Connecting - Charlotte's Web

Page 3 - The kitchen table was set for breakfast, and the room smelled of coffee, bacon, damp plaster, and wood smoke from the stove.
Page 49 - "Well, I don't like to spread bad news," said the sheep, "but they're fattening you up because they're going to kill you, that's why."
"They're going to what?" screamed Wilbur. Fern grew rigid in her chair

When I read page 3, I thought "Does Fern EAT bacon?" It would be sort of weird if she did, and if not, that's good. Although in the book it sort of seems like it's evil to eat bacon, outside of the book, lots of people eat bacon. If Fern DOES eat bacon, maybe she doesn't understand that bacon comes from pigs.

And on page 49, did Fern KNOW that Wilbur was going to be killed and eaten? If so, wouldn't she have complained to her father about it, like she did when she saved Wilbur's life? Or has she grown up more and decided it didn't matter and things should just take their "natural course"? If she didn't know, she would've just found out. But would she be "rigid"? Or was she rigid from the fact that Wilbur was finally finding out for himself what might happen? I wonder if there was a conversation with between Fern and her parents. It would have been easier if White had just simply written a chapter of it, if there was one, but maybe he's just leaving a little mystery behind...

Expanding Entry - Charlotte's Web

In Charlotte's Web, the mother role plays a very important part. By saying "the mother role", I mean the role of a kind, caring woman who acts as a mother to someone, whether they're related or not.
On page 8, I could already get the sense that Fern was like a mother figure to Wilbur.

Fern loved Wilbur more than anything. She loved to stroke him, to feed him, to put him to bed. Every morning, as soon as she got up, she warmed his milk, tied his bib on, and held the bottle for him.

Fern cares so much for him, she ties a BIB on him! She is truly playing the motherly role here.

Wilbur loved his milk, and he was never happier then when Fern was warming up a bottle for him. He would stand and gaze up at her with adoring eyes.

Later in the book, Charlotte becomes more of a mother figure to Wilbur. She's strict and sharp sometimes, but always caring.

"You're terrific as far as I'm concerned," replied Charlotte, sweetly, "and that's what counts. You're my best friend, and I think you're sensational. Now stop arguing and go get some sleep!"

Fern's mother is also a good mother. Even though we may think she's mean for not believing Fern about animals talking, we have to admit that it's true animals don't talk. Ms. Arable went to see a doctor just to make sure Fern was okay. She's still taking care of her, she's just doing her best to try to help Fern realize that animals don't talk. Although, in the book, they do.

Weekly Reading Entry-Sweet Dreams, Eurythmics

One of my favourite songs, Sweet Dreams by Eurythmics can sorta of scary sounding and like a song that's just made because the writers need something to sing. My friend Marina says this, adding on about how the music video on Youtube® helps her statement with Annie Lennox raising her arms, looking like she's sacrificing something to a god, while standing in a meadow with a swarm of cows. Of course, I could agree if she was talking about Marilyn Manson's version of the song, but I enjoy Sweet Dreams. If I had to point out a life lesson to the song, I would say, "Sweet Dreams are made of the years." Many of the lyrics online say "Sweet Dreams are made of this", but I think it's "Sweet Dreams are made of the years."

Sweet dreams ARE made of the years, with hard work (ugh) and little pay. Until you get your dream.

Sweet dreams are made of the years
Who am I to disagree?
Travel the world and the seven seas
Everybody's looking for something

But you don't have to travel the world or the seven seas or anything. If you REALLY want to have a bunch of cows, buy or rent some land, and work hard to keep crops and animals alive.

I, personally, would like to be a clothing designer, or a lawyer, or a gardener. I sketch ideas for clothes and sew, like to fight for people and have my opinion heard, and to take care of plants. The farthest I've ever been is to Paris (it's farther than London... right?) and I think there are a few more than seven seas... maybe.

Weekly Reading Entry-The Twelve Kingdoms: Sea of Shadow

Have you ever been to a magical land no one's ever heard of before? Betcha haven't! But Yoko Nakajima has.

