<>Week 7- Culture<>

“When I went back to school, things were different. Girls I use to know had left; when I asked about it, people shrugged and said they had probably gone to be married. This had happened before, from time to time; even in primary school, one girl left because she was betrothed. Somehow, though, I had never really noticed before.
Now I saw Latifa, one of the Arab girls from the coast, had suddenly disappeared from our classroom. According to Halwa, one Saturday afternoon Latifa’s father told her that she was never going back to school; the time had come for her to become a woman. A classmate had been invited to Latifa’s wedding, and she talked about it. The groom was older, from Mombasa; there had been lots of presents. Latifa had looked frightened; she had cried, and her tears stained the dress she wore, which had been stiff and white.” (pg 77)

For this week, I went back to where I had found a slew of cultural differences because a lot of what Ayaan experiences at this age is much different from what is experienced by American adolescents. After Ayaan’s injury from her mother beating her at home and her teacher beating her in school, she needed a lot of time to recover (ending up to be described as several years so that her wounds could adequately heal). Later, when she returned to school, she observes that many of her classmates have been married off already, explaining their disappearance from the classroom. It surprised me that Ayaan was surprised at this, because in one’s own culture, things are more of a norm and marrying off in high school isn’t any different than the beatings that go on in the classroom, etc. This is just so very different from what occurs in the lives of high school students in America in 2008. If any student were to take a few years off due to injury (this would be unlikely due to the extent that students are catered to with adaptations so that missing school is not the first option—maybe even the last!) and return about two years later, they would not find that their classmates have been married off. Instead they may find that some people have switched schools to better meet their academic or artsy needs, and once in a very rare while will there be a pregnancy, but often those girls try and return to school. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to learn that my female classmates were married off while they were between the ages of 15 and 19. This is a huge cultural difference between what is acceptable for stopping the education that is a blessing in the first place to leave and fulfill duties as a woman of Allah.

<>Week 7- Letter<>

Dear Ayaan,

Listening about your life is very interesting when it comes to expanding my horizons from my American/West African/Edina bubble. Hearing about what you experienced at my age is really fascinating to be able to compare. My life is so much more oriented towards what I want and making the best possible life for myself as an individual, not towards a husband and family environment. My parents always told me that if I cannot be independent, that they have not done their jobs as parents. However, it seems to be the exact opposite for you. Your family only permits you to get an education because that is what you wanted so badly, not because it will further you as a person. In your culture, it is important that females do not gain enough knowledge to be independent from men, because that is very frowned on. Women should “need” the men in order to be able to survive and flourish. The American norm for teenagers is allow them to grow and become independent so that they evaporate from the responsibilities of the adults who no longer want to be the disciplinarians.
I was also thinking about this book in comparison to the graphic novel we read in class, Persepolis. I see many similarities between you and Marji. Both of you are young women who are essentially suppressed by age and gender. Despite it being unusual for young women to be interested in politics and challenging things for why the way they are it is interesting to hear your perspectives on the events that you voice your opinion on. However, Marji has the support of her parents who believe in the same cause as she does and are willing to guide her in furthering her education and independence. Your parents do not believe in questioning anything, which is sad. You seem to have an adventurous mind that shouldn’t go to waste.

Even though I’m beginning to be able to tolerate the book…it is still very very whiny.

<>Week 6-Culture<>

"Normally she would grab me and then tell me to lie down on my belly on the floor and hold my ankles, sot hat she could tie me up for my beating. My mother used to beat us only on our arms and legs. But now I refused to lie down and hold my ankles as I should. She pulled my hair--on the side where I was hurt--but I didn't care anymore. I wouldn't do it...Ma demanded that Mahad help her get me down. I told him, in English so she wouldn't understand 'Please don't do it. Yesterday she beat me and I was beaten by the ma'alim. Nw they are beating me the same way. I do all the work here and it isn't fair'" (pg 75-76)"

For this week, I chose a passage from what stuck with me the most. While reading this book, sometimes it gets very long, and repetitively whiney. However, this really made me think about how her education is compared to mine.I am very appalled at some of the "punishments" that occurred in her schooling and all around domestic life. It is unbelievable to think that such treatment goes unnoticed. I can't really determine whether it is cultural or more religion based. Ayaan, feeling blessed enough to have the opportunity to be educated doesn't complain when her mother assigns her more chores so that she has difficulty finishing her homework. This reflects on her grades and then her mother actually says to her "How did I end up with three children and one of them is a retard?". My mother would never say anything of the sort because it obviously lacks compassion. All in all, the beatings that Ayaan received because of how her mother values her as worthless, as well as when she makes some silly decisions really make me think twice and be grateful for the violence free life I have.

<>Week 6-Letter<>

Dear Ayaan,

I was astounded by the amount of violence that your mother and school teachers use to punish you. It is absolutely inhumane. Although teasing the little children and leaving them at the doors of others' homes as a practical joke is cruel, I don't think that being severely beaten by both your school master and your mother were fitting punishments of the crimes. It is difficult to understand why there does not seem to be any adults that truly care for children (unless they are male, but that generally does not make too much of a difference in the long run considering how your mother treats your brother!) and their well being. This is probably just a major difference in dominating cultures in religions, because if such a thing to even one tenth of the level that it happened to you, there would be lawsuits galore. Plus, adults have a lot more genuine care for the young, making sure that they are well taken care of. That is definitely something that I take for granted on a daily basis.
As for how much I am (or am not) enjoying the book, it is relatively tolerable. Give or take, really. Sometimes I wonder if you are legitimately upset about something or if you are just being a whiney complaining drama queen.

