Reflection Blog

Both "A Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson" by Mary Rowlandson and "Upon the Burning of our House" by Anne Bradstreet reflect the qualities of Puritan writing very well. One of the first reasons why they reflect the qualities of Puritan writing so well is because they are two different types of writings. "A Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson" takes the form of a book, while "Upon the Burning of our House" takes the form as a poem. Both styles of writing are effective and I think worked well for this subject. Another quality of Puritan writing that I noticed while reading these two pieces of literature was the Biblical scripture used through out the writings. This alone shows the Puritans' faith in God and their strong hold on their religion. One of the first Biblical references used talks about the story of Job and how when something terrible happens, there is only one surviving messenger to tell the news. This is how Mary Rowlandson feels about her story and experience. Another scenario where scripture is used is when Mary is struggling with loss, sickness, and unknown conditions of her children. Even in this uncertain time she knows God is always there. "Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. Psal. lv.22" (Rowlandson, 85). "A Narrative of Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson" also closes with a Bible verse and "Upon the Burning of our House" makes a reference to the book of Job as well. (Bradstreet, 91) I enjoyed the fact that these writings involved Bible scriptures and found them easy to relate to since I am personally familiar with the verses. An overall positive tone is a quality of both writings as well. This was actually very surprising to me. When I first read that this was going to be about kidnappings, invasion, and destruction of property, I figured the general mood would be quite melancholy. This was not the case however. Both authors were able to explain their tragic experiences while still maintaining a feeling of hope and strength. I think this was accomplished by the attitudes of each writer. Even though they were in horrible situations, they never gave up hope. An example of this was when Mary was almost at the point of starving,  yet she thanked God for the little food that she did have. Mary also talked about not focusing on the many little problems she is dealing with at the time, and focusing on the future and the salvation of the Lord. Anne Bradstreet also demonstrated this. An example would be when her house was burning and she could no longer bare to look, so she prayed by herself about how the Lord gives and takes away and blessed His name. They put their trust in God. They know that life on earth is only temporary and that no matter what hardships they face, they can look forward to life in heaven. "The world no longer let me love, My hope and treasure lies above" (Bradstreet, 91). This was one of my favorite quotes of "Upon the Burning of our House". Overall I really enjoyed both pieces of writings and I think they definitely represented the qualities of Puritan writing well.


Wilhelm, Jeffrey D., Douglas Fisher, Kathleen A. Hinchman, David G. O'Brien, Taffy Raphael, and Cynthia Hynd. Shanahan. Glencoe Literature. New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.

Journal #2

On a small farm in Tennessee, there lives a Bernese mountain dog named Bella. Bella grew up on the farm since she was a small pup, and was now, herself, expecting puppies of her own to be born any day. All of the animals on the farm were eager for the puppies arrival and so supportive of Bella. One of Bella's best friends on the farm was an orange tabby cat named Stubs. Stubs got his name because when he wandered up to the farm, he had only half a tail. And every time you ask him what happened, the story changes. Early on a Tuesday morning, Bella yelled to Stubs, "The puppies! They're coming!" Stubs leaped into action and did all he could to make her  more comfortable. Soon enough they had arrived, nine balls of fluff experiencing the world for the first time.  The puppies grew extremely fast, with a loving mother and best friend keeping a close eye on them. They kept the puppies from the rest of the farm animals until they were old enough to get around easily.. When the puppies were five weeks old, Bella decided to take them out for the first time. All of the animals were thrilled to finally meet them. One of the first friends they met was Mary the lamb. "The puppies are so beautiful, Bella!" "Thank you, Mary, they sure.." "Mom! Mom! I'm hungry!" "Me too Mom! Me too!" The puppies yelps had stopped Bella mid-sentence. Bella fed her puppies then moved on to visit Gary the goat. "Do they sleep well for you?" "It depends on.." "Mom I want to go play!" "Let's run outside!" Bella knew this interrupting had to stop. Bella explained to her puppies about patience and not interrupting others when you have something to say. She told them the next time they want to talk while she's talking, to put their paw on her leg so she knows, and then wait for her to finish. Lastly, they went to visit old Molly the cow. Bella and Molly chatted without one interruption from the puppies. "You sure have well-behaved little angels, Bella! Because of their good manners, I have a treat for them." Molly then dropped three large bones in front of their little faces. The puppies learned that having good manners, has its benefits!

