In The Place Of Last Things Blog

In The Place Of Last Things

By: Michael Helm

Blog By: Corey Trinetti

Russ Littlebury

“Except there are times, he admitted, when even the most disparate of thoughts want to cohere. At the moment, Russ understood it was the scotch that brought it together for him. Three fingers, his usual order and the right hand of his father, a man who after his conversion drank nothing but tea and cold water. Mike had lost one finger to a band saw, the other to the cold in carrying his son from a car wreck and the one look taken to know his wife was dead. It was the scotch and the full vulnerability of a tired mind that wanted to give itself up in prayer, if only there were something to pray to. Deliver us from evil, distance us from bad luck, and grant us thine kind iron will. Now the scotch was gone and he began to feel it as he set the glass on the night table, and he saw the ways in which he was his father’s right hand, a real dropping off. And deliver us from the one look, the vision defied and endured to the end through quiet righteousness and deeds when possible committed anonymously and offered for the sake of others and the glory of God. He felt it now, dropping off, as if the man himself was there in the room with him, a good man declared all around, the best and the last, and Russ dropping further stared into the dark and knew he was alone, after all, alone with an absence almost infinite, like a guiding constellation lost to some final dawn growing on a cold world.” (Page 92)

This paragraph demonstrates Russ’ feelings for his father, as well as Russ’ argument with God. With the help of some Scotch, Russ relives the saddest memories and experiences he had of his father. He remembers the time when Mike lost one of his fingers “carrying his son from a car wreck”, only to turn around and see his dead wife still in the car. Russ reveals how much he cared for his father and how much his father meant to him. Closer to the end of this quotation, Russ moves into an argument with God where he demands that God protects him from evil and bad luck. Russ can’t understand why God would have decided that his father should die. This passage also reveals that Russ is really not in control of himself, especially at this moment when he is extremely intoxicated. Russ is clearly not thinking straight and he is so physically and mentally exhausted that he falls asleep.

Jack Marks

“What if he’s got another girl…He said he knew all about girls’ hearts. He said a man’s heart just wants a girl, but a girl’s heart there’s no telling. A girl’s heart needs what it needs.” (Page 201)

This quote does not reveal precisely what Marks is all about, but leads the reader into ideas of what type of person he may or may not be. This quote reveals that Marks may have never really been interested in Lea, he may have been seducing her the whole time in order to get whatever he wanted from her. Marks may have just seen Lea as another opportunity, and may have exploited her for sex or something else. As well, this quote reveals that Marks may be full of himself, stating supposed facts in his quote such as “a man’s heart just wants a girl”. Marks may have heard this quote elsewhere, and pretended it was his own, in order to impress people with his knowledge and wisdom. Marks may actually be quite insecure with himself and may have only tricked Lea into liking him through religion and spirituality.

Tara Harding

“You’ll be gone in a couple of weeks. I don’t want us at some airport gate in the very hour you find out you’re not coming back, trying to work everything out.” (Page 104)

This quotation reveals Tara’s caring nature for Russ. She shows how she still wants to be with Russ but she wants to know what compromises may need to be made, ahead of time, so that she is not left to make an impulsive decision. This quote is also a good example of Tara’s foresight because she knows that there is a possibility that Russ will leave to return home and she wants to make sure she is not caught off guard by his decision. If taken metaphorically, this quote reveals how Tara wants to avoid any problems in their relationship by working them out ahead of time, before they get to the point of no return.

Lea Bollins


“CNN said almost four hundred dead in a ferry-boat accident in India – she seemed to read a lot into what happened next… thinking not of four hundred people but of a single soul in all its beauty released, and then four hundred releasing, and then a car pulled into the driveway beside her father’s and the three who stepped out were like a consequence of her thought.” (Page 47)

This quotation reveals Lea’s deep spiritual belief in many things. Lea takes a CNN news report and drifts off into a world of her own, depicting the “beauty released” from a soul. She goes on to imagine the beauty of 400 souls being released. This shows how integrated Lea is in the spiritual world, which she will demonstrate, many more times throughout the novel. Lea believes that because she is thinking of the beauty of death so much, and that she is interacting with the spiritual world, her “consequence” is to meet three living people, who have just arrived at her house. This quote is the first time that we meet Lea and we are also given the impression that she may be a little bit out sorts and not quite as down-to-earth as expected.