-C

<>Week 4- Snow Flower v. Infidel

I was thinking about the similarities between Snow Flower and the Secret Fan in comparison to Infidel. Here's what I'm thinkin'.

SIMILARITY:

The men. It really is all about the men and how they treat and control and dominate the lives of the women.
(1) In both of the books, it is appropriate for the men to have multiple females that they sex with. In SFSF, most wealthy men who are land owners have one/two/three concubines depending on how pleased they are by their wives. In the book Infidel, it isn't uncommon for tradtionalist men to have two wives to help take care of each others kids. Plus, it's all about continuing the bloodline. Whatever it takes, right?
(2) There is a great value in having male children. Lily and Snow Flower go through all these rituals, praying to the gods, eating just so and such to ensure that their first born child is a boy, because that means that they will be taken care of for life. The same goes for Ayaan in Infidel, because of the importance of having produced a male determines how good of a wife one is.

DIFFERENCE:

Snow Flower and Lily do not challenge the ways of society. They are very accepting of the fate that has been predestined by a higher power. Both girls adapt to follow the will of a higher power.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali questions the way society is operated, about why women are so inferior to men and why women for example, must always be accompanied by a man to be noticed. Ayaan is not easily persuaded to just "go with it", but rather asking "WHY!?". Which does get her into trouble!!

<>Week 4- Culture<>

"She hated having to go out without a man, hated being hissed at by men on the street, stared at with insolence...To be a woman out on her own was bad enough...When my mother went out shopping without a male driver or spouse to ac as guardian, grocers wouldn't attend to her..." (p.48)

This cultural aspect is essential to understanding this book and the way Somali culture operates. Coming from a non traditional family, society really picks on Ayaan's family whenever they leave the security of their little compound/village. Their society is very very patriarchal and it is always all about the men. However, the men have to be of a legitimate age, because her mother doesn't receive the greatest treatment even when her 10 year old son is with her. A man's status can easily be determined by how many wives he has, as well as the importance of male children. This type of society does not hold true here in the United States at all. Despite the average man's wage being higher than that of women and some individual sexists, there is gender equality. Women can leave their homes and be on their own without questioning their devotion to their faith or assuming things about their families. It is not thought of any differently whether a female is single, in a relationship or married, nor how many children with the importance on how many of each gender. Overall, I think it would be ridiculous to have to have a male escort any time I wanted to leave the house. That would drive me crazy! I really love my independence.

<>Week 3-Letter<>

Dear Ayaan,

Your book is still excruciatingly slow moving. I am having a hard time focusing on it when there is so much background information. Of course you have to explain a little bit of the history that not everyone knows because they couldn’t be there, but at the same time it doesn’t captivate the audience. I’m really hoping it picks up.
I was very interested about the FGM that you discussed quite at length, considering it was a major event in your life. I even decided to do my world issue on it! I cannot believe what you went through, and that your grandmother would go behind your mother’s back in order to follow tradition. Is tradition really worth all of that pain, humiliation and both emotional and physical scarring? I am proud of your mother for being openly upset with your grandmother, even though she is an elder. In the end, you are your mother’s daughter and for you as a minor it is her duty to protect you and good for her for sticking up for your values, even though in the end you and your peer cousins were cut.
I am really hoping that now that your family has moved outwards from Somalia that things can pick up a little bit. To be dead honest, this book is very difficult to read because it just isn’t very interesting or intriguing!

-C

<>Week 3-Culture<>

Here’s a cultural tidbit!
“She opened a door onto a two-room apartment. We were going to have electricity! There were switches on the all that turned on light bulbs and—something we had never seen—a ceiling fan.” (p. 41)
So far, Ayaan’s mother has managed to get a fake passport so that they can escape and try to get closer to get word of her father. However, her mother is very strict about where they go due to the difference in religions. Ayaan’s mother will only go to where it is considered to be a truly Muslim country. She refused to go to Ethiopia because there were too many Christians, or “unbelievers”. She wanted to go to Saudi Arabia so that she could be in God’s country to be as close as possible to God.
When they first leave the country, Ayaan and her siblings are absolutely fascinated by the concept of an airplane, and that it can allow them to fly. Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, they stay with a member of their clan (as previously mentioned that whenever they meet someone that they trace back to find a common ancestor and then if it is a close similarity then that person will offer hospitality and security, sort of like staying with a long lost relative instead of a total stranger, even if you’ve never met them before.).
They get the message from their father, which prompts Ayaan’s mother to purchase a small apartment, in which they have electricity. Electricity is a huge deal for Ayaan and her siblings, especially the ceiling fan. It is definitely something that I take for granted on a daily basis, that I can walk into a room and know that it will be lit by the flick of a switch, or that when a room gets uncomfortably stuff that I can turn on a ceiling fan. In fascination over the ceiling fan, they break it because they throw things at it out of curiosity.
I’m curious as to what else they will explore being out of Somalia and into a more modern world.