Journal #1

This is the story of how the tiger got its stripes. Wild cats have always been the "top dogs".  Lions, tigers, all at the top of the food chain. Tigers have not always been there though. A long time ago, lions were the only reigning felines of the desert. As you know, lions travel in prides and one of the most famous and first prides in history lived in Africa in the Zambian plane. In this pride, there was of course a leader and his name was Tiger meaning , protector. Tiger was the fastest, strongest, bravest, and most suitable for head lion of the pride. He lead with great power and was a good leader and cared for everyone in his pride. Everyone looked up to Tiger and aspired to be just like him. Tiger had a loving lioness partner and a cub, which they named Tau. Tiger loved Tau more than anything in the world. One afternoon, in was extremely hot in the Zambian plane, and the pride could not remember the last time it had rained. Everything was dry and the heat was too powerful to bare. Tiger knew they were running low on food though and took a small group of lions out to hunt. Tiger licked his cub, Tau goodbye and headed out. When Tiger and the group were done hunting, they came back to find the entire plain in flames. A forest fire had struck and the fire was engulfing the entire area. The lions were scattered about helplessly trying to escape the flames. Tiger acted quickly ordering all of the lions to follow him to the river. When they reached the river, all of the lions were accounted for but one, his cub, Tao. Without hesitation, Tiger sprinted back to the plain as fast as his legs could carry him. He searched frantically, yelling for his beloved son. Then, trapped in the branches of a fallen thorn tree, he saw Tao unconscious from the smoke. Tiger crawled his way through the tangled thorn branches, tearing his skin with every step. He reached his son, scooped him up in his mouth, and traveled the same painful route out of the thorns. He slowly makes his way out of the now dying flames and travels back to the river where he collapses. He succeeded in saving his son, but he himself was not so lucky. Out of respect for their fallen leader, the pride uses the ashes left from the fire, to draw on black stripes to represent and remember the cuts Tiger endured, as the ultimate protector.

Jim Burden in My Antonia

Jim Burden is the other main character besides Antonia Shimerda in "My Antonia" by Willa Cather. Along with being a main character, he is also the perspective from which the book is written. This story takes place in Black Hawk, Nebraska and is of Jim Burden looking back at his past as an adult. Jim is described as being very romantic, caring, and bright. When we first meet Jim, his character is only ten years old. By the end of the book, we can really see how much he has matured. He is an orphan and lives on a farm with his grandparents. When the Shimerda's move in as their neighbors, Jim has no idea the effects they will have on him, especially the daughter, Antonia.  "I first heard of Antonia on what seemed to me an interminable journey across the great midland plain of North America" (Cather, 9). They had moved all the way from Bohemia and their move would have been a lot more challenging without the help of the Burdens. Jim was even the one who taught Antonia English. At first, Antonia saw herself as superior to Jim simply because she was four years older than him. But from the moment Jim saved them both from a five and a half foot snake, she considered themselves equal. The relationship and friendship between Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda is really what makes up the majority of the book. They are both very influential on each other and love each other like siblings. Their friendship is tested in several ways and especially through separation. Jim goes on to pursue his education while Antonia is stuck at home to work and support her family. Antonia later comes to town and finds work there and their friendship is reignited. They love being able to see each other every day, but once again life's demands causes them to part ways. Towards the end of book, after Jim had become a successful lawyer, he visits Antonia and finds her to be exactly as he remembered her. Their life-long friendship was tested consistently, but still remained unshaken. I think Jim was an admirable character and I enjoyed reading the book from his perspective.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

Tone of My Antonia

Tone is a very important part of any book and "My Antonia" by Willa Cather is no exception to this. This book is a novel that takes place between the 1880s and 1910 and the setting is Black Hawk, Nebraska. The perspective is of Jim Burden looking back at his life and his friendships as an adult so the tone is very narrative. Books like this that simply tell a story or their life tend to have this type of tone. Narrative is not the only tone used in "My Antonia" though. For most of the story, the tone is more sad. The reason for this is because of saddening events that occur. One of these events was the death of Antonia's father Mr.Shimerda. After moving all the way from Bohemia, Antonia and her family have a hard time adjusting to the new country. Mr.Shimerda struggled the most though and his homesickness became severe. He eventually became so unhappy that he took his own life. This was an especially tragic event because it really came out of no where. Willa used dramatic irony in this situation which really made the tone more effective. The tone was also sad and dark during the winter where farm life was always a lot more demanding. An example of this was when all the snow came and the hardships with shoveling it all and still trying to take care of the animals. "The flakes came down so thickly that from the sitting-room windows I could not see beyond the windmill- its frame looked dim and grey, unsubstantial like a shadow" (Cather, 52). One last tone used in "My Antonia" by Willa Cather is nostalgic. This is because of the fact that the perspective of this book is written from Jim looking back at the past. The entire story is kind of like one big flashback and of Jim Burden reminiscing his childhood. These tones used were very important and effected the way the reader received the book.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

