I have very mixed opinion on this book. To start I think the way it was written was genius. There character description and setting description were flawless and painted a perfect picture in your head. The fact alone that we could cast the novel definitely shows that we had an idea of what the characters look like. Especially with Maria, I found that a lot of groups all picked the same person to play Maria which shows that she was perfectly described because everyone got the same idea of what she looked like. I really liked the plot of the story to. I think it was very different and it made the book very interesting and that type of book is right up my alley so I definitely loved it. Just the idea of clones I thought was extremely cool. Also, the approach they took on clones was a lot different than what other people would think. Normally when I think of clones I think of someone going into a machine and making an exact replica of themselves, but in this book it was taking the DNA and making multiple clones and messing with their brains. I just thought that was super cool and ver unique. The one thing I really didn't like about the book was the complete last section of the book. It completely threw me off, I didn't see how it really related, and to be honest it made me completely uninterested in reading the book any longer. I actually struggled keeping interest and pushing myself to get through the last section. I think that they could have just ended it at the end of the second section. Or if anything they could have ended it with him finding Maria. I don't even think that the description and actual writing of the book was that good in the last section. The boneyard part really confused me and nothing was described well. So overall the book was absolutely fantastic excluding the last section.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Monday, April 30, 2012
House of The Scorpion Review
The House of The Scorpion was an amazing, intriguing book about a young boy named Matt. Matt is not like other boys his age, he's an "animal", a "beast", a clone. No matter how hard he tries to hide this, it always seems to find him.
I thought the House of the Scorpion was an amazing book! It literally turned the pages for me; every moment was a cliff hanger and you never knew what surprises were to come. I loved how you were able to keep such a deep connection with the characters, it was almost like you knew them in real life. Not only were you able to relate to the characters the book exploded with detail! I was able to envision the setting with such ease it was almost like I was there. "The sun was setting, and the garden was full of a cool, green light. The Ajo Mountains still glowed purple-brown in the distance, and the poppy fields were tipped with a gold that faded even as Matt watched. Lamps went on in the trees" Farmer, pg.103. This is a perfect example of how Farmer used her amazing abilities to create such vivid imagery. The theme of this book was hard to figure out mostly because it had so many possible themes. Although I think I have pretty much nailed it. Never let what people say ruin your chances to make your dreams come true. No matter what people said to Matt he always seemed to preserver and in the end make his wildest dreams become a reality. All in all, this book was amazing but I have to admit the last section was a disappointment. To say the least it was boring and useless, the plot and story line would have been fine without the last section. In conclusion, bravo Farmer! She created an amazing book and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Possibly a sequel?
I thought the House of the Scorpion was an amazing book! It literally turned the pages for me; every moment was a cliff hanger and you never knew what surprises were to come. I loved how you were able to keep such a deep connection with the characters, it was almost like you knew them in real life. Not only were you able to relate to the characters the book exploded with detail! I was able to envision the setting with such ease it was almost like I was there. "The sun was setting, and the garden was full of a cool, green light. The Ajo Mountains still glowed purple-brown in the distance, and the poppy fields were tipped with a gold that faded even as Matt watched. Lamps went on in the trees" Farmer, pg.103. This is a perfect example of how Farmer used her amazing abilities to create such vivid imagery. The theme of this book was hard to figure out mostly because it had so many possible themes. Although I think I have pretty much nailed it. Never let what people say ruin your chances to make your dreams come true. No matter what people said to Matt he always seemed to preserver and in the end make his wildest dreams become a reality. All in all, this book was amazing but I have to admit the last section was a disappointment. To say the least it was boring and useless, the plot and story line would have been fine without the last section. In conclusion, bravo Farmer! She created an amazing book and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next. Possibly a sequel?
Post #6, The Final Scorpion Review
Matt stared at Maria. "This is your plan to rescue me?""Well, it might work," she said. "Tam Lin says the scorpion recognizes the fingerprints and DNA of El Patron. And you're his clone."