<>Week 2-Reflection<>

I had a very interesting discussion with my mother while talking to her about the book. I kept telling her how I was shocked at why a mother would put her daughter through so much pain in order to ensure her chastity. A five-year-old is unable to make decisions for herself, and therefore trusts her mother to protect her. Why wouldn’t a mother take this duty to the ultimate level and wish to protect her daughter from such an invasive painful procedure?
I understand that being chaste when a married is an important value, and that doesn’t just go for Muslims. However it does seem quite extreme to mutilate the genitals of a very young female in order ensure her purity.
I just read an article in Seventeen about a girl, now 19, who was reading about FGM for a college class and was shocked at what some cultures would do in order to make the female as pure as possible. Later, she found out that when she was 6 years old, she had been a victim of FGM. She felt extremely violated because of her inability to speak out against it because of her young age. It is now her mission to help convince her generation of what a wrong it is to do to one’s daughter and to prevent it from being allowed to future generations. Making it illegal would just cause FGM to be more of an underground operation, so prevention is key.

All very interesting. Very very interesting.

<>Week 2-Culture<>

I found the Somali policy on female genital mutilation absolutely horrifying. Just reading about it had me cringing! Just a little bit of an advisory that this might upset someone because it is very difficult to think about and a little graphic!
“In Somalia, like many countries across Africa and the Middle East, little girls are made “pure” by having their genitals cut out. There is no other way to describe this procedure, which typically occurs around the age of five. After the child’s clitoris and labia are carved out, scraped off, or, in more compassionate areas, merely cut or pricked, the whole area is often sewn up, so that a thick band of tissue forms a chastity belt made of the girl’s own scarred flesh. A small hole is carefully situated to permit a thin flow of pee. Only great force can tear the scar tissue wider, for sex.
Female genital mutilation predates Islam. Not all Muslims do this, and a few of the peoples who do are not Islamic. But in Somalia, where virtually every girl is excised the practice is always justified in the name of Islam. Uncircumcised girls will be possessed by devils, fall into vice and perdition, and become whores. Imams never discourage the practice: it keeps girls pure.
Many girls die during or after their excision, from infection. Other complications cause enormous, more or less lifelong pain.” (p 31)

This is an enormous cultural difference between America and Somalia. Most people would consider this incredibly cruel, especially considering that this procedure is performed sans anesthesia. The practice of genital mutilation in females speaks about the Somali culture: the patriarchal society and the value of chastity. Chastity until a girl’s marriage is clearly important if such excruciating measures are taken to ensure her purity. Also, it is the females who must endure these “fixes”, but what about the males? There is nothing that ensures male “purity”.
A friend of my mother’s is Somali, and when my mom asked her about this book, Safia (the friend) said that the author of the book, Ayaan is a “crazy lady”. I also found it interesting to hear that Safia is debating whether or not to send her four-year-old daughter back to Somalia to have this procedure done to her. Although Safia recognizes the cruelty and pain, she is concerned that if her daughter doesn’t get this female genital mutilation that no man (Somali of course) would marry her with her purity in question.

<>Week 1- Letter<>

Dear Ayaan,

When I walked through the book store and found your book, I was very curious about the Somali culture. I looked forward to see your experiences as a "freedom fighter". It is evident right from the get go that you had a fighting spirit in you, even though your grandmother told your mother that you were stupid and useless. The strict nature of your religion and your courage to escape it were admirable on contact. However, I am finding the start to your book very slow and it is difficult for me to feel engaged in what is going on. It is understandable that you want to build up some of the history that goes along with your story (your grandmother and mother, absent father, etc) but it is done in an unfortunately slow manor. Following all of your family members and the story switching between your mother's childhood and that of your grandmother is challenging. I feel like it's not off to a great start, but hopefully it will improve, otherwise it is going to be a long quarter.

-C

<>Week 1- Culture<>

"Somali children must memorize their lineage: this is more important than almost anything. Whenever a Somali meets a stranger, they ask each toher 'Who are you?' They trace back their separate ancestries until they find a common forefather." (4)

I found this very interesting because a lot of Ayaan's family do leave their clan in the desert and goes into the city, where in order to find hospitality. Finding a commonplace in a bloodline means that you offer each other food and hospitality. The Children are forced to memorize their bloodlines of 800 years prior. If I had to do that, I would fail miserable, considering my memory isn't my faithful servant. When we travel in modern day American culture, we can seek hospitality from mostly close family, such as aunts, uncles, cousins. I can't even begin to imagine how weird it would be to introduce yourself to someone and begin listing off your ancestors in search of one in common to see if is okay to be hospitable. I think that the level of devotion to ones clan is so important that it not only affects the hospitality aspect, but can also be shown to cause other conflicts.

INFIDEL by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

For my 4th (and final sophomore!) quarter, I have chose to read Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

This book is about a woman who is very politically active and strong minded about her beliefs with a special determination to fight injustices. She had a difficult childhood, filled with civil war and beatings. She later escaped from an arranged marriage. She is under frequent threat by reactionary Islamists, was disowned by her father an expelled from her family. This is her story of being "freedom fighter".
I chose to read this book because I think it's important of current events, especially with the conflict in the middle east. The fact that its told from a woman's perspective makes it all the more interesting in an obviously more male dominated country. I also think that it is good to become more familiar with the Islamic culture and religion from a perspective that isn't stereotypical.

