Let Us Burn Books: Fahrenheit 451

Fahrenheit 451 was different. I don't know how someone could think of writing a book about burning books. Isn't that kind of contradicting? I also had a hard time understanding the book. I kept getting lost and then thinking wait why did this just happen. Also some things weren't clearly explained in the books. How Clarisse died, or exaclty why the books were burned?

The fact that books were being burned to keep knowledge from people is stupid. I understand that they were partly burned to make everybody more equal, but that is not the way it should be done. Treating everybody fairly would be better than making everybody idiots. Not everybody was equal either, there were still those that did read. I would hope something like this would never happen, but you never know. Who knows tomorrow could be the start of burning books.

The book also showed how oblivious the people were. They had there wall tvs and seashell radios. Mildred those two items more than she loved Montag. After she left she probably forgot about him. I know that knowledge is important, but this book has showed that knowledge is the most powerful thing you can have. Look at Beatty he was superior because had knowledge that others could not aquire.

Now I am going to go burn this book. ;)

Ray Bradbury and His Imagination

Ray Bradbury was motivated to write Fahrenheit 451, when he started learning about Hitler and the Nazis. They would burn books so people couldn't read, so as a result wouldn't as smart as those who had already read the books. Bradbury began reading when he was three. He fell in love with comics and cartoons. I think that the combination of this and his knowledge of the Hitler situation created Fahrenheit. In the intervews Bradbury seems very imaginative and creative. The futuristic technology in Fahrenheit is sparked by the imagination and creativity.

Bradbury could be accurate but his literature affected people so much that fiction became a reality. It could be accurate because Hitler burned books and doesn't history repeat itself? Bradbury's imagination was advanced for the 1950s. In the 50s few people were watching tv and if they were it was on tiny screen in black and white. That right there already makes me think that people who read this book were amazed at thinking what the future could hold. If burning books to hide history was the future, then one would think people would also be scared for future.

All in all, I feel that Fahrenheit 451 really makes you think what the future has in store for us.

Star Trek

We can relate to Star Trek 45 years later. The technology in the episode is kind of where we are now. Even though we can't teleport anywhere, the communication devices they used are basically our cellphones today. The zenon gas or whatever it was called is like pollution today. The gas affected the characters in Star Trek by making them act not smart, and the pollution is killing the enviroment. Also the theme of trust is relatable today. In Star Trek the girl, whose name I cannot remeber, did not trust the captain. Today we see this in everything, whether it be in school or at home.
Gene Roddenberry's creative imagination and the existing technology, I think, both influenced the ideas for new technology. Scienists were probably looking at the existing technology and thought this would be better if this happened. Roddenberry's creative imagination probably sparked new ideas for scientists to try. Star Trek is based in space, and the episode aired in 1966. We went to the moon in 1969.

To Kill A Mockingbird: Part 1

To Kill a Mockingbird has not been as bad I thought it would be. I like how the book is just straight foward. There has been nothing confusing and I acutally think I understand everything that is going on.
So far I think Scout has been my favorite character. She is not afraid to just be herself and I admire that. I think it is kind of sad that the people of that time can't accept that though. People like Mrs. Dubose would always bash her for being in overalls and not in a dress. However, it makes me wonder, would Scout be the tomboy she is now if her mom was still alive? I think that she wouldn't be as tomboy because she would also have a woman figure to look up to. I think Scout is a strong little girl, but what will happen when the prejudice gets worse. Will she be able to ignore it or go crazy?

A Seperate Peace

A Seperate Peace wasn't one of my favorite books. I felt like the book never changed tones to show things like the climax, it just all seemed like everything was standstill. The only part that kept me interested was when Phineas died and I think it kept me interested because of the way he died. I didn't know you could die from bone marrow. I think Gene is the reason Phineas died. If it wasn't for Gene's jealousy of Phineas, then Gene would have never made Phineas fall from the tree. Also has anyone else notice that at least one person died in every book we read?

