Summary pgs.156-263
Don't you just love confrontations? Well, Archie does not in his case. When he ran into Brother Leon, he received a very vital warning from him: if the chocolate sale goes down the drain, he and the Vigils will also go down the drain. The next day, in the gym, Archie literally begged Jerry to sell some chocolates. Jerry still (involuntarily) answers no, until Archie told him his new assignment. This time, Jerry had to say yes, and accept the chocolate offer. Later that day, numerous events begin to occur to him: prank phone calls, vandalism near his locker, taunts from his peers... He thought they must all be connected to the whole chocolate scandal. The following day, as the sales were being counted, profits had mysteriously skyrocketed up! Brother Leon hears about this news, and he was (barely) overjoyed. He still had his mind set on Jerry. While doing the routine roll call, he asks if Jerry will accept to sell the chocolates, and Jerry (despite his assignment) still declines. Tension greatly arises... Everyone at school seemed to ignore Jerry, as if he did not even exist. As Jerry left school that day, he was stopped by local tough guy Emile Janza, and received a quite brutal beating from him. Eventually, he drives him away by vomiting, as a cause of this bruises. Why does everyone seem to hate Jerry at this point? The answer should lie ahead... That same night, the school's big raffle was taking place at the football stadium, and Archie came up with a plan to do away with the chocolates Jerry owed. The Renault boy had to be placed in the ring, head-to-head with Emile Janza, in a brawl to get even with him. Jerry was frightened to the point he was shaking in his boots. Janza impatiently started the fight by giving a blow to his jaw. Jerry desperately tried to fight back, but unfortunately to no avail. During the showdown, Obie notices someone familiar blending in with the large crowd: it was Brother Leon. With a final uppercut by Emile, Jerry was knocked out. Leon and a few other faculty members rushed over to assist, and Obie called an ambulance. Archie reveals to everyone that this act was done just to support the school, and to help Brother Leon. All the chocolates Jerry refused to sell were sold, and this was apparently his punishment. Brother Leon reconciles with Archie, Obie, Emile, and the rest of the Vigils, ending the thick tension. As Jerry was hauled away to the hospital with a damaged jaw and severe pain in his body, Archie and the Vigils swore not to ever pull off a stunt like this ever again... even if it does mean trying to make a large profit by selling chocolates.
Quotation Explanation
"Jerry pondered the question. What should he do? Play a game? Tell it straight? But he wasn't sure if it would make sense if he told it straight, especially to a roomful of strangers" (Cormier 169-170).
My Reaction
To be honest, I was very surprised with the epic climax. In fact, I have never read a novel with a climax that put almost every main character into trouble. The denouement also made me feel a bit sympathetic for Jerry. Unfortunately, Cormier does not refer to him in the final chapter. Hopefully, he would be able to recover soon if this book ever had a sequel. I am pleased that Brother Leon and the Vigils set aside their differences, so everything is restored to normal at the school, and everyone seems to be getting along with each other... well, in the way they can of course. I have really enjoyed this Bildungs-Roman, and I will definitely look into Robert Cormier's other works as well!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Chocolate War: Post #4
The end is definitely in sight, and of course the intensity of the story dies down a bit. So, let's finish this up, shall we?
Summary pgs.119-155
To continue where we left off, during the next day at school, Jerry was welcomed with a great surprise. He was greeted and congratulated by most of his peers, for standing up to Brother Leon the other day. Unfortunately for Jerry, he still regretted doing this. Plus, he was still trying to find out why he refused to sell the chocolates. Speaking of such, the chocolate sale was still in progress, but some students were starting to lose confidence, due to their unsuccessful selling and marketing skills... Howie Anderson, the stereotypical high school jock-slash-popular kid-slash-straight A student, was one of those few, and when he heard about Jerry's bravery towards the seemingly daunting threats of Leon, he decided to jump on the bandwagon. Being part of the school's highest social class, Howie's action of quitting the chocolate sale causes others to follow. In a matter of time, almost half of the entire school started to give up on the chocolate sale. Word soon gets out to Archie and Obie, and knowing that Brother Leon would be furious about this epidemic, they concluded that Jerry was betraying the Vigils. The Vigils wanted to help Leon with the sale from the start, but Jerry's actions from the other day put a stop in their plans. Leon was not too happy either. As the sales kept plunging down, his rage for Jerry increases sharply...