Review of My Antonia

"My Antonia" by Willa Cather was a very well written book, in my opinion. I enjoyed it for several reasons. One of the first reasons was because of the characters. My favorite character in this book was Antonia Shimerda. I liked her a lot because of her characteristics. Antonia is a very independent, optimistic, hard working, adventurous woman and I think she is very admirable for that. I also liked that she was from Bohemia and I found the immigration parts of the book to be very interesting. My favorite part of the book about her was probably the way she handled herself when her fiance, Larry Donovan left her pregnant with his child. She was so strong in this situation and I loved that she kept the baby and loved it all the same. She was shameless even though she had a reason to simply give it up. "She loved it from the first as dearly as if she'd had a ring on her finger, and was never ashamed of it. It's a year and eight months old now, and no baby was ever better cared-for" (Cather, 190). Another character I enjoyed reading about was Jim Burden. I thought he was a likable character and I was pleased with the story being told from his point of view and seeing his thoughts. His relationship with Antonia was probably what I enjoyed the most. Their friendship was so honest and real that you could not help, but love it. It was encouraging to see that no about of distance between Jim and Antonia could shake their life-long friendship and sincere love for each other. This book reminded me a lot about "The Little House on the Prairie" series. These were some of my favorite books while growing up and it was nice reading something with a similar theme. The only thing I did not enjoy about this book was probably the length, which is not a big deal. It was very detailed and wordy, but I guess without it, it would not be the same book. "My Antonia" was definitely my favorite of the four books I read.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

My Antonia question #8

"My Antonia" by Willa Cather reflects events in history very well. I think the author did a good job describing events and you could really picture what it was like back then. One of the main reasons the events are reflected so well is because of the amount of detail put into this book. Willa is very specific about the setting and describes the environment very well so it is easy to picture in your head while reading. One of the main historical events I picked out was the gold rush in Alaska. This was very exciting for the people of this time and the author reflected that well. One of the girls from the book, Tiny Soderball actually makes a small fortune from it. Other events reflected was when dancing became popular and the different dances that came to town. Antonia loved them and was a natural dancer. I think overall events in history were reflected well. As far as responsibilities Cather believed existed between various groups in society, I think the town workers and farm workers were one of them. I think this just because of the completely different lifestyles the two groups lived and how manual labor for a woman was looked down upon. On the farm, Antonia worked in the fields like the men, but when she came in town to work she had to present herself as a lady. If Antonia had come to town looking like she did on the farm, she would be judged more than she already was. Another set of responsibilities I think Cather believed in could have existed between different groups in society was between men and women. Now I do not think there was a huge difference, but it did seem like the women were meant to work in the home while the men had job. When Antonia was forced to work in the fields, it was not common. Examples of the men having real jobs would be Antonia's ex-fiance, Larry Donovan, who was a railroad conductor, and also Jim Burden, who became a lawyer. The jobs the women had in this book consisted of littler occupations like dress making or a laundry service. I think Willa Cather was probably influenced by the Alaskan gold rush and new immigrants to the country.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

My Antonia question #7

Willa Cather uses several techniques while writing "My Antonia" to engage the audience and make the story effective. Some of the techniques used would be tragedy, betrayal, and love. Like I said, tragedy is one of the first techniques used in this story. An example of this would be the death of Mr.Shimerda in the first section of the book. Mr.Shimerda and his family had just moved to Black Hawk, Nebraska and he struggled with the move a lot harder than the others. Mr.Shimerda was extremely homesick and was not happy in this new country. He missed it so much that he thought the only solution was to take his own life. This was a very tragic event and both the Shimerda family and Burden family were devastated. "Old Mr. Shimerda is dead, and his family are in great distress. Ambrosch came over here in the middle of the night, and you must not bother them with questions" (Cather, 61). This event, although tragic, really brought everyone closer together. Another technique used in this book was betrayal. This was farther in the book towards the end. Antonia Shimerda was going to be married to Larry Donovan. When Larry loss his job, however, he no longer had intentions on marrying her. He stayed with her until she ran out of money and then he walked out of her life. He deserted her and left her pregnant with his child. Antonia was heart broken and yet she still tried to make the best of the situation. She loved the baby and was a wonderful mother. In the end of the book, she ends up having ten children. One last technique used I think was love. I do not mean this in the way between husband and wife love or anything but simply the loving friendship between Antonia Shimerda and Jim Burden. Their friendship was encouraging and it was enjoyable to read how they overcame their separation and maintained their friendship for life. All of these techniques used really added to the book and made it that much more interesting to read.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

