Catcher In the Rye: Chapters 7-12

I'm trying really, really hard to not read ahead in the book. I don't want to get mixed up with all the questions, although it would be really nice to finish the book already. Either way, the reading is coming along very nicely and I'm hoping the book gets better and better.

If you were Holden, and you had just been kicked out of school, where would you go? Why?
First things firsts. I would have a mini mental breakdown, possibly pace around and go crazy wondering how the heck I let myself be kicked out of school. Then mope around, telling myself that I am a failure. Then I would get really mad and want to punch something, but in the end go back to whimpering about what the heck to do. All of that, in order, on the same day.
But seriously, all joking put aside, I think I would just go outside for a walk and breath. Just breathe. That's one of Holden's problems. HE NEVER JUST STOPS AND BREATHES. He's always thinking about what to do next, he never looks back at the wreck he's left behind. And if he does think about him being kicked out, he doesn't take it seriously. Anyway, I would go outside and breath. Since he's in New York, I think I would go walk and breathe in Central Park. Putting one foot in front of the other should clear up my head and I should come up with a smart choice on what to do next. After some walking I would head back home. My parents would be very disappointed but family is family, and when you're at your worst, family is there to help you out.

Jane's character in the book is sort of nice to have. I think she remind Holden of happy times in the past when life wasn't so messed up. I wish Holden would of called her up, but what would he say? Either way, hopefully Holden gets to see Jane again. It would be nice to see how she thinks of Holden now.

"People are always ruining things for you."
Uhhh, yeah. People always ruin things for others. Maybe they don't mean it half the time(though some do) but plenty of people do it. Like when I ruined the illusion of Santa Claus for my little sister. Now, before I get so much hate, I was 9! Cut me some slack! I thought she knew that Santa wasn't real, so I happened to bring the subject up and it just came out. She was devastated. But now she knows the truth instead of living a lie. But enough of me sounding like the bad guy, I think people ruin things for us because they want to either 1) harm you or 2) make you see the truth. It sucks when something is ruined for you, but you move on and learn from it. At least that's what little sister did.

Catcher In the Rye: Chapters 1-6

Yes!! I've been dying to read this book. At first I was worried that it would be difficult to read, but it sort of reminds me of To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Anyways, I'm really enjoying reading this book and hope the story will get better.  On to the questions!

What does it mean to be unique? 
I think being unique is hard. Honestly, you can't always find unique people, cuz' everyone is similar in some way. But being unique would mean that you don't change how you are for other people or for other reasons. Holden is very unique, I think. He doesn't seem to quite fit in with his roommates and friends, he doesn't stare at himself all day long like Stradlater or is openly rude like Ackley, but he sometimes acts like a little kid. Which is very unique among 16/17 year olds. Yet, he doesn't hide it. Which is good and very unique.

How do you keep individuality in a adult world? 
I think in order to stay yourself and be an individual person in the ADULT WORLD(scary isn't it?) you need to know yourself pretty well. Like, you need to keep true to yourself....does that make any sense? Try not to so influenced by your friends, and like/do things that you want to. I mean, it's not bad if you like a trend, but still act how YOU do, not how someone else is.


How is Allie's character similar to your favorite person?
Augh, this answer is so overdone but it's all I got. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PEOPLE (if by chance you're reading this Anita) is my little sister Karen. Allie, Holden's little brother that died, was apparently really smart. Well, so is Karen. Sometimes I feel like she older than me because she's so much smarter than me. Her way of reasoning is really different from other kids in her grade, and she's always getting remarkable marks from her teacher. Just like Allie. My sister sucks at sports (it must run in the family or something) so baseball is out, but she does have this wild, curly hair you can see from afar like Allie's bright red-ish hair. Overall, Karen does resemble Allie quite a bit. She's the type of kid who makes you laugh when you don't even feel like smiling. I think that's what Allie was to Holden. A beam light that made his gloomy days a little brighter.

                                                                                           

The Odyssey- Final Chapters

Oh, it has come to an end! The story that I hated with pure passion in the beginning had ended.

My last thoughts?

