Blog #1 (3/14/15) Quarter 4

Summary:

I have started to read the book The Messenger and it's about a underage cabdriver boy named Ed Kennedy who has three friends and one of his friends is some one he loves.  It first starts out as Ed, Marv, Ritchie and Audrey are stuck in a bank swearing especially since a man is robbing the bank.  After the man tries to rob the bank but fails because Ed grabs his gun and fires at the Windshield of Marv's Falcon car and the man is arrested.  Ed then later talks about his life and his life living with his mother.  Eventually not having a very bright past.

Conflict:

Though I am still in the beginning of the book I keep thinking that since Ed's is past life is a conflict to him. In page 20 it says, "When Katherine got pregnant at Seventeen I cried.  I was twelve then.  She moved out of home soon after.  She wasn't booted out or anything like that.  She left and got married."  In the same page it says, "A year later, when Leigh left, there was no problems.  She wasn't pregnant"  And the last is in (P.g. 20), "Tommy's done especially well.  He's on his way to becoming a lawyer."  All these three pieces of evidence show that Ed didn't live a good and affected himself inside.  Then there is his father.  In page 19 it says, "Like I said, my father died about six months ago" and "I could say living with my ma wasn't easy…"  This piece of evidence tells about Ed's parent's, eventually he doesn't have a father no more and he also explains that living with his mother wasn't an easy thing to deal with.  With all these problems this could affect his inner self, he has a picture of his family on top of his table.  He says it's a show he loves to watch, remembering.  

Blog #8

Summary:

So far in the book Irene has finally been able to hide her Jewish Friends.  Ever since the Major has bought the Villa, Irene has been hiding her friends in the basement. Successfully putting them in there and not having to be locked up in the grating of the Major's bathroom being cramped.  Once the major leaves for work she usually locks the door telling the major only for safety purposes.  While at work Irene let's her friends out to eat and do whatever they want without getting caught.  One thing she's being doing is closing the curtains also.  One day the major came home early with SS men telling him that they suspected Jews around his house.  The major does not believe the SS men and tells Irene to show them every room they want to prove to them that there are no jews.  Major puts all his trust towards Irene making her a bit uncomfortable and guilty for her decisions she's been making.

Character Analysis

Irene's character traits are determined.  She's determined that her friends will be able to hide in the Villa without getting caught even though her friends do not agree with it.  In page 174 it states, "'Irene' Ida whispered 'You must turn us in.  This is too dangerous for you.' 'No! Just wait.  I'll let you have a break when I know the SS are gone.  Don't do anything until I get back!'' This piece of evidence shows that Irene is determined to keep hiding her friends even though they disagree and tell her to turn them in.  She is also brave for a 19 year old.  In page 158 it states, "'I'm sure of it,' I said. 'Once the work is completed, I'll find a way to smuggle you into it. It will be a week or two before the house is ready, though.  That will give us enough time to plan."  This piece of evidence shows that Irene is brave enough to make a plan for her friends to be safe and away from Rokita's plan, from making Ternopol Jewish free.

Blog #7

Summary:

Irene now knowing her family is alive then becomes separate.  Tatuś (the father of Irene) is taken away to a factory from the German's, Irene's mother takes the 3 younger girls with her to find her husband but leaves Irene and Janina only because they have more of German features and doesn't want nothing to happen to them.  Months passed and the family hasn't been reunited who Irene finds out her little sisters are put into a factory.  As Irene is walking home from her work she is taken in a truck with other Poles and is force to work in a factory like her father was.  She was then hired as an assisted to a man named Schulz who they both are servants to Herr Major.  She also makes friends to Jews who work in a laundry.  A man named Rokita plans on exterminating the Jews at the end of the month before the Soviet Union gets to them, which leads to Irene an uneasy feeling on how to save her Jewish friends.

Connections:

While I was reading the book I made a connection with the famous Anne Frank.  Irene who is a Pole not a Jew works for the Nazi but she is on the side of Jews.  She's conflicting on which side she should be on, the Jew or the German.  That is until while she was cleaning a table that was filled food from the Nazi eating dinner there, she heard Rokita say by the end of the month they will pick up all the Jews and exterminate them.  "'Why is that?' he asked Rokita, a bit tiredly.  Rokita grinned.  'Because, my dear major, by the twenty-second of this month, Ternopol will be judenrein.  Won't that be wonderful?'" This piece of evidence shows that Rokita has now have an exact date for Ternopol to become Jew free, making Irene panic.  I thought back of when Anne Frank had to hide in the attic I believe in a store, while Irene hid her friends in a grating in the Major's bathroom.  The grating can be hidden if the sunlight isn't directing towards it to much which made me think of the bookcase that actually hid the stairs to where the Franks were hidden.  In page 169, "Then I noticed, high on the wall above the toilet, a grating.  I had never taken note of it before, but the play of the light had drawn my eyes there." This evidence shows that the light was able to make the grating appear more but without much light the grating seems invisible.  A good hiding place for the Jews.  Another connection is when the Franks had to stay quiet while hiding so no one suspects anything.  In this case while Irene was in the Major bathroom a soldier accidentally came in at the same time which had to make the Jews quiet throughout out the time, especially since it's the Major's bathroom.  In page 174 it states, "Looking quite sheepish, he turned and let himself out.  Obviously, he did not expect to find Jews hiding in the major's bathroom.  If he has taken even a moment to look around, he would have spotted the vent.  And he would have seen the shadowy form of Ida Haller, sitting cross-legged behind the screen."  This piece of evidence shows that they had to be careful since the Nazi soldiers are in that Villa and will suspect and kill a Jew.  This reminded me of Anne Frank of when they had to be dead silent until 12 or so.

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.