Quotation Explanation
"It was like the third degree, only he was both interrogator and suspect, both tough cop and hounded prisoner, a cruel spotlight pinning him in a blinding circle of light" (Cormier 119).
My Reaction
As you could see in the Quotation Explanation, the author's diction starts to sound more... intense as the story progresses. The context of the story itself begins to get darker as well, as our protagonist, Jerry, begins to come into contact with danger in his everyday life. All because he just refused some chocolates. As I finish this Bildungs-Roman, I hope for a surprising conclusion.
Summary pgs.119-155
To continue where we left off, during the next day at school, Jerry was welcomed with a great surprise. He was greeted and congratulated by most of his peers, for standing up to Brother Leon the other day. Unfortunately for Jerry, he still regretted doing this. Plus, he was still trying to find out why he refused to sell the chocolates. Speaking of such, the chocolate sale was still in progress, but some students were starting to lose confidence, due to their unsuccessful selling and marketing skills... Howie Anderson, the stereotypical high school jock-slash-popular kid-slash-straight A student, was one of those few, and when he heard about Jerry's bravery towards the seemingly daunting threats of Leon, he decided to jump on the bandwagon. Being part of the school's highest social class, Howie's action of quitting the chocolate sale causes others to follow. In a matter of time, almost half of the entire school started to give up on the chocolate sale. Word soon gets out to Archie and Obie, and knowing that Brother Leon would be furious about this epidemic, they concluded that Jerry was betraying the Vigils. The Vigils wanted to help Leon with the sale from the start, but Jerry's actions from the other day put a stop in their plans. Leon was not too happy either. As the sales kept plunging down, his rage for Jerry increases sharply...
Quotation Explanation
"It was like the third degree, only he was both interrogator and suspect, both tough cop and hounded prisoner, a cruel spotlight pinning him in a blinding circle of light" (Cormier 119).
My Reaction
As you could see in the Quotation Explanation, the author's diction starts to sound more... intense as the story progresses. The context of the story itself begins to get darker as well, as our protagonist, Jerry, begins to come into contact with danger in his everyday life. All because he just refused some chocolates. As I finish this Bildungs-Roman, I hope for a surprising conclusion.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
The Chocolate War: Post #3
Summary pgs.79-118
As the chocolate sale begins to go underway, Brother Leon starts to check off those who were participating. Everyone in the school volunteered to help... that is, everyone except Jerry. Ignoring Leon's attempts to coerce the Renault boy to comply, he still refuses to partake in the sale. Archie is still making up plans on how exactly to sell his share of the chocolates, but he has some formidable competition. First off is John Sulkey, the school's expert mini-salesman, who sold the most raffle tickets during a fundraiser at the school last year, and this time around he is determined to win. Archie's second opponent, Tubs Casper, was desperately trying to sell some of his chocolates to get his oh-so wonderful girlfriend a gift, a bracelet, specifically (which cost roughly nineteen dollars and fifty cents, plus tax). Later in the book, Jerry's reason for declining the chocolates was revealed to be his assignment for the Vigils: he had to decline the chocolates for ten days, and accept them on the next day, making Brother Leon more irate in the process. Because of this, Leon began to develop a strong hatred for Jerry. The eleventh day, the end of the assignment, finally came. Surprisingly, when Leon asked Jerry again, he still refused those chocolates. This event even surprises Jerry himself, since he does not even know why he said no. He ponders this to the point that it haunts him in his sleep. Why was he doing this? Was Leon torturing him? At that point, all he wanted was his life to be normal again, meaning no involvement with the Vigils.
Quotation Explanation
"Caroni watched the chalk in Brother Leon's hands, the way the teacher pressed it, rolled it, his fingers like the legs of pale spiders with a victim in their clutch" (Cormier 110).