My Antonia question #6

I think there are many reasons that we still read the book "My Antonia" by Willa Cather today. These reasons would be the message, characters, and lessons taught from reading this book. The plot of this story is all about friendship and the past. In this book, Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda have a life-long friendship that is tested in several ways including separation. The past is involved because of the perspective, which is Jim Burden looking back at his life as an adult. I would say the message of their story would be how friendships and relationships  effect a person's life. An example of this would be when Antonia and her family first move to Black Hawk, Nebraska. Being immigrants, they are foreign to farm life and the Burdens really help them to adapt. Also, Jim and Antonia's friendship was very influential on both of them in the way that Jim taught Antonia English, and then the way Jim lit up when Antonia was around. Another reason we can still enjoy this book today is because of the timeless characters. One of my favorite characters is Antonia and she can be very relatable to a large range of readers. One way she is relatable is because she is a very independent and strong woman. This is very admirable, and being a woman myself, I enjoyed these character traits in her. Antonia is also relatable in the way that she had to stay at home and work to support her family. This is something that people today still are faced with and a lot of families have to deal with things of this nature. She is relatable in the way that her husband deserted her with a baby as well. Unfortunately this is quite common in our society today, but it was also admirable how she was unashamed of her baby and loved it all the same. "I replied that grandmother had written me how Antonia went away to marry Larry Donovan at some place where he was working; that he had deserted her, and that there was now a baby" (Cather, 179). One last reason for why we still read this book today is because of the lesson. From this book, one can learn that hard work pays off and that no amount of distance can break true friendship.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

My Antonia question #5

The novel "My Antonia" by Willa Cather reflects history, behavior, and social issues of the time period and setting very well. The setting of the book is Black Hawk, Nebraska and the time period is the 1880s-1910. During this time period there were a lot of immigrants coming to the states. This is reflected in the story very well. The main example of this would be Antonia Shimerda, one of the main characters, and her family. Antonia and her family move to Black Hawk, Nebraska all the way from Bohemia. They have a hard time adapting at first, but with the help from their neighbors, the Burdens, the adjustment is much easier. Not all of them adapted well though, and Antonia's father actually committed suicide because his homesickness was so severe. There were many other immigrants as well, including Lena Lingard, the three Marys, and also a Swedish girl. Other historical events reflected in this book was the gold rush. This happened in Alaska and one of Antonia's friends, Tiny Soderball actually makes a small fortune from it. I think the behavior of this time period depended on where you lived. I think this because there is a major difference between the way they lived and acted on the farm and then the way they lived in town. The book talked about how people looked down on Antonia because of her love to go to the dances. I think social issues of this time period and setting reflected in "My Antonia" by Willa Cather seemed to be finding a job and immigration. To me it seemed like it was harder to find work out on the farm and that is why they all moved to the town to find work. Immigration also seemed like a social issue just with the way they had to adapt to the new country. I think the book's symbolic significance would be friendship and the thematic significance would be the character's relationship with the past.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

