January Book Review

Character Study: January Book Review
Ghost Girl by Torey Hayden is different from any other book I have ever read especially because of its unique topic. Since the story is actually not fiction at all, but based on true events from the author’s life, I found that the descriptions of the characters were crucial in the way the story was presented and the way it affected me as a reader. Two main characters are the focus of this book: the author herself, a psychologist and teacher, and a little girl in the special education class at her new school named Jadie who Torey is helping to get through her elective-mutism and trauma from abuse.
1. Jadie’s appearance is vividly described as messy, disheveled, and uncared for. She has dark scraggly hair and mysterious eyes, but there is still an eerie beauty about her. Her posture is also strange in that she hunches herself over as far as she can and, therefore, is forced to tilt her head upward in an awkward position to look at anything. Although the author does not describe her own appearance, I imagine her as an average looking woman with a caring, soft look in her eyes. I actually didn’t realize until I had read quite a few pages into the book that it was based on true events in the author’s life. At first, I thought that the narrator was a man.
2. Jadie’s personality is complicated and influenced by numerous factors. She seems shy and sad at first, but at times shows that she is wild and child-like. Her personality, to me, is kind-of all over the place. There is no telling what she is actually thinking or what is just her reaction to the abuse she endured. Torey’s personality is evident in the way she treats her coworkers and students. She is loving, caring, and compassionate. Everything she did was honest, and she always seemed to follow her gut feelings. By not ignoring the horrible things that Jadie confessed to her, she showed that she is a person who always attempts to do good and help others. She was also very honest with people and true to herself even when it was difficult to confront certain issues. Her work also plays a large part in her personality, and she, as a character, was portrayed as someone who works hard, cares about the people involved in her job, and lives in her job, it being the most important aspect of her life.
3. The abuse is an obvious motivation for Jadie. Her elective-mutism, her stories, her behavior, her demeanor, and everything else is all a result of the abuse and the impact of her abusers. She does what they tell her and learns about life and actions from them, but she also expresses feelings against them as well. Being hurt and miserable was probably the biggest motivation for her to reveal her secret along with the comfort and reassurance that Hayden provided for her. Hayden’s motivations lie in her nature. She could not allow the abuse to go on any longer because in her eyes it was wrong. Her desire to help Jadie motivated her to pursue the matter until it was taken care of.
4. Jadie faces what could even be a life or death conflict. Her abuser’s threats forced her not to tell on them and save herself and others from the abuse while Torey’s advice persuaded her towards bringing matters out into the open. She had to choose between allowing her life to continue down the road that haunted her or to fight it and completely start over. She did eventually choose to confide in Torey and to improve her life, even if it was difficult. This decision had a wonderful outcome. Jadie was able to move on with her life and be happy (helping her sisters as well). Torey faced even more difficult decisions along with pressures from everyone around her. The way everything made her look and other’s opinions of her and her ordeal played a major role in her actions. Eventually she followed her own beliefs and did everything in her power to bring the case to light how she believed it really was despite the feelings of those involved and the community. This was successful because, although nothing was ever proven, it did allow the children to be safe and live lives with opportunities. It was lucky for the children that she chose to ignore any criticism and work to the full extent of her power to help them.
5. Jadie went from quiet and a complete mystery to a strange, wild, and provocative child. She changed her attitude and was much more open. As she progressed, she was able to overcome some of her irrational fears, and in the epilogue it is said that she now lives a successful and normal life- the result of a complete transformation. Torey changed in that she had to force herself to deal with an issue she had never faced before. Her mind opened more and more throughout the story, and she learned to deal with a whole new set of problems in a different and unique way than that of the rest of her work prior.
6. I only feel a personal connection with Jadie through her desire not to speak, even though it is not in any context near hers. I think that sometimes that does seem like the only thing to do when dealing with problems appears to difficult. I cannot relate to her abuse, but I do find it interesting and intriguing. It also makes me feel sorrow and compassion towards her and any others in her type of position. I feel much more connected with Torey through her helping other people even when it’s difficult. Empathy is something I feel for the characters whom Hayden also felt a deep consideration for. People can change lives. Just as she changed Jadie’s life immensely, I feel like, through my actions, I could also have a strong impact on the lives of others. I also recognize that her field of work has become an interest of mine as well.
7. Without these two characters there is no story. The way they were presented was so truthful and real that there could not have been any other way to portray them than what they really were. This writing could be no more effective than it is since it is a well-told story of people who actually existed as they are depicted in the book. The characters and their one-of-a-kind personalities and qualities made the book powerful in every way. The impact of the writing in this book including the character descriptions influenced me in many ways, but the fact that it is true blows me away completely.

