Last part of The Woman Warrior

Kaley: “In the last past of the book, it talked about how moon tried to get back her husband. Brave forced Moon to go to the doctors office where her husband worked. Her husband wouldn’t go back with her, but at least he took her out to lunch. It also talked about how she bullied a little girl to try to make her talk. She kept her in the bathroom after school and was hurting her. The little girl refused to talk. Finally she just gave up. I did not like the ending of the book. It wasn’t very exciting. To me, it had a boring ending. But overall I did enjoy the book. It was confusing but it just made you pay more attention to understand.”


Megan: “The ending of the book was about Brave Orchid and how she came back from China. She went to China to see her husband that she hasn’t saw in a long time. She didn't get him back but she did have lunch with him. Then in the next chapter she bullied a little girl. She wanted her to talk but she was to shy and wouldn't. She done all that she could to try to make her but she never did. The end of the book was kind of boring. The last part was not as confusing as the rest."


Susan: “ In the last chapters that we had to read it talked about Brave Orchid’s sister, Moon Orchid, coming to America from China to find her husband that she has not seen since he left to work in America. He has been in America for years and has remarried since he has last seen his wife. Brave has told her sister that she has rights as the first wife that and she should claim her rights. Brave orders her sister to go to see him and tells her not to cry that she has to get him back. But when they get to the doctors office to confront him about Moon being his wife he tells them that he can only have one wife and tells her to go live with her daughter, Brave gets upset and tries to get him to see reason but he just will not listen because he is “living like an American” as he puts it. I personally did not like the way the book ended. The ending just was not interesting to the rest of the book. The book was interesting aside from the ending.“

The Alchemist part 3

Santiago is with a caravan of people who are helping him get across the desert. The caravan leads him to an oasis where Santiago finds the alchemist. While at the oasis Santiago tells the leader of a tribe about an approaching army and the leader puts his men out on watch but if he is wrong the leader will kill him. It turns out that Santiago was right. The leader then ask Santiago to stay with them and be their interpreter but the alchemist helps him realize that he wants to go to Egypt instead. So Santiago leaves the oasis and the women he had fallen in love with to go to egypt. While on the way Santiago gets caught buy some arabic people whose intentions are to hurt him so he has to turn into the wind. Then later Santiago gets to Egypt after being assaulted over his money he comes back to the oasis and he realizes what the real treasure is.The author does a good job with his writing. Through this story you learn many life lessons that you can carry over to the real world. I believe it is a real good book and it is enlightening.This book teaches you to listen to your heart and due what makes you happy. The Alchemist also teaches you took look for a deeper meaning in things and not perceive them by how they appear. This book relates to events around me because you have to follow your dreams to be happy and that is what my mom did and she is happy with her life.

Life Of Pi-the last part: Amber,Ariel, Chance

*Amber*
     So far the rest of the novel is getting very interesting and at times nasty and dangerous.The book really became so “un-put-downable” that I am literally engrossed in reading Life Of Pi.The was very boring and confusing at first but once you get a little farther past the beginning it gets really good. I believe that the author is successful in writing this part because he put dramatic emphasis on his writing, also putting suspense and a sense of adventure.This connects to me by showing me how precious life can be because he loses hope,gains hope, and loses it again and it goes back and forth and he almost dies several times. It connects to the world around me by showing me and the world that life can conquer death. This book shows that knowing how to survive and thinking ahead can save your life.

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:)Ariel(:  The book picked up dramatically. It has become more gory and has more action than before. It has really kept my attention the whole time it picked up. The author has gotten very successful in his writing. I like when there are grotesque things in novels. I have seen the Wrong Turn films and they are way gorier than Life of Pi. My opinion would be to make a sequel to this book. If you make a sequel to it, then you would gain a larger audience. The book was really hard to put down after you reached around page 107. It gives you what you want and then some more. If you or anyone likes stories with twists and turns, then go out and buy this and read it. You’d be surprised at how good it really is.

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C.M.T- The book is getting very interesting and i’m starting to get into it more now. It becoming more action instead of just talking the whole time, and that’s mostly all I’m looking for.The was very boring and confusing at first but once you get a little farther past the beginning it gets really good.  The author is successful about some of his work, but If it stays like this then it would be good. This connects to my life because theres a lot of things going on and it’s mostly drama and always some kind of action. It connects to an event that happen to me when I was younger. I was stuck in an elevator with some big kid and I didn’t know how to get out of there or what to do, and I think thats how Pi felt when he was in the middle of the ocean.