My Antonia question #4

The hero in the book "My Antonia" by Willa Cather is of course Antonia Shimerda. Antonia is described as being very generous, optimistic, kind, hard working, adventurous, and full of life. She always makes the best out of a situation and can never see the bad in someone that she loves. She has a great love for children as well and ends up having ten of her own. She is also a natural dancer and never misses the dances when they are in town. Physically, Antonia is very attractive and pretty. In the book it talks about how beautiful she looks all dressed up when she comes to town and Jim Burden sees her for the first time since he had left. She is very favorable among the men in town and has several dates to the dances where everyone wants a turn with her. Antonia Shimerda accomplishes much in this book because she is such a hard worker. In order to adapt to the farm life after moving to Black Hawk, Nebraska from Bohemia, and support her family, she is put to work in manual labor. She works hard though and works as hard the guys do. Antonia eventually moves to town to work and stays with the Harlings at first and then moves in with the Cutters when she is told she is no longer allowed to attend the dances that she looks forward to so much. Later in the book she is planning on marrying Larry Donovan, when he loses his job and leaves her in the dust when her money runs out. Antonia is left pregnant with his child and she has no other choice but to move back to the farm. There she works again, and without anyone knowing about her baby, gives birth to it in her room. She moves on to marry a Bohemian man named Cuzek and raises a large family with ten children. Her relationship with Jim is tested through all of this and the separation is hard for both of them, but in the end Jim visits her and finds her spirit to be the same. "She was there, in the full vigour of her personality, battered but not diminished, looking at me, speaking to me in the husky, breathy voice I remembered so well" (Cather, 199). The friendship between the two is definitely one for life. I think Antonia can easily represent the abstract idea of goodness.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

My Antonia question #3

The book, "My Antonia" by Willa Cather addresses several universal themes. I think the main themes would be hard work, family, and friendship. Hard work is something that is present through out the entire story. The setting of this book takes place for the majority, in Black Hawk, Nebraska on a farm. Hard work is necessary for farm life and without it, you could not survive out there. One person who I really think had the trait of a hard worker and dedication was Antonia Shimerda. Antonia and her family had just moved to Black Hawk, Nebraska all the way from Bohemia and they had a lot to learn about farm life. With the help of their neighbors, the Burdens however, they are able to adapt easier. Antonia, even though a girl, really stepped up for her family and worked hard to help with the manual labor on the farm. She was very strong and the book says that she could work just as well as the boys. This was a trait that she kept her whole life. Jim Burden also was a hard worker. He worked hard in his education rather than manual labor though. Jim was able to better himself through school and went off to become a lawyer. Another theme in "My Antonia" is family. Family is very important to both the Shimerda and Burden family and this is what the plot of the story revolves around for the most part. An event that really brought both families together was the death of Antonia's father, Mr.Shimerda. This was a tragic event for both families, but in a way made them even closer. One last theme would be friendship. The friendship and struggles between Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda is what makes up the plot. Their friendship is tested several times though, especially through separation. When life's demands causes them to physically be a part, it had no effect on their friendships itself. They always ended up making their way back to each other and remain life-long friends. I think Willa Cather understands how positive family relationships and friendships can effect a humans life.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

My Antonia question #2

There are many causes, gains, and losses dealt with in the book "My Antonia" by Willa Cather. Because this is a story of their lives, there are several conflicts dealt with in this story. Some of the main ones would be Antonia's loss of her father and failed marriage, and the relationship between Jim Burden and Antonia Shimerda as their lives change and are separated by life's demands. I'll start with the first conflict. The conflict of Mr.Shimerda's death happened within the first part of the book. The cause of this was because he was so homesick and unhappy in this new country and he felt that the only solution was to take his own life. He was very civilized about it and washed himself, shaved, put on clean clothes, kissed his girls goodbye before leaving forever. " 'His coat was hung on a peg, and his boots was under the bed. He'd took off that silk neck cloth he always wore, and folded it smooth and stuck his pi through it. He turned back his shirt at the neck and rolled up his sleeves' "(Cather, 61). There really was not much gained of this conflict except that the family and friends grew closer together. Obviously the loss of this conflict was Antonia's father and hero. Another conflict was when Antonia was betrayed by her husband. The cause of this was because Larry had lost his job and simply did not desire to be married to Antonia. The gain of this conflict was her first baby, which she did not tell anyone she was having. The loss of this of course was her husband. The final conflict of Jim Burden's and Antonia Shimerda's relationship is on going through out the whole book. Towards the end though, is when they really are separated. Jim goes on to succeed with his education and becomes a lawyer while Antonia had to stay at home to work and provide for her family. The cause of this was simply because of the circumstances they were in. The loss of this was that they did not get to see each other as much as they would like, but even so they gained a life-long friendship.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

