(Pages 236-277 -end-)
SUMMARY
As he petals his bike to town, he felt that it was impossible for him to turn back. He stopped by Russell's house but Russell had disappeared without saying good bye. Now, he has nobody to help him understand what he had to do to grow up and reach manhood. He has nobody but himself to depend on. All of a suddon, when he was riding his bike on a broken road, he crashed in the dark and his bike was no where to be found. He wasn't going to give up, so he ran through a cornfield as voices whispers in his head. It was like he was fighting with himself. One voice says that he can turn back and another voice says that he belongs in the dead cornfield, which is where he belongs and deserve to be in. In the blue moon, a dark storm awaits in the sky. This is when Eddie realizes everything that he did wrong and cried with deep emotion for the first time after his mother died. He steps into manhood with the help of Russell. If it wasn't for Russell appearing in the cornfield with Eddie, Eddie wouldn't have the strength to have faith in himself to step through the storm. The storm represents the life that Eddie had built for himself. To overcome the storm, he needs to step through the storm to the other side. Which is the peaceful side. After all of this had happened, it was just a dream. Eddie just woke up to the smell of pancakes and he was still at his grandparents' house. He had a second chance to cherish what he already has.
QUOTE
"We can wait, Grandpa. Everything I really need is here (Beck 265)."
REACTION
The author ended the story very affectionately. Even though, it all turns out to be a dream, it still shows how Eddie steps into manhood without any hints that it was actually a dream. Also, the author touches up the story so well because he doesn't need any extra or less words for this powelful and emotional story. It was amazing just the way it is. He ended the story by adding his personal life and describes what was true based on his experiences. Instead of only a story, he puts a bit of reality to it. He understands what people has to go through to have the ability to reach into their highest level of life. The representation of the storm in the story was such a incredible motivation.
The quote is said by Eddie when he had woke up from his nightmare and life lesson. Stepping in manhood, he understands that it all depended on him to be happy in life. He realized what he needed to realize before it was too late. Which was the fact that he needs to know how lucky he is already to have a family who loves him and all he needs is what he already has.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
"The Christmas Sweater" POST #4
(pages 184-235)
SUMMARY:
Eddie wasn't going to give up on his so called games. He's blocking his grandparents from his life because he hopes to decrease his possibility of getting hurt again. Eddie is showing anger for his pain inside. He doesn't realize that the his actions and words gives his grandparents pain. Also, he's blinded by what he thinks a family should be like in his perspective that he doesn't see that he still has a family. He took advantage of his grandmother's trust in him and told her that he was going to stay over at Taylor's for a couple of days. The real reason that he wants to live with Taylor instead of with his grandparents. So, Taylor's parents can "spoil" him and he can have the family that he "wanted". He ended up coming back, but then, he's running away to town with the bike that his grandfather had bought him last Christmas. Eddie didn't get to receive it on that day because he was giving his mother a hard time and his grandfather wanted to teach him a lesson. Also, that was when Eddie's mother died in the car accident.
QUOTE:
"We're all made up of two parts. There's a part that thinks and there's a part that feels (Beck 221)."
REACTION:
The author gives the reader contradiction to the main character but also a sense of how hard it is for him to accept what has happened. The words that were quoted in the story describes a great amount of anger and pain from a 13 year old boy. It gives the book more meaning because the words are not just words; They are the reason to every single teardrop that has fallen down from Eddie's grandfather, grandmother, and Eddie himself. So much emotion, and so much misunderstanding from a confused boy. Also, the author makes the reader want to yell at Eddie, when he's just a character in the book. The things that are said and done by Eddie makes it hard not to ask, "How could he do such a thing to hurt his grandparents, including himself?" The quote that was chosen is from Russell. He was trying to help Eddie realize that he needs to think about the happy memories, not the sad ones. Too bad Russell's effort wasn't enough to help Eddie, just yet.