Like Water For Chocolate #3: Brianna, Helberth Montana

Brianna Summary: Although Pedro is angry and jealous of Tita marrying John he still loves her. Rosaura becomes sick later on and isn’t able to get around the house like normal. Since Rosaura was sick and had to stay in her room Tita and Pedro began to have an affair. Tita knew that she couldn’t marry John while still having feeling for Pedro. John finally came back to the ranch and brought back his aunt so that Tita could marry him. As they were eating dinner with his aunt, Tita confesses that she had relations with Pedro while he was gone. But John doesn’t care he still loves Tita and wants to be with her and says that he still wants to go on with their wedding. A year before the wedding Rosaura had died of digestive problems. While Tita and John were having their wedding Pedro asked Tita for a dance. While they were dancing Pedro told Tita that he still loved her even after all those years. Tita then realized that she was making a mistake marrying John because she actually loved Pedro. Pedro and Tita went back to the ranch to finally be together. As they were making love when Pedro reached his climax he saw a light at the end of a tunnel, then died. Tita then go out of bed with Pedro and started to eat the candles they had lit. When she ate them she began to see a  light at a tunnel too and Pedro was there. Tita then died and joined Pedro to be together forever. The house then burned down but the cookbook Tita had used all her life was fine. Esperanza took the book and used it then she gave it to her own daughter.

Helberth Critique: I somewhat liked the end of the book. I thought it was kinda odd how it finished and it was not my favorite ending either. I do not like how Pedro dies, it was stupid because they were finally free to have a relationship out of hiding, and he just died because he was having sex. There is not much point on writing a whole book about love to kill the main character at the end. At the end they're supposed to get their way and stay like that. They perhaps enjoy an hour of freedom before Pedro died.
I understand why TIta killed herself. She only had one reason to live and that was that fire inside of her. When she saw that what triggered her fire was gone, she realized that she had no point in life. It would have been nice if they would have had some kids of their own. That way their kids could carry the history not your niece/stepdaughter. Over all if I had to rate this book I would give it a seven. It was interesting throughout the whole book  but at the end they just ruin the book. I would have liked for the book to have more drama. It had some but it would have been nice if they would have focus on the love triangle more. Also on been more detail with Pedro’s and Tita’s relationship. All it says was that they would sneak around but it didn’t say much more.

Montana How Do You Relate: I think I can relate to Tita’s family relationships. My mom and I fight a lot like Tita and Mama Elena did and I don’t get along too well with my brother like Tita and Rosaura didn’t. Even though my mom isn’t like Mama Elena in the fact that I can’t marry because I’m the youngest daughter we still get into fights and I defy her like Tita did with Mama Elena. I remember there was one fight we had that I just shut myself in my room for days and hardly came out like Tita when focused on the pathetic baby pigeon. My brother and I don’t always get along either, we fight constantly and don’t really like each other. Even though we don’t have some of the problems Tita and Rosaura have like marrying your love, we mess around with each other and belittle each others relationships.

2/3 Alchemist

In this part of The Alchemist Santiago is still working at the crystal shop doing the same thing as he always was cleaning the crystals. Santiago has offered many new ideas to the shop owner and made him a lot of money. The shop owner begins to trust Santiago and he leaves him in charge of the shop for a while. Then after eleven months of working at the shop he decides to pack up and leave where he starts his journey even deeper on his journey for the treasure. Then Santiago travels farther into the desert where he meets up with a caravan which is a group of people led by someone who knows his way around the desert. When he meets the leader of the caravan comes out and tells the boy if he sticks with them he will survive the fierce desert but if he goes on his own he will not live long at all. The leader also tells everyone that he is the life and the death so everyone must swear to their god that they will obey him. After a few months Santiago decided to pack his bags and leave. 

The author is doing a good job in his text he is making good visuals. The book is very interesting. The book keeps you thinking and when you think Santiago is out of resources something happens. One example is when Santiago met up with the caravan  and they helped him find the Alchemist. The book does get a little boring through out it but if you keep reading it normally picks back up. One example is when he is working at the crystal shop it gets boring but it later picks back up.

 This relates to my life because I never loose hope and I don’t give up. I have good perseverance  and so does Santiago, without his perseverance he wouldn’t have got as far as he did. Also this book relates to your dreams. Santiago had a dream of exploring new places and he followed it and I believe you should do this in real life because it leads to happiness.

