Ash Garden Blog

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Ash Garden Blog

“One morning toward the end of the summer they burned away my face.”

This is the opening sentence to this novel and it appeals to me because it grabbed my attention and made me want to continue to read the rest of the novel. It is an intentionally shocking introduction to a book that is even richer in shocking content. It does this book justice by describing the horror right from the start that is written throughout the rest of the novel. This quote appeals to me because the author does not try and trick or mislead the reader into believing this book may be fairytale with a happy ending. Additionally, this quote appeals to me because it describes the sheer horror of the situation at the time.

“He'd been sought out often enough to know he had to prepare in advance for whatever words came: war criminal, butcher, mass murder. He had learned to hold his tongue.”

This quote appeals to me because it shows how Anton is not actually the menace behind dropping the bomb, he was simply doing what he was told to do; his job. No matter what is said to him, he remains strong and “holds his tongue” he does not let their words faze him. His resilience shows that he can remain calm and focused and not succumb to defending his actions. In addition to this, his ability to listen to the opinion of others regardless of what he believes, appeals to me.

“In my imagination I witnessed a thousand times the terrible violence it brought down upon his wasted body. A thousand times I heard his small lungs struggling to call out through his last breaths.”

This quote appeals to me because this is a very dramatic scene. Emiko feels that she was helpless in Mitsuo’s death and Mitsuo’s death is continuously running through her mind. This quote brings a very dark and dramatic mood to the book. This quote also appeals to me due to the fact that it is very sad that a sister has to lose her brother in one of the worst ways possible and in addition to the loss she has to be haunted by the memory of it.

Questions

1. How to did you research Hiroshima and Nagasaki for this novel?
2. Did anyone in real life inspire you when you were making the characters for this novel?
3. Can you describe a particular story that you came across in your research that was particularly horrifying to you?

We are the Weather Makers

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Chapter 17: Danger Ahead

 Flannery opens this chapter by discussing what is known as "the commitment". This term is used to describe the fact that greenhouse gas emissions being released today will not be felt to their full extent until the year 2050. This term is used to show that what we release today must be an effective and efficient amount of CO2, because if it is not then we are committed to the effects of these harmful amounts in the future. Flannery goes on to say that most of the damage done to our environment occurred during the 1950s in the baby-boom era.

Flannery continues in the following paragraphs and explains examples of things that were used in the 1950s that were particularly inefficient. Products such as automobiles and electric vacuum cleaners made in the 1950s had and are still having immense repercussions on our environment.

According to Flannery there are four major factors relating to the climate change we can no longer prevent. These factors include the CO2 we have already released, the positive feedback loops that amplify climate change, global dimming and the speed at which human economies can decarbonize themselves.

Flannery continues to say that a leading scientist states that a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of 70% (from 1990 levels) is required, to stabilize our Earth's climate. By doing this, the result would be an atmosphere with 450 parts per million CO2. An increase from what we currently have with an atmosphere with 380 parts per million. This would result in our Earth's climate stabilizing around the year 2100. Stabilizing at a temperature at least 1.1° Celsius higher to as much as 5 ° Celsius higher.

Though this goal seems achievable, Flannery believes a realistic scenario would be an environment with an atmosphere of 550 parts per million of atmospheric CO2. By doing this we would in effect double the pre-industrial levels of CO2 emitted and would therefore increase global temperature by 3° Celsius this century.

Flannery ends this chapter by telling us that our global temperature average is around 15° Celsius. If we allow this to rise by a single degree or 3° Celsius we will decide the fate of hundreds of thousands of species, and billions of people.

Questions for Tim Flannery:

 1. Do you believe we will reach your projected target of 3° Celsius?

2. Do you believe that our world is truly motivated to make the necessary changes that are needed to reduce CO2 emissions?