My Reaction
The plot thickens. As the chocolate sales start going at full speed, tension starts to rise drastically. The characters seem to be getting at each others' throats as well, meaning conflicts rise as well. I can say that this novel is starting to be more like events real people can have today in modern times. As always, Cormier uses his literary techniques to make the text more lively, such as in the Quotation Explanation. The liveliness of the text makes it easier for the reader to enjoy the book much more. As I continue this Bildungs-Roman, I expect to enjoy more of Mr. Cormier's writing style. To me, it is very interesting.
As the chocolate sale begins to go underway, Brother Leon starts to check off those who were participating. Everyone in the school volunteered to help... that is, everyone except Jerry. Ignoring Leon's attempts to coerce the Renault boy to comply, he still refuses to partake in the sale. Archie is still making up plans on how exactly to sell his share of the chocolates, but he has some formidable competition. First off is John Sulkey, the school's expert mini-salesman, who sold the most raffle tickets during a fundraiser at the school last year, and this time around he is determined to win. Archie's second opponent, Tubs Casper, was desperately trying to sell some of his chocolates to get his oh-so wonderful girlfriend a gift, a bracelet, specifically (which cost roughly nineteen dollars and fifty cents, plus tax). Later in the book, Jerry's reason for declining the chocolates was revealed to be his assignment for the Vigils: he had to decline the chocolates for ten days, and accept them on the next day, making Brother Leon more irate in the process. Because of this, Leon began to develop a strong hatred for Jerry. The eleventh day, the end of the assignment, finally came. Surprisingly, when Leon asked Jerry again, he still refused those chocolates. This event even surprises Jerry himself, since he does not even know why he said no. He ponders this to the point that it haunts him in his sleep. Why was he doing this? Was Leon torturing him? At that point, all he wanted was his life to be normal again, meaning no involvement with the Vigils.
Quotation Explanation
"Caroni watched the chalk in Brother Leon's hands, the way the teacher pressed it, rolled it, his fingers like the legs of pale spiders with a victim in their clutch" (Cormier 110).
My Reaction
The plot thickens. As the chocolate sales start going at full speed, tension starts to rise drastically. The characters seem to be getting at each others' throats as well, meaning conflicts rise as well. I can say that this novel is starting to be more like events real people can have today in modern times. As always, Cormier uses his literary techniques to make the text more lively, such as in the Quotation Explanation. The liveliness of the text makes it easier for the reader to enjoy the book much more. As I continue this Bildungs-Roman, I expect to enjoy more of Mr. Cormier's writing style. To me, it is very interesting.
The Chocolate War: Post #2
Summary pgs.39-78
We continue on with the rest of our story, and the action starts to rise a bit as well. In the next chapter, we are introduced to a large fellow named Emile Janza, the roughest, toughest kid at the school, and another member of the Vigils. Now, he and Archie do not get along very well with one another; in fact, they hate each others guts. Despite this rivalry, they cooperate well together, ironic as it sounds. Together, they are known as the school's trouble-making duo, but not as chaotic as the infamous pairs of Bonnie and Clyde or Beavis and Butthead for example; their deeds just resort to whoopee-cushion gags, bullying, and siphoning gas out of strangers' cars. A day later, the chocolate sale finally starts up. While the student body dispersed across the neighborhood to sell those Hershey bars, Archie was scheming... Scheming to get money out of this. The next morning, one of Archie and Emile's trademark pranks has gone awry, causing all of the desks and tables in Brother Leon's classroom to fall apart. Naturally, he blames all of this on Archie, and pins him to the wall, boiling with utter rage. Another fine mess. Later that day, Jerry goes back to make an attempt at getting through the football tryouts. Unfortunately, Renault is still the fumbling, awkward, scrawny boy messing around on the field. After practice, he sees a note on his locker, written by a member of the Vigils, stating that he has been given an assignment. An obligatory cliffhanger should be placed here.
Quotation Explanation
"He'd use the tip [of his blackboard pointer] to push around a book on a desk or to flick a kid's necktie, scratching gently down some guy's back, poking the pointer as if he were a rubbish collector picking his way through the debris of the classroom" (Cormier 39).