{Post B Week 7}

Dear Brian,

I am so glad that you have finally taken a moment to recognize Anna. She really truly needs someone to be able to look at her and not think about her sister's well being and source of life. For the entire book I have been wondering when you will take notice on her, the daughter who is just forgotten because the other is so sick. You did take small notice of her when she stopped wearing the locket that you gave her, but that was just a little glimpse of the attention Anna truly needs.
Moving Anna to the fire department house was probably the best decision that you have made for your family in a long while. Sara was far too much of a poor influence on Anna , because at the end of the day when its just a young child, she will always listen to her mother because of how much she admires her. With Sara being the opposing counsel in the case, it would be too tempting for her to try and coerce Anna into believing that her case is completely unnecessary. I think that Anna really likes the attention that she can get from you while staying at the firehouse, not to mention the other firefighters who care for her like their own.

Best of luck,

-C

{Post A Week 7}

VOCABULARY

anathema (227): a person or thing detested or loathed

glib (206): readily fluent, often thoughtlessly, superficially, or insincerely

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:

"In my mind, i can still see those lights--red and blue and yellow, blinking over and over on a tree as overdressed as an Eskimo in Bali."(192)

This is figurative language because a tree is being compared to an Eskimo through a simile (comparing two unlikely things using the word like or as). I liked this one because it is just kind of funny and odd to think about an Eskimo in Bali!!

"My parents and I are sitting together at a table in the hospital cafeteria, although I use the word together loosely. It's more like we're astronauts, each wearing a separate helmet, each sustained by our own private source of air." (179)

This is not only good figurative language, but it is also very significant as to the relationship that Anna has with her parents, especially while Kate is in the hospital, and Anna is in the middle of the lawsuit in suing her parents.

"I swirled my pinky in my martini. It was an optical illusion, making the finger look split and crooked." (157)

This is great imagery on Jodi Picoult's behalf. She makes it exceptionally easy to imagine Sara sitting in a hotel, trying to unwind.

SIGNIFICANT QUOTE:
"Neither do you," Zanne says. "You're not living, Sara. You're waiting for Kate to die." (175)

Zanne is always there, saving the day. Zanne offers Sara and Brian the money to get Kate more treatments when their insurance refuses to help cover the extreme costs. Zanne is also the voice of reason, who helps Sara come closer to term with what is going on with her family. Sara is constantly wondering if Kate will live long enough to go on her first date, prom, graduate from high school, etc. Zanne makes a good point by saying that Sara often behaves like once Kate dies, life can move on.

PROBABLE THEME:
The theme is family-centered and about the obligations--there or not.

{Post B Week 6}

As I read further and further into My Sister’s Keeper, I feel like I’m really starting to understand better how the family functions. The whole dynamic of the Fitzgerald family really intrigues me. There is the mother, Sara who gave up her high-powered career as a lawyer in order to raise her family. Sara’s idea of an ideal family was just two kids, with a small possibility to expand on the brood. There are some moments where it is clear that Sara misses they way things were when she had a normal 9-5 job, unlike the 24/7 one that parenting requires. Her husband Brian wanted to be a firefighter to save lives and when he is telling this to the reader, it seems like it is his journal and life story. The thing that he says he ‘forgot’ when he dreamed up his firefighting career was who specifically he wanted to save. Brian was perfectly happy with two children and seemed reluctant to add a member to their family. This is ironic, because that third child that he did not really know that he wanted is the one that only he really pays attention to or notices if something is wrong. I just found out that Jesse, the oldest son is an actual pyromaniac. He lights vacant buildings on fire, and enjoys watching them burn to the ground while the sounds of the fire truck’s sirens ring in the background. Jesse is also into drugs and alcohol, which is perhaps his way to escape the reality of his hurting family. What is weird is that even though this whole book is about Anna and her sister that she is electively no longer wanting to keep alive, little is known about Kate aside from her potentially fatal medical condition. With the Fitzgerald family, there is an elephant in the room that nobody wants to acknowledge but that they all know is there. The leukemia is tearing the family apart, putting each on a different path for the rest of their lives.

{Post A Week 6}

VOCABULARY

brandish(142): wave or flourish something as a threat in anger or excitement
rhododendrons(135):an ornamental shrub

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:

"She is small, with wild hair that makes me think of a forest fire."(143)
I know that this is figurative language because Brian is comparing Julia's hair to a forest fire--a simile because of the employment of "like" or "as" to compare.

"He swaggered over to my mother, and kissed her so long and slow that my own cheeks started to burn, because I was sure the neighbors would see." (137)
This is a great romantic description <3. I can envision it perfectly. This is a very effective use of figurative language--imagery.

"...and we all watch the cord of blood slowly slide through the tubing, a Crazy Straw of possibility." (106)
This is very cool figurative language because of the use of a metaphor (comparing 2 things without using like or as). I used to drink out of Crazy Straws as a child, so this is easily envisioned.

SIGNIFICANT QUOTE:

"The safety of the rescuer is of a higher priority than the safety of the victim. Always." (142)
I don't think that Brian implied this literally. Anna is much like the rescuer, and Kate is the victim. Brian is talking about firefighters in the quote, however I wonder if he thought at the time just how much this relates to his home life and the lawsuit between his minor of a daughter and his family.