3. Do you agree with the increased usage of hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius?

Gratitude Blog – Letter to Joseph Kertes

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Gratitude

Book By: Joseph Kertes

Blog By: Corey Trinetti

Dear Mr. Kertes,

Over the past few weeks, I have been engrossed in your novel Gratitude. As you may already know, this book was given to grades 8-12 in my school to carry on with this year’s theme of gratitude. Although I don’t usually read this type of genre, I was willing to give this book a chance as the first book I have read about the Holocaust.

Right from the beginning of the novel I was captivated by your writing. A very easy and effective style of writing allowed a rather inexperienced reader like me to jump right in with no problems. To add to this, the plot of the opening of the novel really caught my attention. Set in Hungary, the book opens with Lili crouching behind a wardrobe wearing a wedding dress her mother had given her earlier that day. While hiding, her cake is burning in the oven downstairs. What appeals to me about this is how well you can depict the tension of the moment. As well, your use of descriptions and imagery of the cake burning add much more realism to the moment.

What I also enjoyed about this book was your use of many characters. At first it was difficult to decipher exactly who was who and what their role in the novel was. Yet as the novel progressed, your lengthy character descriptions painted a colorful picture of each individual character in the novel. This allowed me to associate a lot better with your characters, both with their personality and due to the fact that some of them (i.e., Lili) were relatively the same age as me. Your lengthy character portrayals and scene descriptions also gave me a greater sense of realism to your writing. It didn’t seem like the characters in your novel were made up from little research, your hands-on research really showed through in your writing.

One element to your novel that I really did not enjoy was the sadness and despair it brought to my mind. This criticism has nothing to do with the quality of your writing; I simply enjoy reading a novel with a lighter storyline and not something as heavy as the Holocaust. All in all, I enjoyed reading your novel, because it was a change in pace and it gave me a perspective about the Holocaust which I had never heard of before. I would definitely recommend your novel to someone looking for a captivating story that will make you think!

Sincerely,

Corey Trinetti

Blog #7 - Regeneration by Pat Barker

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Regeneration

Book By: Pat Barker

Blog By: Corey Trinetti

Comment on what worked well in the novel. Provide direct support.

The novel Regeneration by Pat Barker had many aspects that were appealing. For example, its use of themes and, in particular, the theme of madness, worked quite well in the novel. The theme of madness was a recurring theme in the novel Regeneration. An example of this in the novel is that madness was the problem affecting the ‘patients’, i.e., Sassoon and Prior. It was the duty of the psychiatrists at Craiglockhart War Hospital to try and correct the madness that was affecting their patients.

Rivers, a psychiatrist at the hospital, encouraged his patients to try and express their memories and feelings through verbal communication with him. His methods seemed to ‘cure the madness’ because both Prior and Sassoon were eventually released from Craiglockhart; the former going home, and the latter returning to the war.

The use of symbolism in Regeneration also worked quite well, giving the author’s writing more depth and meaning. Trenches are used as symbols, representing graves. Although many patients seemed to have horrible memories of trenches, Prior’s memories of the trenches seemed to stand out. Prior remembered waking up in a trench, and finding two of his men dead as a result of an exploded shell. Prior mixed their remains with lyme in order to use their bodies as reinforcement for the walls of the trench. In effect, the trench was their grave.

Comment on what disappointed you and explain why you were disappointed. Provide specific examples to support your opinion.

Although the novel was quite interesting and meaningful, it did have some elements to it that were somewhat disappointing. One of these elements was the complexity of the writing that the author used. Since the author is from England, and since the book is from more of an English perspective, it often caused some issues in clarity for me. To add to this, the book used many references to the war and society that I was unfamiliar with, having never lived in the time period the book was set in.

The portrayal of more minor characters in the novel, such as Anderson and Burns, also disappointed me. I would like to have read more about these characters and their time at Craiglockhart. Although the novel did tell some stories of these men, I believe that the author could have gone into more detail about them, explaining how the theme of regeneration tied into their lives, as well. While these men did play a significant role in the novel, it would have been less disappointing if they had played an even larger role.

