Prediction

My prediction for Act III of All My Sons is grim, to say the least.

Today, Ms. West said "Well, not everybody dies" in response to Rodger's "I think everybody is going to die." So, I think that somebody is going to die. My prediction is thus:

Chris and Anne are going to elope, Kate will be devastated, because of her strong belief that Larry is still alive, and she will kill herself.

How sad.

I don't really know....

What to write about...I've been gone all weekend and my outside reading book is finished. I don't really remember what we did in class last time so I can't blog about that, and the only homework I have is my two charts for outside reading.

I don't know what book I should read next for outside reading, so does anybody have any suggestions? Thank you.

I guess thats it...sorry kind of lame.

A bit late...

Well I actually finished my book last week-ish so this post is sort of tardy, but at least its here. Here is my final verdict: A Thousand Splendid Suns is an amazing story, it is wonderfully written, and I recommend that everybody read it. I put a picture of the book up so you know exactly what to look for when you stop into the book retailer of your choice.

Warning: You may not want to read this next bit because I will give away the ending. That, of course, is only if you decide to read this book.

Basically, Laila and Tariq escape Kabul together with the two children and live in Pakistan for a while. They learn that the Taliban have been pushed out of Kabul, and women have rights again, and everything is being rebuilt. Laila feels that it is her duty to her parents, her brothers, and herself to return and do some good. So she and Tariq pack up the children and they return to Kabul. Laila makes a difference by helping rebuild the orphanage that Aziza stayed in, as well as converting it into a school, where she teaches as well.
I think that this ending was appropriate, because it was a nice change from all of the tragedy that unfolded throughout the pages. It is nice to assume, at least, that Laila and Tariq will be happy, and they can finally live in peace.

The aftermath...

Homecoming was last night and I am dead tired. I've been sitting around the house all day and figured I should try and accomplish something today. Extra credit anyone?

Here are two paragraphs from my 400 Blows review.

"The most unique trait of film is the cinematic. These aspects bring you inside a character’s life, and it is essential that they be excellent for a film to be successful. In my opinion, The 400 Blows did accomplish this difficult task. The unique camera angles and shots made the movie interesting, and the music fit the mood perfectly. My personal favorite shot was from above, when the boys were running through the city in gym class, and in groups of two or three, they split off from the group. This comical scene was not only entertaining but original. The music matched every mood the film brought out. One clear example of this was the scene where Antoine’s family went out to the movies, and had a wonderful time. The music in this scene was upbeat and lively, helping the actors portray their happiness.

In comparing Black Boy and The 400 Blows, I found similarities and differences between the two protagonists, Richard and Antoine. Both boys were family outcasts, not accepted by their own kin, Richard mainly for his lack of religion, and Antoine for his rebellious nature. Each boy searched for a better way to live his life and escape disapproving parents, grandparents, and siblings. Antoine fled his woes by escaping from the observation center, and Richard ran from his troubles by escaping to the north with his Aunt Maggie. Another similarity between the two stories is the more obvious characteristic, that both Black Boy and The 400 Blows are memoirs."

So there you go. I guess its a win-win situation. You get to read my paper, and I get extra credit. :]

Rebel post

This post is called a 'rebel post' because I am posting during school. Unfortunately, we are supposed to be blogging, so I'm not really breaking any rules, but it still sounds cool.

So I also have an outside reading update. I am almost done with my book (about 30 pages left) and I think that it is an appropriate time to recommend this book. I recommend this book. It is an amazing story about modern day Afghanistan, and I think that everybody should know the whole story when it comes to Afghanistan and it's people. As I have mentioned before, most people, myself included, are/were not aware the extent of the abuse and strictness placed on the Afghani people, especially women.

I give this book 10 out of 10 stars. I'm sure Mira would agree. Ha.

More sadness....