My Reaction
As the plot progresses, I am starting to believe that this type of Bildungs-Roman is a "slice-of-life" novel. By this, I mean a story that focuses on real-life people, involved in real-life situations, dealing with real-life conflicts and problems. Sort of like one of those teen sitcoms that air on the Disney Channel everyday. The context of the plot seems to be quite lighthearted; nothing dramatic to an unnecessary extent aside from the prominence of the Vigils, which must be a reference to gangs in modern times. The author still uses his metaphors creatively, as seen in the Quotation Explanation, and surprisingly, the recurring style of the characters' diction did not get too repetitive. Speaking of the characters, a good amount of them have some very round personalities; their emotional traits change a bit depending on the situation, but not to an extreme point. As I continue this Bildungs-Roman, I expect to see more of these defining points.
We continue on with the rest of our story, and the action starts to rise a bit as well. In the next chapter, we are introduced to a large fellow named Emile Janza, the roughest, toughest kid at the school, and another member of the Vigils. Now, he and Archie do not get along very well with one another; in fact, they hate each others guts. Despite this rivalry, they cooperate well together, ironic as it sounds. Together, they are known as the school's trouble-making duo, but not as chaotic as the infamous pairs of Bonnie and Clyde or Beavis and Butthead for example; their deeds just resort to whoopee-cushion gags, bullying, and siphoning gas out of strangers' cars. A day later, the chocolate sale finally starts up. While the student body dispersed across the neighborhood to sell those Hershey bars, Archie was scheming... Scheming to get money out of this. The next morning, one of Archie and Emile's trademark pranks has gone awry, causing all of the desks and tables in Brother Leon's classroom to fall apart. Naturally, he blames all of this on Archie, and pins him to the wall, boiling with utter rage. Another fine mess. Later that day, Jerry goes back to make an attempt at getting through the football tryouts. Unfortunately, Renault is still the fumbling, awkward, scrawny boy messing around on the field. After practice, he sees a note on his locker, written by a member of the Vigils, stating that he has been given an assignment. An obligatory cliffhanger should be placed here.
Quotation Explanation
"He'd use the tip [of his blackboard pointer] to push around a book on a desk or to flick a kid's necktie, scratching gently down some guy's back, poking the pointer as if he were a rubbish collector picking his way through the debris of the classroom" (Cormier 39).
My Reaction
As the plot progresses, I am starting to believe that this type of Bildungs-Roman is a "slice-of-life" novel. By this, I mean a story that focuses on real-life people, involved in real-life situations, dealing with real-life conflicts and problems. Sort of like one of those teen sitcoms that air on the Disney Channel everyday. The context of the plot seems to be quite lighthearted; nothing dramatic to an unnecessary extent aside from the prominence of the Vigils, which must be a reference to gangs in modern times. The author still uses his metaphors creatively, as seen in the Quotation Explanation, and surprisingly, the recurring style of the characters' diction did not get too repetitive. Speaking of the characters, a good amount of them have some very round personalities; their emotional traits change a bit depending on the situation, but not to an extreme point. As I continue this Bildungs-Roman, I expect to see more of these defining points.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
The Chocolate War: Post #1
For this term's R.O.A.R. (theme being Bildungs-Romans, or Coming-of-Age stories), I will be diving into Robert Cormier's The Chocolate War. Do not let the book's title fool you; I do not think chocolate will be involved. Or will it?
Summary pgs.1-38
We start off our story with average teenage boy Jerry Renault, trying out for his school's football team. Unfortunately, he was not very good, but despite the bruises and berating "words of encouragement" from his coach, he was determined to try again. His casual days of everyday life ended when he went to class the next day; he was chosen by Archie Costello, leader of a schoolyard gang dubbed "The Vigils", as a permanent accomplice to his deeds. The Vigils were not the type of "rainbow and lollipop" people, for they were quite crass, and force the members of the group to perform various misdeeds. On his first day of dirty work, Jerry was given his first assignment: the "chocolate assignment". It did not sound so "cruel", for it was just a simple chocolate bar-selling sale, similar to how Girl Scouts do it presumably. The next day, Archie discusses the big sale with a teacher at school, the ever-sarcastic and cynical Brother Leon, who declares that everyone must sell 20,00 boxes of chocolate. After a lengthy conversation, they both agree to spread the word across the entire student body.