Copy 2 short passages of especially good descriptive writing and explain why each appealed to you.

“‘So, you agree with his views but not his actions? Isn't that rather an artificial distinction?'

'No, I don't think it is. The way I see it, when you put the uniform on, in effect you sign a contract. And you don't back out of a contract merely because you've changed your mind.' “

This conversation between Rivers and Graves appealed to me because of its cleverness. This passage occurs in Part One of the novel, when Rivers questions Graves about his views of the war and about Sassoon’s protest. This quotation appeals to me because, although Graves does not disagree with Sassoon’s views, he must give an answer that follows that traditional English way of thinking. This was a way of thinking that was taught in the English school system of that era.

The passage also appeals to me because Graves is able to answer Rivers’ difficult question while using a good analogy to help back it up. Graves’ quick thinking and sharp intellect allow him to formulate this response without hesitation.

“A horse's bit. Not an electrode, not a teaspoon. A bit. An instrument of control. Obviously he and Yealland were both in the business of controlling people. Each of them fitted young men back into the role of warrior, a role they had—however unconsciously—rejected. He found himself wondering once or twice recently what possible meaning the restoration of mental health could have in relation to his work.”

The passage above describes the thoughts of Rivers after witnessing Yealland's treatment of his patients with electro-shock therapy. The passage is appealing because it is very graphic; it describes Rivers realizing that his nightmare was him trying to shove a horse's bit into the mouth of his patient, Sassoon, who was resisting this treatment.

The author’s use of short and incomplete sentences also appeals to me in this passage because it helps to mimic how Rivers is thinking. Rivers is in almost a panicked state of mind and the short sentences help to depict how is brain is working and how he keeps jumping from idea to idea. These concise sentences also tend to draw the reader’s attention away from the entire passage and move it more toward thinking about the smaller passages, such as the one about the ‘bit’.

Corey Trinetti - The Firm - Fan Letter - Blog #6

The Firm

Book By: John Grisham

Blog By: Corey Trinetti

Dear Mr. Grisham,

I recently finished reading your novel, “The Firm”, and was very impressed on many accounts. I was born in the year when the novel was published, and it was intriguing for me to experience what life was like just 16 years ago. Particularly, I liked the descriptiveness of the settings, from the style of houses, to the color of the Mercedes and to the way people dressed.

What I also enjoyed about the novel was how there was an initial character development before the plot started to formulate. For me, it was good to get to know each of the characters and get inside their head before the Firm was discovered to be corrupt, or before the FBI presented Mitch with an ultimatum. The way Mitch was described as coming from a poor family, and how he wanted to break his poor-middle class ties, gave me great insight into his personality. Likewise, it was good to get to know Abby, the woman he recently married, whom he fell in love with at university.

A theme in the novel that I spotted immediately, and quite enjoyed, was the theme of loyalty. The Firm always made it clear that employees would remain loyal to the Firm, and would never leave, and I enjoyed how this gave me the sense that the employees were merely trapped with the Firm -- for life. One quote in particular that I liked was when the wife of an associate explained to Abby the following:

“It's a question of loyalty. If all your money comes from one source, then you tend to be very loyal to that source. The Firm demands extreme loyalty.”

This quote clearly shows how brainwashed other associates in the Firm had become.

Another part of the novel that appealed to me was the fact that Mitch was so ethical and proper when leaving law school. Yet, when Mitch was surrounded by so many unethical people, it drove him to be unethical. After eventually stealing around 10 million dollars from various accounts owned by the Firm, Mitch, as well as Abby, and his brother Ray, escaped to the Caribbean to immerse themselves in the newly acquired wealth. This appealed to me due to how ironic it was.

Thanks for the great piece of literature; I will be indulging in another one of your novels, The Pelican Brief, in a short while.