Matt suddenly felt light-headed. She was right. He was El Patron's clone. His fingerprints would be the same, his DNA identical. "If your wrong," he told Maria, "we'll die."
"We'll die together, dearest." -Farmer pg. 222
This would be the perfect phrase, along with many other teasers, to describe Farmer's book "The House of the Scorpion." With action and suspense, we as the readers follow in pursuit of Matt's scrupulous quest. His determination and fierce competition to free himself from the clutches of El Patron and be known as human is what one might say an uphill climb. From the punishment he received as a child to a double-cross from man he believed to have fellowship with, Matt has few people that he can depend on.
As I would describe this book referring to the plot, I would state it to be much different than most books. The beginning started off in a calm and slow tempo, with Matt and Celia living a normal happy life, and then immediately shot into the "strange" category as soon as he jumped out a window. At this point, I as a reader was temporarily confused, but very compelled to read more on the turn of events. Being surprised once more when Rosa brutally abused Matt to the part when he was accepted by the "old man" in the mansion, I knew from then and on it would become much more interesting. Continuing on with this mindset, I thoroughly enjoyed Matt's middle age, old age, and age 14. Such intensive activity blended in with spectacular writing made this book stand out from most novel study books. Farmer was certainly able to trick me when Matt and Maria got caught by Steven and Emilia just before they could escape in the hovercraft. These two characters, Steven and Emilia, I found were part of Farmer's weak link in this book. Even though they each had small parts of speech and emotion, I felt they were undeveloped and rather ignored. If Farmer could have elaborated on the two in further depths, like she did with Matt, Maria, Celia, Tam Lin and even Rosa, maybe we could have seen what Matt meant when he said, ""Steven," whispered Matt. In all this time he'd thought Steven and Emilia were-if not his friends-not his enemies, either. He'd admired Steven. In many ways they were alike."- Farmer pg. 226
Although the plot was able to pick itself back up in chapters 23 to 25, I would have to say the last section, "La Vida Nueva " proved to be out of place and awkward to me. From what I as a reader had just experienced before, the section was an oddly way to prepare for the ending. My mindset from before, "become much more interesting" didn't seem to carry on in full swing. In fact, it went right back to the "strange" category. Despite the difference of mood and voice in these chapters, I was still able to pick out the futuristic lands beyond Matt's old life, including the genuine friendships he shares with Chacho, Fidelito, and Ton-Ton. Ending off with a true and reasonable ending, "The House of the Scorpion" was a memorable yet unsusual read to experience. This particular read is highly recommended to any audience 13 and up in the mood for a suspenseful science fiction.
Matt suddenly felt light-headed. She was right. He was El Patron's clone. His fingerprints would be the same, his DNA identical. "If your wrong," he told Maria, "we'll die."
"We'll die together, dearest." -Farmer pg. 222
This would be the perfect phrase, along with many other teasers, to describe Farmer's book "The House of the Scorpion." With action and suspense, we as the readers follow in pursuit of Matt's scrupulous quest. His determination and fierce competition to free himself from the clutches of El Patron and be known as human is what one might say an uphill climb. From the punishment he received as a child to a double-cross from man he believed to have fellowship with, Matt has few people that he can depend on.
