Mr_Shank

After being stuck alone in a house with the crazy curate for so many days, the author begins to lose his patience with him.  The man has lost his sanity, his will to live, and is becoming a serious threat to both of them.  This situation can be related to, yes, the Lord of the Flies.  In Lord of the Flies, the boys turn to savagery when there is now one to control them and keep them from committing crimes.  This is shown in two different ways in War of the Worlds.

The curate goes crazy when he is thrown into the chaos of the Martian attack because there is no longer anyone to tell him what to do or keep him in control.  And after being with him for so many days, the narrator does something he would have never done in normal society; he kills the man.

On a much larger scale, the rest of England is also going insane.  With the government out of the picture, there is no one to control the rest of them. This throws people into chaos.  Crimes and other horrible deeds are committed by people who would have never done anything like that when there was something keeping them in line.  Both of these classic books have this similar concept in them.

However, desperate times call for desperate measures, right? Or should people still try to be good citizens and work together?  Considering both these perspectives, do you think that the narraor made the right decision when he killed the curate? Was there any other way, or was more death the only option?

-Shaun Ditzler

In this section of the story, Clym Yeobright and his mother are arguing and fighting constantly. Clym has come back from Paris to Egdon Heath, where he plans on building a boarding school for the children in the heath. But as he becomes reacquanted with everyone again, he meets Eustacia, who he quickly falls for. He has now decided he wants to marry her. Mrs. Yeobright, his mother, disapproves of him building the school and marrying Eustacia, because she believes that he deserves a better life with a better person. He doesn’t listen to her though and so their strained relationship may be destroyed.

In the meantime, Thomasin, Clym’s sister, comes to her mother to complain about her husband, Damon, who is still head over heels for Eustacia. She tells her mother that he is refusing to give her any money. Mrs. Yeobright decides to give her daughter 50 guineas, which is her share of Mrs. Yeobright’s inheritance. She also decides to give the other half of the inheritance to her son, Clym. Damon knows that Mrs. Yeobright is going to give something to Thomasin, so he offers to deliver it to her. But Mrs. Yeobright refuses, for she knows he is not a man of his word.

She decides to give the inheritance to Christian Cantle, Granfer Cantle’s son, who is supposed to deliver 50 guineas to Thomasin and 50 guineas to Clym. On his way to deliver the inheritance, he sees that there is gambling going on at Damon’s hotel. They are gambling over a very expensive rug of some sort. Christian decides to gamble along with them, and luckily wins. However, during his gambling, he let it slip to Damon that he was delivering the 100 guineas to Thomasin and Clym. Damon challenges him to gamble with him, and unfortunately, Christian loses the money to Damon.

Diggory witnessed this and decided to challenge Damon in order to win the money back. They gambled all day until night and Diggory won the money. Not knowing the money was supposed to be split between Mrs. Yeobright’s children, Diggory gave all the money to Thomasin, who keeps all the money for herself, also not knowing half of it belonged to her brother, Clym.

Clym is getting married to Eustacia, Damon is jealous, Thomasin has all of her mother’s inheritance, and Christian Cantle proves to be very unreliable.

Throughout this book, I have run in to many complicated words. The words I chose to define are sullenness, circuitous, contemptuously, contingent, and ruminate.

Sullenness: showing irritation or ill humor by a gloomy silence or reserve

Circuitous: roundabout

Contemptuously: showing or expressing disdain

Contingent: uncertain; dependent for existence

Ruminate: meditate or muse; ponder

I feel that as much as Taylor cared about Turtle she wasn’t ready to face her about breaking her promise to Turtle about never letting anyone hurt her (pg.226) and yet she describes a feeling of hopelessness, not only about Turtle growing up in an environment that wasn’t expected for her ever since Taylor took to handling her or having to put up with things that are disconcerting to Turtle’s life that could have easily killed her but of the World in general. She used to feel that not all this malevolence was dispersible in the world she felt she knew so well. And yet, things were happening right in front of her eyes to which she was blind toward, but it’s as though she has opened her eyes and finally looked at this world that has turned itself full of arrogance, detestation and callous. She feels that this is not the world she knew, because she never really looked outside her community which may not have got along so well, but compared to the world is full of pacification.

When Turtle got hurt, did you expect Taylor to respond to this happening by acting as though her life was in excess of Turtle, or do you think she felt she had no possible control over Turtle being taken away from her?

I have told you Taylor’s views on the world, do yours differ, are they alike to Taylor’s view, or do you think that Taylor should just ignore the world that is surrounding her and live her life peacefully and try to find a way designated for Turtle to stay with her according to LouAnn?

-Kianat Zamir

How is this war anything like other wars in the worlds history?

H.G. Wells uses a lot of sybolism in his writing what are some of the ones you found in the book so far?

