Paper Moon and Animal Farm

In “Paper Moon”, Long Boy and Addie go on the road and do business, which is cheating people for money. At one point, Long Boy makes a horrific mistake and the two must rapidly escape. “Animal Farm” is about a farm where the animals take over in a large and ever growing rebellion. In each book, the main characters cause the losses for other people for a cause they believe to be right.

Addie and Long Boy believe that they are doing what is right for them. They make a fortune using people to get money. They are not doing what is fair to most people, because they are not treating those people fairly. However, it is fair to them because they are the ones making the profit. The people that Long Boy and Addie cheat lose much money and/or goods such as cotton because of them. Sometimes they sell them faulty items or items that they have unknowingly already bought. Most people in the story, as well as those who read it, do not think that what they are doing is right, that they are stealing. However, they make a large profit out of this business, as it is their full-time job. They would surely have doubts about what they were doing if they believed it to be wrong.

Similarly, the animals in “Animal Farm” also hurt others for a cause they think is right. Most people believe and are taught that war is wrong. However, the animals believed it right enough to feel the need to fight in order to take over the farm. The humans obviously did not think that the rebellion was the correct thing to do, but those animals did. They caused the loss of land, and a job loss for many farm staff to help a rebellion that they thought would improve the world. In my opinion, I think they are correct. Those people who lost their farm may not see the long term consequences. With animals taking over, people would die out. In the story, the animals seem to know how to do everything that the humans did to take over the farm, but realistically, the humans would no longer create such an impact, and therefore the earth would be used less harshly. Would a tiger use fossil fuels? Would insects destroy entire forests within minutes? I thought not.

The main idea of “Paper Moon” and “Animal Farm” is that the main characters or group of characters use other people for a cause they think is right. But does this make it right? I think that this makes it right to those people. Right and wrong cannot be proven, so something can only be right or wrong when people (or animals) believe it is. These books use their plots to explain why a few criminals wreak havoc: to pursue what they think is right.

Paper Moon

I am now reading a book called “Paper Moon”. It is about Addie Pray, an orphan who rides around with her “daddy”, also known as Long Boy and “does business”.  They cheat people out of their money for a living. But at one stop, Long Boy winds up in suspicion for the illegal transporting of alcohol. Addie does not realize how she has been changed by this business of hers and how it could change how successful she will become.

Addie and Long Boy do awfully well with their business. They can pick up 600 dollars at a time! But did Long Boy ever consider the future of Addie?  She is so used to business by age 11, once she is off on her own, it will be the only thing she knows. But this could hurt poor Addie. She needs to know that there is more to do in life than steal people’s money without them knowing. She is living on risk, and that is not healthy for a person, let alone a child of only 11. I hope that Long Boy will change his ways, as he seems like a good role model, but he is teaching little Addie to lie and cheat for money. I do not think this is right.

When Long Boy gets caught trying to exchange whiskey during the alcohol ban, he is charged for transporting illegal goods.  This could make not only him, but also Addie realize that this is a risky business, and as Addie grows up, she is liable to be caught in deep trouble. Because of this possibility, it is not healthy for her to keep living like this. This business is Long Boy’s only job that he must continue with. But Addie, she has potential. She is uneducated, but it is not too late for school, and she is very smart. But once she is alone in the world with no skills except robbing people of their money, this business is what she may naturally do. Addie may be benefited by this experience of being in trouble for doing business. Many people today are in this difficult situation as well. People with not a lot of money do not often get a good education because of the state of their neighborhood schools. Not getting a good education can lead to getting a low-paying job and that person’s kids will be stuck with the same ill-fortune. They are stuck in a poverty loop just because they were raised as so.

Without realizing it, Long Boy has been halting Addie’s chance of success as an adult by allowing her to help him do business. If he had or began to expose her to the life of a more fair businessperson or put her in school, she would be more likely to become successful and be in much less risk of going to prison.  She could have most certainly benefited from an education, but by getting caught, she and Long Boy are both learning how different their lives should be.

The Red Badge of Courage 2

In the book “The Red Badge of Courage”, the main character, Henry, enlists in the Union Army at the start of the Civil War. He is shocked at the true nature of battle. He discovers the amount of pain and death there is when faced with the terror of an actual fight. While wandering about the country side, Henry watches his friend die and gets terribly hurt himself. And yet, a few times he says that he would give anything to trade places with the dead. I think that it is his fear that is making him think these awful thoughts.

When Henry decides that it is better to die at war than live through it, he isn’t really thinking about what he means by this statement. If the people who have died came back to life, they would probably say that they would much rather live than die the way they had died. It is somewhat disrespectful to the dead in this way, so I think it is wrong for Henry to think like this. But it better explains how he feels about war because now I understand that he dislikes it enough to desire death. Because he repeats how he wishes he were in the place of the corpses so often, it makes me think that he is serious. I know that sometimes my friends are in an uncomfortable situation that is not actually that bad, but they say that they wish they would die. This is an instance where they do not actually wish to be dead. This is the way I thought about Henry the first time he said this, but then I realized that he is stating what he would truly want.

