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Your response should include the following:
- Identify the Title of your book
- Identify the pages read today.
- Write a short summary of the reading.
- Discuss at least one significant event from the day’s reading.
Dracula, pages 65-102, chapter 5,6,&7
This section started off with a letter from Jonathans fiancé, Mina, to her good friend Lucy. She was writing back to a letter Lucy had previously sent. In the letter Mina expressed ideas of writing in a journal while she is away visiting Lucy. This is also where we find out that Mina and Jonathan are engaged. Then Lucy writes back, talking about how she is excited to see Mina, and about how she was proposed to three times in one day, and how she loves Arthur so much. Mina finally arrives, and they do some tourist like attractions. Then, the men whom Lucy declined shared their journals. In a writing from Lucy, she becomes very suspicious and worried as to why nobody has heard anything from Jonathan. A huge storm comes to town, and evil and chaos occurs. An old man who talked to Lucy and Mina is found dead due to fright.
The most significant event is most definitely the evil coming to where Lucy lives. It must be connected to Jonathan and Dracula somehow. In the novel it said the old dead man looked as if he looked death right in the face when he perished.
The Metamorphosis page 33-51
After the general manager shows up, Gregor pretends to be sick and stays in his locked room. Afraid of losing is job, Gregor eventually unlocks his door and reveals himself. Everyone is horrified and the manager starts to leave. Gregor’s father could kill him at any moment. The chapter ends with Gregor getting forced back into his locked room.
An important part is that Gregor thinks his father could kill him, which could be foreshadowing.
PG 18-36(This is a memory Winston talks about while writing in his book) Winston mentions something they call “the two minutes hate”. This is where a man known as Emmanuel Goldstein speaks about his disagreement with the way the party does things. Goldstein used to be one of the leading figures of the party, however he had engaged in counter revolutionary activities and was condemned to death. He had somehow escaped and disappeared. He advocates for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of assembly, freedom of thought etc. Everyone in the party hated him. They despised him so much that during the “hate” all the party members watching ended up shouting with anger at the screen to drown out his voice. However, he still has a very large influence. There is talk about how he has people who spy on the party. It is called the brotherhood, however people speculate if it is even real. After the hate Winston does some reflecting and realizes that he isn’t mad at Goldstein, but the party. He is tired of living under constant surveillance. He also talks about a strange thing that happens with a man he calls O’Brien, who is an inner party member. They make slight eye contact after the hate, and Winston realizes that O’Brien feels the same way he does about the party. (Back to present) Winston looks down at the book and realizes he had been writing the whole time. The phrase “DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER” filled nearly half the page. He felt some slight panic before realizing even writing in the book was enough for him to be taken by the thought police. He explains that when the thought police come it is always at night, and the majority of cases have no trial, and no report of arrest. Every record of your existence is wiped out. As he is thinking of this and writing in the book someone knocks on the door. As he goes to open it he realizes he left the book open on the table, but decides to leave it. He opens the door to his neighbor asking for help with fixing their sink. He goes over and takes a look at the sink, he asks about a specific tool he needs and the neighbor’s kid brings it to him. Whenever he was going to leave he felt something hit him in the back of the neck. he turns around and sees the boy holding a catapult. The boy was screaming “Goldstein!” as he shut the door.
(I wasn’t able to read my book on November 2nd, so I’ve read through from the beginning up till where I’d’ve probably stopped for today)
Frankenstein; or, the Modern Prometheus
Pages 2 – 23, letter 1 – letter 4
The first twenty-two pages of the book (as of the digital copy I’m reading from) are made up of letters written by a seafaring captain by the name of Robert Walton and addressed to his sister, Margaret Saville. Walton is, as he is writing the letters, just in the midst of expedition to the North Pole; documenting his travels in order to quell his sister’s worries about the trip being a dangerous one. The expedition, as is described by Walton throughout letters one through 3, goes as expected and the text itself consist mostly of Walton’s thoughts and feelings on whatever subject matter other than the exploration he brings up. This changes at the very beginning of the fourth letter, Walton describes how he and his crew saw a human figure -though giant in size- riding a dog sled while their ship was stuck between sheets of ice. The next morning the crew discover a frail, haggard man -seemingly on the brink of death- with a similar dog sled who they bring aboard. After providing the man with some aid, he and Walton converse, and it is this man who we and the captain both learn to be Victor Frankenstein.