Part two The Woman Warrior

Susan- “The book has gotten a little confusing at this point, however, she has a lot that might help her later in life. She has found out about her aunt, a ghost that follows her around, and then her mother tells her about going to college when she fought the ghost in the dorm. Her mother telling her about the ghost might help her later on in life, if the ghost that is following her around might try to harm her.”

Megan- This part has confused me more than before. Her aunt (Moon) has came from China to live with them. Brave tries to make her go get her husband back. When he had left Moon in China, he never came back. He left her there wondering why he never came back. There is more ghost in this section. They are everywhere now.

Kaley- In the second half of the book, she found out more about the ghost and how they act around her. It gets more confusing during this section. She finds out the ghost can help her during her life, but she could be in danger. Also, her aunt comes from China to live with her. Brave, Maxines mom, is determined that she goes and takes her man back. Her husband never came back for her and stayed and started a new life with a new woman. She goes and takes back him.

Like Water For Chocolate #2- Brianna, Helberth, Montana

Montana Summary Part:  This section starts off with the baptism of Roberto, Pedro and Rosaura’s baby boy, Tita becomes very happy during this time. Pedro rekindles his love for Tita just by looking at her breast while she was fixing the meal for Roberto’s baptism. Tita has a very close bond with Roberto, she helped deliver him and became his nurse when Rosaura couldn’t feed him and the other wet nurse had been injured. Tita gets the shock of her life when Mama Elena suggests that Pedro and Rosaura should move to San Antonio. Tita becomes very quiet and hermit like only really caring about feeding a helpless baby pigeon, even her milk had dried up. News comes from Mama Elena that Roberto has died and Tita screams at Mama Elena that she killed Roberto and Tita wasn’t going to obey her anymore. Mama Elena calls Doctor John to come get Tita and Take her to a madhouse. Doctor John, however, brings Tita to live with him and takes care of her. Tita becomes mute when she lives with Doctor John for a while and John tries to rekindle a spirit within her so she will talk. Chenca sneaks to Doctor John’s ranch and bring ox-tail soup for Tita which brought back memories that made her cry and speak words for the first time in six months. Doctor John wishes to marry Tita someday. When Chencha gets back to Mama Elena’s ranch she is raped by bandits and Mama Elena is paralyzed. Tita, hearing about the bandits, comes back home and begins to cook and clean for Mama Elena. Mama Elena is unhappy with Tita’s cooking and demands she get another cook or else she won’t eat. Mama Elena goes through many cooks but eventually dies because she takes ipecac almost every night. Tita later finds out that Mama Elena had a lover. Pedro comes back for Tita because now that Mama Elena is dead Tita can marry. He does not know Tita is engaged to Doctor John but when he finds out, Pedro is angry and jealous.

Helberth How Can You Relate Part:  I have not really been in a situation where someone has to depend on me; but I guess my animals depend on me. I have to fed my Rottweiler, German Shepherd, and my chickens every single day. I have to feed them, make sure they have water, and let them loose. If it wasn't for me those animals would probably be dead. My dogs use to be loose until one Sunday morning. I was getting ready for church when my neighbor knocked on my door. He said that my German Shepherd, Yeti was in the goat field and had killed three goats. Ever since she has been chained. That means I have to let her loose every single day, so she can use the bathroom and play with my Rottweiler. I have to watch her carefully because she is a very independent dog that perambulate; unlike my Rottweiler who loves to lay on my lap. This is how someone depends on me. I have to take care of my dogs just like Tita had to take care of her mom. Once Mama Elena became paralyzed Tita had to feed her just like I have to do with my dogs. Unlike Tita, I actually enjoy been there for my dogs, even though they have gave me many headaches I still enjoy the love they have towards me.

Brianna Criticize Part: I found this part of the book very interesting and surprising. I believe that the way Laura Esquivel worded this section was a little off. I didn’t like the way she changed Pedro’s personality in this section. In the beginning he was very caring and loving and treated Tita right. In this section Esquivel turns pedro into a hateful, jealous person. I thought it was wrong to make Pedro seem so sweet in the beginning then just make the reader se a horrible side of Pedro. I found it quite confusing. Other than that I believe Esquivel put a great twist in the book when we find out that Mama Elena is paralyzed. Esquivel makes Mama Elena seem so strong and tough you would think nothing could beat her, but then we find out that she was attacked by bandits and became paralyzed it was a big shocker. Although the attack on Mama Elena was a very nice idea to add, she could have put more detail into that scene. When Esquivel tells of the attack she doesn’t actually describe what really went on which forces the reader to imagine what could've happened. The description of the attack would have been much better if Esquivel gave a better visual of what Mama Elena did to try and protect herself, property and daughter from the bandits. Overall I believe that this section of the book was very exciting, depressing and exhilarating all in one.

