The Prince of Belair

Slaughterhouse 5

2009-04-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

For my final AP English novel, I chose Slaughterhouse Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. Several years ago I read Cat's Cradle (another vonnegut book) but sophomore english and really enjoyed it. So, this being his other classic, I figured it would be a good choice. Also, I knew it was a war book, focusing on the Dresden fire bombings, and though I have always had a ww2 interest, I know next to nothing about Dresden.

So far I am about 1/4 of the way through the book, and at this point do not know which direction my paper will lead. The story has been interesting, but the 1st chapter was written in Vonnegut's voice, recapping his life and slowly introducing the maine story, so it took a while to get used to his style. Also, once the actual story starts, it skips around the timeline almost like the first section of The Sound and The Fury. There could probably be a good comparison drawn between the two. A huge difference though is that Vonnegut's writing one can make sense of haha.

It should be interesting. I expect to finish in the next week or so.

My name is Yon Yonson
I come from Wisconsin
I work in a lumber mill there
The people I meet
When I walk down the street
They ask me my name and I say
My name is Yon Yonson, I come from Wisconsin

Slappin da Bass Maan

2009-04-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

Claude McKay was a Jamaican who immigrated to the United States in 1912. In his sonnet “America,” McKay uses constant imagery to share his feelings about his new country. The imagery is used to emphasize how despite McKay loves his country, he stands against the majority when it comes to certain issues. Though never mentioned, we can infer that the issue is race and its role in the US in the 1920's and 30's. However despite the maltreatment of African-Americans, McKay shows that he also understands the opportunities everyone has in America to influence the future.

The poem begins with a contradiction. "Although she feeds me bread of bitterness, And sinks into my throat her tiger's tooth, Stealing my breath of life, I will confess..." ok, he probably hates this place right? ”I love this cultured hell that tests my youth" (lines 1-4). So right off the bat there is a serious discrepancy in the feelings of the speaker, for why would you love anything that holds you back? Is there something addicting in this "cultured hell" that attracts him? Perhaps some sort of drug or lifestyle that has ups and downs. The speaker goes on to say that he stands "erect against her (America's) hate," (line 6) but only has the strength to do so because of the vigor and energy that being in America gives him. Therein is another contradiction, for we know he is fighting against the masses over the role of race, yet from those masses he gets the strength to fight. Maybe it’s a provocation thing.

In 1919 McKay joined a group of black radicals who created the African Blood Brotherhood. They were known to disagree with the nationalistic ideas of Marcus Garvey, preferring to remain in America and forge a place for themselves. That attitude can be seen in "America," as the speaker sees himself as a "rebel" (line 8). Obviously the speaker suffered some sort of persecution for his beliefs and was being punished for them, for he says, "As a rebel fronts a king in state, I stand within her walls" (lines 8-9). Through the persecution he endures, the speaker gains perspective.

The poem concludes, "Darkly I gaze into the days ahead, And see her might and granite wonders there, Beneath the touch of Time's unerring hand, Like priceless Treasures sinking in the sand" (lines 11-14). Here the speaker is referring to all the amazing accomplishments of America. Yet he believes that despite those great accomplishments, America is still doomed and will be viewed by history as a nation with great potential that failed due to intolerance (priceless treasures sinking in the sand).

Throughout "America" the use of imagery helps give the sense that the speaker is an introspective man, unafraid of speaking out with opinions different from the norm. He puts the idea/feeling of vigor into liquid form in line 5, saying "her (America's) vigor flows like tides into my blood" (line 5). Later he shares the result of standing up against the majority, "Her (America's) bigness sweeps my being like a flood" (line 7). Another example is when instead of simply saying how things change through history, McKay writes "beneath the touch of Time's unerring hand, Like priceless treasures sinking in the sand," (lines 13-14). Come on, that's legit.

I found the fact that this was written as a sonnet interesting because it seems like such a modern topic whereas sonnets seem so old fashioned and Shakespearean. Yet I feel that it made the topic more serious, and allowed for the speaker not to come off as a radical anti-government Joe the plumber person. (just kidding). Nonetheless, I feel that the message of the poem is very important. Americans tend to have sizable egos and remembering that all other great empires through history have fallen is important, even if we have accomplished so much.

