English Blog Parts 3 and 4 of Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King
By Josh Blake
There are many different biblical and cultural allusions in Green Grass, Running Water by Thomas King.
A biblical allusion that is portrayed in this book is the story of Arch Angel Gabriel and the miracle impregnation of Mary (Thought Woman). “Name? Thought Woman says Thought Woman. Mary, says A. A. Gabriel. And writes that down.” P 270. A. A. Gabriel wants Thought Woman’s name to Mary because in the bible there is a Virgin Mary that A. A. Gabriel impregnates. This shows Thomas Kings humor towards this controversial topic. Thought Woman, now Mary, was also asked to sign a virgin verification form. “What is it? Asks Thought Woman. Virgin Verification form, says A. A. Gabriel.” P 270
Another biblical allusion is the Star of Bethlehem, “a point of light, a star in the morning sky” P 235. In the bible it leads the three wise men to baby Jesus. However in the novel it leads the Doctor and Babo to the Indians.
A cultural allusion in Green Grass Running Water is the reference to Queen Elizabeth II who is marginalized as, “a woman in a formal with a tiara” This shows us how people with different beliefs and backgrounds might view our relationship with the Queen.
At the end of the novel the three cars that the Indians have been driving; the Red Pinto, the Blue Nissan, and the White Karmann-Ghia. Are cultural allusions to Christopher Columbus’s ships: Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. The colours of the cars are also symbolic of conquest and conquesting countries like France, USA, or the Union Jack.
Another cultural allusion that is used in Green Grass Running Water is John Wayne and Richard Widmark. This creates a pause from the mystery and magic of the story where the reader can understand what is going on clearly because they know and recognize John Wayne and Richard Widmark. The reader will notice that when John Wayne does not win, something has changed.
Eli Stands Alone
“Eli had to admit all the years of arguments and threats, and injunctions, he had won very little. The dam was there. It wasn’t going to go away. And, at some point in the future, Eli had no doubt that they would find a way to maneuver around him. The sluice gates would open, the turbines would begin to turn, and Eli and the house would be washed onto the prairies.” P 260
This quote gives the reader a sense of Eli’s stubbornness. He is stubborn towards the construction of the dam and towards the fact that he will need to leave his families cabin.
Lionel Red Dog
“Today, he shouted at the mirror, today things change. And he wacked himself in the stomach and grabbed his saggy chest for good measure.” P 240
This quote describes that Lionel knows that his life isn’t very successful. He is promising himself that he will turn his life around and become as successful as possible.
Coyote
“Through the blur of the windshield, Eli could make out four figures moving under the overhang, waiting for Bursum’s to open, and as he watched, a scraggly dog dashed back and forth, chasing its tail, spinning in the rain, as if it were trying to dance.” P 289
This quote tells the readers that Coyote is not just seen by the Indians it is real enough for regular people to see. It also shows that Coyote is a troublemaker because when ever he dances it rains. Coyote likes to interrupt the four Indians while they are telling their stories. This constant interruption by Coyote means that the Indians had to go back and fix part of their stories that got messed up by Coyote.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Three Day Road Blog
English Blog Post on Three Day Road
Josh Blake
A key scene in Joseph Boyden’s Three Day Road was when the French trapper raped Niska and she went away to find her spirits to help her. I think that this scene is so important to the novel because it shows the connection that the native people have with their spirits no matter how far away from home they are. Just like when Xavier, Elijah, and many other Native Americans went over seas to fight in the Second World War. Even though they were far away from home their spirits always protected them.
"When I heard the Frenchman’s voice in my head, my fear and anger came back to me so that I needed to prove to myself that I still had power. I constructed my shaking tent and went inside to pray. It did not take long for the spirits to come to me. My tent filled with a light as if a thousand fireflies had entered it. And then the spirit animals began to arrive, the spirit of the bear, the moose, the fox, the wolf, the sturgeon, rallying around my hurt in that tent like night insects to a fire. It was the lynx that came to me most strongly, his growl puffing out the walls of my tent like a great wind trying to escape. And I asked the lynx a favour that would change me forever. I asked him to go out and find the source of my hurt and extinguish it. As soon as I whispered my request, the tent went silent and the light of the spirit animals left it, so that I lay on my back in the dark of night, alone and shivering." Page 176
This scene connects with the rest of the book because it shows the immense trust and guidance that the spirits give to Native Americans. This is trust and guidance is evident through out the book from Xavier and Elijah’s first kill to their last in the novel. Many times in the book they talked about a persons ahcahk, or spirit making it to their spirit world. When Sean Patrick dies from a sniper shot Elijah and Xavier pray to their spirits, Gitchi Manitou, to take care of him. Spirits and the spirit world is a major theme in this novel and is talked about and performed many times. The French man that raped Niska later went mad and killed himself by jumping out of a hotel window. Niska’s experience with the lynx is only one example of the power that the spirits can have on people. Was it the spirit of the lynx that made the French trapper kill himself? We can only guess and speculate.