As I would describe this book referring to the plot, I would state it to be much different than most books. The beginning started off in a calm and slow tempo, with Matt and Celia living a normal happy life, and then immediately shot into the "strange" category as soon as he jumped out a window. At this point, I as a reader was temporarily confused, but very compelled to read more on the turn of events. Being surprised once more when Rosa brutally abused Matt to the part when he was accepted by the "old man" in the mansion, I knew from then and on it would become much more interesting. Continuing on with this mindset, I thoroughly enjoyed Matt's middle age, old age, and age 14. Such intensive activity blended in with spectacular writing made this book stand out from most novel study books. Farmer was certainly able to trick me when Matt and Maria got caught by Steven and Emilia just before they could escape in the hovercraft. These two characters, Steven and Emilia, I found were part of Farmer's weak link in this book. Even though they each had small parts of speech and emotion, I felt they were undeveloped and rather ignored. If Farmer could have elaborated on the two in further depths, like she did with Matt, Maria, Celia, Tam Lin and even Rosa, maybe we could have seen what Matt meant when he said, ""Steven," whispered Matt. In all this time he'd thought Steven and Emilia were-if not his friends-not his enemies, either. He'd admired Steven. In many ways they were alike."- Farmer pg. 226
Although the plot was able to pick itself back up in chapters 23 to 25, I would have to say the last section, "La Vida Nueva " proved to be out of place and awkward to me. From what I as a reader had just experienced before, the section was an oddly way to prepare for the ending. My mindset from before, "become much more interesting" didn't seem to carry on in full swing. In fact, it went right back to the "strange" category. Despite the difference of mood and voice in these chapters, I was still able to pick out the futuristic lands beyond Matt's old life, including the genuine friendships he shares with Chacho, Fidelito, and Ton-Ton. Ending off with a true and reasonable ending, "The House of the Scorpion" was a memorable yet unsusual read to experience. This particular read is highly recommended to any audience 13 and up in the mood for a suspenseful science fiction.
Post 6, Final Review of House of the Scorpion
Sometime in the future, Matt, a powerful drug lord's clone struggles with his life. He struggles with the people around him, finding a place where he belongs, finding what is right, and he struggles with the truth. Matt has to decide many things in order to live his life; is he a worthless, dirty clone, or is he meant for more...
I love this book. Reading it is like an escape; it takes me to a different world in the future. Nancy Farmer does a brilliant job of taking this fantasist world and making it feel like reality. I will be honest, the last part of the book and the ending was a let down, but it had to come to an end. And anyways, what book EVER has an incredible ending? It could have been drawn out more, but this still does not change my thoughts on the novel. One of the aspects in which I admire most would be the characters. Each character has a personality and qualities that make each one unique. This is something that I really enjoyed, each character was developed in different ways and each added something different to the novel. Another part that I love are the details. The description that Farmer describes everything in is brilliant and it makes for an even better read. I really loved reading this book, and I would urge you to pick it up and give it a glance.
~Gabriella
I love this book. Reading it is like an escape; it takes me to a different world in the future. Nancy Farmer does a brilliant job of taking this fantasist world and making it feel like reality. I will be honest, the last part of the book and the ending was a let down, but it had to come to an end. And anyways, what book EVER has an incredible ending? It could have been drawn out more, but this still does not change my thoughts on the novel. One of the aspects in which I admire most would be the characters. Each character has a personality and qualities that make each one unique. This is something that I really enjoyed, each character was developed in different ways and each added something different to the novel. Another part that I love are the details. The description that Farmer describes everything in is brilliant and it makes for an even better read. I really loved reading this book, and I would urge you to pick it up and give it a glance.
~Gabriella
Post 6, HOTS review
Hots
Matt is a clone living in a place between what was Mexico and the US, a place were clone are looked at as lower than animals. When Matt moves from his childhood house in a large poppy field to the "big house" his life dives into turmoil. He is abused, called names and ignored, that is until he meets El Patron, a powerful drug lord who Matt is a clone of, and he treats Matt with everything he could ever want. How will Matt cope with the abuse he gets from the residents of the big house? What will he do when he finds his best friend has been betraying him?
At the beginning of the book, I was thinking that the book would be so-so, just a regular bad novel study book. The beginning of the book was ok, but not amazing. As the book progressed, it got better and better. By the end of "Age 14", I was very into the book, it was amazing. I thought the book was well written and it kept me reading, Then I got to the last section. The final section of the book was an absolute train-wreck, it was horrible. I had a lot of trouble just sitting and reading the end. I think the the book could have ended at the end of "Age 14". I would give this book 3 stars out of 5, the 2 stars that it lost were due to the last section.
Matt is a clone living in a place between what was Mexico and the US, a place were clone are looked at as lower than animals. When Matt moves from his childhood house in a large poppy field to the "big house" his life dives into turmoil. He is abused, called names and ignored, that is until he meets El Patron, a powerful drug lord who Matt is a clone of, and he treats Matt with everything he could ever want. How will Matt cope with the abuse he gets from the residents of the big house? What will he do when he finds his best friend has been betraying him?