I think my favorite character of the book was Phineas. I liked Phineas because he just loved the competition of things and didn't care if there was a winner or loser. An example is when he invented Blitzball because everyone compete with everything they had, but no one wins. I also think Phineas' perspective on competition shows his perspective on other people. He didn't look down on anybody he always thought of the best in people and considers no one as his enemy. I think that is why Phineas believed that there was no war because since he didn't have enemies he didn't know what they were. I also liked how Phineas really never got mad. He always seemed to be calm in any situation, at least until the end before he died.

I think a major theme in the book was being your own enemy. The war seemed to be the reason why the characters became their own enemy. Gene states that he was in his own war at Devon, and he killed his enemy there. The envious side of him was his enemy and it made him push Phineas off of the branch. Phineas was his own enemy because he was too innocent. His innocence could have led to his death because he was in a war-torn world, and he was too good for that. I guess you could say that everybody is there own worst enemy, because everyone creates their own enemy that they must go to "war" with.

The Crucible

The Crucible was simply outstanding. I loved it from start to finish. I think I liked it so much because it was a play and not a long novel. I also loved it because it was filled with drama. However I didn't take a liking to some of the characters. I didn't like Abigail and all of the girls in her group because they were liars. I didn't like Reverend Parris because he lied in court and did whatever he could so he wouldn't lose what little reputation he had. I also didn't like Judge Danforth, because he was too gullible and had all of those women arrested for something they didn't do.

I think the character that stuck out most to me was John Proctor. I liked him, but I think I liked him because I didn't like Abigail. I think his plan to show Abigail as a fraud wasn't very well planned out. I think he should have just admitted the affair right away because then Abigail wouldn't have gotten what she wanted, which I believe was revenge on Elizabeth. I think it was act 4 that really made John stick out. He didn't give in and confess to something he didn't do. I think that by the end of the play John realized that his happiness was more than everybody else thought. I don't think he could have lived with himself if he did confess because he had so much pride. I feel that him refusing to give up his integrity made up for the affair, because the affair is whole reason the hysteria even started. John not giving in shows that he has grown bigger than the affiar and will not let the hysteria continue.

I think one of the major themes in the play was reputation. In Salem, it seemed like reputation meant everything. Any sin that was committed in Salem would cause your reputation to go way down. Parris is an example of this. He was more worried about the so called "witchcraft" that created Betty's coma instead of if his daughter was going to live. John's unwanting to lose his reputation, I think, pretty much led to his death. Instead of stating the affair right away he had Mary Warren testify against Abigail as a fraud, but it all backfires. In act 4 John's desire to keep his reputation makes him not confess and saying "I have given you my soul; leave my name!"

All in all The Crucible was the best play I ever read, even though it was the only play I have every read. ;)

The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter, I think, was a book to remeber. I think the book was very hard to read, but I think it was my favorite book so far. It had the drama, the twists, and an unexpected ending. I think Dimmesdale was a good example of all three of these things. He was Pearl's father and Hester's true love. He too, had a scarlet letter, but hid his out of shame. Also, he died at the end of the book after revealing all of his secrets. This was the first book to keep me entertained from the first page to the last.

In The Scarlet Letter, the character that stuck out most, to me, was Hester Prynne. She wore her scarlet letter openly. I think the "A" on Hester's chest made her a better person, because it caused her to be stronger. She would care for the poor by giving them food and clothes. Since the "mark" made her an outcast, she was able to gain independence and think freely. I think Hester was not an extraordinary woman, but it was the circumstances that made her seem extraoradinary. In a way the scarler letter may have been a blessing in disguise.

I think the novel's major theme was the power of evil. Throughout the novel there was numerous discussions of the "Black Man." The "Black Man" was often paired with Dimmesdale and Chillingworth. Also Pearl was thought of as the Devil's child. Hester's affair was probably caused by her hatred for Chillingworth. Chillingworth's wanting of revenge was stemmed from the affair. Ultimately all of the evilness created karma. Dimmesdale's refusal to acknowledge his own daughter in public, and all of the gultiness he obtained from his scarlet letter caused his death. Finally, Chillingworth's want of revenge led to his death.

All in all, The Scarlet Letter was a great novel.