Josh Blake
A key scene in Joseph Boyden’s Three Day Road was when the French trapper raped Niska and she went away to find her spirits to help her. I think that this scene is so important to the novel because it shows the connection that the native people have with their spirits no matter how far away from home they are. Just like when Xavier, Elijah, and many other Native Americans went over seas to fight in the Second World War. Even though they were far away from home their spirits always protected them.
"When I heard the Frenchman’s voice in my head, my fear and anger came back to me so that I needed to prove to myself that I still had power. I constructed my shaking tent and went inside to pray. It did not take long for the spirits to come to me. My tent filled with a light as if a thousand fireflies had entered it. And then the spirit animals began to arrive, the spirit of the bear, the moose, the fox, the wolf, the sturgeon, rallying around my hurt in that tent like night insects to a fire. It was the lynx that came to me most strongly, his growl puffing out the walls of my tent like a great wind trying to escape. And I asked the lynx a favour that would change me forever. I asked him to go out and find the source of my hurt and extinguish it. As soon as I whispered my request, the tent went silent and the light of the spirit animals left it, so that I lay on my back in the dark of night, alone and shivering." Page 176
This scene connects with the rest of the book because it shows the immense trust and guidance that the spirits give to Native Americans. This is trust and guidance is evident through out the book from Xavier and Elijah’s first kill to their last in the novel. Many times in the book they talked about a persons ahcahk, or spirit making it to their spirit world. When Sean Patrick dies from a sniper shot Elijah and Xavier pray to their spirits, Gitchi Manitou, to take care of him. Spirits and the spirit world is a major theme in this novel and is talked about and performed many times. The French man that raped Niska later went mad and killed himself by jumping out of a hotel window. Niska’s experience with the lynx is only one example of the power that the spirits can have on people. Was it the spirit of the lynx that made the French trapper kill himself? We can only guess and speculate.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
A Moveable Feast Blog
A Moveable Feast
Book by Earnest Hemingway
Blog Post
Josh Blake
Scott Fitzgerald is the character that I have chosen to do this blog paragraph on because Scott is one of the most interesting, funny, and relatable characters in the novel. Scott’s looks make him appear, “Like a boy with a face between handsome and pretty.” Pg. 50 Line 11. Scott Fitzgerald likes to speak and question people about their lives at that moment in time and in the past. Scott also likes to talk to them about his viewpoints about the subject. Scott is very open about what he likes to talks about and if he likes something he will say it. This also applies to when he doesn’t like something. Scott is very winy and needy when it comes to his health and non-American heath care. “I want my temperature taken. Then I want my clothes dried and for us to get on an express train for Paris and to go to the American hospital at Neuilly.” Pg. 59 Lines 25 – 26. With his good looks and persistence he is able to write books and get by fine in the world.
Based on Hemingway’s description the place that I would like to visit would be the Luxembourg Gardens. This is because of the way that Hemingway described Luxembourg in the winter.
“To see the bare trees against the sky and you walked on the fresh-washed gravel paths through the Luxembourg gardens in the clear sharp wind. The trees were sculpture without their leaves when you were reconciled to them, and the winter winds blew across the surfaces of the ponds and the fountains blew in the bright light.” Pg. 5 Lines 35 – 39.
I believe that this would be one of the most beautiful places to go visit. Either during the summer or spring when all the flowers are out and blossoming or during the winter when the trees are bare and the snow is visible on the branches.
Pictures of the Luxembourg Garden:
Summer
http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/luxembourg-gardens-by_toni_blay.jpg
Winter
http://173.201.47.244/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/winter-in-paris-3.jpg
(The pictures would not upload properly as an image so here is a link)
Book by Earnest Hemingway
Blog Post
Josh Blake
Scott Fitzgerald is the character that I have chosen to do this blog paragraph on because Scott is one of the most interesting, funny, and relatable characters in the novel. Scott’s looks make him appear, “Like a boy with a face between handsome and pretty.” Pg. 50 Line 11. Scott Fitzgerald likes to speak and question people about their lives at that moment in time and in the past. Scott also likes to talk to them about his viewpoints about the subject. Scott is very open about what he likes to talks about and if he likes something he will say it. This also applies to when he doesn’t like something. Scott is very winy and needy when it comes to his health and non-American heath care. “I want my temperature taken. Then I want my clothes dried and for us to get on an express train for Paris and to go to the American hospital at Neuilly.” Pg. 59 Lines 25 – 26. With his good looks and persistence he is able to write books and get by fine in the world.
Based on Hemingway’s description the place that I would like to visit would be the Luxembourg Gardens. This is because of the way that Hemingway described Luxembourg in the winter.