This has been the Prince, layin down some knowledge.
Prince out.
(643)

Dolly the Sheep

2009-03-15T10:05:00.000-07:00

I really don't know how much the title relates to A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen, but it was the best of the several mediocre play on word things that came to mind.

First of all, I must say that this story is written in such a way that I find myself disliking Nora. Maybe it is because she seems all over the place in her emotions, but I just find it difficult to sympathize with her, even if the borrowing of money and forgery were done with fine moral justification. What I do find interesting though, is how her and Mrs. Linde's positions fluctuate almost correspondingly. In the begginning of the play, Mrs. Linde is a widow, having had no children, and having worked to support a sick mother and several young brothers. As her mother passes and her brothers age, her purpose for existance seems to fade. Nora, on the other hand, begins the play "holding all the cards." She is kind of happily married, has children, a successful husband, and even (secretly) contributed to saving his life. This gives her a secret sense of satisfaction, a sense of purpose if you will, something Mrs. Linde lacks. Then, in the concluding scenes of the play, we see Mrs. Linde join a family, attain children, and find past love. All this occurs while Nora decides that she wishes to leave her role as a mother and wife and live for herself. This shows for the first time in the play that a woman can have a sense of purpose outside of motherhood and housewifedom (that isn't a word but you get what i'm saying). That, i believe is the redeeming quality of Nora, for she almost surprisingly shows a strength which is not seen even in the more weathered Mrs. Linde. I suppose this makes the play feminist, but even if not, it definitely gives interesting insight into the roles of women in the 19th century and how one can deceive oneself into happiness. I don't know much about the actual role of women in the 1800's, for I always pictured them still being without much independence, so I suppose Nora should be looked up to, even after all the deception she deals in.

Hillbilly Willy

2009-03-08T09:46:00.000-07:00

No offense to the other members of my english class, but for some peculiar reason I found what I personally spoke about (willy and his garden) most interesting, so that I what I shall expand on in my blog.

We as readers only see a small segment of Willy's life, right at the end, but through flashbacks we also see several of his major disappointments in life, which he seems to constantly be thinking about. In the several day period of the play Willy seems to dwell on the things that went wrong in his life, so imagine if he had been doing this for years! No wonder he is depressed, for even though he is still in denial about it, Willy accomplished nothing significant in his life, for he himself is insignificant and mediocre. I believe that his desire to plant a garden can be deciphered two ways. The first is that the garden stands for his life, and at the end it is barren, devoid of any life or accomplishment, so he wishes, at the end to plant something (like his idea to kill himself so linda will receive his life insurance money). The other interpretation of the garden is that he wishes to leave something behind after he dies, so he plants some seeds, hoping to make some sort of a lasting impression on the world, which he had been unable to accomplish so far.

The fact is that Willy is a loser. Unlike the other salesman who had hundreds of people attend his funeral, only Willy's family and close friend attended his. When he goes in to see howard and ask for a job in the city, the fact that Howard is uncaring and unwilling to help willy shows that willy also has not left a lasting impression in his own workplace, despite having worked there for years.

So should we sympathize with willy? yes. In fact, it's hard not to. From his story we can see the consequences of not letting dreams go after they should be deemed unattainable, for then, not dealing with reality, we could become as out of touch as willy was.

This has been the Prince of Belair, laying down some mad insight.

Prince Out.

The Life of A Prince

2009-02-08T19:32:00.001-08:00

As the white version of the Prince of Bel Air, I find myself more qualified to comment on Hamlet then many others. Everyone in my English class has made good points throughout our discussion, but because none of them are princes or princesses, who are they to judge Hamlet and his actions?

Hence, I would like to take a minute to dispel several beliefs about Hamlet that I have encountered and believe are incorrect.

1. Hamlet wanted to die. Bullshit. No prince would ever want to die unless
a. he was about to married off to some hosey
b. his kingdom was going through a coup and he was losing power
c. he was about to be made king
d. someone was beating him in a war

otherwise, princes have totally sicknasty lives! I mean, just look at those two from england. It doesnt seem to me like they're too unhappy. I'm serious about the "about to be made king thing" too. that would really blow. all the functions, benefits, and responsibilities. Princes just get to party and screw around.