Quotation Explanation
"Carter snapped his fingers again and tension quickly built up in the room once more. But a different kind of tension. Tension with teeth in it. For Archie. He braced himself" (Cormier 36).
My Reaction
Disregard the comment I made at the start of this post; chocolate will be involved in this story, and it will probably be more important than you think. Cormier's writing style is very entertaining in my opinion. Like the Quotation Explanation above, the clever juxtaposition of personification and similes made me more interested in pressing, or more appropriately, reading on for the rest of the book. The plot is very captivating as well, I cannot wait to read more. Fortunately, the author does not use declarative tone, meaning, he does not just report every event that happens throughout the story; sometimes he adds some commentary to the side. At some points, I even chuckled at some of the witty remarks of the narratives. The dialogue stuck out to me the most. It is amazing how I can imagine people in the real world, in this modern time, speaking like the characters in the book: common vocabulary and idioms, accents, and the like. As I continue this Bildungs-Roman, I will be looking for more of these polished touches.
Summary pgs.1-38
We start off our story with average teenage boy Jerry Renault, trying out for his school's football team. Unfortunately, he was not very good, but despite the bruises and berating "words of encouragement" from his coach, he was determined to try again. His casual days of everyday life ended when he went to class the next day; he was chosen by Archie Costello, leader of a schoolyard gang dubbed "The Vigils", as a permanent accomplice to his deeds. The Vigils were not the type of "rainbow and lollipop" people, for they were quite crass, and force the members of the group to perform various misdeeds. On his first day of dirty work, Jerry was given his first assignment: the "chocolate assignment". It did not sound so "cruel", for it was just a simple chocolate bar-selling sale, similar to how Girl Scouts do it presumably. The next day, Archie discusses the big sale with a teacher at school, the ever-sarcastic and cynical Brother Leon, who declares that everyone must sell 20,00 boxes of chocolate. After a lengthy conversation, they both agree to spread the word across the entire student body.
Quotation Explanation
"Carter snapped his fingers again and tension quickly built up in the room once more. But a different kind of tension. Tension with teeth in it. For Archie. He braced himself" (Cormier 36).
My Reaction
Disregard the comment I made at the start of this post; chocolate will be involved in this story, and it will probably be more important than you think. Cormier's writing style is very entertaining in my opinion. Like the Quotation Explanation above, the clever juxtaposition of personification and similes made me more interested in pressing, or more appropriately, reading on for the rest of the book. The plot is very captivating as well, I cannot wait to read more. Fortunately, the author does not use declarative tone, meaning, he does not just report every event that happens throughout the story; sometimes he adds some commentary to the side. At some points, I even chuckled at some of the witty remarks of the narratives. The dialogue stuck out to me the most. It is amazing how I can imagine people in the real world, in this modern time, speaking like the characters in the book: common vocabulary and idioms, accents, and the like. As I continue this Bildungs-Roman, I will be looking for more of these polished touches.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
What Manner of Man: Post #3
Summary - pgs. 56-111
At this point of the story, Dr. Martin Luther King is now putting his ideas into motion. He is also starting to make his opinions heard by the mass population of his community. With help from his fellow everyday African-Americans, he was beginning to create a legacy that would later change the views of Whites in America. As King kept pressing on, more and more people began to follow him. This all leads up to the day when he gives his powerful "I Have a Dream" speech, which was said to be an impassioned plea for political rights.
Quotation Explanation
The author uses vivid metaphors to describe African-Americans through the eyes of White people who discriminate them by saying that, "There lived in Montgomery at the time fifty thousand Negroes. But they were neither citizens nor subjects. To most white people, the Negro populace was composed of objects, tools, instruments, things to be manipulated, dominated, and endured." (Bennett 55).