H.G. wells mentions a lot of specific places in this book but he never really goes into details about characters names why is this?

I did discussion director instead of illuminator like i said i was going to because Sonam was already discussion director.

Chapter 12: The narrorator was traveling along and met up with a large group of people in Sheperton. He then proceded to tell them all about the martians. Suddenly some were approaching. Artillery were firing at them when one was smashed in the face and collapesed in the river. They had finally defeated one. Every body thought that they could hide in the river from the heat ray but when it touched the water it just about boiled it. The narrorator escapes with bad scaldingbut he escapes none the less.

Chapter 13: The narrorator finds a little boat in the river and padels his way up   the river. He met up with the curate. They had talked for a while when they heard gunshots and a weird yelling noise and started on their way again.

Chapter 14: The narrorators brother whom we don’t know the name of either, is in London reading the news of these martians. HE keeps getting updates when the last update is that “they are coming” and they are sending a black smoke that kills all of whom breath it in.

Chapter 15: The narrorator is once again in focus and he witnesses more of the destruction. He sees rockets being fired and smashing into the ground, not exploding or making a sound. He is intruiged and tries to watch but a black mist seems to be rising, the only safe spots were on roof tops or in trees. He watched as the mist covered everything. Meanwhile the fourth cylinder falls.

words to know:

pallid: Abnormaly pale. This was probably common on all of the citizens .

desolate: to leave wrecked and damaged. This was what hapened when the heat ray was used.

calamitive: Being in a destructive state. There is obviously a lot fo this.

kpoje: a small hill. This was mentioned when the rockets were being sent into the air.

tumultuous: An uproar in a crowd of people. This word is used a lot in these chapters and obvioulsly happens whenever the martians are near.

questions:

1. do you think that the narrorator or his brother will escape the black fog?

2. How long do you think it will be until the narrorator and his brother meet up if you think they will meet at all?

3.  Do you have any important words that I missed?

Thanks

Taran

“Darkness closed around, and then came ringing of church bells and the distant beating of the military drums of the Royal Guard, as the women sat knitting, knitting.  Darkness encompassed them.  Another darkness was closing in as surely, when the church bells, then ringing pleasantly in many an airy steeple over France, should be melted into thundering cannon; when the military drums should be beating to drown a wretched voice, that night all potent as the voice of Power and Plenty, Freedom and Life.  So much was closing in about the women who sat knitting, knitting, that they their very selves were closing in around a structure yet unbuilt, where they were to sit knitting, knitting, counting dropping heads.”  (Page 143)

I thought that this quote was interesting and also brought up a lot of questions.  In the quote the church bells are most likely referring to the marriage of Lucie and her having to make her choice.  The military refers to the spy, John Barsad.  Thought this parts seem clear there are other parts that are confusing.  In this chapter the only woman is Mrs. Defarges who is knitting but the quote refers to women, plural.  So the question is who are the other women referred to in this quote and why are they important?  

Also in this chapter, Mrs. Defarges is knitting the peoples names that she hears, so what is the point of her actions?  Also, what does Dickson’s mean when he talks about the unbuilt structure?  Overall this quote has more meaning then meets the eye.  So what to you all think?

~Lauren Gress~

“Esperanza tried to kill herself. Estevan came to the back door and told me in a quiet voice that she had taken a bottle of baby aspirin.” Page 176 I find this quote very interesting because it comes at the very beginning of the chapter. This is how it starts out; the author gets right into it. It was a good way to open the chapter, if the author would want to grab the reader’s attention. What do you think about Esperanza trying to commit suicide? How did her actions affect the people around her, and the rest of the story?

“Will you look at that. It was another miracle. The flower trees were turning into bean trees.” Page 194 I thought this was important to the story because it involved the title again. Taylor is surprised that Turtle notices this and the tree actually changes. Why do you think that Taylor is amazed by what Turtle does? Also, what is the importance of the bean trees to the story, other than the title? Do they have a symbolic meaning?

-Dan

For my connection, I decided to use Chapters 21 and 22.  I feel they relate strongly to the song Viva la Vida by Coldplay.  Here are the lyrics:

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
“Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!”

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
Once you go there was never
Never an honest word
And that was when I ruled the world

It was the wicked and wild wind
Blew down the doors to let me in
Shattered windows and the sound of drums
People couldn’t believe what I’d become

Revolutionaries wait
For my head on a silver plate
Just a puppet on a lonely string
Oh who would ever want to be king?

