Mr_Shank

The Bean Trees begins with the main character, Taylor, who lives in Kentucky. She stresses that she wants to avoid pregnancy, and get out of the town. One thing that scares her are tires because of what happened to a classmate of her’s. She begins to work at a hospital, a job that her science teacher offered. Another classmate of her’s was Jolene, who she saw in the hospital with a bullet wound. This affected her, but she said to herself, “this is the worst I’m going to see, so I won’t quit my job.” She then buys herself a Volkswagen “bug” and leaves Pittman for good. She was searching for a new life. She decided whatever town she ran out of gas in would be her new name. The town was called Taylorville, thus making her name Taylor. When her car breaks down in the Cherokee Nation or Oklahoma, a women gives her a baby and tells her to keep it. She doesn’t, and takes the baby to a motel, convinces the lady to let them stay there, and gives her a bath. She saw that the child had been sexually abused and feels for her. The next chapter goes to a new character’s perspective. Her name is LouAnn, and she is a similar character to Taylor in the fact that she is a single mother. Her husband Angel has just left her. After his leg was amputated he accused her of wanting to sleep with other men. She goes to the doctor and wants to make sure that her baby would not be born on Christmas. The doctor informs her that she needs to lose weight.She stops at a Market to get food, and someone says that she will have a baby girl. They say that she is rasing a child that will go into someone else’s family. She is offended and left. She goes home very sad and realizes who Angel really was with the items he took with him. Her feet hurt a lot and she cries as the chapter ends. Taylor stays at the motel through Christmas, and names her child Turtle, due to her firm grip. They reach Arizona, and she likes the view so much, she decides to stay. Taylor and her baby go into the tire store and have something to eat. Taylor does not like the bad pictures and mug that she drinks out of. An Indian priest comes in, seems nervous, and leaves pretty fast. Taylor admires the owner Mattie, who owns her own store, and runs a business. They see the garden she has out back, and like it. Tucson seems like a distant country to Taylor. She stays at a cheep hotel and looks at a museum. Taylor was interested in a job at the hospital, but was turned down. A women named Sandi loves the Kentucky Derby and was fascinated by Taylor being from Kentucky. In chapter four, LouAnn is narrating again. Her mom and grandma have come to visit her. Angle moves back in as a cover up to make it appear that they are still together. Her grandmother takes out water that she was baptized with and tells her to use it to baptize Dwayne Ray. The two women leave, and she imagines herself going back to Kentucky with them. She is agitated by the fact that she kept a lie the whole week to her mother and grandmother. She nurses Dwayne Ray when she gets home. Angle walks in, smelling like beer, and when he asked what was in the bottle, LouAnn tells him it is water to baptize Dwayne Ray. After hearing it was from Kentucky, he pours it down the drain. Key terms:

Taylorville- I think this is important to the story because it is the name of the town she ran out of gas in. It is also the name that she chose, and I thought it was a unique way of doing this.

Turtle- Once again, she named something that had meaning, and her child was named Turtle. Instead of picking a common name, she chose one that related to the baby. This reveals a lot about Taylor.Moony- This was used by Taylor to describe what she felt about her teacher. I thought it was interesting because I’ve never heard that before. It means that they are crazy about him.

Rocker arm- Taylor said this when the man “straightened out my rocker arm.” This was after her car broke down and it means her broken car. Once again, I had not heard this before.

Doohickey- Taylor said this about the thing that the air goes in on the tire. I found it funny because that is how they talk, and we sometimes make fun of that.

Some questions I have are how does the plot affect how the book is understood? There are two different points of view, in two different stories. Why would the author do this? Do you think that they will overlap; the characters seem very much alike. What are some predictions that will happen next to either LouAnn, Taylor, or even Turtle?

-Dan

Chapter 1 -

Words to Watch -

vis-à-vis (French) – face to face (Mr. Lockwood was left with the dogs at the end of page 4, just in case anyone didn’t know what it meant)

impertinence – unmannerly intrusion or presumption; irrelevance, absurdity (Mr. Lockwood says, at the bottom of page 3, about Mr. Heathcliff, “He’ll love and hate equally under cover, and esteem it to a species of impertinence to be loved or hated again.”)

Summary -

Lockwood is a dweller in Thrushcross Grange, the estate which Heathcliff owns. The locals call it this Wuthering Heights, describing the fierce winds that go on there. Heathcliff seems to keep an eye on Lockwood, and leaves him alone with all the snarling watchdogs, and is saved by one of the housekeepers. Heathcliff returns, and although he is angry with him, Lockwood offers to return tomorrow.

