'Dont Buy from Jews!' or 'A Poland free from Jews Is a Free Poland'"  This shows that Hitler became chancellor and president many people have now admire him, seeing him as an example.  Started to show signs that his plan is now working.  There could be a slight chance that Irena is going back to trains as nurse since she said "when I came home at the end of my first year" could mean going back for a second year.  Also the neighbors could then start to report any Jews nearby.

- Ximena Santos

Blog #3 1/28/2015

Reflection

When I was reading Four I noticed many things in the story.  For example the conflict that's been going on is Jeanine and Max are planning an attack against the Abnegation.  This made me think that Tobias knew about the attack even before Tris knew.  It was like the book foreshadowed the conflict.  I have to say it was a better understanding to know the beginning of the problem.  Like who who started it, who was planning it and who they used as to pretend they are just another regular initiate but really working for Erudite to make Jeanine's plan work.  Tobias started getting curious to why Jeanine would get into the Dauntless politics and leader.  To prove that Tobias was starting to get curious in page 151 second paragraph, "But why is Jeanine Matthews concerned with who is appointed as the next leader of Dauntless?"  This explains that he started to ask the question on what she is planning.

Theme

The theme of "Four" is do what's right for your life and save what matters most to you.  Four then finds out what Max and Jeanine are up to and wants to warn Abnegation, but he knows he has to face one of the Abnegation politics.  Wanting to talk with one he knows his father is the most active as a leader so he has to face Marcus.  Once he tells Marcus of what's going to happen, Marcus doesn't take it lightly and doesn't believe Tobias.  In page 261 paragraph 3 it says, "'Max and Jeanine are going to attack,' he says, 'Just the two of them, armed with some simulation syringes?' His eyes narrow. 'Did Max send you here?  Have you become his Dauntless lackey? What, does he want to scare me?' When I thought about warning the Abnegation, I was sure the hardest part would be getting myself through this door.  It never occurred to me that he wouldn't believe me."  This proves that Marcus did not believe his son's warning on the Abnegation future.