Purdue

So today I went on a college visit to Purdue. It was my first time ever going there. I went with my mom, my 2 friends, and their parents that both went there. It was nice for the most part. We met with the college for nursing for my friend. It was kinda creepy to see all of their life like dummies that they use for practice. They looked life like and creeped me out!! We also met with the college of engineering because my other friend and I thought we might be interested. Turns out, that's definitely not our thing at all. But we got to go on the usual tour of the whole campus. It was pretty nice, I'm not for sure if it's for me or not. It'd help if I knew what I wanted to study, but I'm clueless.....

My Sister's Keeper
Jodi Picoult
popular fiction
pg. 73-106

The book is back to Campbell's point of view and he questions himself about the relationships between children and their parents. However, he returns to his office to find Anna waiting for him and while he meets with her, Sara calls to talk to him. But he soon leaves to meet Sara at the courthouse with Judge DeSalvo. He determines that nothing can be decided until he speaks with Anna. The book goes back to Anna's view as she talks with Judge DeSalvo. Anna tells him she can't donate her kidney to Kate and being a donor has never been her choice. He appoints her a temporary guardian to help with her decisions until the trial. Anna returns home with Sara and Sara becomes furious, thinking that by refusing to donate, Anna is basically signing Kate's death away. This causes Anna to runaway to a laundry mat where she feels the safest. The book turns to Jesse's view as he contemplates his worthlessness towards his family. He ends up meeting this homeless man though who will watch over his stolen items in return for food. But then, Jesse ends up setting fire to a warehouse before going home to discover Kate vomitting blood. He drives her to the hospital where they discover she is in the end stages of kidney failure. He offers his own kidney but it's not a match. Sara mentions something about telling Anna. It's back to Sara's view, and she goes back to 1990-1991, when she was pregnant with Anna and how she knew everything about her since she was designed to help save Kate's life. Sara went into labor on New Year's Eve while Kate began chemotherapy which made her violently ill, causing the doctors to use the blood from Anna's umbilical cord to save her life.

So I'm torn on this book. I can see how Anna is against her parents using her body without her approval, but then again, I don't know why Anna won't help out her sister if it won't harm herself. It's confusing to me. I see both sides of the situation.

My Sister's Keeper
Jodi Picoult
popular fiction
pg. 1-72

The book starts up with 13 year old Anna Fitzgerald talking about where babies come from. Except, she was specifically designed by doctors from her mother and father's genes so that when she was born she could be used to help save her sister Kate, who has leukemia. Anna talks about all the surgeries and medical procedures she has to go through in order to save her sister. However, Anna finds an ad for a lawyer, Campbell Alexander, who she has her brother Jesse take her to. She asks to sue her family for the right to her own body. Next, the book changes to Campbell's perspective of the meeting with Anna. He agrees to do the case because he feels that it will be great publicity for him and an easy win. Next, the book switches to Sara's, the girls' mother, point of view. She recalls years earlier when they discovered that Kate had leukemia and that she wasn't going to let her die in any way. The book is now on to Brian's, their father's, point of view. He talks about their family dinner, when he notices how Anna is very distant like something is wrong. It's now back to Anna's perspective, and she is at the hospital with her mom while Kate goes through her dialysis. Sara begins to try to convince Anna to donate a kidney to her sister when a sheriff appears with the papers for Anna's lawsuit. Sara becomes angry but Anna runs away when Kate becomes in pain. Later, Kate comes home and talks to Anna, telling her she can't stand to lose her. Sara comes in later though to tell Anna she thinks they could talk it all out with a judge. The book then goes back to Sara's point of view, who has a flashback again. She recalls when Kate first begins her cancer treatments. They only make her sick at first, and the doctors tell Sara her daughter could be helped if they have a child with a DNA match to Kate's, inspiring Sara to have another kid that ends up being Anna.

I can already tell this book will be really sad! I've never been able to watch the movie, I was too afraid of crying, but I thought I'd give the book a chance. I agree with Anna though, she deserves the right to her own body, her mother has no right to do any of this to her. But until next time!

School....

School is crazy right now! It's so beyond stressful! There's sooo much to do. All the teachers are trying to cram everything in by the end of the year. It's killing me! In AP Lit, were doing research projects and they are killer. I chose to study Alfred Hitchcock, so I have to watch 6 of him films and write a summary, the critic's view, and my own analysis over each. That's 18 essays!! It's seriously going to be the death of me....I'm so ready for summer! I just need this year to be over because I'm sure I will have major senioritis next year...I already have some now!

Bloggies!

I think that Happy Talk had a really good reading log on her blog. She consistently posts, with some personal posts in there as well. I really like her picture of Little Peter Rabbit. It reminded me of Easter even though it was only Sunday. I also really enjoy Black Coffee's personal posts. I love her picture of the awkward childhood pictures. I really enjoy both of their blogs.

The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
literary fiction
pg. 141-181

So winter is back in Packingtown. It causes stress throughout the family. Twice, Ona doesn't come home from work saying she was staying with a friend because of snow. However, Jurgis soon discovers the truth: her boss raped her in the factory and forced her to be his mistress or else they would all lose their jobs. Jurgis was furious and went to her work and attacked the boss until some men pulled him off and took him to the police station. Jurgis is taken into jail and his bond is set $300. He is transferred to the county jail where he is stripped and taken into a cell. While there, he hears the bells, reminding him that it's Christmas Eve and his family is now alone. Jurgis becomes good friends with his cell mate, Jack, who gave him his mistress's number if he ever needed help. However, his trial came around and he was sentenced to 30 days in prison by the unsympathetic judge. While in prison, Stanislovas comes to visit, informing Jurgis that everyone except for the children selling newspapers have lost their jobs. Ona lies in bed crying all day and Marija is suffering from blood poisoning. Eventually, Jurgis is released from prison after having to stay 3 extra days in order to pay for his trial. He walks 20 miles to his home just to discover they have been kicked out. The neighbor tells him that they have moved back to the boarding house they first lived in. He arrives at the boarding house to hear Ona's screams from inside as he is informed she has gone in the premature labor and is in excruciating pain.