“To see the bare trees against the sky and you walked on the fresh-washed gravel paths through the Luxembourg gardens in the clear sharp wind. The trees were sculpture without their leaves when you were reconciled to them, and the winter winds blew across the surfaces of the ponds and the fountains blew in the bright light.” Pg. 5 Lines 35 – 39.
I believe that this would be one of the most beautiful places to go visit. Either during the summer or spring when all the flowers are out and blossoming or during the winter when the trees are bare and the snow is visible on the branches.
Pictures of the Luxembourg Garden:
Summer
http://www.eurocheapo.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/05/luxembourg-gardens-by_toni_blay.jpg
Winter
http://173.201.47.244/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/winter-in-paris-3.jpg
(The pictures would not upload properly as an image so here is a link)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
The Boy in the Moon by Ian Brown
English Blog on “The Boy in the Moon” by Ian Brown
By: Josh Blake
Ian Brown impression of the L’Arche communities in Montreal and France was very positive. But, he always feared that a day would come that he and his wife, Johanna, would not be able to take care of their profoundly disabled son, Walker. They didn’t feel that it was possible or moral to entrust him to a family member or close friend. So instead they needed to find Walker a new home for when they could not take care of him. This new home was L’Arche, which is a home for disabled and profoundly disabled children who need constant care. Ian Brown said that he felt out of place entering the L’Arche community. "For a long time I didn't want to leave." pg. 194 Ian Brown, after a while, felt accepted in this community and felt safe and confident in leaving his son, Walker, in this community.
I have learned a lot about life with a profoundly disabled child from The Boy in the Moon. The main thing that I have leaned is that you have to enjoy the little things in life no matter how small. That small thing might just be something that the profoundly disabled child does in every day life, like walking, going to the bathroom alone, or eating. Another thing that I have learned from this book is that a profoundly disabled child needs to be watched and taken care of twenty-four seven. If not then they could possibly hurt themselves. Ian Brown’s memoir has clarified my attitude to profoundly disabled children because it has proved that a profoundly disabled child is hard to look after and take care of.
There are only three questions that I have to ask Ian Brown and they are:
1. When you found out that Walker had CFC what was your reaction and looking back would you have reacted differently under the circumstances?
2. Do you think that there needs to be more awareness about CFC?
3. Before Walker entered your life did you know about CFC and its effects?
By: Josh Blake
Ian Brown impression of the L’Arche communities in Montreal and France was very positive. But, he always feared that a day would come that he and his wife, Johanna, would not be able to take care of their profoundly disabled son, Walker. They didn’t feel that it was possible or moral to entrust him to a family member or close friend. So instead they needed to find Walker a new home for when they could not take care of him. This new home was L’Arche, which is a home for disabled and profoundly disabled children who need constant care. Ian Brown said that he felt out of place entering the L’Arche community. "For a long time I didn't want to leave." pg. 194 Ian Brown, after a while, felt accepted in this community and felt safe and confident in leaving his son, Walker, in this community.
I have learned a lot about life with a profoundly disabled child from The Boy in the Moon. The main thing that I have leaned is that you have to enjoy the little things in life no matter how small. That small thing might just be something that the profoundly disabled child does in every day life, like walking, going to the bathroom alone, or eating. Another thing that I have learned from this book is that a profoundly disabled child needs to be watched and taken care of twenty-four seven. If not then they could possibly hurt themselves. Ian Brown’s memoir has clarified my attitude to profoundly disabled children because it has proved that a profoundly disabled child is hard to look after and take care of.
There are only three questions that I have to ask Ian Brown and they are:
1. When you found out that Walker had CFC what was your reaction and looking back would you have reacted differently under the circumstances?
2. Do you think that there needs to be more awareness about CFC?
3. Before Walker entered your life did you know about CFC and its effects?
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Josh Blake Blog on The amber spyglass By Philip Pullman
The Amber Spyglass
Philip Pullman
The Amber Spyglass is the third and final part of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, a story in three volumes which began in Northern Lights and continued in The Subtle Knife. This final volume moves between our own universe and several others. The novel opens with Lyra Belacqua being kidnapped and hidden with her mother, Mrs. Coulter, within the hills of the Himalayans in a dark cave above a village. Lyra and her demon, Pan, are forced to take a drug that makes them sleep. They get food from a village girl who brings them supplies and has no idea that Lyra is there against her will. She just thinks that she is really tired all the time or sick. Will Parry tries to save Lyra from Mrs. Coulter but does not realize that the church and Lord Asriel are all trying to get to Lyra because she can read the alethiometer. Will finally manages to get Lyra away from Mrs. Coulter. They escape to the ghost world where they meet all souls of dead people. Lyra and Will decide to free the souls so that they can be at rest. To do this Will cuts a window into another world where the souls vaporize from the sun which sets them free. Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel die because they fall into a giant pit whilst fighting an angel. Lyra and Will discover that they are in love but just as they realize this they have to go back to their own worlds to live out the rest of their lives, never to see each other again because Will must destroy the knife to save both their worlds.
