All-in Alexander Berresford Period 3 DD
As we have reached the half way point in the story I would like to discuss some topics about Denn, Cattie, the plot and flashback, and theme.
As we read on we notice a few more things about Denn. He is flat broke, lives for days with little food, he has loving feeling, and also he drinks beer. I am very upset with the bank problem. I see now that gambling can be a lifestyle that people choose, but does he not know from right and wrong? To me it is very wrong to not have a suitable lifestyle and live off of nothing. It is just like the communism and socialism that is happening today. I say this because people are living off of other people, and the people that work hard do no t get anything. I feel that this is wrong do you guys have any thoughts on this? Also we see that he starves himself sometimes. This is very wrong as in my mind I would leave Poker to get money so I can eat. Why would anyone not want food? This book relates to kids and adults in the real life. Everybody needs money because they spend on wants and not needs. Another thing I would like to talk about is love feelings. In this part we find that he is losing a lot of money, but is not mad. He is going sightseeing with a girl he knows not that much of. What do you guys think of this matter? I think that this is wrong and is very realistic as some people never know what love is. Lastly it states that he drinks beer. This is shows what teenagers do all the time. They get on drugs and alcohol and blow their money. What purpose does he need the beer for? There is none, so he should not kill himself but get involved in a real job. This Denn character is really annoying me, as he is throwing away his life.
Next I would like to talk about Cattie. We see that she has set up Denn this whole time, and she steals things. She meets a Jerry figure where she becomes his assistant because she needs money. This is very wrong as she could easily get a different/real job. We find out that she gets the dealing job because of this guy. Did she really go to college? I don’t think she did, because I do not remember reading this. Then in the begging of the reading she steals the earrings. This is definitely a kid typical thing to do. Why did she do it? I think she is getting to a point where she needs to go to jail. She did it, because she needs money. That is why when she received Denn’s necklace she put it away. She is going to sell it. I am very upset about the charters in the story.
The plot and flashback are very important. We already know that it is in Las Vegas, but we also learn that he is going to a more specific location like Lousy Lou’s. Denn needs 10,000 dollars so that he can get in the million dollar tournament. Do you think that it is going to be another set-up? I think it will not but, it will be “All-in.” The flashback I just want to point out. In the beginning it was present tense, but now it is past tense. What do you think of the transition? I think that it is different, but it will excite the ending, and have some crazy twists.
Finally, I want to talk about a theme. I think it is teenagers. I think that Pete Hautman is trying to show how the young kids of today are acting. We are breaking laws, stealing, and surviving off of nothing. What do you guys think of themes in this half of the book?
We need to keep an eye on how den raises money as he is only at 124 dollars. Also we shall see if Jerry comes back, and if Cattie turns around. Another thing is that family is more important than having a no rules life. What do you think of the family situation that Denn has, and should he return back there to start his young life?
-Alex
P.S. Keep blogging many things to blog about.
Category: Per 3 ToTC DD 5 comments »
April 4th, 2009 at 1:12 pm
Okay, Alex, Denn does NOT drink alcohol or uses drugs. In one of the chapters Pete Hautman said he was charged extra for the “beer” a.k.a. soda, the bartender knew he was a minor. I never read that he was doing drugs, either I missed it or you misread it.
Everybody lives their life a different way and faces challenges; right now our country is in a recession and is slowly, but surely getting out of it. Denn is almost an adult and needs to face the fact that life isn’t all about him and gambling and grow up and become an adult. You can’t trust anyone and fall for stupid stuff like Denn has done or else… well we see how far it has gotten him. I do not believe that Denn is actually starving himself I just think that Pete is not showing when or telling us what he is eating. Authors don’t let us see everything that happens to our characters and so we use our imagination to think about what else they could be doing. Maybe Denn is starving himself; I just interpreted that part differently. He is a teenage male in Vegas and this hot poker dealer wants to take him out on a date, I don’t know what to think. It is obviously not the smartest decision a person could make, but Denn made it and now he must suffer the consequences.
Denn does NOT drink or do drugs!!! Where are you getting this information from! And a good number of teenagers to do not drugs or drink beer, I am a teenager and I am completely clean. He isn’t throwing his life away, he isn’t drinking or doing drugs, and he is a smart kid and is just blowing his money away on poker games.
Cattie is not a kid; she is in her twenties and knows what she is doing. She didn’t go to an actually college she went to a so called school to learn how to deal poker cars and tricks. She stole the earrings because like any women, loves jewelry and in her case probably needed money, but she gave them away. I think she put Denn’s necklace away because she liked him and doesn’t want anyone else but Denn to know she has the necklace. She is in Vegas, she doesn’t have to go to jail, and she is fine.
I don’t think it will be a scheme and I think the present tense at the beginning will catch up to itself at the tournament. The past tense is just telling the story before the tournament.
I highly disagree that the theme is not teenagers considering Denn is the only teenager in the book. People think teenager do drugs, drink and have sex and they do but look at us… think of the kids in out grade, how many of them have done the above? I would say 5-10%. I only have one friend that has done all three and I don’t talk to that friend that much anymore because I don’t want to be associated with that stuff. I have heard stories about teens doing that stuff and it doesn’t sound fun. We have many mature teenagers at our school and others who have been under the influences. We can get crazy sometimes but not all of us have to get crazy but using drugs and alcohol or having sex.
As for Denn, I think it is too late for him to turn his life around. He has to go through with this tournament and win it.
-Rebecca Krick
April 5th, 2009 at 6:29 am
To answer your first question, it is Denn’s life. He can life it however he wants. Than you say that people like Denn live off of hard working people. How is this true? Denn never asked anyone for money. Denn just acepted he was broke and played poker to get money. Next you say that Denn is going sitseeing with a girl he doesn’t even know (Cattie). This is called a first date. Denn doesn’t know her yet but, at least he is trying to. Than you say that Denn should stop poker and get a real job. This would make the book very boring. Besides, Denn being broke and still playing poker shows persistence.
Alex, I will agree with you on the next part of your blog. Cattie is a terrible person. She spends all her time stealing and seting players up. She seems to not care if she is hurting people’s feelings. Though we do see a little good in Cattie. She gives the earings that she stole to a guy with a girlfriend. This shows us that there is no absolute evil.
Than you ask if another setup could happen at Kings Crossing. It is very hard to set someone up at this big of a tournement. Denn got setup at a small poker game, where it is easy to set people up.
Lastly, you say that the theme of the book is teenagers. First off this isn’t even a theme. Second how can you make a theme when we are only half way through the book. Think before you type.
-Julian Garcia
April 5th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Nice blog, Julian. I really like what you had to say =]
-Rebecca Krick
April 5th, 2009 at 2:44 pm
I never said he was doing drugs to begin with. Also it says taht he had beer. How do you know he didn’t get beer. If he is gambling with everybody, I am sure he could get some beer.
-Alex
P.S. REad the blog over because I never said half of those things.
April 5th, 2009 at 6:11 pm
“Lastly it states that he drinks beer. This is shows what teenagers do all the time. They get on drugs and alcohol and blow their money. What purpose does he need the beer for? There is none, so he should not kill himself but get involved in a real job. This Denn character is really annoying me, as he is throwing away his life.”-Alex
I thought you were saying that he was also doing drugs because you said he was drinking beer and then you said teenagers blow their money on beer and drugs all the time. I just figured by the term “teenagers” you were referring to him as well.
-Rebecca Krick