At the beginning of the book, I was thinking that the book would be so-so, just a regular bad novel study book. The beginning of the book was ok, but not amazing. As the book progressed, it got better and better. By the end of "Age 14", I was very into the book, it was amazing. I thought the book was well written and it kept me reading, Then I got to the last section. The final section of the book was an absolute train-wreck, it was horrible. I had a lot of trouble just sitting and reading the end. I think the the book could have ended at the end of "Age 14". I would give this book 3 stars out of 5, the 2 stars that it lost were due to the last section.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Post 5, H.O.T.S Gattaca Comparison
After reading "The House Of The Scorpion" and watching the movie "Gattaca" I realized that a lot of comparisons can be be made between the two. The obvious connection than can be made between the two is that the main story line is that the main character, being Matt from "The House Of The Scorpion" and Vincent from "Gattaca", is not excepted into society because of who, or what they are. Though, there is one main difference involving this situation. Matt was not excepted into society because he was genetically altered, by being a clone, and in Vincent's situation, he was not excepted into society because he was not genetically altered, or considered a "perfect" person. So that just shows the difference in how society views genetical altercations in each story. Another thing that is similar in the book was the theme. Both Matt and Vincent overcame the odds and accomplished what they thought was impossible. Vincent managed to go into space when no person that is not "perfect" has ever gone to space. Matt was eventually treated like a real person and became very powerful when before we was treated like an animal and was told that he had no soul. A difference between Matt and Vincent's personalities is that Vincent always wanted to prove people wrong and prove that he is just as good as a "perfect" person. For example, he beat his brother in the swimming competition. Matt on the other hand does his best to stay out of people's way so that people don't hate him more than they already do.
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Post #5, The House of the Scorpion and Gattaca Comparison
The stereotypical human. How can a person choose the technically correct answer to that? Both Vincent and Matt face discrimination throughout their lives because they are not the stereotype in their world. First, let's review Matt's trying years of imperfection. Starting out in a household of educated people believing that a clone has no soul and no place in their lives. Was it fear that decided this? Or was it just the fact that this clone was a living double of El Patron, the opium lord? Even though they banished Matt from their "normal" world, he still does all he can to be noticed, to be accepted. From piano, guitar, and the excessive amount of education he receives, he sees his potential and knows that he can accomplish. Vincent saw that in himself when he sought out his dream of being an astronaut. With a rough life starting out with the belief of being chronically ill, Vincent was supposed to be doomed to be a cleaner all his life. People like his father and Caesar taunted him saying, "Listen for God's sake, you gotta understand something, the only way that you'll see the inside of a spaceship is if you're cleaning it." and, ""What about you, your majesty? You're dreaming of space? Come here. You have to start by cleaning this space right here!" Despite these cruel ways to explain the truth to the determined Vincent, he never gave up. Taking risks was how Vincent could reach his goal. For a person to go to extreme lengths of physical and mental trauma was exasperating to watch and read. Both needed to jump into the unknown and face the horrible futuristic world that had changed to their disadvantage. Another connection that sparked me as interesting was the fact that both Matt and Vincent changed their names. For Matt, switching his last name from Alacran to Ortega was a near escape from becoming known as a clone, a zombie in page 280. This happened to Vincent a number of times, but it was more on his identity, not his name. In fact, he changed his name at the near beginning and sacrificed his own existence to become a new image. Jerome Morrow. And when you think about Jerome and Tam Lin, they both have the similarity of befriending the two protagonists. As mentioned in page 246, Matt really is afraid of losing his one true friend, the one who saved his life and then released him to carry on to freedom. Jerome, or Eugene Morrow was Vincent's friend by the bond of a shared identity. This friendship became something more than a mere acquaintances as Vincent got closer to the launching date of going to Saturn's moon Titan. Operating as one body and two minds, Jerome was able to successfully foster Vincent's fantasy of going into space. A final thing that relates both to our high-spirited protagonists is the fact of the impossible being disguised as possible.