I totally saw the ending coming. I just knew Homer was going to end it like that. After all that Ulysses been through, he has to end up living, once again, with his family. It would just be cruel if he died in that end or something, so I think the ending is appropriate for this story. Plus, I can't come up with a better ending.

Also, I'm happy that Telly seems not as angry with the world like in the beginning. Maybe he changed? Yeah, probably. And Ulysses too. I don't think he changed completely changed, but he's not as arrogant and eager to challenge someone. He has matured. Except the part where he savagely killed the suitors. That was just too.......um...just too.......graphic. 

Now that the Odyssey is done, I think the only smart thing for me to do is read the Iliad. Yes, I know the Iliad takes place before the Odyssey, but I think it would be fun to see the back-story to it. And maybe find out a bit more about Ulysses, Achilles, Agamemnon and the other people who fought in the battle of Troy.

So...yes. I am done! :)

Odyssey Books 12-17

Nevermind my last post, I have found a couple of favorite characters. The Olympian gods and all the minor people who only get a cameo appearance in the whole book. Like all those souls in the underworld, I'm still thinking about their stories and everything. And even though the Olympian gods and the minor gods do have their fair share of irritating moments (like sinking Ulysses ship, not nice) I believe the gods are the.......most true characters. I mean, they're really simple to understand, to me anyways, because their not complicated or involved in everything like the humans.Well, they are involved but their not always on Earth and besides, they know almost everything that's going to happen. So there's no use in discussing things, cuz they already know who's right.

Anyways, I like them the best.

Telemachus disappointed me, he turned out to be like a moody teenager who's mad at the world, and Ulysses is too arrogant. Blehh, hate arrogance.

The Odyssey
Books 8-12

Well, I think I've chosen my favorite character. NO ONE! Just when I thought Telly was alright and possibly a good hero. He does something that just doesn't fit with me. And then there's Ulysses (I still don't get why it's Ulysses and not Odysseus!). Why would he challenge all those guys to see who's stronger? I know it's part of preserving your pride or whatever, but still. It just seemed so....juvenile. I mean, this is a grown man we're talking about. In his late, maybe middle, forties! I think it was unnecessary, but that's just my opinion. And then there was Nausicaa. I liked her in the beginning, just because I loved her name, and I thought she was going to be kinda cool and a good character. But she's always talking about marriage. How she doesn't want to marry some dude, and it gets sort of annoying. Hopefully the character will develop more, I have really high expectations for this one.

I am , right now, not sure who I like in the book, and who I should hate. I should probably check back into the Odyssey, but I'm writing this in the middle of Algebra, (sorry Mr. Alspach, even though you'll hopefully never read this blog entry).

First thing first, I thought Calypso was the bad person in all of this!! Suddenly it seems, to me anyway, that she's just a lonely witch-lady living on an island, who happens to honestly, really like Ulysses. It's not her fault the gods don't strand any other vagabond on her island.

Second thing on my complaint agenda, I wonder when Hermes (or his Roman counterpart, Mercury) will make an appearance, if at all. Isn't he the god of traveling and what not? So why is Minerva helping them all the time? No other gods help Telly and Ulysses so far in the book. Maybe it's beacuse they're Minerva's favorites.

The Odyssey

 Chapters 2-4


 As I read further into The Odyssey, I realized I was starting to actually like it. Huh! Although there are some things I quite don't understand, like why the suitors are savaging Penelope's and Telly's house, (where are the government officials in all of this?!), but I also realize back then things were done differently, traditions were not quite what they are now. So hopefully as the story progresses I'll get more comfortable with that idea.

So for now, I am left to wonder if Telly's quest will go as expected. Sail the seas, find the dad, come home for a happy life, or if they'll  hardships along the way to find/ bring back home his dad, Ulysses.

Oh! And on that note, another question I ponder. Why isn't the main character's name Odysseus but instead Ulysses? It's called THE ODYSSEY! Not the Ullysey.


By now I'm just ranting off complaints and things I think should change, which means I should stop writing soon. But do not be misguided, I actually kinda like the book.