SUMMARY:
Eddie wasn't going to give up on his so called games. He's blocking his grandparents from his life because he hopes to decrease his possibility of getting hurt again. Eddie is showing anger for his pain inside. He doesn't realize that the his actions and words gives his grandparents pain. Also, he's blinded by what he thinks a family should be like in his perspective that he doesn't see that he still has a family. He took advantage of his grandmother's trust in him and told her that he was going to stay over at Taylor's for a couple of days. The real reason that he wants to live with Taylor instead of with his grandparents. So, Taylor's parents can "spoil" him and he can have the family that he "wanted". He ended up coming back, but then, he's running away to town with the bike that his grandfather had bought him last Christmas. Eddie didn't get to receive it on that day because he was giving his mother a hard time and his grandfather wanted to teach him a lesson. Also, that was when Eddie's mother died in the car accident.
QUOTE:
"We're all made up of two parts. There's a part that thinks and there's a part that feels (Beck 221)."
REACTION:
The author gives the reader contradiction to the main character but also a sense of how hard it is for him to accept what has happened. The words that were quoted in the story describes a great amount of anger and pain from a 13 year old boy. It gives the book more meaning because the words are not just words; They are the reason to every single teardrop that has fallen down from Eddie's grandfather, grandmother, and Eddie himself. So much emotion, and so much misunderstanding from a confused boy. Also, the author makes the reader want to yell at Eddie, when he's just a character in the book. The things that are said and done by Eddie makes it hard not to ask, "How could he do such a thing to hurt his grandparents, including himself?" The quote that was chosen is from Russell. He was trying to help Eddie realize that he needs to think about the happy memories, not the sad ones. Too bad Russell's effort wasn't enough to help Eddie, just yet.
Monday, December 6, 2010
"The Christmas Sweater" POST #3
(pages 124-164)
SUMMARY:
After Eddie's mom had past away, it has been a rough patch for him. He's not controlling his feelings properly, which hurts his grandparents. Eddie is growing up, but with a wrong sense of how his life wants to be. He doesn't understand why things had turned out like they did. Anger builds up each day, and its seems that he he wants to do is disrespect his grandparents. However, his anger decreases little by little after he made a new friend named Taylor and a man named Russell. Taylor has the life that Eddie wants because Taylor's family buys him everything he wants and goes out to eat. Russell is the neighbor that wishes to change Eddie's point of view on his life and help him realize that things just happen, just like his mother would if she was still alive.
QUOTE:
"Everyone wants to be loved, but when all you feel is alone it's tough to accomplish anything else (Beck 173)."
REACTION:
The author had placed two important new characters in the picture. Which is Taylor and Russell. They both would help Eddie realize that money doesn't buy love and how great is life is already without material things. Taylor's family is the opposite of Eddie's family. It's interesting when the author gives the story a bit of contradiction. Eddie's family is what Taylor wish his family was like and Taylor's family is what Eddie wish his family was like. One family has no warm connection of a family and one family has the warmth and the love. The quote is when Russell was having a conversation with Eddie. It connects to the story because Russell is trying to say that Eddie is lacking love in his family but if he doesn't realize that there's still people that love him, he'll feels alone and it's challenging for him to go through a rough stage.
SUMMARY:
After Eddie's mom had past away, it has been a rough patch for him. He's not controlling his feelings properly, which hurts his grandparents. Eddie is growing up, but with a wrong sense of how his life wants to be. He doesn't understand why things had turned out like they did. Anger builds up each day, and its seems that he he wants to do is disrespect his grandparents. However, his anger decreases little by little after he made a new friend named Taylor and a man named Russell. Taylor has the life that Eddie wants because Taylor's family buys him everything he wants and goes out to eat. Russell is the neighbor that wishes to change Eddie's point of view on his life and help him realize that things just happen, just like his mother would if she was still alive.
QUOTE:
"Everyone wants to be loved, but when all you feel is alone it's tough to accomplish anything else (Beck 173)."
REACTION:
The author had placed two important new characters in the picture. Which is Taylor and Russell. They both would help Eddie realize that money doesn't buy love and how great is life is already without material things. Taylor's family is the opposite of Eddie's family. It's interesting when the author gives the story a bit of contradiction. Eddie's family is what Taylor wish his family was like and Taylor's family is what Eddie wish his family was like. One family has no warm connection of a family and one family has the warmth and the love. The quote is when Russell was having a conversation with Eddie. It connects to the story because Russell is trying to say that Eddie is lacking love in his family but if he doesn't realize that there's still people that love him, he'll feels alone and it's challenging for him to go through a rough stage.
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