Sincerely,

Corey Trinetti

Corey Trinetti - The Client - Blog #5

The Client

Book By: John Grisham

Blog By: Corey Trinetti

Mark Sway

“Mark was eleven and had been smoking off and on for two years, never trying to quit but being careful not to get hooked. He preferred Kools, his ex-father's brand, but his mother smoked Virginia Slims at the rate of two packs a day, and could in an average week pilfer ten or twelve from her.”

This excerpt is the first time that Mark reveals that he has an issue with how old he is. Throughout the book, and particularly in this quotation, Mark has consistently felt as if he was an adult and, therefore, that he should do as adults do, and smoke. This belief has resulted in Mark trying to act more mature by smoking.

The quote also reveals that Mark has lost or been detached from his father in some way, due to his father being referred to as his “ex-father”. Mark refers to his father this way throughout the novel and we later learn that Mark’s mother separated from Mark’s father because of constant beatings.

Jerome “Romey” Clifford

“You had to be a cute ass and stick your dirty little nose in my business, didn't you? So I think we should die together. Okay? Just you and me, pal. Off to La La Land. Off to see the wizard. Sweet dreams, kid.”

The quote above reveals a little bit about Jerome Romey Clifford for the short time that he was in the novel. This quotation shows Romey’s eagerness to die. He has gotten into a bad situation, being the lawyer for mafia hit man Barry "the Blade" Muldanno, because he knows where the body of US Senator Boyd Boyette was buried, a man Barry killed. During this quote, Romey has grabbed Mark and brought him into the car and decided that since Mark was eavesdropping on his business, that he should die as well. This reveals that Romey’s state of mind at the time is not right because he is drugged up on prescription drugs and alcohol. Normally, he would be a decent man and let Mark go, but with all the stress and substance abuse, he cannot think clearly.

Dianne Sway

“He asked God for a family in which everyone could sleep without fear of abuse.”

Although this quote was not directed to Dianne Sway, it reveals a little bit about her past. Conceiving Mark at such a young age, Dianne felt stuck with her husband and newly born son. As time went by, she conceived a second child, Ricky. Throughout this time, Dianne’s husband was an alcoholic and inevitably he tormented his family with physical and emotional abuse for years. This quote is a small hint towards the abuse they all had received in the past and how they hoped that everything would change for the better. Fortunately, Dianne was able to find the courage to divorce him.

Reggie Love

“As the secret and confidential information unfolded, it became obvious to Reggie that Mark knew where the body was allegedly buried, and she skillfully and fearfully danced around this information.”

This quotation reveals Reggie’s intelligence as a lawyer because she was able to realize that the subject of where the body was buried was a touchy issue for Mark to talk about. She knew that persisting any further would only upset Mark and get them nowhere. This quotation also reveals Reggie’s inexperience at being a lawyer, as demonstrated by the word “fearfully”, because she does not know whether handling the situation in the manner she is, is going to work for Mark. Finally, this quotation demonstrates that Reggie cares about Mark’s feelings, since they have developed a strong mutual bond throughout the novel. Reggie’s ability to listen, and to not give up with Mark, is the root of this bond.

"Reverend" Roy Foltrigg

“It's amazing how lies grow. You start with a small one that seems easy to cover, then you get boxed in and tell another one. Then another. People believe you at first and they act upon your lies, and you catch yourself wishing you'd simply told the truth.”

This excerpt shows Roy’s swift and skillful tactics as a lawyer to try and intimidate Mark into giving him information without the presence of his mother. Roy uses his high status and his credibility to try and intimidate Mark, but this also reveals that Roy will use his intimidation methods later in the novel, which he does frequently in the courtroom and with discussions with Reggie. Roy also tries to tell Mark that he is “lying”, in order to guilt Mark and make him think he is doing something wrong. This reveals how Roy may be on the good side of the law, but even he does not always follow it. This is further demonstrated when Roy fails to tell Mark his rights, and tries to prosecute him without a guardian. Roy’s attempt at outsmarting Mark fails because of the quick thinking of Mark’s lawyer, Reggie Love.