Mike Littlebury

“Russ had never known his father to fear anything, and the comment returned now as he sat over him. He understood that Mike didn’t fear death, or even hell, having known them. He feared only judgment, and had lived his last decades against that moment to come.”

This quote reveals that Mike is a very realistic and humble man. Mike knows that death is going to happen somewhere down the road and he has accepted the fact that he can’t do anything to change that. Mike shows that he is very accepting of whatever is brought his way, be it struggle or triumph, because he knows that he can overcome and work out any problems presented to him. Mike is also the type of person who would like to be given the chance to be accepted and that is why the only thing he fears is the judgment of people and God. Mike is someone for whom the only thing he wants is not to be pre-judged.

Corey Trinetti - The Rainmaker

The Rain Maker

By: John Grisham

Blog By: Corey Trinetti

Plot Summary:

The Rainmaker by John Grisham tells the story of Rudy Baylor, a recent graduate from Memphis State Law School. Rudy’s story begins with him working in a local bar serving his former classmates drinks. These people didn’t have to work at the bar like Rudy, they were ‘the privileged ones’ the ones with connections and job opportunities to the most well-known and respected firms in the country. Rudy would have to hunt for and earn his place in the lawyer-infested town of Memphis, Tennessee. But things seemed to take a turn for the better when Rudy was approached with an opportunity, an opportunity that would soon have Rudy’s life turned upside down. Rudy was brought to the office of a man named J. Lyman Stone or "Bruiser". He was offered an interesting proposition, no salary, but 1/3 commission on any monies brought into the firm. Desperate as he was, Rudy accepted the position and began work immediately. At the firm, Rudy met a man by the name of Dick Shifflet, a highly unethical and unlicensed lawyer, having failed the bar exam six times. Rudy is introduced by Dick into the world of “ambulance chasing”, a form of soliciting their law services to people immediately after they have been injured. With Rudy’s employer about to be raided by the FBI, Rudy and Dick decide to set up their own firm. Their first case, and the most important one in the novel, is an insurance claim representing the family of Dot and Buddy Black, and their son, Donny Ray. Rudy is very passionate about doing what is right in this case and bringing justice to Great Benefit, an insurance company that has ignored the suffering of Donny Ray who is dying of leukemia. Rudy knows that Great Benefit will put up an enormous fight, with their endless supply of experienced lawyers, in order to keep from losing millions of dollars in damages. Before trial commences, the Black’s son Donny Ray dies, devastating his entire family, including Rudy. The case goes to trial and Rudy is faced with a variety of obstacles. Rudy is not able to win over the jury until he discovers a scheme that Great Benefit ran to deny every insurance claim submitted, regardless of its validity. Great Benefit is exposed and the verdict goes in favor of Rudy and the Blacks. Unfortunately, Great Benefit declares bankruptcy and no damages are ever paid. Affected by these events, Rudy vows to leave his life as a lawyer and the city of Memphis entirely.

Comments on Author's Use of Certain Elements:

Grisham’s character development in this novel is done exquisitely. Each character is crafted in a way that fits typical stereotypes, yet these characters still have an original flare to them. In particular, I was impressed with Rudy Baylor’s character development. Rudy is a smart, but financially troubled young man who is looking to strike it big in the field of law. This is a classic David vs. Goliath story. Rudy is thrust into a high profile case in which he is in way over his head and has to outsmart veteran lawyers. Eventually Rudy (the David in this story) defeats the Great Benefit lawyers (Goliath) to everyone’s amazement and joy. The dialogue in this novel is also stellar; Grisham seems to have a thorough understanding of court room terminology and the laws that go with the court system. He seems to know how the court is supposed to function; for example, Rudy is corrected by the judge several times throughout the novel about not abiding to proper court room conduct.