My Suggestion

I don't necessarily think that everyone should read Of Mice and Men because it may not match the person's literary interests. I don't think there is a book that absolutely every person would like, but I do believe that, especially for people my age, this is a must-read. It is not a huge commitment or anything. It is short and simple, and the author writes in a style all his own about unique subjects that also depict characteristics of time periods in our history. This book was able to tug at my heart and emotions, and I think that any book that can do that has a plot worth reading. Although, for some, the characters, their experiences, and this story may be a little too sensitive a topic involving too many feelings, I trully enjoyed the way the end of the book made me question myself. What did I think of what happened and how the characters dealt with it? How did I understand their relationships? Was it fair, and is life itself fair? Why are people the way they are? Do things happen for a reason? ..... Not only did this story allow me to make decisions for myself concerning the events and my understanding of them, it was also filled with tragedy, love, friendships, violence, despair, and even murder, which makes me think that it would be enjoyed by just about any one of my classmates.

Book Review: Of Mice and Men

Author John Steinbeck wrote Of Mice and Men in 1937; a well-known story written simply yet portraying deep meanings, expressing major themes, and demonstrating tragic circumstances, the plot of the story, the characters involved, the simplistic vocabulary and structure used, and the symbolism applied create a story that will leave readers in tears and without headaches. Not only is this book less than difficult, but the events are chilling and heartbreaking, involving the reader in a profound way.
The story begins as two men, George and Lennie, who have struggled with numerous hardships in their lives, are preparing to work at a new ranch (since they were forced by unfortunate events to abandon the previous one). Lennie, despite being tenderhearted, is not bright – a mental disorder is implied. George, through a promise to a friend, has become Lennie’s friend and caretaker. Although he sometimes loses his temper and expresses his wish to pursue a life free of the burdens, George cares deeply for Lennie. Dreams of a new life with simple pleasures and happiness give Lennie hope and even influence George from time to time as he repeats them to Lennie. New friends the men find in the other workers become thoroughly involved as the plot continues. Since Lennie, a massive and physically powerful man, cannot keep mice as pets (he always kills them because he loves to stroke them but is too forceful to do so), George decides it will be acceptable for him to care for a puppy instead. It should have been evident that warnings would not be enough. Even though he is gentle in nature, Lennie has difficulty remembering instructions and understanding some situations, and they often times lead to trouble. When things go too far, Lennie is helpless. For his friend, George is forced to deal with an unexpected situation in a way he never could have imagined.
Since John Steinbeck was born in Salinas, California, it is obvious that his childhood home and personal experiences influenced his writing, especially in this case. Having worked as a hired hand, the plot of this story and its characters came straight from Steinbeck’s own life. Dealing on an intimate level with desperately poor California wanderers, as was a pattern in Steinbeck’s work, the novel is based during the Depression-era and confronts the economic conditions of the times with the situation of the victimized workers George and Lennie. The work is sometimes criticized for being too sentimental, depicting an overly moralistic lesson, and using a terribly deterministic plot. Although some thought that the point of the novel became more significant that the people involved in the story, Steinbeck was still thought of as one of the greatest authors of his time and even won a Pulitzer Prize.
Cruelty and uncontrollable circumstances may have ended George and Lennie’s story in tragedy, but their steadfast love and compassion is still a heartwarming theme of the novel. No matter what was going on the two still cared for each other and were only concerned for one another. In the most difficult of conditions, they did what was best for each other, in George’s case, and tried to make it up to each other, in Lennie’s case. In a lonely world, they each had a friend who would always be there.
Some themes used in this novel are as follows: the predatory nature of human existence, fraternity and the idealized male friendship, and the impossibility of the American dream. Loneliness and isolation cause the characters in the book to become vulnerable which causes most of their actions. Human nature forces the characters to helplessly search for companionship and to eliminate those who appear weak. Relationships between friends also play a large role; it seems to me that, although they really aren’t, George and Lennie seem like brothers. Life is never perfect, and it never will be; at the end of the story, it is clear that this is true no matter how hopeful one is. Things just happen. The corruption caused by women, Curly’s wife; the search for companionship in loneliness; and the struggle between strength and weakness help to develop these major themes as motifs.
George and Lennie’s farm, Lennie’s puppy, and Candy’s dog are all symbolic in this story. The possibilities of freedom and protection from the type of life they were living was represented by the dream farm. Strength and predatory powers are shown through the puppy’s accidental death and the unavoidable fate death is shown through Candy’s dog’s own cruel demise. These symbols provide concepts that achieve the purpose of the book.

