Book Review-The Pigman-Paul Zindel

1. physical description of the character
I chose to describe John because he was a character that "stuck out" to me in the book. When I think of John, I picture him as the kid in school who gets in trouble just because he knows he will get attetion, and it doesn't matter from who. He is wearing that ragedy, shirt that is stretched out around the collar and it doesn't look like its even been washed; his pants are the same way. He doesn't care about school or succeeding in anything because he has never been taugh that success is a good thing.
2. personality of character
John's personality is negative and lackidazical. He is at school because, not only, does it get him away from his horrible home life, but at school he can test all of his schemes on the innocent students. Most boys look up to the father as a role model, but John can't because all his father spends most of his time at home-drunk. His mother is so niave and is so concerned with having a spotless house and a "happy" son. When John fails to impress and please his parents, he resorts to believing that he really is a problem child. He sees no reason or chance to change. He is extremely selfish because he doesn't think about his actions and how they will affect others.
3. motivation of character
As far as John's motivation goes, I think he is the way he is because of his parents. His parents give him no recognition or support and there is absolutly no communication between the three of them. John has no role models so he doesn't know how to act and he doesn't know the difference between right and wrong. Without recognition from his parents, John has nothing to strive for. Recognition makes people strive to do better and to be a better person.
4. conflicts the character faces, how that character deals with the conflicts and the outcomes of conflicts
John faces not fitting in at school. He pretty much only gets along with Lorraine. He has no friends other than a girl. The character faces the pressures of fitting in and not receiving any recognition from his parents. He deals with his problems by pestering other people and by getting in trouble. For example he lit firecrackers in the school bathroom and got away with it. As John gets older, he starts drinking and smoking just to make his parents mad. He blames the problems he has and the problems his parents have on his parents even though he has never directly confronted his parents about the situation.
5. changes the character undergoes during the course of the novel.
When John and Lorriane meet the Pigman they use him to play pranks. Soon after, they both start to feel guilty for causing the old man pain. Both characters then start to trust and rely on the Pigman. John because less selfish because he starts to care for the Pigman and starts doing things for him without wondering what he will get from it.
6. personal connections (or a lack of) you made with the character
I did not make a personal connection with John because I don't think I'm the kind of person to cause another person problems. I value the relationship I have with my parents and other people and I would do whatever it takes to make sure I have a good relationship with the people I care about.
7. your opinion of the character and his/her/its effectiveness in the novel.
There would be no book without John. This book is about setting your problems and desires aside and caring for another person. John had to take the time to change himself and to do things for another person without expecting anything in return. The Pigman changed John and Lorriane's life and John and Lorriane changed the Pigman's.

John Steinbeck Thesis Statement

John Steinbeck is an American author of literary merit because of his honest, simple, passioniate writing style.
(That's a really rough thesis statement. It's all I've gathered from my one source of notes that I have written out!)

My Sister's Keeper by Jodie Picoult

My Sister's Keeper is a page-turning novel about a young girl standing up for her rights. Jodi Picoult realized that she wanted to be a writer as she lived her childhood on Long Island, New York. Her life and town were so uneventful that her college writing classes led her to where she is now. She has told sources that she has a great thing to write about-family. My Sister's Keeper is and excellent novel about the true meaning of family and how to "stick it out" during the tough times (Book).

Anna is a young, teenage girl who is the middle child of her family. Many people have heard that its usually the middle child who gets left out in the family, but Anna has a reason to believe it. She was basically conceived to have the exact genes that could save her sister,Kate, who was diagnosed with leukemia at a young age. She spends most of her time as a child in the hospital giving her sisters numerous blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants. Anna once described in the book that when Kate was sick Anna was made to feel sick also. Fed up with all the blood transfusions and bone marrow transplants, Anna does something that could possibly tear her family apart and even take away Kate's life. To find out what happens, pick up the page-turning book. You won't be disappointed.

I thought My Sister's Keeper was an excellent book because it described an extremely dramatic experience. Picoult did a great job of keeping the readers focused and entertained. I also liked how Picoult wrote the book from different people's point of view. She basically divided each chapter into someone else speaking about Kate's experience with leukemia.

My Sister's Keeper is a touching book that will entertain and relate to readers around the world. Jodi Picoult's book, My Sister's Keeper was awarded with the Best Book of the Year in 2005; a well deserved reward. If a reader is looking for an interesting and touching story, My Sister's Keeper is a perfect book.

References
Book Browse. (2007). Author Biography. Jodie Picoult. Retrieved November 18, 2007 from
http://www.bookbrowse.com/biographies/index.cfm?author_number=601

The Crucible, The Red Scare, & Other Witch Trials

1. What was Miller's point in writing The Crucible?
I found this website to be extremely helpful! The site talks about McCartheism, what was going on in politics during the time Miller wrote the Crucible, and how the book was a direct attack on McCartheism.
http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/crucible/context.html

This site states the Miller wrote The Crucible as a reaction to McCarthy Era and to mass hysteria. http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/amiller.htm


2. How are McCarthyism, the Red Scare, Arthur Miller and The Crucible interrelated?
The following website does a great job at explaining how McCarthyism spread into mass hysteria just as the Salem Witch Trials did. Senator McCarthy attended a woman's Republican meeting and claimed to know 205 Department of States people that were involved with communism. McCarthy, like Abigail in The Crucible, had enough people convinced of communism that mass hysteria spread throughout the country. It was a "witch hunt" for people were were involved in communism, just as the witch hunts during the Salem Witch Trials. Then when the people of the Department of States were questioned they often ended up lying to save their own careers. This would compare to the Puritans during their dilemmas that dealt with being a witch or not.
http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Mccartheism


A great website about the Red Scare.
http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/SaccoV/redscare.html


3. Document other times in American history when 'witch hunts' were conducted and discuss the outcomes of the Salem witch hunt and the other witch hunts you find. What do they all have in common?

Jews, gays, gypsies, and mentally handicapped during WWII
Religions fighting eachother
The Salem Witch Trials resulted in innocent people being killed due to mass hysteria. To me, the other 'witch hunts' through out our history are due to the fact of people wanting the victims to conform to what they think is acceptable. Does that make sense?

The Jews, gays, gypsies, and mentally handicapped were often killed or tortured during WWII. Hitler would send races or types of people he didn't like to concentration camps. Often times the people were overworked with pointless jobs or there were to many people confined to one area which resulted in many diseases being spread. Below is a list of other events people suffered through:
1. Gas chambers
2. Scientific experiments on twins
3. Poor diets/Starvation
4. Acid showers
5. Lice

Religions--For example the Shiites and the Sunni have been fighting wars for years over religion and the Holy Land. The website below explains the difference between the Shiites and the Sunni.
http://hnn.us/articles/934.html

AMERICAN WITCH HUNTS
Native Americans, good site about Native Americans! Both talk about the problems with reservations and the settlers.
http://www.nativeamericans.com/
http://nativeamericanrhymes.com/library/conflicts/overview.htm