The only real perk of being king is that you're totally in charge, but then again, the only person who outranks a prince is the king. If i wasn't a prince, I'd probably still want to be nobility, like a knight. Ha, actually, every once in a while when i meet someone new Ill introduce myself as Sir Alexander beller, and they think i'm joking around.... which I am. But then I seriously tell them that my dad donated a bunch of money to some cause of the Crown like 20 years ago in england, and for that he was knighted, and so when he dies I actually will be Sir Alexander Beller. They key to getting people to believe is that I said my dad donated money (something simple and believable) opposed to saying he took a bullet for the king (or something ridiculous like that). Haha, that is one of my favorites.

Wow. off topic.

Hamlet.

Ok, I guess I just feel that hamlet should be cut a break. When someone is pretending to be crazy, OF COURSE they are going to lose touch with their feelings and actually become a bit crazy. Think of him as a method actor. OF Course he has to act crazy around ophelia, i mean, her dad is a snoop.

So i say, as a prince and one who can empathize much better then others with hamlet's position, CUT HIM A BREAK.
He's just a boy who's confused cause his uncle killed his daddy and married his mommy. In that position, I think anyone would be acting a little crazy, especially in the search for revenge.

No Response

2009-01-20T05:56:00.000-08:00

Maybe it was because we didn't spend much time on it, or maybe because I didn't read it Freshman year, but either way, Oedipus blew me away. I was not really expecting all that too happen. But, I guess we shouldn't expect anything less from one of the greatest tragedies of all time.

Honestly, I just feel bad for Oedipus. I mean, i guess curiosity kills the cat, or in this cause, ruins the life of the king, but still. All his crimes he seemed to do without any malice or evil in mind.

Perhaps we cannot escape our own fate. Perhaps zeus is more powerful then any god we have today. I may never know. Oedipus leaves me wondering about my own fate.

I am still a young lad with no particular skill set. I suppose my path for life hasn't been chosen. Or maybe it has been, only I am still unfamiliar with it. That's the thing though, I just feel bad for oedipus, cause he was a pretty cool dude. Just like myself. And his path was to be king, o wait, nope. He's going to be king, but also unknowingly kill his own father and doodle his mother. I mean, come on. Cut the guy a break. Then again, maybe that stuff has to happen to make up for all the fun one can have as king. Hmmm. There's some food for thought.

After all this, I guess the only thing I really want for myself is not to become king of anywhere. But prince would do. O yes, prince would do. Do you notice how much fun those 2 in england seem to have? its completely unfair. Maybe I could be prince for a day.....

Goodbye Mr. Barbarian

2008-12-07T13:10:00.000-08:00

Ok, So I honestly have no idea how to access JSTOR from my house, so I didn't read the article by Douglas Kerr (possible related to Steve Kerr? the worst thing ever to happen to Suns Basketball). I will read it tomorrow at school, so for now I'll simply write this blog on my own comparisons between Waiting for the Barbarians and Heart of Darkness. Who needs scholarly articles anyway when you have the analysis of one Alex Beller?

I guess the best place to start would be the titles. We can run down the checklist. Are both ominous? yes. Are both mysterious? yes. Are both sexual? ehh, not really. The mystery which can be percieved from the names of the two works of fiction is what i believe to be their main commonality. In Waiting for the Barbarians, citizens of the Empire associate the Barbarians with mystery. From this mystery stems fear, which brings the citizenry together (hating a common enemy). But, we have, um, what is the saying? beat the dead horse? Something like that. The point is that we have covered extensively in class how in Waiting for the Barbarians fear is used as a tool of unification.

In Heart of Darkness however, the mystery of Africa does not scare the European nations. Single europeans in Africa would be scared of the mysetry and forboding of the place, but at large, their society was not threatened as the Empire's was by the Barbarians. Europeans did not hate the African people, they were apathetic, secure in the future of their wealth and prosperity.