The authors use of diction in this novel is designed more for teenagers but this does not mean that older audiences will feel that the novel is not flowing. This novel can connect with young and old readers because of the use of the many different types of characters. An example of this character connection is a thirteen-year-old girl can connect to Lyra Belacqua and a fifty-year-old man can connect with Lord Asriel. The dialogue between characters in this book is exceptional, it makes you feel like you are not reading what they are saying but are there and listening to it.
“My child! My daughter! Where is she? What have you done? My Lyra – you’d do better to tear the fibres from my heart – she was safe with me, safe, and now where is she?” Ch.16 Pg. 210 ph.1. This passage is appealing to me because it is showing Mrs. Coulters motherly affection towards Lyra even though she had kept her in a cave under forced sleep and had put her in harms way before.
“He said to Lyra. ‘The alethiometer’s in my rucksack, there.’ ‘Oh, Will – I did so hope you’d find it – whatever happened? Did you find your father? And my dream, Will – it’s too much to believe, what we got to do, oh, I daren’t even think of it… And it’s safe! You brung it all this way safe for me…” pg 172 Ph. 2 – 3 This passage is appealing to me because it shows how much the alethiometer and Will mean to Lyra. She wants to know everything that has happened to Will since she had left but she is fascinated that Will kept her alethiometer is safe all that time.
“I have been the worst mother in the world. I let my only child be taken away from me when she was a tiny infant, because I didn’t care about her; I was concerned only with my own advancement. I didn’t think of her for years, and if I did, it was only to regret the embarrassment of her birth.” Pg 216 This passage is appealing to me because it tells the reader that Mrs. Coulter regrets the actions that she has taken in the past about the lack or affection she has given to her daughter.
Philip Pullman
The Amber Spyglass is the third and final part of Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, a story in three volumes which began in Northern Lights and continued in The Subtle Knife. This final volume moves between our own universe and several others. The novel opens with Lyra Belacqua being kidnapped and hidden with her mother, Mrs. Coulter, within the hills of the Himalayans in a dark cave above a village. Lyra and her demon, Pan, are forced to take a drug that makes them sleep. They get food from a village girl who brings them supplies and has no idea that Lyra is there against her will. She just thinks that she is really tired all the time or sick. Will Parry tries to save Lyra from Mrs. Coulter but does not realize that the church and Lord Asriel are all trying to get to Lyra because she can read the alethiometer. Will finally manages to get Lyra away from Mrs. Coulter. They escape to the ghost world where they meet all souls of dead people. Lyra and Will decide to free the souls so that they can be at rest. To do this Will cuts a window into another world where the souls vaporize from the sun which sets them free. Mrs. Coulter and Lord Asriel die because they fall into a giant pit whilst fighting an angel. Lyra and Will discover that they are in love but just as they realize this they have to go back to their own worlds to live out the rest of their lives, never to see each other again because Will must destroy the knife to save both their worlds.
The authors use of diction in this novel is designed more for teenagers but this does not mean that older audiences will feel that the novel is not flowing. This novel can connect with young and old readers because of the use of the many different types of characters. An example of this character connection is a thirteen-year-old girl can connect to Lyra Belacqua and a fifty-year-old man can connect with Lord Asriel. The dialogue between characters in this book is exceptional, it makes you feel like you are not reading what they are saying but are there and listening to it.
“My child! My daughter! Where is she? What have you done? My Lyra – you’d do better to tear the fibres from my heart – she was safe with me, safe, and now where is she?” Ch.16 Pg. 210 ph.1. This passage is appealing to me because it is showing Mrs. Coulters motherly affection towards Lyra even though she had kept her in a cave under forced sleep and had put her in harms way before.
“He said to Lyra. ‘The alethiometer’s in my rucksack, there.’ ‘Oh, Will – I did so hope you’d find it – whatever happened? Did you find your father? And my dream, Will – it’s too much to believe, what we got to do, oh, I daren’t even think of it… And it’s safe! You brung it all this way safe for me…” pg 172 Ph. 2 – 3 This passage is appealing to me because it shows how much the alethiometer and Will mean to Lyra. She wants to know everything that has happened to Will since she had left but she is fascinated that Will kept her alethiometer is safe all that time.
“I have been the worst mother in the world. I let my only child be taken away from me when she was a tiny infant, because I didn’t care about her; I was concerned only with my own advancement. I didn’t think of her for years, and if I did, it was only to regret the embarrassment of her birth.” Pg 216 This passage is appealing to me because it tells the reader that Mrs. Coulter regrets the actions that she has taken in the past about the lack or affection she has given to her daughter.
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