The book is becoming really intense. Even though this is in the early 1900s, it still has problems we see today with poverty and corruption.

The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
literary fiction
pg. 109-140

So now all the workers in Packingtown are having their wages reduced for the same amount of work. Marija thought that there was a robbery at the bank so she goes to withdraw her money she recently put in there and ends up sewing it into her clothes, weighing herself down. Of course, Jurgis ends up breaking his ankle, causing him to be out of work for almost 3 months. They have to force 2 of the kids in the family to work selling newspapers for income. And of course someone else in the family dies, and although most of them believed her to be a nuisance, few mourned. Marija provides the money for a proper funeral. Once healed, Jurgis attempts to find work, but is unsuccessful except for a job in the fertilizer mill. However, in the summer Teta Elzbieta goes to work in a sausage mill as well, providing the family with more income. The family begins to suffer, however, with their knowledge of all the disgusting corruption in the meatpacking industry. Ona and Jurgis slowly grow apart as Jurgis turns towards alcohol. Poor Antanas becomes ill all throughout his first year, but successfully makes it to his first birthday, when Ona is now pregnant again.

The book is really an eye opener for the life in the early 1900s. All the corruption and secrets in the industry honestly disgusts me.

The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
literary fiction
pg. 83-108

So now, this musician, Tamoszius, begins to like Marija, Jurgis' cousin. Since he is a musician, he is at most social events and is able to invite Marija to all and sometimes the entire family. He proposes to her, and the family plans to finish the attack of their house for their room. However, the canning factory where Marija works is shut down and she loses her job. Additionally, many other factories throughout Packingtown are shut down or are affected by the troubling times. Jurgis receives a reduction of his hours and wages. Then anyone in the family who works, joined a union to help the family out. Jurgis consistently attends the union meetings. He also decides to learn English and to become an American citizen. A man shows him how to vote and everything, but Jurgis later learns that it was all a scheme to control Jurgis' vote. However, Jurgis continues with his work and discovers the abundance of corruption and dishonesty throughout Packingtown. He is repulsed by his discoveries of cans of ham actually being filled with entrails from random animals.
Spring has arrived in Packingtown and Marija has regained her job but loses it only 2 months later due to her verbal protest. However, she soon finds work as a beef trimmer. Her income is necessary because Ona is now expecting a child. Ona continues to work throughout her pregnancy and is mistreated by all her coworkers who happen to be immoral prostitutes from a brothel. She soon has her baby though, and her and Jurgis name it Antanas after his father. Jurgis becomes attached to his first child. Ona is forced to return back to work only a week after giving birth, causing her health to decline.

The book is becoming more intense every page. I'm personally disgusted by the imagery it provides about the old meatpacking industry. I'm so glad this muckraking book helped create new laws.

Dolphins!

One day out on the beach, dolphins came in really close to the shore! It's kinda hard to see...but those are dolphins!

The Jungle
Upton Sinclair
literary fiction
pg. 42-82

Jurgis has now gotten a job in one of the meat packing plants sweeping entrails away. Two other family members also have or are working on getting jobs. Jurgis insists that Ona and the children don't work. However, the family comes upon an advertisement for a four room homes for a reasonable price. Ona discovers that with their income, they will be able to afford both the down payment and the monthly payments. They skeptically close on the house because somewhere in the contract it calls it a rental not an ownership. However, it's all good in the end. The family settles comfortably into their new home. Jurgis is enjoying his job much more than the others because he likes the fast paced conditions. A man promises Jurgis' father, Dede Antanas, a job in exchange for one third of his wages. After exploration, Jurgis discovers how common corruption in the meatpacking industry is. At work, Jurgis also notes how unsanitary meat, such as fetuses and animals deceased from diseases, is packed with the sanitary meat for human consumption. However, the family's neighbor exposes to them how the house is a scam. Three other families before them have tried to buy the house they're in now, but have failed due to missing only 1 months payment. Now, Ona and some of the others are forced to find work in order to own the house to prevent their eviction. However, Ona and Jurgis' wedding feast still has them $100 in debt. Nonetheless, the winter comes, causing hardships. The cold and disease of the season kills many workers, including Dede. While some of the factory workers turn to alcohol, Jurgis resists in order to care for Ona and the rest of the family.

So far I'm really enjoying this book. It really creates a vivid picture of what life was like in the early twentieth century. I couldn't even imagine dealing with all of that. Like eating unsanitary meat...makes me feel sick just thinking about it.

Spring Break!

I just got back from Spring Break yesterday. It was so much fun!I went with my parents and I brought my friend Kim. We went to Fort Walton Beach Florida. It's right by Destin, so we went there a lot at night. We spent most of our days laying out on the beach, it was amazing! At night, we did all sorts of things. One night we went go-karting on a 3 story track. It was fun and kinda funny because it was Kim's first time so she was freaking out the whole time. Another night, we went to this restaurant called Fudpuckers. It was soooo good!! The whole place was amazing! They had a little swamp thing down below with live baby alligators! You can see the baby alligator here! You could pay to hold one and get a picture, but we didn't. It had a gift shop, arcade, and everything here! The food was delicious too. And all the walls had writing all over it. You buy sharpies to sign your name wherever you want. I signed on the booth, table, wall, picture, frame, and the lamp! It was pretty fun. Overall though, it was definitely a successful spring break!