I hope i'm not being ambiguous, even though I'm sure that I am. Here is my point succinctly: in both Waiting for the Barbarians and Heart of Darkness mystery is a central theme. In Barbarians, it is seen as a motivator on a macro scale, while in Heart of Darkness mystery is something that Marlow experiences in his adventures. Get it?

I'll add in a few more paragraphs once I read that article.
Solid Semester Mr Coon, thanks for everything.

Beller Out.
Peace.

Well then...

2008-11-23T21:22:00.000-08:00

So far, I have been impressed with Waiting for the Barbarians for two reasons. The first of which is that I have truly enjoyed reading it, which I rarely experience when dealing with award winning novels. The second reason is that the narrator retains a great amount of dignity in the eyes of the reader despite his odd sexual pondering(s). Perhaps the dignity the character holds is due to his contrast with the colonel, or perhaps it is due to his position in the outpost as the magistrate. I personally believe his dignity is due to the gentle soul the narrator is shown to have.

His constant sexual judgments and conclusions come off as very human, and strangely not eccentric. Instead, I am left reading thoughts that could be anyone's. Well, maybe that is an extreme. Hence, we have arrived at perhaps the most interesting part of WFTB so far, the lack of historical detail. With no frame of reference, the beginning of the story was almost grinding to me, but Coetzee hooked me in with the narrator's thought process. The way he analyzes Joll's actions strikes me as such perfect examples of legitimate human behavior that it is difficult not to be sucked into the story.

The barbarian women he keeps with him is submissive, while not being submissive at all. The scene toward the end of the second section, the second of her sexual advances, is natural while being awkward. And that is essentially the beauty of Coetzee's writing: his ability to gently draw contradictions in actions and circumstances without overtly writing about internally conflicted characters, instead making them seem commonplace and average.

Perhaps that wasn't phrased too well, but I think you get what I'm sayin. No? Well, luckily we've only begun to discuss.

Peace

Conrad = Bigot, A Terminological Examination of Heart of Darkness

2008-11-18T05:34:00.000-08:00

"Race, Ethnicity, Nationality, Empire"
-Peter Edgerly Firchow-

"Because its alleged endorsement of racism has been the principal charge leveled against Heart of Darkness in the heated postcolonial critical debate of the last two decades-followed by the more attentuated charge of really supporting imperialism while seeming to subvert if- it seems advisable and and even necessary to first clear the terminological ground before starting off on any discussion as to whether or how or to what degree Heart Of Darkness is or is not racist and imperialist."

• When Conrad was writing, the word Racism did not exist, so though this doesn’t mean that racism itself was not present, it meant that people back then thought differently about the subject.
• The ideas of racism were so inherent and widespread that a word to characterize it was not needed.
• The first word with negative connotations was “racialism,” which entered into vocabulary in 1907.
o Definition: belief in the supervisory of a particular race leading to prejudice and antagonism towards people of other races, especially those in close proximity who may be felt as a threat to one’s cultural and racial integrity to economic well-being.
o This does not describe the attitudes exhibited in Heart of Darkness, for the Europeans didn’t feel their culture or economy to be significantly threatened by Africans.
• In his other works, it can be seen that Conrad doesn’t like Germans, Russians, Dutch, Belgians, Arabs, North Americans, and Irish people as much as he likes the English, Scottish, Malay, or French people. These “rankings” were not unusual at these times.
• As Englishmen became more exposed to racial minorities, texts show they began to like them less.
• For Conrad, race and imperialism were inclusive words without the negative connotations that are associated with them today, after the holocaust.

A Tearful Goodbye

2008-11-06T08:11:00.000-08:00

The Sound and the Fury was an interesting read, to say the least. Had it not been in the supportive environment of an English there is no doubt that I would not have read beyond the second page, the fist section, and the rest of the novel for that matter being so complex. But, looking back on the past month or so, I guess it has been a good experience because now I will always win the most confusing book read contest.

The book provided me closure through its focus on Dilsey. After enduring the characters’ assorted flaws during the first three sections of the book, the fourth section focuses on Dilsey, a down to earth character. This gives the reader a grounded sense with which the book ends. I think this is very important, because it allows the reader to truly see a stark contrast between the craziness in the family, and the normalcy outside of it. I feel as if Dilsey is the only character I would have trusted to raise me.