Chapter 2 -

Words to Watch -

countenance – appearance, or the expression on one’s face (When Lockwood is greeted by the woman, he goes on to describe her looks and figure, middle of pg.8 )

vehemence – vigorous impetuosity or fury (Lockwood goes on to curse the inhabitants of Wuthering Heights after he’s attacked by the dogs, going into a whole spiel of rage, which brings on the nosebleed)

Summary –

Lockwood ends up walking the four miles to Wuthering Heights, and arrives just when it starts to snow. No one answeres when he knocks, and Joseph calls out from the barn that Heathcliff isn’t home. A male keeper lets him in, and he is greeted by who he thinks is Heathcliff’s wife. When he tries to talk to her, she respondes rudely. He notices that she is barely out of girlhood, probably in her late teens. Heathcliff shows up, and corrects Lockwood, the girl is his daughter-in-law. He assumes the man that let him in is Heathcliff’s son, which he is not, and Heathcliff corrects him again – he’s Hareton Earnshaw. The woman is the widow of Heathcliff’s late son. By the time Lockwood is ready to leave, the flurries have become a blizzard, and he insists on finding his way off the property by lantern, saying he’ll return it in the morning. Joseph sees him trekking through the snow and lets the dogs loose on him. Lockwood is forced to stay the night at Wuthering Heights as result of a nosebleed.

Chapter 3 -

Words to Watch -

vapid – lacking or completely at a loss of liveliness or spirit (When Lockwood is escorted to the room, he dully wanderes over to the bed, at a complete dead pace attitude, pg. 16 )

lachrymose – mournful (While reading, Lockwood comes across an entry where Catherine is very upset about how horribly she is being treated, and talks about how her head aches, and how Hindley is basically disowning Heathcliff)

Sunmmary -

Zillah, the housemaid, leads Lockwood to an ‘off-limits’ room, where on the bed ledge, there are three names, Catherine Earnshaw, Catherine Linton, and Catherine Heathcliff. He also finds Catherine Earnshaw’s diary from about 25 years earlier. He reads some, coming across a day shortly after her father died, and describes the day at Wuthering Heights. The entry goes on about her cruel older brother that forces her and Heathcliff to endure Joseph’s lectures. During his sleep, Lockwood has two nightmares, and wakes up from the second, but is still partially asleep. He goes to break the branch that’s tapping on the window, and envisions the branch as a ghost hand, that sobs for Catherine Linton, and demands to be let in. He sreams and Heathcliff rushes in, and demands that the room is not haunted, and Lockwood storms off. Heathcliff is left crying out to Catherine to come back. Heathcliff treats his dauaghter-in-law cruelly the next morning, and later takes Lockwood home, returning to his servants, who welcome him joyfully, thinking he was dead in the storm. Lockwood retreats by his lonesome, though, and avoids human company.

Chapter 4 -

Words to Watch –

recompence – to repay as a service, or aid (While Nelly is telling about WH, she confesses and is kicked out of the house)

Summary –

Lockwood is now lonely, and when his housekeeper, Nelly, brings food, he explains the history of the people at Wuthering Heights. She tries to clear up the relationships that were present in the manor – that young Catherine (the one Lockwood met) is the daughter of the Catherine that was Nelly’s first mistress at WH, and Hareton Earnshaw is young Catherine’s cousin (and the older Catherine’s nephew). The first Catherine is the daughter of Mr. Earnshaw (she wrote about his death). Now young Catherine is the last of the Lintons, and Hareton the last Earnshaw. Nelly says she grew up alongside Catherine and Hindley, as a servant at WH. Nelly goes on to tell about Heathcliff, who was raised as a member of the family after returning with Mr. Earnshaw from Liverpool. The Earnshaw children do not like him, but Catherine falls in love with him. Hindley continues to dislike Heathcliff, and is not liked by his family. Mrs. Earnshaw doesn’t trust Heathcliff, but Mr. Earnshaw loves him more than his own son. When Mrs. Earnshaw dies, Hindley is left to be the only one that dislikes Heathcliff.

Chapter 5 -

Words to Watch -

domineer – to rule arbitrarily; tyrannize (Mr. Earnshaw dreads the day someone he dies, because he knows Hindley will rule over Catherine and Heathcliff, and would rather Heathcliff gains the power, because he favors him)

Summary -

Lockwood is still reading the diary. Mr. Earnshaw becomes very frail and weak. He sends Hindley off to college, hoping it will resolve some of the bitter conflict between him and Heathcliff. Mr. Earnshaw looks to Joseph near the end of his life, as he is so religious. Mr. Earnshaw soon dies, and Catherine and Heathcliff look to Joseph for religious comfort. They discuss heaven while awaiting for Hindley, who is the new master at Wuthering Heights, to return from studies.

What do you guys think of all the conflict that Catherine diaries about? Do you find it sort of awkward that Mr. Earnshaw basically disowned his own son for a boy he brought home from Liverpool?

So far in the story, Mr. Jarvis Lorry is the main character.  We know so far that he works for Tellson’s bank and he has received a message to repeat to a Miss Manette.  After he was given this message from one of this friends he begins to have dreams about having to dig somebody out.  We are unsure what this dreams mean and what connection they have to Mr. Lorry and the message.  What do you think this dreams mean?  Do you think that maybe Lorry is worked up by this message, or does he maybe have other problems?  When Lorry meets this lady, he tells her that her father is still alive.  Why do you think that he was to tell her?  Do you think that Mr. Lorry knows Miss Manette and her father.  I find it odd that he would be asked to give her this news if he is not a family friend. 