Quote Several Sentences That Appeal:

“The initial claim from Mrs. Black was assigned to me. Pursuant to company policy at the time, I sent her a letter of denial.” – Jackie Lemancyzk
“Why?” – Rudy Baylor
“Because all claims were initially denied.” – Jackie Lemancyzk
“All claims?” – Rudy Baylor
“All claims.” – Jackie Lemancyzk

This dialogue between Rudy Baylor and Jackie Lemancyzk appealed to me because it was the first time that the scheme behind Great Benefit was uncovered. The scheme was to deny every insurance claim submitted, regardless of its validity. This showed Great Benefit’s horribly unethical scheme, to test the will of its customers and see if they were persistent enough to make the same claim over and over again for insurance coverage.

“Every lawyer, at least once in every case, feels himself crossing a line he doesn’t really mean to cross. It just happens. And if you cross it enough times, it disappears forever. And then you’re nothing but another lawyer joke, just another shark in the dirty water.”

This quote appeals to me because it is at the end of the novel and sums up one of the major lessons of the book. The lesson is that sometimes we are forced to do bad things we aren’t supposed to do, and that is alright. But if we repeatedly abuse and do things we aren’t supposed to, we have become unethical. And, if we have become unethical, then we are no longer ourselves anymore, we have become another ruthless lawyer, businessman or whatever we may be.

“How do you know when a lawyer is lying? His lips are moving.”

This quote appeals to me because it is a little bit of humor in a rather serious book. Although this quote is funny, it pertains to the novel and is a very simple explanation about how a lawyer will try to manipulate and mess around with you. Basically, in this book, you cannot trust anyone and, in order to keep your guard up, you must always consider the fact that they might be lying.

Corey Trinetti - Digital Fortress

Digital Fortress

By: Dan Brown
Blog By: Corey Trinetti

Plot Summary:

Digital Fortress by Dan Brown begins with the discovery of an unbreakable algorithm by the National Security Agency. The algorithm is known simply as Digital Fortress and poses serious security threats. This means that all electronic criminal activity encoded with Digital Fortress would be undetectable to authorities such as the NSA. Enter Susan Fletcher and David Becker. Susan Fletcher a seasoned cryptographer is put on the duty of trying to decode the unbreakable code of Digital Fortress. David Becker, Susan’s boyfriend and professor at Georgetown University is sent on an unorthodox mission to Seville, Spain. His job is to retrieve all the belongings of a former and now dead NSA agent known as Ensei Tankado. Tankado the creator of this unbreakable algorithm was fired from the NSA and was believed to have made the code to expose that the NSA was breeching the privacy of people around the world. The story twists and turns between David’s struggle to stay alive while collecting every piece of Tankado’s belongings and Susan’s attempt to find out who else may be behind this incredible algorithm. Eventually after many deaths and numerous surprises the code is discovered with a joint effort between David and Susan. The unbreakable algorithm was revealed to actually be a virus which was attempting to steal the NSA’s information while posing the front of being a standard of code encryption. Fortunately the day is saved at the very end of the novel by Susan and David who manage to subdue the virus before it could steal much information from the NSA data bank.

Comments on Author's Use of Certain Elements:

The author uses diction in this novel fairly well, although sometimes he can become quite repetitive in his phrases and terminology, making his writing seem less intuitive and more robotic. The characters in this novel that seem quite convincing are David Becker, Ensei Tankado and anyone who did not work in the cryptography department. The reason people who worked in the cryptography department seemed less convincing is because they were a little short on knowledge about their field. This may have stemmed from the authors lack of research into cryptography or the author trying to simplify things for the reader. Regardless, this caused the ‘crypto’ characters to seem less convincing. The dialogue in this novel was also not incredibly convincing. Characters seemed to get mad and have extreme mood swings without even a heated conversation taking place. Characters would be discussing something as simple as directions and one would start swearing or yelling at the other. Because this book is fictional it can afford to lack the level of authenticity as non-fiction novel.

Quote Several Sentences That Appeal:

“Susan pulled in a long breath. “God help us,” she whispered.
Enigma was history’s most famous code-writing machine—the Nazis’ twelve-ton encryption beast. It had encrypted in blocks of four.”