Sources
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/micemen/context.html
I used this website for information about the themes of this book. It really helped me to understand why the author wrote it and its major points as well.
http://www.universalteacher.org.uk/prose/ofmiceandmen.htm
This site provides virtually every piece of information I could think of. It thoroughly explains the characters, events, and concepts of the book, and it gives links at the top to different parts of the page so nothing is difficult to find.
http://www.ciao.co.uk/John_Steinbeck_Of_Mice_and_Men__34051
This site contains over 30 well-written and thought out reviews of this book. It also has links to be used for studying purposes.
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/johnstei.htm
The author is the main focus of this site. It is almost a timeline as it goes through his life in relation to the books at the time he wrote them. His intentions with each book are made much clearer.
My own opinion
I thought that even though this book did not contain a ton of flowery language and difficult sentences and vocabulary, that everyone should read it. This is not only because it is a classic. The simple way it is written and the amount of dialogue makes the mood and roles of characters quite impactful. It is not difficult to understand but still provides an immense deal of description about events, settings, and characters. The story tears at my heart and reminds me of certain aspects of life I sometimes forget.

Small Town Mentality

I love living in a small town, and I am definitely planning to live in the area later in life, but there are some aspects of living here that I sometimes feel held back by. Even though this is absolutely the one of the best places to raise a family and go to school, etc., I think that sometimes it is hard to imagine myself doing anything unique from here. I do believe that you can go anywhere from a rural state because there are numerous examples of people who have had amazing success at pretty much everything from here, but sometimes I feel like I have to adjust my goals according to what everyone will think of them. I don't want to say that there are a lot of judgmental people, but I don't feel like I could ever go out and say that I was going to go to Harvard, be a professional dancer, or be a famous actress, or whatever other farfetched goals I might have. Although some things are unlikely, it doesn't mean we have to rule them out or settle for something below our expectations or potential. I think this applies to all of us. We could do anything we want and I hate to think that we would give up just because not many aspire to such things or because we are pressured to stay in a rural state. Like I said, I love it here. It is beautiful and the people are friendly. We have good values and, of course, take part in lots of fun activities. I just hope that people realize what they are capable of. I worry that we aren't exposed to anything other than what we already know. Where we live should not affect our goals, and no one should be embarassed to tell people their aspirations. Just because they aren't likely does not mean that they are impossible.

Thanks!

Hey! I really appreciate all of the comments I received on my blog. It is really helpful to know what everyone thought of the sites. I know they're pretty lengthy, but some of them are really useful. Although some of them don't directly apply to our questions, I think that a general knowledge of the events and certain concepts could assist us in knowledgably writing our class essay. Even though some of my witch hunt examples aren't in the United States, some of the characteristics compare and could provide even more information on what type of people it takes to instigate or be the victim of a witch hunt, the places (situations) in which they occur, and the types of actions taken during them. There are so many aspects that lead to them that it is hard to think they are random happenings, but at the same time it seems with a little chaos anyone and everyone could be involved in some way with something similar to these events. I have way too many thoughts about my personal answers for our three questions, but I promise I'll think them over and keep them extra clear and concise.

My Opinion on The Crucible and Witch Hunts

Now that I have read through everyone's websites I am starting to formulate my own opinion about the three questions we have to answer. It is apparent that Miller wrote the Crucible to show that history has repeated itself and continues to do so. I think he proved a point with the book that showed people what mass hysteria and chaos can turn into and how irrational everyone became. I am impressed that he thought of the idea because before this I had never even considered anything but the Salem Witch Trials witch hunts before this, and now I see that almost every instance when a group or individual treats another group or individual differently. Even bullying in high school could and, in my opinion, should be considered a witch hunt. Prejudice is an obvious cause along with racism and other similar ideas felt by people. Judging someone could, surprisingly, be the start of a witch hunt. But back to Miller...it is a very clever comparison and makes the stupidity of such events evident. Maybe it played a part in revealing and remedying such events, and maybe it will continue to help the problems that still exist and will continue to exist...