My Reaction
The author's writing style is still subjective, thus most of the writing is still a bit uninteresting. However, he still implements high-level vocabulary into his paragraphs, making them sound extraordinary. The Quotation Explanation was on the first page of the chapter, and it immediately caught my attention when I skimmed through and saw the word, "manipulate". Bennett's use of verbs like this can serve as a "hook" of some sort that can draw the reader into the book, making him or her eager to press on and read more of the story.
At this point of the story, Dr. Martin Luther King is now putting his ideas into motion. He is also starting to make his opinions heard by the mass population of his community. With help from his fellow everyday African-Americans, he was beginning to create a legacy that would later change the views of Whites in America. As King kept pressing on, more and more people began to follow him. This all leads up to the day when he gives his powerful "I Have a Dream" speech, which was said to be an impassioned plea for political rights.
Quotation Explanation
The author uses vivid metaphors to describe African-Americans through the eyes of White people who discriminate them by saying that, "There lived in Montgomery at the time fifty thousand Negroes. But they were neither citizens nor subjects. To most white people, the Negro populace was composed of objects, tools, instruments, things to be manipulated, dominated, and endured." (Bennett 55).
My Reaction
The author's writing style is still subjective, thus most of the writing is still a bit uninteresting. However, he still implements high-level vocabulary into his paragraphs, making them sound extraordinary. The Quotation Explanation was on the first page of the chapter, and it immediately caught my attention when I skimmed through and saw the word, "manipulate". Bennett's use of verbs like this can serve as a "hook" of some sort that can draw the reader into the book, making him or her eager to press on and read more of the story.
What Manner of Man: Post #2
Summary - pgs. 34-55
The next chapters of Dr. King's biography describe his pathway to success. All his trials and all his mistakes are told in good description. It was not easy for him to go his way, however. Many times in his life, King had to make some sacrifices. At some points, his life was threatened as well, mostly by people who do not want to see him succeed, or by those who were simply jealous of him. At this point, King began to ponder about why, in his time, people were acting the way they were when it comes to racial discrimination. He deduced that the heated history between Whites and African-Americans should be able to end in some way. Trying to find this answer, King decided to keep researching for a possible answer.
Quotation Explanation
The author gives a small description of Coretta Scott King's personal ambitions when he says, "Beyond all that was a deeper and more compelling reason. By this time, Coretta was convinced that her future life would revolve around the concert stage." (Bennett 45).
My Reaction
As with the previous chapters, Bennett's writing style is still subjective. Despite this, his extensive use of high-level vocabulary makes his sentences stronger. At this point of the book, he begins to use metaphors, as seen in the Quotation Explanation. I can see that all the prior events of King's life are leading up to a major event in his future life. This could happen near the end of this life, where all of his efforts will pay off and improve a factor in America's society at the time period.
The next chapters of Dr. King's biography describe his pathway to success. All his trials and all his mistakes are told in good description. It was not easy for him to go his way, however. Many times in his life, King had to make some sacrifices. At some points, his life was threatened as well, mostly by people who do not want to see him succeed, or by those who were simply jealous of him. At this point, King began to ponder about why, in his time, people were acting the way they were when it comes to racial discrimination. He deduced that the heated history between Whites and African-Americans should be able to end in some way. Trying to find this answer, King decided to keep researching for a possible answer.
Quotation Explanation
The author gives a small description of Coretta Scott King's personal ambitions when he says, "Beyond all that was a deeper and more compelling reason. By this time, Coretta was convinced that her future life would revolve around the concert stage." (Bennett 45).
My Reaction
As with the previous chapters, Bennett's writing style is still subjective. Despite this, his extensive use of high-level vocabulary makes his sentences stronger. At this point of the book, he begins to use metaphors, as seen in the Quotation Explanation. I can see that all the prior events of King's life are leading up to a major event in his future life. This could happen near the end of this life, where all of his efforts will pay off and improve a factor in America's society at the time period.
What Manner of Man: Post #1
Summary - pgs. 3-33
Being the first few pages in this biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an in-depth synopsis of his early life and career is described. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, with his mother, father, and two siblings. Important roles in King's academic and social development are also described. For example, King first became interested with the ideas of civil rights when he attended Morehouse College to study, where he researched about the history of factors that impede the promotion of equal rights. The state of society during his time was relevant, with the mass amount of discrimination against people of color.