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

I hear Jerusalem bells a ringing
Roman Cavalry choirs are singing
Be my mirror, my sword and shield
My missionaries in a foreign field

For some reason I can’t explain
I know Saint Peter won’t call my name
Never an honest word
But that was when I ruled the world

In Chapters 21 and 22, a revolution is happening in France.  A mob is running throughout the city, hunting down the nobles/officials and killing and/or beheading them.  In the song, the first verse has a line that reads: I used to roll the dice/Feel the fear in my enemy’s eyes/Listen as the crowd would sing/”Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!” This, in my opinion, is sort of like France once being a great power, both in the military and in the government.  The king was once loved by all of his people.  The next two lines read: One minute I held the key/Next the walls were closed on me  This is equivalent to the people of France turning on their king when he did nothing for him.  They hated him because in the time of trouble he did not come through for him.  The next spot I would like to point out is in the chorus.  The lines read: Never an honest word/And that was when I ruled the world  This relates to the government telling all the people lies.  Although this wasn’t mentioned in the book, I inferred that the king told his people that everything was going to be okay, but no one really believed him.  The next spot I chose was in the second verse: Revolutionaries wait/For my head on a silver plate/Just a puppet on a lonely string/Oh who would ever want to be king?  The revolutionaries obviously correspond to the revolutionaries in the book.  They are beheading and killing all the government members and putting them on pikes.  This is analogous to the “head on a silver plate”.  Finally, the last two lines are referring to the king.  I don’t know much about French government, but if it is like the English government, then the king and queen don’t have much power.  In English society, the two Houses had all the power and the king and queen were just faces to the people.  If this is also true in France, then the king would be “just a puppet” of the people working quietly behind the throne.  Finally, with all these bad things happening in the country, who would want to be king?

Alright, question time!  Which one of these “connections” do you feel relates the most to the text?  Do you see any other connections that I missed?  Feel free to add anything in the comment section!  Also, are there any other songs that relate to this section at all?  The last one has nothing to do with the reading, but I see a ton of allusions in the song to Christianity/the Bible.  To name just a few: pillars of salt and sand, Jerusalem bells, Roman Cavalry choirs, missionaries, head on a silver plate, etc.  When you respond, give me a few of your ideas on the allusions.  The last question is optional, by the way.  

Erin B.

Colin Easter

In these past chapters the narrator has stayed remarkably calm. He has changed from panicking at the martians arrival to staying calm and thinking about what he needs to do.  We learn that he has a brother but it seems that his introduction is mostly to describe the scene in London.  The narrator seems to be less concerned with his own survival now.  When he saw the martian destroyed in the river, he didn’t immediately try to escape from the resulting wave of scalding water.  The narrator is starting to take the place of a leader.  He is the one who makes the decisions (usually dealing with where to run) when he is with someone else.  For example, when he is with the curator, he is the one who decides to hide in the ditch to escape the martians.  He is still hopeful about the defeat of the martians as well.  Why do you think that the narrator has changed from acting instantly to survive to thinking before acting?  Do you think that the narrator will become more of the leader later in the book?  If so, why is he motivated to become a leader?

In this section, Taylor learns about what other people have to go through. Her vision of the world has opened up. Taylor is horrified to learn that Estevan was tortured with electric wires. Taylor is amazed that Estevan and Esperanza helped other people instead of trying to find their daughter. When Taylor remembers the dolls that she played with when she was little, she has to accept that even though that the fictional family of dolls has a perfect life, real families are never perfect, and that they always have their bumps in the road.

Taylor’s senses seem to have developed more as she learns about the horrors of the world. Taylor’s friendship with LouAnn also continues to develop. Taylor’s influence increase LouAnn’s confidence, allowing LouAnn to get a job and be promoted quickly. LouAnn observes that Taylor is never controlled or made fun of by anyone, because Taylor won’t allow them to take advantage of her.

Taylor learns even more about the troubles that the people she knows are facing. Esperanza and Estevan must move to escape death. When Taylor finds out that Turtle was hurt in the park, Taylor collapses emotionally, as she is flooded with guilt. She was given the responsibility to protect Turtle, and Taylor feels as though she blew it. Taylor becomes deeply troubled when she learns that Turtle might be taken away from her because she has no legal claim to her. LouAnn lights a spark in Taylor, who is already extremely upset with herself because of what happened in the park. Taylor’s determination is back when she gets the name of a man who can help her find Turtle’s relatives, so she can legally adopt Turtle.

My question to you has several parts:

1. After Turtle is attacked in the park, Taylor becomes more timid, like LouAnn. Do you think that the event made Taylor more vulnerable to being influenced by others, or that the event just shocked her that much? Do you think that there is a mixture of both?

2. After Taylor finds out where she can find Turtle’s relatives, her normal determination is back, as she wants to legally adopt Turtle. Do you think that your personality would bounce back that quickly if you were in Taylor’s place?

3. Do you think the revelations made to Taylor about the horrors of the world have had any affect on how she raises Turtle?