Reading over Turkey Breakkkkk

After reading the section that we were assigned of the Jungle, I am a bit overwhelmed because of all that happened. At first, everything was going really well for the family, which made me pleased because in previous chapters they had been so devestated, but then things took a turn for the worse. The family began comprehending the evil doings of the factory, for they all worked in such varied areas they could see all the crime being done. Jurgis was sent to jail, grandpa dies, and they have no money, nor food. It explains the terrible things happening to the women as well. This reading fooled me at the beginning thinking things were going to be okay, but in the end everthing is just going terribly for them. It was really sad to read this and I can't imagine what it would be like to be in this family's position. I get hungry going from breakfast, to sitting in school waiting for the clock to strike 11:15. I truly can't imagine what it would be like to be poor or starving and I feel so terrible for this family. It saddens my heart that all of this is true. Reading sad strories is one thing, but reading novels based on true events that are sad is very depressing, and I don't like what I'm reading. I really don't. :(

Moby Dick: Chapter 1

After reading Moby Dick, I regret picking this book. I feel as if this is going to be a very dry and boring novel about a man named Ishmael. He feels as his its going to be a freezing November so he is going to sail from New York to New Bedford, in search of a great adventure. I feel as if Ishmael and all of the other men are going to die or go through many hardships on their adventure. I’m hoping that maybe Mr. Boyd would possibly let me switch books. I am interested in reading The Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. Blake and Jenny are reading that and it looks very interesting and I would like to buy that book. I am not expecting Moby Dick to be very exciting, because what I have read is very lengthy and does not tickle my fancy. During chapter two the book mentions Ishmael stumbling into a church full of weeping African Americans. I wonder if the sermon being preached about the blackness of darkness, was a bit of foreshadowing that during Ishmael’s voyage, he will stumble upon something dark. Not only does he stumble into this, but an inn with an ominous name, “Spouter-Inn” owned by an even creepier name, Peter Coffin. I feel that there is about to be something bad to happen. I really don not like reading this book it is sooooo incredibly boring. If you are reading this Mr. Boyd, please let me switch books!

The Jungle; Chapters 4, 5, & 6

Reading chapter four was exciting. I enjoyed seeing Jurgis so proud of himself for obtaining a job. He was a sweeper in the killing beds. It is a simple job and Jurgis was very jubilant to begin work. In chapter four the family also made a very big decision. They decided to buy a house that they saw on an advertisement. Although the house was very different than the paper illustrated, they bought it. They weren’t sure about the decision they had made and were very frightened it was a scam. This chapter amazed me at how fast they began their lives in America.

Chapter five begins with the family beginning to furnish their new home. I noticed in this chapter that the picture advertisements were very smart and successful for immigrants, and was a smart business trap. I liked in this chapter how the book described to the reader what they ate. That amused me, because I was pondering their diet, while reading in earlier chapters. This is the chapter where Jurgis discovers that good people fail in life, and the evil prevail. It is eye opening to Jurgis, and he doesn’t like being apart of the bad people. I feel bad for him because he was so excited about getting a job, and he now realizes that it is in a way, very bad.

Chapter six begins with telling us that Jurgis and Ona are very in love. This is about the only content statement in the chapter. Sadly, a woman from the neighborhood tells the family that the house was meant to be a scam, and they are going to begin to charge interest on top of the monthly rent. Because of this, Ona must get a job as well as the child. It was very depressing to see how disappointed the family was, but they all found jobs, and they will be okay, money wise.

This reading was very easy for me to understand, and it really suprised me how much they had to walk, and carry all of their new things for miles on foot. I can't imagine what that would be like.

The Jungle Chapter 1, 2, 3, &4

After reading these chapters of The Jungle I had a lot of trouble understanding what was going on. It is very difficult for me to read something that takes place in a foreign country because I have trouble visualizing the story, thus, me not understanding. What I did get out of the reading was that there were two people, Jurgis and Ona, and they just got married in Lithuania and had a really strange reception, where many babies attended.  The reception was in a Saloon, which I though was very strange. It seems that this is a very poor country and I just really had a difficult time picturing this story in my mind because it is so different from anything I have ever read. Even after reading Spark Notes I feel completely lost with what I have read. Maybe the discussion in class will help me understand and I can find a method to help me understand this novel.