 We later find out that Mr. Lorry is a witness in charges against Charles Darnay.  Lorry is questioned about if this man traveled with him on the mail cart.  Lorry is unsure because he could not tell because all of the people had a lot of clothing on to keep warm.  This may tell us that Lorry is not as observant as we might have thought.  He traveled with other passengers for a long time, and never really got a look at them.  Or is he maybe hiding something.  

I was also wondering, how does the charges against Charles Darnay tie into Miss Manette and her living father?  

~Lauren Gress~

It has come clear that a major charchter in this novle is Mr.Lorry.  He is a banker at the Tellson’s.

CHAPTER1-  Not very much detail in the first chapter except for we get an idea on how the Kings and Queens of the two cities are very mean, and mistreat the poor.

CHAPTER2-  We learn that Mr. Lorry is acually Mr. Jarvis Lorry.  We find this out when a stranger comes up to the carrige and asks for him.  The stranger brings a message, that instructs him to wait at Dover for “Mam’selle.”   He says that he will give him the message.  It is very funny that this stranger knows that this carrige knows Mr. Lorry,and can give him the message.  Then Mr.Lorry replies to the message that he was “Recalled to life.”  What do you thnk that this means considering that this was chapter 1 title?  Does he know what the stranger was talking about?

CHAPTER3-This book seems to be getting pretty strange.  In this chapter Mr.Lorry is having a bad dream where he meets this dude that has been buried for 18 years and alive.  They have a conversation but it always talks about a girl.  It seems to me that the message from the stranger would explain it all.  Does anyone have a better understanding of this weird dream?

Chapter4-Wow now the message is coming to sence.  Mr.Lorry went to Dover and met a girl named Miss Manette .  She understands that now she is going to take a over a small property of her older father.  But the catch comes in when Mr.Lorry also tells her that he is to be alive in Paris and they are going there to identify him.  The dream comes to sence now as the guy was the father to Ms. Manette.  What kind of thoughts are going through your guys heads as you keep seeing more and more unfold?  Also what do you think about this Mr.Lorry/Banker?

CHAPTER5-All the charchters that I see in this chapter are an older gentlmen.  This chapter takes place in Paris so I do believe that it is the father of Ms.Manette.

CHAPTER6-Alright Mr.Lorry and the daughter enter a shop where a man is making a shoe.   Mr.Lorry adresses him as Dr.Manette.  He answers as he is in a state of depression after he sees his daughter.  They enter a carrige and they leave.  This book is getting more interesting, but what do you think of this Doctor?

SOME MINOR PEOPLE IN THE STORY-Ms.Manette-she is an orphan who has never seen her father.

Dr.Manette- the father, who hasn’t see his daughter in a while.  Is supposebly dead.  I link this dude to the message for Mr.Lorry.

-Alex

The first chapter of the novel spends time comparing and contrasting the two different worlds of England and France.  Both are struggling with problems and have very different aspects on what is important.  England is focused on spirituality while France is immersed in a harsh justice system.  The two countries are also facing many problems.  In your opinion, which country has the worse problems at the moment?  Explain, using details from the text.  In chapter 4, Mr. Lorry breaks the news to Lucie about her father.  Up to this point, Mr. Lorry has insisted that he is a cold hearted businessman.  Using his session with Lucie as proof, explain what you think about Mr. Lorry’s personality.  At the end of the first book, we learn why the title is Recalled to Life.  Does this title accurately reflect its contents?  In the beginning of the second book, it appears that Mr. Manette has not yet made his “recall to life”, as he can still not remember whole periods of time. Do you feel that Mr. Manette’s failing mental health will impact the outcome of the story?  Why or why not?  Here’s another question to ponder – how would the action in the story (up to this point) change if Mr. Manette was in full health?  

RECAP:

Answer the following questions

1. In your opinion, which country has the worse problems at the moment.  Support your answer using details from the text.
2. What do you think of Mr. Lorry’s personality?  Is he really the stone faced man he claims to be?  Use his first encounter with Lucie to support your position.
3. Does the title Recalled to Life accurately reflect the contents of the first book? Explain.  If you answered no, pick a more appropriate title.
4. Do you feel that Mr. Manette’s failing health will impact the story at all?  Why or why not?
5. How would the action in the story (up to this point) change if Mr. Manette was in full health?

Erin B.

“I pulled its wrist on to the broken pane, and rubbed it to and fro till the blood ran down and soaked the bedsheets”

This is an interesting quote because many superstitiousl lead us to believe that we can pass through ghosts. If this is in fact true how does a ghost bleed if it is in fact dead?? Also i would like to ask why do you guys think that this room is not allowed to all vistors?

By this point in the story we don’t know very much about the main character and his background at all. All we really know about the main character is that his last name is Lockwood and that he is the tenant of Mr. Heathcliff. Nothing is mentioned about the main character’s past, or much about him at all, and that seemed strange to me. At this point in the story we know much more about pretty much every other character except Mr. Lockwood. Something strange is that Mr. Lockwood is very eager to learn about his landlord and attempt to befriend him, does anyone else find this strange? In the modern age I can’t imagine many people that rent a new apartment or house and then try to befriend and socialize with their landlord. It also seemed to me that the main character had social problems in the past, whether he was anti-social, or whether he had problems because he was too social I can’t tell. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?