Life Of Pi: Ariel,Chance,and Amber

-Amber Jolly- I think that the book so far is gradually getting interesting and  that it is kind of confusing because he jumps around a lot when talking about different things. So far this book connects to my life because people made fun of Pi’s name and people make fun of my name a lot. Also his parents don’t approve of him juggling three religions and that relates to me because some people don’t like my one religion.The author is successful in his writing because he portrays what it would be like to be stranded on a boat with a bunch of dangerous animals. Even though the book is confusing at times I think he was successful in writing this story.

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Ariel Barnes- I think this book makes the events kind of evident. They give a bunch of things away right off the bat. The section I read was about the sailors sending Pi into the boat with the hyenas. They didn’t give him a choice. I really think that Pi should have been given a choice. On top of all this, he is still being made fun of and it is ridiculous. I was picked on because of my last name. They would tell me I belonged in a barn and other things like that. It is embarrassing and I can only imagine how Pi felt.

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Chance Turner- So far in this book things has been better than it use to be. It use to not make sense but later when it starts to get into the action, it gets more interesting which I like. I think the author is ok with the book so far but he could make things more easier to understand. If he does this then it would make the book a whole lot better. His work connects to my life very good because when he gets made fun of by his name and gets picked on happends to me to. When the sailors threw him over the ship onto the lifeboat where the hyena was also at, it was pretty much bullying and also wanting him to get eaten alive.

Susan, Kaley, Megan 1/3 of book

Kaley "So far, the book has been very good. She found out about her aunt and cousin. Also she found out a ghost is following her. She was taken at a young age to go become a warrior. She lived with two old people (no names was said) and she became a stronger person physical and emotional. "

Susan "The Woman Warrior has been a very interesting book. Starting off you find out a big family secret. Maxine had not known of an aunt or of the baby that she had carried. Then it goes on to tell about her chinese life about being a hero, being taken from her family at the age of seven and given a choice to stay and learn to be a warrior or go back to her family. Maxine then tells about her life in America were even though they are in a different country her family and the other chinese people around them still treat her as if she were in China.”

Megan, “As of now this book is really good and I like it! I don’t like a lot of reading but this is one I do like! She found out about her aunt and it was cool to be able to find out what she wasn’t suppose to know.”

Like Water For Chocolate: Brianna, Helberth, Montana

Montana’s Part
So far, this book is very interesting to me. I really don’t think I have been bored reading the first part of this book. Through the twists and turns of Tita’s lover being given away to her sister,  Nacha’s suicide, and Gertrudis running away naked after eating the rose petal quail, this book never fails to excite! The author has created a crazy situation wrapped up in every recipe while still keeping the stories intertwined together. Because the book is separated into recipes, it is relatively easy to follow. The author does a very good job at keeping her reader entertained and having them stay on track with her storyline and not get caught.



Brianna’s Part How does the work connect to your life and/or the events around you?.

One of Tita’s struggles is a way that I can relate to the book. Tita is having problems with trying to live her own life and doing what she wants. Mama Elena doesn’t want Tita to do anything that she wants, like trying to marry Pedro. My mom won’t let me do much either, like when I want to go out to the movies or the mall with my friends, she always says no. Another way this book connects to events around me is the way that they cook all the time. My family is big on cooking. We have many traditional recipes that we pass onto each generation. My family always cooks many new and different recipes.

Helberth’s part.
The book  Like Water for Chocolate is about Tita. Tita is the official cook of the ranch since Nacha committed suicide for missing her fiance. Tita’s life revolves around cooking, if she doesn’t cook then no one eats; and that is not going to settle well with Mama Elena, who is a cold woman. Mama Elena runs the ranch and she does not tolerate any disrespect what’s so ever. Tita learns that the hard way; when her sister was marrying Tita’s lover Pedro she became very upset. Tita goes into a deep depression because she was not able to married him. Since she is the youngest child she has to take care of Mama Elena until she dies. This means she couldn’t have a life of her own. That is why Pedro married Tita’s sister since he couldn’t have Tita. Pedro tells Tita that he married her sister just to be closed to her. One day Tita and Pedro watch another one of Tita’s sister run out naked from her shower to be pick up by a man in a horse. Pedro and Tita were amazed at the passion that they seen; this led to Tita and Pedro having occasions where they explored each others body. Unfortunately, Pedro’s wife has a baby, but the wife is not doing so good. Mama Elena sends Pedro and his new family to the United States; here the mom would receive better medical attention. Tita was devastated by the news since she was taking care of the baby and even miraculously breast feeding him. Tita was also going to lose her lover Pedro. Once they left Tita’s mood became very depressed again especially when she learns that the baby dies once they are in the United States..