Soo I happen to be on page 294 as of right now. And a lot has happened in 70 pages. Like, a lot. Here, I'll make a list:

• Laila has her baby - a girl whom she names Aziza. Rasheed loses all respect for Laila for failing to produce a male.
• The tension that had held Laila and Mariam apart since the beginning is broken, and they become extremely close.
• Mariam and Laila attempt to leave Kabul and flee to Pakistan. Unfortunately they are exposed and sent back to Rasheed, who severely beats both of them. After beatings, Laila and Aziza are locked and boarded up in Laila's room; boards put over the windows, leaving them in complete darkness. Mariam is locked in the shed. They stay in their prison for at least a day (the book isn't specific with time) without food or water.
• The Taliban arrive, stripping Mariam and Laila of every imaginable right. Extremely strict rules are also laid down for both men and women.
• Laila becomes pregnant, this time from Rasheed. She eventually gives birth (is less than ideal conditions) to a baby boy. Rasheed is thrilled with the baby, but still dislikes Laila. The baby's name is Zalami.
  
• One example of Rasheed's abuse: When Aziza is about six, Rasheed demands that she become a street beggar. Laila refuses and Rasheed slaps her. She punches him with all her might, and he walks away, gets his gun, pins her up against the wall, and sticks it down her mouth.
• Laila discovers that her father died in 1987 (she finds out in 2000)
• Laila is forced to place Aziza in an orphanage in order to keep her fed and clothed. She tries to visit as often as possible, but when Rasheed refuses to accompany her, Laila is forced to pass the Taliban. They beat her and make her go home. [The Taliban did not allow women on the streets without a male relative]
• Laila returns home from the orphanage one day (accompanied by Mariam and Zalami) and finds Tariq on her doorstep. Rasheed had paid that man to come tell Laila that Tariq died so she would marry him)

I bet you didn't read all of that. I probably wouldn't if this wasn't my blog.

As I've said before, I cannot get over the issues this book deals with. I find it hard to remember that this book takes place over the course of about 20 years. The strangest this is the abuse and struggles people, and especially women, endure only get worse as the book progresses. Another thing that I, and I'm sure many other's don't realize was how horrible the Taliban really was. We've all heard of it, but especially for me, I had no idea the magnitude of their cruelty.

The 400 Blows

I don't really understand the title, but regardless, I think that it's a really good movie. I love the older movies because it relies on good acting and storyline, instead of today's movies, which tend to have more special effects and CG. This classic style is essential in helping the viewer feel like they're a part of Antoine's life; following him to school, taking out the garbage, etc.

So far, all Antoine has accomplished is trouble. He wrote on the walls at school, he started a fire in his apartment, he skipped class and as an excuse told his teacher his mother died, receives poor grades, and even runs away from home to sleep in an old paper mill for a night. We discover that his mother is cheating, and she shows us that she doesn't care for Antoine all that much.

The movie is a bit hard to follow at times, because of the subtitles, but overall I'm enjoying it, and I'm excited to see what happens next on Monday.

A lot has gone by...

My last post found me at page 94 in my outside reading book, I am now on page 224, and a lot has happened. So far, I have only talked about Mariam and her troubles, but the beginning of Part II introduced a new character; Laila. When she is very young, Laila's two older brothers leave to join the army, and are eventually killed. Both of these events send Laila's mother - Mammy - into a deep depression, and she does not help take care of Laila for a long time. In her later years, Laila discovers her love for her best childhood friend, Tariq. They become romantically involved, and we find out later that Laila becomes pregnant. Mammy has since come out of her depression, because the Najibullah surrendered.

Unfortunately, warring Afghani groups bring violence to Kabul. There are daily bombings and shootings. Everybody familiar to Laila is either killed or flees. Her best friend Gita is killed in a bombing, while Tariq and her other best friend run from Kabul. The bombing that hits close to home however is the one that hits her home. The day that Laila, her mother, and her father are to flee their home, a bomb hits their home, killing her parents, and injuring Laila. Rasheed, Mariam's husband, finds her and brings her to his home. While recovering at Mariam's home, a man comes and informs Laila that Tariq, who's baby she carries, was killed in a bombing. Laila is devastated. To add to all of this tragedy, she if forced to marry Rasheed, because if he finds that she is pregnant, he will certainly kick her out of his home.

I find this book amazing, and impossible to put down, because all of this misfortune is experienced by people on a daily basis in real life.