PROBABLE THEME:

Whose safety/life is more important: that of the rescuer or that of the victim?

{Post B Week 5}

UNDERSTANDING THE CHARACTERS:

ANNA: Anna is the youngest daughter of Brian and Sara. She was conceived as a perfect genetic match for her older sister, Kate, who suffers from leukemia. Anna has always been a good sister, and has allowed her body to be subjected to procedures each time that Kate needs to go in for any sort of treatment. She is very mature, cool, calm and collected for her age, but at the same time, she has to be to deal with this kind of a situation on a daily basis. I think shes about in 8/7th grade.

KATE:Kate is the oldest daughter of Brian and Sara but not the oldest child. She has battled with leukemia since she was a toddler, and in order to save her life, she needs the assistance of her sister Anna's body. Without Anna, Kate would never have survived. Kate also has a good head on her shoulders, considering that she did not freak out upon hearing the news of her sister's decision to desire medical emancipation.

JESSE: Jesse is the oldest Fitzgerald. He was completely dragged through all of the early stages of Kate's treatments. He is 17, and loves his independence. He no longer really has to be involved with the family and all their medical dramas. Jesse lives above the garage, and the only thing that he has to commit to in the family is coming to dinner. He is an inspiration to Anna, as she seeks freedom from the family's burden.

SARA: Sara gave up her high powered career to be a mom. She has had the most pressure from day one of the diagnosis to keep everything together. Upon hearing her daughter that keeps the other alive is seeking medical emancipation she shows her side that lacks composure and rationality.

BRIAN:Brian, as I just found out, is a former lawyer who changed career paths to become a firefighter. Brian is the only one who really notices Anna (if anyone does at all to begin with!)Once Sara loses her strength and composure, Brian always has the voice of reason and consistency to make sure that the family doesn't crumble.

CAMPBELL ALEXANDER:Anna's attorney, who at first doubt's the potential this case holds, but soon gets over it and is Anna's support and advocate.

JUDGE: Judge is Campbell Alexander's service dog to predict any medical emergency that Campbell might have before they happen and are fatal. It is very comical when people automatically think that Campbell is blind. Many jokes come about, like "I'm not blind, he is a service dog, and I have SARS. Judge counts the number of people I infect".

{Post A Week 5}

VOCABULARY
Cog (82): a wheel or bar with a series of projections on its edge that transfers motion by engaging with projections on another wheel or bar.
Bailiff (81): a person who performs certain actions under legal authority

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE
“She holds her hand up like a privacy partition in a cab.” (90)
This is an example of figurative language because it is a simile, comparing two things through the use of “like”. Sara’s hand is not a partition in a cab, but she makes it seem so to silence the firecracker conversations between the front and back seats.

“…where Kerri, naturally, is hanging on our words like a cat on a rope.”(79)
This is an example of figurative language because it is a simile, comparing two things through the use of “like”. Kerri is not actually hanging on the words, because unless they are block letters or something, they are not tangible.

“He walks out of the room, his flip-flops making small sucking slaps on the tile floor.” (89)
I personally love this sentence for the use of figurative language. The sound of the flip-flops is described as “sucking slaps” which is exactly onomatopoeia. The idea of flip-flops making such a noise on such a formidable man makes him an easier character to connect to.

SIGNIFICANT QUOTE
“I expect this tirade to put an end to the litigation, to reduce Anna to a wavering puddle of indecision. But to my surprise, she looks right at me, cool and collected. “Are you still willing to represent me?” she asks.
Against my better judgment, I say yes.
“Then no,” she says, “I haven’t changed my mind.”(79)
This is by far the most significant quote that I have come across in the book. There is a run-in between the parents and the attorney, and only one of them (attorney) knows the truth about how Anna feels about suing her parent’s for medical emancipation. I nearly questioned whether or not Anna would continue with the trial against suing her parents (while keeping in mind that I was only on page 79 and there was a good chunk of literature ahead of me!). I also think that she is handling this situation so maturely!

PROBABLE THEME:
It reminds me a lot of in All My Sons; if one has a greater obligation to themselves or their family.

{Post B Week 4}

Dear Sara,
I strongly admire your courage through your daughter’s illness. It must be so difficult to watch her struggle. Since the start of chemo, you and Brian discussed how not just Kate is going to survive this—but the whole family. The toll that this disease has taken on Jesse isn’t surprising; with runs to the emergency room at all possible hours of the day or night and sleeping in a nest mad with multiple coats sufficing for a bed. Keeping your family together should become the greatest of priorities, because once Kate gets better, it will be too difficult to fix what has already been broken and left alone. While staying with Kate at the hospital, you suggested to Brian about having another baby. He got upset about wanting to replace Kate so soon when she hasn’t even died yet (who knows if she even will?). You had other motives. If you could produce a perfect genetic match to be Kate’s donor, then she would have a greater chance of survival. Not only would you have another child, but you would also be saving the life of the other one. I think that this would be very difficult for Brian to swallow. You were certainly not planning on adding on to your family. Not only that, but a pregnancy might add some difficulties to everyday life. How would you get by not being able to lift things, and what if your pregnancy brought complications? Because your discussion with Brian was being told as a memory, and we already know what happened (followed through with pregnancy and had Anna), I know that you went through with the pregnancy. I look forward to reading about how you dealt with a deathly ill child, pregnancy, and other things that you had to do to take care of for Jesse.
-C