This quote appeals to me in a strange way because the final part of the quote is completely inaccurate. It states that the ‘Nazi’s encryption beast’ weighed twelve tons (the weight of an average male elephant). What it really weighed was a mere 50kg, a much more reasonable figure.

“Without wax”

This quote appeals to me because it shows that even if you have all the knowledge in the world you may still not know how to solve everything. This quote appears many times throughout the novel including at the beginning and the end. This quote is something written on every letter from David Becker to Susan Fletcher, David would write this at the bottom of the letter after signing it. David told Susan that “without wax” was his form of a code and ever since she had been trying fruitlessly to solve the code. Even though she is one of the best cryptographers in the world she remains unable to crack this simple code and that is why this quote appeals to me.

“An algorithm that resists brute force will never become obsolete”

This quote appeals to me because it shows how difficult the job has become for the cryptographers when they have to deal with an algorithm resistant to brute force in the form of Digital Fortress. Fortunately the algorithm is not resistant to the human mind and the cryptographers including David and Susan are able to solve the clues left behind by the dead Tankado and eventually break the code.

Corey Trinetti - A Million Little Pieces

A Million Little Pieces
By: James Frey
Blog By: Corey Trinetti

Plot Summary:

James Frey writes a compelling novel capturing his life in the early 1990's. James is a recovering alcoholic and multi-drug user. The story commences with James awakening on an airplane. He has no idea where he is, where he is going or who sent him on this mysterious journey. To worsen the situation he realizes that he has a hole in his cheek, his four front teeth are missing, his nose is broken and his eyes are completely swollen shut. James arrives in the Chicago airport and is met by his parents. He is then driven over to Minnesota where he checks into Hazelden rehab clinic. After a few days in rehab, James is starts to feel the effects of withdrawal. To make matters worse he must undergo procedures to fix his teeth and nose. On a good note, he makes many friends while in rehab two of which are his best friend Leonard and his girlfriend Lilly. Further along, problems with Lilly's family occur and she decides to run away from rehab. James chases after her but finds her smoking crack. James is confronted by drugs once again and has the opportunity to return to his drug-ridden lifestyle but refuses, choosing her over drugs. He brings Lilly back to the rehab center and she is forced to begin the rehabilitation process all over again. James eventually decides to leave rehab, calling his brother to pick him up. But at the end of the story James asks his brother to buy him a drink. Sitting at the bar, confronted by a glass of beer, James refuses temptation, taking the higher road and pouring the beer down a sink.

Comments on Author's Use of Certain Elements:

The use of diction in this book is not very convincing. The writing of the author is often times confusing and irritating throughout the book. He does this by using repetitive phrases and informal forms of communication. The authenticity of the characters in this book all seem real, since this book is supposed to be a non-fiction book. Although there has been some controversy about whether some of the facts in the book have been skewed, this still does not take away from the authenticity of the characters. The dialogue in this novel is quite realistic, whether it is a general interaction, an argument or just joking around, everything is portrayed quite convincingly.


Quote Several Sentences That Appeal:

“If an individual is fat but wants to be thin, it is not a genetic disease. If someone is stupid, but wants to be smart, it is not a genetic disease. If a drunk is a drunk, but doesn’t want to be a drunk anymore, it is not a genetic disease. Addiction is a decision.”

This quote appeals to me because it tells me that in life we should stop making excuses for our problems. We should realize our problems, face them and try to overcome them as best we can, whether it is obesity or drug addiction.

“Cold white light shoots through my eyes and through my spine and into my feet and back again”

This quote appeals to me because it shows the sheer pain and horror that James had to go through when undergoing surgery to his teeth and fixing his broken nose. It shows his willingness and determination to put pain aside and try to better himself.

“I am an Alcoholic and a Drug Addict and a Criminal.”

This quote appeals to me because it shows that James is finally realizing and accepting the fact that he is an alcoholic, drug addict and criminal. And the first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem.

"The truth is all that matters."

This quote appeals to me because in life it is important to stay truthful to everyone. Whether it is your parents, friends or spouse. By not being truthful to his family James ends of getting into trouble in the ghetto, doing drugs and ending up having to go to rehab.