When Henry gets severely hurt when trapped in a stampede of soldiers, he is faced with the idea of death. I think that this will make him realize that he would rather be the way he was before than to die like this: painfully and slowly without anyone by his side or his family knowing that he has died. He will realize everything I have said about the disrespect he had been giving the deceased and how he probably did not even mean it (but lo! I thought of it first). To me, it is perfectly understandable to make the mistake of saying/thinking this when you are under the pressure of death every moment of the day, but the way things have been turning out for Henry, I know I would rather be in his position than another soldier who has died.

Henry is working hard to do well in battle, just like everyone else, and he is doing pretty well. But even so, multiple times he says that he wishes he were dead. This is reasonable in the fact that he is in a very difficult war and under a lot of pressure. But because he himself is having semi-good luck, it may be somewhat disrespectful to the dead, but also the wounded and even other soldiers who do not have such good luck.

The Old Man and the Sea

SPOILER

I recently finished The Old Man and the Sea by Earnest Hemmingway. It is a short story about an old man who struggles to catch a large fish at sea. The old man’s name is mentioned once in the whole story, it is Santiago. The story is slow moving but very enjoyable. In the beginning of the story, it introduces a young boy who Santiago loves. In the beginning and middle of the book, the old man wants the boy to be with him at sea to help him. The difference between the middle and the end is that in the end, he needs the boy. The relationship between the old man and the boy in the middle of the book and the end of the book changes from wants to needs.

In the beginning of the book, the old man is in his shack, and wants the boy to do things for him. He appreciates the things that the boy does for him. Santiago likes the boy to help him into bed, and get woken up, and enjoys when he retrieves his coffee. A reader could make the inference that he could live without the boy attending to his every need. The man is old, and needs a little assistance, but he describes how his experience has made him stronger, and that he can survive on his own. This is what I thought at the beginning of the book. I thought that the boy is very helpful to Santiago, but I would never have guessed how much the old man would need the boy. The fish that Santiago just had to catch made him and the reader and the boy realize that they need each other. 

Throughout the whole fishing trip, the old man wishes that he had the boy with him. But he manages to survive without him for the trip and catch the fish and fight off of most of the sharks. The middle of the book shows that the old man is starting to realize that he needs the boy and that he will not be able to save the fish. He knows in advance that more sharks will arrive to try to take the fish after the first shark attack. He knows that he will not be able to save much of the fish. 

The end of the book has the boy helping and healing the man’s wounds from trying to catch the fish. Santiago is so tired and exhausted from the fishing excursion and is depending on the boy to help him to recover and get better. The reader can also tell that the boy needs Santiago because he cry’s about him not getting the fish. He would rather be with the old man than fish in a boat that gets more fish. This is really sweet and shows that they love each other and will be with each other no matter the circumstances. 

In The Old Man and the Sea, there are intertwining relationships that change throughout the book. It releases a theme that can teach the reader about how you never think the same thing about a person or thing for long. Patience also is a main theme that comes from this relationship. The old man has to be patient in order to catch the fish, it takes many days. He also had to be patient to be with the boy at the end of the trip.  Patience helps Santiago get the fish and get back to his shack, and it helps build the boy and his relationship. 

The Fellowship of the Ring

I recently finished reading The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. It is an adventure story about a hobbit named Frodo who ends up with a great and powerful ring that he must dispose of. He goes on adventure with a few friends to destroy the ring. I think that the book is very well written and the setting changes from page to page through their travels. I think that it is important to the book that the setting is always changing and it could help the reader feel of the mood of the story and how Frodo must adapt to such a new environment.

The setting begins in the Shire, a cozy little place for all of the hobbits to live in. None of the hobbits know about any of the dangers of the world around them because they have always lived in the Shire. They are too busy planning parties and bustling about in the spring breeze. There is rarely a care in the world. Imagine being Frodo and having to go from this setting to a place where you must always be on the lookout for spys and black riders who chase you throughout the whole book. On top of that, you are in charge of keeping a prized possession safe that could hurt the whole earth if put in the wrong hands and draws so much danger towards you. This is such a dramatic change for Frodo that he will never be able to enjoy the calm feeling of the Shire ever again.

In spite of this difficult transition, Frodo manages to absorb himself in the actual task that he has set out to do, rather than just being a laggard because he is unhappy. Towards the middle of the book, he remembers the comfortable environment of the Shire as he relaxes in the house of Elrond where he does not want to leave. This was a setback because he lost the feeling of adventure inside of him and must re-adapt to the dangers of the world. He does this at least one other time in the book and I think that it is good because he can have a fresh start with breaks in between, but also it is getting him out his adventure zone and back into his relaxed Shire zone. I think that Frodo struggles with this throughout the book especially in the middle of the book when they loose Gandalf. It is especially hard for him then.