{Post A Week 4}

Secretion (69): a substance discharged
Misbegotten (66): badly conceived or designed

“Kate’s ribs seem as thin as matchsticks, and there is a large gray blot just off center.” (69)
This is an example of figurative language because of the use of “as” to compare what Kate’s ribs look like to matchsticks. This is when Kate is laying in the hospital bed, and her mom is looking at her and the toll chemotherapy has taken on her small body.
“It comes out in a thick clump, drifts down to the carpet like a small blizzard.” (67)
Once Kate goes home after her first infusion of chemotherapy, she comes back into her parents’ bedroom, worried. When her parents, they inquire as to what is troubling their daughter. Kate shows them how her hair is falling out, and Sara describes back to the reader what it was like using a simile.
“With grim resolve I make a ballet out of rinsing the emesis basin and bringing it back. If you focus on sandbagging the beachhead, you can ignore the tsunami that’s approaching.” (65)
I chose this not only because it’s an example of figurative language (metaphor: comparing two things without using like or as), but also a very true statement. I like how she compares focusing on small aspects of being her daughter’s caretaker instead of her illness like focusing on sandbagging for a tsunami.
“After Zanne takes Jesse home for the night, Brian and I become bookends in the dark, bracketing Kate. “Brian,” I whisper. “I’ve been thinking.”
He shifts in his seat. “What about?”
I lean forward, so that I can catch his eye. “Having a baby.”
Brian’s eyes narrow. “Jesus, Sara.” He gets to his feet, turns his back to me. “Jesus.”
I stand up, too. “It’s not what you think.”
When he faces me, pain draws every line of his features tight. “We can’t just replace Kate if she dies,” he says.
In the hospital bed, Kate shifts, rustling the sheets. I force myself to imagine her at age four, wearing a Halloween costume, age twelve, trying out lip gloss; age twenty, dancing around a dorm room. “I know. So we have to make sure that he doesn’t.”.” (72)
This quote is significant because this is how Sara introduced the concept of adding a family member just to keep the original siblings alive. It is the whole foundation of the story, and relates to when Anna said that if you were born for a purpose, you must make sure that purpose remains, because when the purpose is gone, so is yours.

PROBABLE THEME:

I think that the theme comes down to how much of an obligation one has to their family, and where it begins and where it ends.

{Post B Week 3}

Dear Anna,

That must have been quite the surprise when the notice of your legal affair was brought to your mother when you all were with your sister as she was receiving a transfusion treatment!! I can't imagine what it was like for everyone to have the peacekeeper of the family suddenly turn and ask for her own rights to herself. I think that your mother became extremely irrational, when Kate got really sick and the nurses had to be paged. It is a little bit weird that with all this sudden family stress/trauma that Kate's health would rapidly decline. When Jesse welcomed you to the dark side, I wonder how his thoughts of you have changed since finding out that you no longer want to be a part of Kate's lifeline. It seems that Jesse has made that decision, being that he refuses to live in the house like a normal family member and instead reside above the garage. Jesse seems like a good person to go to when the rest of the family is far too frustrated with your decision to seek medical emancipation. I think that the hardest part is going to be feeling guilt about Kate, and that if you succeed in receiving the medical emancipation that you seek that you are not responsible or reliable for supplying Kate with extra cells. Because Kate never got the chance to have a normal childhood, with being in and out of multiple treatments, she never really got to make any good friends, and that is why you're so important to her, being the closest thing she has to a friend.

Best of Luck,

<3C

{Post A Week 3}

VOCABULARY:

coxcomb (59):a vain or conceited man
succumb (63):to give in, fail to resist pressure


FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:

"In the hospital cafeteria, eating rubberized French fries and red Jell-O, I'd gland around from table to table..."(49)
This is an example of figurative language because Anna describes the texture and appearance of her food when she is at the hospital with her sister. This really gives the reader an excellent idea of what exactly Anna is eating.

"The last thing I see as I run out of the room is my mother pushing the nurse's call button over and over, as if it's the trigger to a bomb."(52)
The author uses a simile to help the reader visualize the way the mother is frantically pushing the nurse's call button because her daughter is coding and she just found out that she is being sued by her daughter so she is in an absolute state of panic.

"My throat closes like the shutter of a camera, so that any air or excuses must move through a tunnel as thin as a pin."(54)
Jackpot!! Here Jodi Picoult uses two similes to give insight into how Anna feels when her parents have just received the official paperwork saying that they are being sued by their daughter for medical emancipation. I know these are similes through the use of "like" and "as" to compare the size of her throat to a camera, and the tunnel to a pin.

SIGNIFICANT QUOTE:

"Suddenly, the curtain whips aside, leaving me totally bare. "That's what I wanted to talk about," Kate says. "If you don't want to be my sister, that's one thing. But I don't think I could stand to lose you as a friend."
This really sums up a lot about what I read this week. As Kate is in the hospital receiving a transfusion, the sheriff comes in, and gives Sara (the mother) the official notice that she is being sued by her own daughter to get medical emancipation. The family gets spun into an absolute frantic. The parental concern is blatantly obvious, but what Picoult hides until the end of the section, is how Kate, the one whose life support rests on Anna's shoulders, feels about her sister not wanting to give up her body anymore.