There are multiple significant parts of this first section of the book: it establishes the setting and atmosphere of the story, it establishes that the story will be conveyed through characters describing their experiences after the fact, and -arguably, most importantly- it establishes the character of Robert Walton. The four letters are, unlike much of the rest of the book, written entirely from his perspective and through this we the readers are able to learn a lot about him. Despite him not holding as much significance as other characters like Victor, Walton is still an important part of the overall story and his presence is particularly pertinent when in regards to Frankenstein himself; the two are meant to parallel each other, though this becomes more apparent a little while later.
20-41 chapter 2
We just learn more about Winston Smith and that the government has a so much more control over the people than we first heard. Literally everything that is done the government knows about. Winston smith has also written DOWN WITH BIG BROTHER in his journal.
The quote that I found most intriguing is the down with big brother line because it foreshadows to further revolution
Dracula
Pages 12-33 Chapters 2 & 3
Jonathan arrives at the castle, him and Dracula sit down to eat but Dracula says he will not be joining because he had already ate. After jonathan ate, he observed Dracula, seeing all of his different features. The next day, Jonathan realizes that there is no servants. Jonathan then explores the castle and realizes that there are no mirrors. Dracula gave him a tour of the castle, except for the rooms that are locked. Later that day, while Jonathan is shaving, he accidentally cuts his self and Dracula see’s it, he then grabs at Parkers throat then steps back and tells him that cutting yourself is dangerous in Transylvania.Dracula realizes that he is not a human.
Jonathan realizes that he is Dracula’s slave. He tries every door in the castle to escape but all of them are locked. He then talks to Dracula, trying to get clues about his past. Another day, Dracula tells Jonathan to tell Mr. Hawkins that he is staying another month. Later, Jonathan takes staircase and see’s Dracula crawling down the wall like a lizard. On another day, Jonathan tries to find the key to the courtyard to escape, but he has no luck. Some days later, Jonathan falls asleep in an older wing in the castle, then wakes to see 3 ladies that have the same features as Dracula. The one lady tries to “kiss” him, then presses her teeth on Jonathans neck but then Dracula sees and pushes her off and makes them leave.
One significant event is when Jonathan cuts his self shaving and Dracula tries to go after him. Jonathan then realizes that Dracula is not a human.
Gulliver’s Travels pgs 25-35
Gulliver explains the limbo-like tradition to decorate officials. He also builds a stadium for horse riders to practice fighting and entertaining. The lilliputians find and bring him his hat from the shore. The king has a military parade in which Gulliver is put on display once again as a show of power. He then discusses his petitions for his freedom, which are eventually granted upon eight conditions. He spends the next portion of the novel talking about the structure of the town and castle. Only to end with a discussion with the principal secretary of private affairs about factions within the court as well as past civil disputes and their consequences.
I think the most significant part of the reading from today is the elaboration on the high and low heel wearers as well as the big and little Endians.
crime and punishment
pages 20- 33
the main character in the story is Rodion Raskolnikov. he is afraid of his landlord and he owes her a lot of money. he took something of his fathers to a pawn shop to try to get some money out of it, he was not happy with the price at first. he then asked the lady if she was home alone at night. he has met some strange people at the bar. After he passed out from drinking too much, he dreams of his childhood. he remembers what it was like.
Dracula, pages 36-64, chapters 3&4.
Jonathan realizes he is Dracula’s slave and tries to find a way out. He feels it would be helpful if he studies Dracula, getting him to talk about his past and his life in whole. One day when Dracula leaves the castle, Jonathan finally starts to bust into doors that appear to be lock. He found a door that was not necessarily locked, but very hard to get into. He finds three women behind this door, trying to suck Jonathan’s blood. Dracula appears and takes Jonathan away. Dracula starts to cover his tracks from imprisoning Jonathan by showing him off like art to the locals. Jonathan also gets to write home, saying that he will be extending his visit.
The most significant part of todays read was that he discovered the three women, that resemble Dracula in a dead way. He knows that they are trying to feed on him. As Dracula takes Jonathon away, he tosses the women a live child for a meal.