My Antonia question #1

The writing "My Antonia" by Willa Cather reveals a lot about the author's values and attitudes. I think a few of these would include family, as well as hard work. As I said, I think family is one of the main things that Willa values. I say this because this is what the majority of the plot has to do with, family and their struggles. There are two main families that this story talks about. These would be the Shimerdas and the Burdens. These two families go through a lot including moving, struggles due to the winter weather, and also family deaths. The Shimerda family had moved all the way from Bohemia. Their family must adapt and survive on their new farm land in Black Hawk, Nebraska. With the help of the Burden family, they are able to learn the ways of the farm, the English language, and also gain life-long friendships. Later in the book, they lose Antonia's father, and this tragic affair really brings the family closer together. "I knew it was homesickness that had killed Mr. Shimerda, and I wondered whether his released spirit would not eventually find its way back to his own country" (Cather, 64). Something else I think Willa valued was hard work. This is also a trend in "My Antonia". Life on the farm requires a lot of manual labor and hard work, which is exactly what Antonia steps up to do. The books talks about her strength and how she was able to work just as well as the men. Jim Burden is also a very hard worker and because of this he was able to move to town and learn more to better his life. The book "My Antonia" by Willa Cather is written in first person by Jim Burden. This story is from his perspective as an adult, looking back at past events and his childhood while growing up. I enjoyed this perspective and thought it was perfect for this type of writing.

Cather, Willa. My Antonia. New York: Barns & Noble, 2003. Print.

Mildred Montag in Fahrenheit 451

“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury contains unique characters that are vital to the story. One of these characters is Mildred Montag. Mildred or as Guy Montag calls her “Millie” is Guy’s wife in the story. She is described as being very angry and distant. When we first meet Mildred’s character, she is not even conscious. Before Guy Montag left there were thirty sleeping pill tablets in the little glass bottle, but when Guy comes home he runs into it in the dark and finds it empty. Mildred ends up having to have her stomach pumped in order to save her life. The thing is, Mildred does not even realize that she is suicidal and denies that she took all of those sleeping pills. “She was quite obviously waiting for him to go. ‘I didn’t do that,’ she said. ‘Never in a billion years’ “(Bradbury, 20). She obviously suffers from great depression and it is safe to say it is because of their over controlling government. I think Mildred is the perfect example on the effects of a society with no freedom. In this city, the government controls with violence and fear so people are too afraid to fight against them. Because of this, the people do not think for themselves. When you do not think for yourself, and your life is filled with pointless activities such as watching the parlor walls, it is not surprising that you would become depressed and suicidal like Mildred. Like I said, Mildred is Guy’s wife. She does not act like a wife should though. She does not show any love or affection for him and cannot even remember where they met. Her character is very stiff and we never really get to know her intimately. Not only is Mildred a poor wife to her husband, but on top of that she turns him in to the firemen when she learns about his secret library. After they show up at their house, she walks out of Guy’s life forever without even thinking twice about it. I did not enjoy Mildred’s character and her traits very much and I wish we could have gotten to know her character better.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Tone in Fahrenheit 451

The tone of a story is very important and kind of decides how the reader reacts to the book. In “Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury, there are a few tones used. The main tone that I think is present throughout the entire book is informative. I would say this is the main tone because the book basically tells a story the whole time. The overall plot of this book is about a fireman who learns the value of books and takes a stand for them, but in the process puts his life in danger and loses his home, his job, and his family.  Another tone Bradbury uses in this book is ominous. This is also for the most part throughout the whole story. An example of this tone was during the fires that Montag and the other firemen start. Another example of ominous is during Professor Faber’s and Montag’s meetings and plan. A risky part of the book was when Guy Montag has Professor Faber in his ear and he cannot control his emotions. Montag ends up telling off the women Mildred has over and even reads part of a book to them. This was an extremely dangerous action on Guy’s part and he suffered for it later when one of the women reported him. Other situations that had this type of tone would definitely be every event after Montag kills Beatty and two other firemen with his flame thrower and then is on the run. Then to make matters worse, they bring in a new hound to track him, but Guy and Professor Faber manage to successfully confuse it and get them off their travel. One last tone used in “Fahrenheit 451” is suspenseful. Examples of this tone is used at the very beginning of the book when we are not sure if Mildred is going to survive while she is having her stomach pumped and then also when the hound is tracking Guy Montag and it starts to head towards Professor Faber’s house, but then turns around and ends up losing him. All of these tones really add to the book and make it more effective and interesting.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 review