PROBABLE THEME:

I think that the theme comes down to how much of an obligation one has to their family, and where it begins and where it ends.

{Post B Week 2}

Dear Campbell Alexander,

I too think it's very funny that you are a firsty-lasty. It was very noble of you to agree to take on Anna's case. How exactly do you plan on being paid for your services, when you know very well that Anna is just in middle school, with no source of income? I'm curious as to when you will talk to her parents, and how they will react knowing that their daughter, who has been so patient and tolerant all along with each and every surgery she has endured with her sister, doesn't want to be the Godsend anymore.I wish you luck with your new case.


Dear Sara,

How you felt when you thought about starting a family at first is exactly how I feel. Starting a career that you truly have a passion for, and then being willing to give it up to devote your time 110% to your children. I cannot begin to imagine what it would be like to notice a string of bruises down your daughters back. What all started out as a simple observation turned out to be a very serious and fatal disease.As Kate layed on the table, anesthetized, I found it so interesting that you described Kate crying, even though she was sleeping. I wish you very much strength in the process of fighting off Kate's leukemia. I wish you could've been warned to hold on to the rest of your family as you are Kate...both Jesse and Anna are slipping from the family...and the worst part is, is that nobody seems to notice.

<3C

{Post A Week 2}

phlebotomist(31):a nurse or other health worker trained in drawing venous blood for testing or donation.

asbestos(38): a fibrous mineral, either amphibole or chrysotile, formerly used for making incombustible or fireproof articles.


"Trailing her spine, like a line of small blue jewels, are a string of bruises."(28)
This is figurative language because the bruises on Kate's back are being compared to a line of jewels. This is the first sign of Kate possibly having more of illness than just a cold.

"Tonight, Sara makes roast beef. It sits on the table like a sleeping infant as she calls us to dinner."(38)
This is an example of a simile because of the use of the word "like" to compare the what the food looks like sitting on the table to a small child.

"Look at my child, at the shine of her flyaway curls and the butterfly flight of her smile--this is not the face of someone dying by degrees."(34)
This is really good imagery for what Kate looks like as she is going through multiple tests to see what exactly is wrong with her. The mother, Sara, realizes that you don't have to be awake to cry when her young anesthetized daughter is crying on the table.

SIGNIFICANT QUOTE:

"This is when I realize that Anna has already left the table, and more importantly, that nobody noticed." (40)
I thought that this quote was really significant because this is essentially what the book is about...Anna feeling like the only reason she is part of the family is just to be her sister's lifeline.Anna goes out by herself and finds a lawyer to try and regain rights to her own body because she hates that every single time her sister ends up in the hospital, she does too. When Anna comes to the dinner table, obviously upset, her family barely seems to notice, and just continue what they were doing. It is her father who says the above, and realizes that there just might be something going on (considering Anna isn't wearing the locket that he gave her, and that she has rarely taken off since she was young).

PROBABLE THEME:

I think the theme is how tightly does family obligation bind one and to what extent should a person allow it before demanding freedom?

{Post B Week 1}

Dear Anna,

First of all, I cannot even begin to imagine what it is like for you to be a member of the family merely to be your sister's life support. I would grapple with the idea of not truly being wanted for the sake of having another child. I personally find it challenging with one other sibling—much more if I had two siblings, and they were the ones who were originally “wanted”. It seems like although you don’t see Jesse much, that you get along with him really well and he respects your more than just a living cell bank for your sister. Even though your mother says you’re special and because you hold the key to keeping your sister alive that it makes you that much more special doesn’t mean that you automatically feel part of the family. Mrs. Fitzgerald is always tending to Kate’s each and every whimper, often ignoring you. I guess that this is kind of understandable, but at the same time, you need attention to the same level that she does. Your undying love for your sister (even though she’s the reason why you were born in the first place!) is admirable. Like when she was having kidney pains, how you reached out over your bed for her hand so that she could have the comfort of knowing that you are there for you. It’s understandable for the two of you to be reliant on this kind of comfort, because if Kate is in the hospital, it automatically means that you are. Whenever something goes wrong with her, you have to be there in case she needs some sort of a transplant/transfusion, etc. Jesse calls you the “peace-keeper”. Although it is unfair to have you be born into a role, it’s a role that you have so far chosen to challenge.
Good luck,

<3C

{Post A Week 1}

Loupe (9): a small magnifying glass commonly used by jewelers or watchmakers.
primitive (17) Denoting or preserving the character of an early stage in the evolutionary or historical development.

"Actually, that's not quite true--right now she doesn't have it, but it's hibernating under her skin like a bear, until it decides to roar again." (10) This is an example of figurative language in the form of a simile because of the use of "like" to demonstrate a comparison. Anna is her sister's allogeneic donor, and currently, Kate doesn't have her leukemia, but this is how Anna is describing her sisters illness.

"The walls are paneled with wood the color of a chestnut mare's coat..."(16) Jodi Picoult compares the colour of the wood paneling with the colour of a horse's coat because it makes it easier for the reader to visualize the room the Anna and Jesse had just walked into.

