Great Expectations Pg.56-113 11/08/10

In our reading this week, we learned more about Miss havisham. I don't think she was ever married because of her name, "Miss" Havisham. I wonder what happened if she was never married.

We went to the setting of a bar. At the bar, Joe is talking with two men. One man turns out to be the convict Pip had stolen from. I noticed that the author brought up that the convict kept looking at Pip in an unexplainable way. I also wondered why the convict had given Pip the money. Does Pip meeting the convict again foreshadow somewhere else n the book?

The author also takes us back to Miss Havisham's house. Dickens describes all of the guests in Miss Havisham's house as toadies and humbugs. What is a toady? What is a humbug? There was a fight too. I didn't quite understand this part. Why was the pale young gentleman in Miss Havisham's house? Pip also meets up with Estella again. I found it rather odd that Estella and Pip become such friends after Estella is so rude to Pip. I did not see the kiss coming. I was comprehending from earlier in the book that Estella and Pip weren't real close, but i was wrong.

Why did Miss Havisham invite Joe instead of Mrs. Joe? I thought Mrs. Joe would have been the one Miss Havisham would have invited.

Who exactly is Orlick? How does Orlick relate to Joe? I wonder if Orlick somehow has something to do with any of the other characters in the book.

I really like how this book is starting to become more interesting.

Great Expectations (pg.55 11/1/10)
At the start of this book, we meet a young, lonely boy named Pip. Pip is a boy who has no one but his sister, Mrs. Joe, left for him. Being raised by his sister, Pip never really gets any attention. Pip's parents died when he was younger. I wonder how his parents died. Was it from disease, another person, or age?

Pip goes out to visit his parents' graves and a scary, gaunt man comes up to him. Why is this man here? What right does he have to be there if Pip can't? The old man ordered Pip to run and get him some supplies. Will Pip try to find the items the man needs, or will he just ignore the scary man and try to avoid him?

Later in this section, we met Mrs. Havisham. Pip's sister believes Pip should join Mrs. Havisham when she asks for some company.

Charles Dickens does a nice job of describing Mrs. Havisham's house. He describes it as pitch dark and only the light of a candle can show them around.

9/13/10 Of Mice and Men pg.75-107

In our readings this week, Candy, Crooks, and Lennie were talking about their plans to get their own place. I think it is great that they are all trying to work together to achieve a goal and actually have plans for the future. Will they stick to their plans?

The part that I didn't like was when Curley's wife was calling Crooks a nigger and saying all the horrible stuff to him. I think all people should be treated equal. I did like that Curley's wife and Lennie could actually relate to eachother and she had someone to talk to. Although, I was really surprised that Lennie ended up killing Curley's wife. If I was Lennie I would have alienated everything and ran as far away as I could have. I would never have been able to predict what had happened in that part before I read it. It was very surprising.

When Curley and some of the others found out I figured they would be angry. I predicted that Lennie would go back to the river and hide in the brush until George came. My prediction was right, but I did not think that George would be the one to shoot Lennie. I thought George was going to tell Curley and the others he went the opposite direction and then go get Lennie later and they would leave together. The end of this book was definately surprising.

I like how the end of the book wass suspensful but yet reasonable. I think George might have done the right thing by shooting Lennie himself. Lennie was happy and thinking about their rabbits. I also thinkthat Lennie would have been miserable if he was locked up or being chased by Curley and then getting shot.

I was strongly interested in this book and I liked it a lot. I think it is a good book for us to start out with and am excited to read the next one.

9-7-10 Of Mice and Men pg.51-75

In pages 51-75, Curley is running around trying to find his wife. I think if he is worried about her going off with others, then they shouldn't be together. He needs to trust her more. I also think they need to communicate better. Curley mainly thinks that his wife and Slim are going to do things together and acts like Slim is felonious.

George and Lennie talk about their future and decide that Candy can live with them. I think it is great how they have plans and I hope they are able to achieve them and wonder if they actually do.

Lennie has a problem in the pages that we read. Him and Curley get into a fight and Lennie ends up breaking Curley's hand. It is not Lennie's fault though. I understand Lennie's disability and I feel bad for him.

In pages 51-75, they also talk about the stable buck, Crooks. He is usually quite particular about who is in his bunk room. For instance, Lennie saw a light on in his room and thought he could talk to Crooks. Personally, I think Crooks could have been a little nicer to Lennie at first, but I also understand his reasoning for what people think of him and why he keeps to himself.

8-30-10 Of Mice And Men pg. 26-50

Throughout pages twenty-six through fifty, I found more and more things that might lead to changes for George and Lennie. For instance, the author really uses foreshadowing during the part when George and the stable buck are talking about Curley's wife. I honestly think that together, Curley and his wife are going to cause terrible problems.

I like the fact that George and Lennie are making more and more friends. Slim, Carlson, and some of the other guys in the bunkhouse are really welcoming to George and Lennie, and I like that someone is actually being nice to them. Slim is strongly understanding Lennie's views and actions and really helps Lennie out by giving him a puppy, which in my opinion is great because Lennie could use a good pet, but my question is: Will Lennie kill it like he did the mice?

One part of what I read really caught my attention. I think it is kind of strange how the author uses all the everlasting silences and stares to get the point across that Candy's old dog needed to be shot. Although I like how it just keeps leading you on. I think this is a good book so far, but is going to get better as the suspense keeps building and the conflicts rise.

8-23-10 Of Mice and Men: pages 1-25

In what we read this week, we met the two inseparable characters George and Lennie. George has to take care of Lennie because of his disabilities, but George is very controlling. For instance, when George makes Lennie give him the mouse and then he throws it. I completely disagree with the way George is always yelling at Lennie and telling him to shutup, but yet George knows and understands the responsibility of taking care of Lennie.

Then, of course, we meet "the boss". He definately finds that there is something suspicious about George and Lennie, but doesn't find out right away. Instead, he lines George and Lennie out and then goes about his own business. On the other hand, Curley, a young worker, is being mean and trying to make a conversation with Lennie and tellin them what to do.

George and Lennie are two charactes that are good together because of how they work through things together and make it on their own.

Heyy!! My name is Lindsey!!! :)