The frequent change of setting in the book effects Frodo quite a bit. He gains knowledge about the real world but he also struggles with the new environment. This helps me better understand our world and how it is changing through ups and downs.

The Drummer Boy of Shiloh

In The Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradbury, there are only two main characters that are easily noticed: Joby and the general. Joby is going to be a drummer boy at the battle of Shiloh the next day and the general is, well, the general. Another “character” whom I thought very important is the drum, though it might often go unnoticed because it is not a person. The drum has connections to Joby, the general, who explains to Joby his importance in the battle, and the setting and the nature of the story. If you think about it, the drum really is the main character. The drum causes Joby’s fright of war which is the start of the whole conflict.

In this short story, the drum is connected to the general. The general knows a lot and is the mentor of the story. He knows the drum is an important part of the battle because he is experienced in war. I think that he has a good connection with the drum because the drum is taking some of the pressure off of him. It is almost leading the army more that he is himself. He also sees the significance of the drum and he is happy to share his knowledge with Joby.

The relationship between Joby and the drum is the most complicated because it changes throughout the story. Joby begins the story with his regret for the drum. All he can see is the fact that he will be unarmed on the battle field. Then he begins to realize what he and the drum have the power of doing, but also the responsibility that comes with it. It says in the story, “I only got a drum.” When I read this, I imagine Joby not really appreciating his drum and knowing what it is worth in this particular battle. This is the beginning of the story when the general has not yet told Joby of his importance in the army. Towards the middle of the book, the general reveals to Joby his importance and the drums importance. In the story, the general tells Joby, “You will tell them----- one part humble and one part proud------ I was the drummer boy at the battle of owl creek.” Here, Joby realizes that the his drum is the best weapon in the army. He is very thankful that he has the drum now. He needs the drum and the drum needs him to keep the army in line.

This rings a bell. I know that my cats’ depend on me to feed them and change their litter boxes. But I also need my cats to keep me in line and help me feel better when I need it.

By the end of the story, Joby feels the power of his responsibility. He is in charge of tens of thousands of men. The mood of the story goes down with Joby’s feelings at the end of the story. Joby has become closer to the drum but he has also become farther away.

The drum also has a strong relationship with the setting. I thought this was interesting because there was a connection between two non-people in the story. Without the drum, there are only two official characters in the story which in my opinion makes the story less complicated and interesting for the reader.

Towards the beginning of the story, it describes the face of the drum as “lunar,” connecting with the moon. This makes me as a reader imagine a bright moon shining on the drum head. The author also helps describe the April peach blossoms through the drum in the sentence, “blossoms fell from the orchard trees and lighted with rustling taps on the drum head.” I liked this sentence because it makes you actually feel the wind and the peach blossom petals falling. In this way, the setting helps to describe the drum and the drum helps to describe the setting.

The way that the story is written, it fools the reader into thinking that the drum is a character. The drum is as complex as a character: it has relationships that differ for every person, place, or thing in the story. It made me realize that sometimes characters don’t have to be people.

The Fellowship of the Ring: Book 1

The main character in The Fellowship of the Ring is Frodo. Frodo is a hobbit from the Shire. Throughout the book, Frodo changes emotionally because of the possession he carries and the position he is put in.

At the beginning of the book, the reader sees how Frodo lives in the Shire. He has very little power because he is so young and inexperienced with the outside world beyond the Shire. All of a sudden, he is put in charge of a powerful ring that has many dangerous secrets. He does not understand why it is he who must protect it until it is brought to Mordor. Frodo is sent on a mission to bring the ring to Mordor where he will be the leader of a few hobbits who will travel with him. He is not used to leading other people and protecting importance objects. It seems as if there is too much responsibility for Frodo and I began to think that he could have much more power than he thinks he does with the ring with him, and he begins to realize this too as the book progresses.

Towards the end of book one in The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo has suffered from a loss of innocence. Frodo is more experienced with danger and responsibility as well as leadership. He used his journey wisely and he learned many things including how to protect himself. He survived many attacks from people much bigger, stronger and well-equipped than he, so he can use that skill well for the rest of his life. In the Shire, Frodo was always able to eat a large and delectable meal, but on his journey he was not so fortunate. This may have been the first time in his life that he was not able to eat as much as he would please.

Frodo learned a lot about responsibility as well. He had the responsibility to protect four hobbits and a ring. It was critical that he was able to lead them properly and make the correct decisions, which he did not always do. At one point in the book, the riders were coming towards Frodo and he slipped on the ring against his friend Strider’s advice but he went along with what the rider’s wanted. He ended up badly injured and learned to trust his friends.

Frodo discovered that by trusting himself and others, he will gain the trust of others and is able to lead them peacefully. He undergoes a loss of innocence and is willing to do anything to protect his friends. Although through the book he lost a loss of weight, he is stronger on the inside and out. And this is all in just book one of The Fellowship of the Ring!