Quotation Explanation
The author gives an example of discrimination in Dr. King's campus community when he says, "During King's undergraduate days, the Morehouse campus was alive with political and social ferment. On one occasion, a campus strike and boycott of the dining room raised tensions to a record high." (Bennett, Jr. 27).
My Reaction
Before beginning to read this novel, I did not know much information about the life of Dr. King. After finishing this first chapter, though, I feel that I have gotten a bit more information about him, expanding on my prior knowledge. So far, the author's style of writing is very distinguished. Use of strong vocabulary in his writing, such as the Quotation Explanation stated above, gives it a professional look. However, his subjective style of writing, meaning stating facts and not making opinion-based judgments, might begin to detract the reader's interest in reading more.
Being the first few pages in this biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., an in-depth synopsis of his early life and career is described. He grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, with his mother, father, and two siblings. Important roles in King's academic and social development are also described. For example, King first became interested with the ideas of civil rights when he attended Morehouse College to study, where he researched about the history of factors that impede the promotion of equal rights. The state of society during his time was relevant, with the mass amount of discrimination against people of color.
Quotation Explanation
The author gives an example of discrimination in Dr. King's campus community when he says, "During King's undergraduate days, the Morehouse campus was alive with political and social ferment. On one occasion, a campus strike and boycott of the dining room raised tensions to a record high." (Bennett, Jr. 27).
My Reaction
Before beginning to read this novel, I did not know much information about the life of Dr. King. After finishing this first chapter, though, I feel that I have gotten a bit more information about him, expanding on my prior knowledge. So far, the author's style of writing is very distinguished. Use of strong vocabulary in his writing, such as the Quotation Explanation stated above, gives it a professional look. However, his subjective style of writing, meaning stating facts and not making opinion-based judgments, might begin to detract the reader's interest in reading more.
What Manner of Man: Post #5
Summary - pgs. 197-229
The final chapter of this biography describes how the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is commonly referred to during times today. Judging by the epic struggle King had to deal with, the author describes him as a natural-born leader. He also states that his powerful philosophies, such as the famously-known "I Have a Dream" speech, have been paved in the minds of people recently introduced to them.
Quotation Explanation
"By the end of the centennial celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, Martin Luther King, Jr. was more than a symbol. His influence, running on before him, shooting off sparks, had made him a presence in the land, a persuasive and prevailing social force" (Bennett, Jr. 197-198)."
My Reaction
To conclude this biography with great vigor and strength, Bennett goes the extra mile to let the readers know how much King's ideas shaped the way of society of America today. However, as with previous chapters, he writes in a rather subjective style, meaning that he writes everything based on facts, not opinions. Fortunately, his extensive use of vocabulary and descriptive writing compensates for subjective tone. The Quotation Explanation stated above supports the entire biography as a whole. It is saying that Dr. King has shaped the way of society today, and without him, our country would be very different today.
The final chapter of this biography describes how the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is commonly referred to during times today. Judging by the epic struggle King had to deal with, the author describes him as a natural-born leader. He also states that his powerful philosophies, such as the famously-known "I Have a Dream" speech, have been paved in the minds of people recently introduced to them.
Quotation Explanation
"By the end of the centennial celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation, Martin Luther King, Jr. was more than a symbol. His influence, running on before him, shooting off sparks, had made him a presence in the land, a persuasive and prevailing social force" (Bennett, Jr. 197-198)."
My Reaction
To conclude this biography with great vigor and strength, Bennett goes the extra mile to let the readers know how much King's ideas shaped the way of society of America today. However, as with previous chapters, he writes in a rather subjective style, meaning that he writes everything based on facts, not opinions. Fortunately, his extensive use of vocabulary and descriptive writing compensates for subjective tone. The Quotation Explanation stated above supports the entire biography as a whole. It is saying that Dr. King has shaped the way of society today, and without him, our country would be very different today.
Monday, September 21, 2009
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