In The Twelve Kingdoms, Yoko arrives in Kou, one of the kingdoms, and she is chased and captured several times. Luckily, to the help of a blue healing gem, her trusty sword, and the hinman Joyu, she is able to fend of her foes and the demons that attack her.

Yoko is followed by a blue, pessimistic monkey. This monkey tries to tell Yoko what to do, saying how it would be so much quicker if she killed herself.

I think that the blue monkey is like a creature of Yoko's bad thoughts, like a hallucination. It's like how in cartoons, there's an angel on one of the character's shoulders and a devil on the other. The monkey sort of represents the devil, and Yoko is trying to be optimistic and be the angel, wanting to find some way back to Japan. Yoko often quarrels with the monkey and slashes her sword at him, missing. She is losing hope. But then, Yoko meets a kind beastling, who she actually starts trusting, regardless the two other times she was deceived by people of Kou. One night, Yoko and the monkey are talking while Rakushun, the beastling, is hurt. The monkey tells her to run, and she does, but then realizes she shouldn't have because she trusts Rakushun. The monkey starts taunting her, and, frustrated, Yoko swings her sword. The monkey is gone. After that, Yoko meets up with Rakushun and stops doubting his help entirely.

Weekly Reading Entry~Ouran High School Host Club

Ouran High School Host Club is a very funny anime and manga. It's about a group of teenagers who form a club to entertain girls. In this Host Club, there is a pair of twins, Hikaru and Kaoru. They are identical, and nearly always speaking in unison, or finishing each others sentences. It's like they can read each others minds or something.

I always thought that being a single child would be nice since I'd get more attention and my brother wouldn't be there. But then I might get lonely, so after I watched OHSHC, I began to think what it wold be like to have a twin EXACTLY like me.

When I told my mother, "I wish I had a twin exactly like me, like Hikaru and Kaoru," not knowing who they were, replied,

"I'm glad you don't have a twin, 'cuz I can barely stand one of you."

That still didn't put an end to my dreams. I still want a twin, even though it's impossible.

Weekly Reading Entry~Farewell To Manzanar

My grandfather was an immigrant, like Jeanne, the author and main character in Farewell To Manzanar, and her family. My grandfather came to America a few years after Jeanne Wakatsuki and her family had to board Manzanar, and my mother never told me if he had to go to a camp like Manzanar, but I don't think he did. Maybe it was just that Jeanne Wakatsuki had to go to Manzanar because she was Japanese and her story takes place during World War II.
But, then again, in a book called Esperanza Rising, the main character leaves her home to go to a camp. But in that, I suppose it was just because Esperanza and her mother were running away. And maybe it was during a war.

I forgot.

Farewell To Manzanar is "As haunting as the Diary of Anne Frank," says the back of the book. And now that I'm half way through the book, I can see that it is really quite sad. It's one of those autobiographies that makes you think "Holy crap, this seriously happened to someone?" Or like the movie Les Choristes, (which I love, by the way) the frightening French film. And whose music I'm listening to right now.
So, the next time you think "My life is so terrible" "Boring" "BLAHHHHH", think about how truely horrible OTHER people's lives are or have been.

Weekly Reading Entry~Ash

I know this may seem like a very strange way to start a response to a book, but I LOVE BREAD! To me, bread and starchy stuff like pasta and rice is the most delicious food EVER! It's basically all I ever eat.

In Ash, Ash's mother passes away. When this happens, Ash can't taste the bread she's eating. I don't ever remember not being able to taste anything. Maybe it's not even possible, not to be able to taste something... unless it's water. Maybe it's just a form of speech, and I will never know. I think about things like that a lot. Like, "It happens to other people, not me. Am I THAT different, or is it ALL A LIE?" Stuff like that. Like sugar rushes. I fake those, for people who are thinking, "I just saw her all hyper the other day."

When my aunt died, I don't remember not being able to taste anything. Maybe it's different, though, since my aunt and I didn't really know each other.

Losing family and loved ones is very hard, so authors exaggerate with food? I don't understand that at all, except that it's CONFUSING. Do you?