“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury was the one book I chose to read that was not one of the required. One of the reasons I picked this book to read was because of its size. I consider myself a good reader so it does not take me long to finish a book.  This is why I enjoy shorter books because they are more convenient since I can finish them in fewer sittings. One of the things I liked about this particular book was the way it is split up. The book is split into three main sections: The Hearth and the Salamander, The Sieve and the Sand, and Burning Bright. I enjoyed this layout because it is unique and not just simply broken up into chapters like all of the other books I have read. Another reason I enjoyed this book was because of the setting. “Fahrenheit 451” takes place sometime in the future in a futuristic American city. The exact time and place are not specified. I like reading stories in this type of setting and find them very interesting. I enjoyed the characters as well. My favorite character was probably Clarisse. I liked her probably because she is the most relatable to me since she is a teenage girl. I also like her characteristics and the way she was different than everyone else in society. One thing that I did not enjoy about this book was the plot. I thought it was just okay. I think one of the reasons I did not like it was because it was so serious and lacked humor. I also really like romantic love stories and in this book Guy Montag and Mildred did not even love each other. In this society, I do not think love even existed anymore. The book was not terrible though and it was interesting enough to keep me focused while reading. As a whole, I did not love the book ,but I still enjoyed it  and do not regret picking it for my nonrequired book.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 question #8

In "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury, events in history are not really reflected well. The reasoning for this is because of the setting. This story takes place in the future in some futuristic American city. The book does not really specify. Since this is a futuristic setting, there are no historical events that we are familiar with that are reflected unlike in "The Moon is Down" by John Steinbeck where the book reflected events from World War II. The characters in the book kind of talk about their history a little so we kind of get glimpses at what their society used to be like. Examples of this would be when Clarisse talked about her family and their views, what Professor Faber tells Guy Montag, and then what they read in books. I think Ray Bradbury believed in the responsibilities that exist between a worker and his boss. In "Fahrenheit 451" this was the main character, Guy Montag, and his boss, Beatty. Beatty is the head of the fire department Montag works for. He is a moody character who burns books for a living even though he knows a lot of literature and has obviously read quite a few books in the past. The two of them seem almost friends at the beginning of the story but their relationship soon changes. When Beatty has a good idea that Montag has a library he confronts him about it and shows him compassion, but later when he discovers he still has them and has not burned them himself, he does not hesitate at all to destroy his house. I also think Bradbury believed in the responsibilities between men and women. In this book, Guy and Mildred were married, yet did not even love each other. They could not even remember where they had met. " 'Funny, how funny, not to remember where or when you met your husbannd'r wife' "(Bradbury, 43). Mildred also left Guy without thinking twice when his secret library was discovered. I am not sure what people or events might have influenced Bradbury while he was writing this, but I think the idea of an over controlling government and the effects of loss of freedom on a society influenced the book quite a bit.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.

Fahrenheit 451 question #7

The author Ray Bradbury uses several techniques in his book "Fahrenheit 451" in order to engage the audience and make the story more effective. A few techniques he uses are suspense, betrayal, and irony.. Like I said, one of the techniques Bradbury uses is suspense. This is used in a couple different events in the book. The first usage of this would definitely be when Guy Montag walks into his room and finds the empty sleeping tablet bottle. His wife Mildred, is depressed and becoming suicidal. The bottle was full of thirty pills when Montag had left and he comes home with it being completely empty. First it was suspenseful finding his wife unconscious in their bed and then even more suspenseful when they are pumping her stomach trying to save her life. Another technique used is betrayal. This has to do with Mildred as well. The books were too much to handle and she turned in her own husband. After the firemen show up, she completely walks out of Guy's life and probably did not think twice about it. "The front door opened; Mildred came down the steps, running, one suitcase held with a dreamlike clenching rigidity in her fist, as a beetle-taxi hissed to the curb" (Bradbury, 114). One last technique Ray Bradbury uses in "Fahrenheit 451" to engage the audience and make the story more effective is irony. The specific type of irony he uses is situational irony which is when the outcome of a situation is the opposite of what you were expecting to happen. An example of this being used was when the car was coming after Guy Montag. I thought for sure that he was going to be run over but it turns out the car just barely missed him. Another example of situational irony is at the very end of the book when the bomb goes off in the city. In my head, I thought the book was just going to end with Guy Montag living with the other guys in the woods and was not expecting the entire city to be destroyed just like that. All of these techniques definitely added interest to the book and made it more enjoyable to read.

Bradbury, Ray. Fahrenheit 451. New York: Del Rey Book, 1991. Print.