"It is exactly the kind of case I want to avoid like the Black Plague--one which requires far too much effort and client baby-sitting. (20) The lawyer that Anna goes to does not take her seriously at first. He uses a simile to portray very clearly how strongly he feels about representing an eighth grader!

SIGNIFICANT QUOTE:
"See, unlike the rest of the world, I didn't get here by accident. And if your parents have you for a reason, that reason better exist. Because once it's gone, so are you." (8) Anna's purpose from the moment she was conceived in a scientific lab was to be a perfect genetic match for her sister, Kate.Anna feels that she deserves rights to her own body because she wants to free herself of the purpose of being a perfect genetic match and her sister's lifesaver.

PROBABLE THEME:
Is it okay to conceive children for the purpose of saving the ones who have already been born, and what message is this sending to the child?

Penelope is Holding Out For A Hero

Holding Out For A Hero--Frou Frou

I chose Penelope for my mortal in The Odyssey. She inspires me because she is so sure of her husband's return (even if it is "someday") and she is strong to that belief. She is even willing to unravel her weave just to prolong the amount of time Odysseus has to return and save her from having to remarry to a suitor. Even though we as the readers don't hear as much about Penelope as we do her son Telemachus, her faith in her husband's existence shows her strength of character. However, even though she shows strength in holding out for her husband, her vulnerability is shown when Athena sends the ghost (who is like her sister) to comfort an anxious Penelope, whose son has just left on a voyage to find word of her husband. Penelope can only so much as dream that her husband will return home safely, even though it has been an excruciating amount of time for him to be missing.

I chose the song Holding Out For A Hero, because that is exactly what Penelope is doing, she is holding out from marrying a suitor for her hero of a husband to come home. The title just seemed to fit her character and what is happening in her life seamlessly.

LYRICS:

Where have all the good men gone
And where are all the gods?
Where's the street-wise Hercules
To fight the rising odds?
Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?
Late at night toss and turn and dream of what I need

(Chorus)
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night
He's gotta be strong
And he's gotta be fast
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight
I need a hero
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light
He's gotta be sure
And it's gotta be soon
And he's gotta be larger than life


Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There's someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet

(Chorus)

Up where the mountains meet the heavens above
Out where the lightning splits the sea
I would swear that there's someone somewhere
Watching me

Through the wind and the chill and the rain
And the storm and the flood
I can feel his approach
Like the fire in my blood

(Chorus)

[Post B Week 7]

One of the greatest changes in the storyline so far has been Claire's active social life. She is now involved with the bartender. She has a lot of mixed feelings about being close to him, or even just spending time with him because of her deceased husband. When is it right to start seeing other people after the death of a spouse/significant other?
Claire's children also feel a need to be taken into consideration when it comes to their mother spending so much time with another man. They often ask her if she has kissed Frank or not, which causes Claire to question if persuing a new relationship is too soon. In fear of losing their mother, her kids (as well as a family friend's child--their family issues too are numerous)set up a back up plan, saving money and medication and making blueprints of the house that they are going to build in case their mother marries Frank and they have to be all on their own.
Claire's best friend, Donna, is also having marritial issues of her own, dealing with her drunk husband who is emotionally absent from the lives of both her and her children. Donna and Claire spend a lot of time at the local bar, where Claire's husband used to spend a large amount of his time, drinking his life away, and Claire would often come pay the tab and take him home. Arnold (Claire's now desceased husband) spent so much time at the bar, spilling all events that were happening at his home, with his wife, and with his children to the bartender, Frank.It seemed as if Frank already knew Claire, making it near impossible for her not to fall in love with someone who understood her so well with her putting little effort into the relationship.
I certainly hope that Claire does not give up on the relationship with Frank, despite the opinions of her children. I think that this is truly what Claire needs to help her move on and get the optimal closure from her husband's suicide.

[Post A Week 7]

VOCABULARY:

indignant(168): feeling or showing anger or annoyance

pointedly (189): expressing criticism in a direct

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE:

(1) "Kate's tiny red head bobbed like a buoy." (208)
This is an example of figurative language because Hornbacher is comparing Kate's head to a buoy using like or as--making it a similie.

(2) "Kate, Esau and Davey dangled off the furniture like melted candy." (203)
This is an example of figurative language because Kate, Esau and Davey aren't acutally melted candy. Hornbacher is making a comparison to better help the reader a better picture of how they behaved during the summer when it was hot. It is a similie because of the use of 'like' or 'as'.

(3)"They shruged in unison. They were like a two-headed monster."(172)
This too is an example of figurative language because Kate and Davey is not the name of a two headed monster, rather this is just how they looked because they behaved in unison.

SIGNIFICANT QUOTE:

" 'Tell you one thing,' he said, shaking his head. 'We don't get along so good, but I sure did love your momma. Time was, I'll tell you.' He put his arm on the back of the couch and petted Davey's head. 'I sure did.' He looked at Davey to see how he took this. 'Easy to love a woman,' he said. 'Not so easy, getting her to love you. See how it is?' " (260)

PROBABLE THEME:

The passage of grief and moving on after a family tragedy, and how it affects each minute of every passing day.