The Noise and the Anger

2008-10-26T15:04:00.000-07:00

Citation:
Stacy Burton
Modern Philology, Vol. 98, No. 4 (May, 2001), pp. 604-628
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/439123

There were two passages of this article that I found interesting, the first of which applied to the influence of Faulkner's re readings of The Sound and The Fury. The author claims that due to how obscure the original work is, "In over half a century of criticism since the Anthology first appeared... most of the best known phrases and lines of interpretation in The Sound and the Fury criticism come from Faulkner's retrospective comments rather than from the novel itself."

That major claim! For if a work is so complex that only the author makes significant commentary on it, is it perhaps too complex? It also seems to me that in class we have realized several of the main themes of the book, even if we are still puzzled by sections here or there. For instance the overarching theme of a Caddy-centric existence is something that our class has been talking about. So far, the first three sections of the book have covered the three brothers, two of which are obsessed with Caddy, the third of which is obsessed with deceiving her.

I guess that means I disagree with the author's claim, despite the fact that he admits that, "His own re readings of the novel did not in fact quickly become accepted as basic premises in Faulkner commentary." Though I must plead ignorance about the majority of the literary criticism on the novel, I still disagree with the author's claim.

The second passage I found simply puzzling. Here, the author is giving a direct example about how influential Faulkner's re readings were, "the claim that Quentin loved not his sister's body but some concept of Compson honor precariously (and he knew well) only temporarily supported by the minute fragile membrane of her maidenhood."

My conjecture is that the author is discussing how even though Quentin and Benjy both wish for their sister's body to be more pure, Quentin actually does not care about her body, only of her virginity, which no longer exists, hence the word, "temporary." His wording confuses me, and the only reason I am able to put together that much is because he is talking about what Quentin loved and that, chances are, is Caddy.

The article simply reinforced the belief that The Sound and The Fury is very difficult to read, which surprisingly I was already familiar with. More importantly though, it spoke of how the only person who truly has complete understanding of any work of fiction is the author themselves, which I guess, really makes sense.

The Significance of a Yes Man

2008-09-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

Alex Beller
9/23/08
814

On the surface, "Battle Royal" is a story which tells of a young African-American individual caught in an extremely bizarre and terrifying circumstance, in which he is brought to a meeting of influential white people to make a speech, and ends up being part of a Battle Royal between himself and other young black men. This Royal serves as entertainment for the white folk, whose actions continue to disgust the reader throughout the story.

The white men's treatment of the black men is comparable to how someone might treat lesser creatures, but the narrator endures, all the time considering how his grandfather, on his dying bed, stated how he wants his descendants to treat white people in what he calls, "our war," (627). His grandfather's wishes were to, "Live with your head in the lion's mouth. I want you to overcome 'em with yeses, undermine 'em with grins, agree 'em to death and destruction, let 'em swoller you till they vomit or bust wide open," (627). The Narrator, whose name we do not seem to learn, is puzzled by this throughout his life, until the Battle Royal, after which it seems he has begun to understand, or at least experienced his grandfather's advice: please the white man, but only to get ahead, for you and him are still enemies.