Alchemist 1/3

The Alchemist is a book about a young man named Santiago that wanted to explore the world and see new places so he becomes a shepherd because this is the only way he could afford to travel. Santiago keeps having the same dream about treasure in the Pyramids of Egypt. Santiago goes to a dream reader and she confirms that it could mean something and does not charge him because she says if he finds the treasure she wants 10 percent of it. The boy continues on, trades his sheep, and finally gets to Africa. Once there he goes into a crystal shop and he ask if he could clean the man’s crystals in exchange for food. The man gives him food free but he still ask for a job. Santiago begins to work for him and offer great ideas. Our opinion of the text so far is that it is very interesting. The author whose name is Paulo Coelho does a great job at keeping the reader interested. The author makes you want to keep reading and he keeps your mind wandering throughout the story.

Life Of Pi: Ariel, Chance, and Amber

Ariel Faith-So far the book is boring. It has been written well, but it is really boring. It seems like it is written for people who are college level students and the words are kind of hard to follow. It seems as though they are trying to confuse you at first and ease you into it.

-Amber Jolly- The author is successful in his writing because he is, so far, telling about how Pi got his name and how he helped his father with the zoo, which made him like animals. He is also successful in his writing by using lots of great imagery when he describes the animals.  

-Chance Turner- The work connects to my life by Pi being made fun of by his name, and this happened to me before once and has made me mad just like him. When his professor called him “pissing” it made him embarrassed.

The Kielce Pogrom: A Blood Libel Massacre of Holocaust Survivors

Those who are unaware what "Kielce Pogrom" means, it refers to a violent massacre of Jews in the southeastern Polish town of Kielce on July 4, 1946. "Pogrom" is a Russian word that means to demolish violently. Onto the Article Review:

    This article talks about what happened during the Kielce Pogrom and how a mob of Polish soldiers, police officers, and civilians murdered 42 Jews and injured over 40. That incident was named the worst outburst anti-Jewish violence in Poland. It also talks about how the incident made a local history of anti-Semitism, along with falsely accusing Jews of performing rituals using the blood of Christian children. The Kielce massacre convinced many Polish Jews that they had no future in Poland after the Holocaust and spurring them to leave the country. The article mentions in 1939 there were approximately 24,000 Jewish inhabitants in Kielce or one-third of the town's population. Almost all of them were murdered during the Holocaust. By the summer of 1946, about 200 Holocaust survivors had returned to or settled in Kielce.

     During the Pogrom a nine- year old non-Jewish boy left his home in Kielce, on July 1, 1946, without informing his parents. When the boy returned the 3^rd of July he reported to his parents and the police in an effort to avoid punishment for wandering off, that he had been kidnapped and hidden in the basement of the local Jewish Committee building on 7 Planty Street. The Committee building sheltered up to 180 Jews, and housed various Jewish institutions operating in Kielce at the time. Because the boy tried to escape punishment, Polish soldiers and policemen entered the building and called upon the Jewish residents to surrender any weapons. After an unidentified individual fired a shot, officials and civilians fired upon the Jews inside the building, killing some of them. Outside, the angry crowd viciously beat Jews fleeing the shooting, or driven onto the street by the attackers, killing some of them. By day's end, civilians, soldiers and police had killed 42 Jews and injured 40 others. Two non-Jewish Poles died as well, killed either by Jewish residents inside the building or by fellow non-Jewish Poles for offering aid to the Jewish victims. Then three days after the pogrom, surviving Jews and local residents buried the victims in a mass grave in the Jewish cemetery. Government authorities ordered military units and local residents to attend the funeral as a sign of respect for the victims. 

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. "Holocaust History." The Kielce Pogrom: A Blood Libel Massacre of Holocaust Survivors. N.p., 11 May 2012. Web. 15 Jan. 2013. <http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007941>.