During the evening the black men were subjected to several different pressures and abuses. While only brought to the event to fight in a large group as entertainment, they were forced to watch a naked white woman dance, which though to some might not sound so bad, puts them, being in the late 40's, in a very dangerous position in terms of looking at her or caught being "attracted." Once the uncomfortable sexual experience passed, the men were blindfolded and told to fight, continuing the testosterone satisfying rage that was the evening's entertainment. The Narrator was pressured to fight, even though brought in to be an honored speaker, which illustrates the blatant racism in the group of white men, for if an honored white speaker were to come to this meeting, he would be treated with respect, not asked to take part in a blind boxing match, or anything of the sort. During this physical abuse, verbal abuses also began, as things were shouted like, "let me at that big nigger!" or "Uppercut him! Kill Him! Kill that big boy!" (531). These added to the stress of the situation, during which the narrator was dominated by the nine other boys, who had teamed up and made a plan against him. After that session of physical abuse is completed, coins are thrown onto the carpet as tips for all the fighters, yet when the fighter's try to gather up the coins, the mat on which the coins lie electrocute the men. Physical torture in the search for entertainment is what these white men stooped to. Yet even the electrocution does not end the abuse, for after he fights, and is repeatedly electrocuted, the narrator, referred to only once as, "Sammy" is ignored and disrespected during his speech (534). Quite a day for a young lad. Yet through the abuses the narrator finally delivers his speech, after which he receives his scholarship. This moment is key to the entire story, for it demonstrates two points. The first of which is that the white men, saying that, "someday he'll lead his people in the proper paths" (535), didn’t think of the narrator the same as they did the other black boys, yet they treated him the same. The other was that his grandfather was right. Being the "yes man" would lead to recognition from the white man, but one still can't lose sight of the first point, that they will still treat you inhumanely.

A ladder of social class is something that can be seen in societies from the caste system of old, to American society today. After reading "Battle Royal," one must stop and consider the actions of every group in the story, and their place on the ladder because of it. The white men were vulgar, mean, abusive, and in complete control of society. The narrator had, "overcome 'em with yeses," (527), and he was moving up (had just received a scholarship). The people at the bottom of this chain of respect and power were the young black men, trying simply to earn some money. In terms of the levels of respect I personally would give each group, I say that society should be turned upside down.

http://www.apfreshonline.com/pages_aboutUs_SL.asp?display=all&return_location=pages_myAP_WS#locations

2008-09-21T12:10:00.000-07:00

Yes, that is a map and a list of every single A & P in existence. The self description that can be found on their website is also very telling, "A&P stores in Metro New York are delighting customers with aisle after aisle of outstanding products, including the finest array of fruits, vegetables, deli, and other fresh foods available anywhere."

Myself never having been inside an A&P, I can't confirm or deny the truth of that description, but the tone it gives off meshes quite well with the atmosphere of the A&P portrayed in A&P, by John Updike. Personally, this is one of the stories I have found most enjoyable this year, not only because of its humorous moments, but because of how easy it is to relate to the main character's thoughts and feelings.

Humor in this piece is vital to its "survival" as a short story, because that's what keeps it from people simply reading about a kind of creepy, slightly judgmental teenager who seemingly quits his job despite the fact that he will regret it. An example of this can be found in the very first paragraph, "I ring it up again and the customer starts giving me hell. She's one of these Cash-register-watchers, WITCH about fifty with rouge on her cheekbones and no eyebrows, and I know it made her day to trip me up." Seriously: hahahaha. What also helps retain the humor's value is the fact that the boy is Sammy is a young 19, and his friend Stokesie is only 22, allowing for their immaturity to run free.

Another interesting feature of this story is Sammy's description of the girls. When thinking about the one later labeled, "Queenie," the girl seemingly in charge, he justifies her entering the A&P with a "prim," face, for, "Walking into the A&P with your straps down, I suppose that's the only kind of face you can have."

I understand the boy's fascination with these girls. It comes mostly from the strict environmental contrast. At the beach, there would be nothing that special about these girls to make them stand out. Yet, here, in the stuffy environment of the A&P, with a bunch of "sheep," customers and the occasional cash-register-watcher, any female with a bit of skin showing would probably have the focus of the entire store. So it is only natural, after working register for possibly many straight hours, that our boy Sammy is tired, on edge, and in need of some excitement that isn't someone yelling at him.

Lastly, there is a quitting scene. In the last sentence, Sammy recognizes how hard the world will become after quitting, yet he still goes through with it, even when his boss Lengel urges him not to. But the best part of this scene, (let's go back to the humor!) is when Sammy describes how the customers react to his public quitting after Lengel speaks to the girls walking around HIS store in bikinis. "A couple customers that had been heading for my slot begin to knock against each other, like scared pigs in a chute. Hahaha. I love Updike's style.

Alex Beller
9/21/08
521

Parents argue over who should take their kids to the toilet.

2008-09-14T09:00:00.000-07:00

That's how it actually starts.
Interpreter of Maladies. From the first sentence one could form a conjecture that this story is about the maladies that can be associated with intense diarrhea. Luckily, for the classes around the world that read this story, assorted difficult poop experiences are not what make up the central plot. Instead, it delves into the complex emotions over that attraction offered by someone who you can relate to.

Jhumpa Lahiri, who I'm sure never got any crap in school for that name, weaves together a story in which Mr. Kapasi, a simpleminded tour guide from the heart of India, becomes quite intoxicated with the mother of one of the families in which he is guiding. TO say the least, any sort of relationship between them would brake the holy bond of tour guide and tourist. But O how he pines for her! And this "pining" is born mostly from her lack of connection to her husband and her interest in Mr. Kapasi. Mr. Kapasi, also uninterested in his wife, (both were matches made in Indian tradition) finds the witty and disconnected, even if slightly plump Mrs. Das to be something he covets.

My personal favorite scene was the Monkeys in the Trees. These goofy critters were fun... up until the point where they tried to eat the little boy. At that point the scene becomes not so funny as the little boy, who gave the monkey the stick in the first place, begins to be beaten by the very same monkey whom he gave the stick to. Ah, is there a greater tragedy then that of betrayal? I think not.

I would compare it to, perhaps, a father teaching his young son the basics of the great game of baseball. And the son, once handed the bat, starts beating his father with it, instead of trying to hit the ball. Tragic, to say the least.

Lastly, perhaps the most interesting interaction in this story, is that between Mrs. Das and Mr. Kapasi, which I personally have labeled, "The Great Confession." Here Mrs. Das spills her innermost feelings, secrets, and desires, to this nobody, this weekend tour guide, this Mr. Kapasi, only a translator in a doctor's office. It's intense, to say the least.

As i reflect on what I consider to be a fairly intense read, I can't stop myself from thinking, "though Mr. Kapasi's interest and feelings for Mrs. Das seem genuine and believable, the sudden exposure of Mrs. Das's feelings seems forced and not very believable. And that really ruined the story for me, because up until that point I had been thoroughly enjoying it.

Summer Reading Ball Four

2008-08-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

I know that those who subscribe to the belief, "baseball is life, the rest is just details," have a few different bibles. Some declare that they live by the baseball encyclopedia, others by the numerous accounts of Bill James and his statistical genius. Some others would even say that Moneyball was their favorite baseball book of all time. But one thing all can agree on, is that no other book gives better insight into the way the game is truly played then Ball Four, written by Jim Bouton. I of course, am not even finished with it yet.

My lack of completion of this memoir is not however due to boredom with the content of the book, but simply due to the lack of a good bookmark, so I have to keep starting further and further back, unsure of where I left off previously.

The form in which the book is comprised is quite unique, for, each day is of the diary is filled with anything from a funny anecdote to baseball insights to the author's worries about his health and ability. It was due to the honesty with which the author wrote however, that an enormous outcry by the sporting community took place with its publication. Children's heroes, such as Mickey Mantle, were brought down off their pedestal of being a perfect person and shown to be just as alcoholic and dirty as the rest of the country. Though, of course, they were still high up on the pedestal of baseball greatness. Yet, many were offended by the book's "inappropriate" displays, but many were also drawn to the sport because of it. Due to its portrayal of baseball heroes as human, it makes greatness more accessible for the common man.

My personal favorite series of anecdotes Bouton shares is those toward the beginning pertaining to his contract negotiations while with the New York Yankees, who he and his father had suckered into offering him a contract in the first place. The nerve Bouton displays and the response of the Yankees general manager, Ralph Houk, is like an exchange pulled from a movie script, and I could not stop laughing.

I'm not a huge reader, so other than the required summer reading, Ball Four and Robinson Crusoe are the only books I read this past summer.

Mr. Coon, freshman year I did bi weekly assignments called journals which were also 500 word responses to a certain question posed about readings we did. Above is a kind of sample of that, written in that informal style simply out of habit for this type of assignment. I was wondering what I could do to improve on these blogs or if this is acceptable.

A Beller