Without a doubt, it can be clearly seen from the beginning of Farmer's writing that in Matt's childhood he did have a soul. He acted like any child would, colouring, reading books, and wanting to play with other children. Even before the discovery of the label on his foot, Maria, Emilia and Steven all thought of him as just a child that had wanted to come out and see the lively children on the other side of the glass. Matt, after believing he could never be human, Tam Lin pointed him in the right direction on page 245 and exclaimed, "No one can tell the difference between a clone and a human. That's because there isn't any difference. The idea of clones being inferior is a filthy lie." I found this to be slightly different with Vincent's journey of becoming someone else to obtain his dream. At the near end of the story, when Vincent is found out by the unexpected urine test, it is Dr. Lamar that explains to him that his son also has this dream and then allows Vincent on his flight to Titan.
As I have compared the "House of the Scorpion" and "Gattaca" together, there are much more exact details and examples to be looked into. Regardless of every fact, there is a reason for both to be so alike. A story is to be told from both angles, and in this case we have a way of seeing both the positives and negatives to cloning and genetics. Both the film Gattaca and the book Farmer has provided are a way into the future, to fix mistakes that our society might make generations after our existence.
As I have compared the "House of the Scorpion" and "Gattaca" together, there are much more exact details and examples to be looked into. Regardless of every fact, there is a reason for both to be so alike. A story is to be told from both angles, and in this case we have a way of seeing both the positives and negatives to cloning and genetics. Both the film Gattaca and the book Farmer has provided are a way into the future, to fix mistakes that our society might make generations after our existence.
Post #5 Gattaca Comparison
When I was watching the film "Gattaca", all I could do was compare this main character to Matt in the "House of the Scorpion". The main character, Vincent, was normal, and to be accepted into society he must have a "valid genetic profile". Matt was a clone, and he was thought to not be a real person. I see similarities because both of these people just want to be accepted into society and to be seen as normal, not like a creature. I think that Matt had an easier time, because there was nothing he could do to make himself no longer be a clone. Also, there was no way people could tell the difference between normal and clones in the House of the Scorpion. However, Vincent didn't have it that easy. Although there are not many physical differences to tell whether or not someone has valid genes, people are constantly checking their blood and making retinal scans to see if a person is valid. He had to go through all of the steps to make sure that his DNA is never scanned, but Jerome's was. He had to constantly carry around Jerome's blood and contacts to make sure he was never known who he really was. The only extent that Matt had to go to in order to make sure no one knows him, was to keep his foot covered up so they didn't read "Property of the Alacran State". (Pg 321) In the society in Gattaca, to be accepted, you have to be modified. While in the House of the Scorpion, to be modified is not correct or accepted. This is where the differences are. Matt wants to be normal, and Vincent wants to be modified. In each of these different worlds, what is thought to be right and what is thought to be wrong is different. But there is one thing that is the same, everyone just wants to fit in. This thought of being "normal" is strange. In House of the Scorpion, normal is just normal. Unmodified. Unchanged. But it wasn't that case in Gattaca, the people who were modified were considered the normality. This is an odd thought that there are some people who are normal, and those who are not normal don't belong. This is what these characters want to be, normal. They want to fit in. But it is also like that in the real world, we all strive to be normal. Not being normal is not desired.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Post #5, Vincent .VS. Matt
VS.
In the book "House of the Scorpion" clones are the most foul disgusting creatures to ever walk the earth, meanwhile in Gattaca clones are high class citizens that only get the best service. This may seem strange, but the 2 main characters Matt ("House of the Scorpion') and Vincent (Gattaca) have more in common than meets the eye.
Matt was extremely unwelcome when he was first introduced to the residents of the big house. Mainly because he was a clone "A bad animal" - Farmer pg.27, as Emilia and many other characters had described Matt. Matt was an outcast, a stupid beast that had only one purpose, to supply El Patron with spare body parts. To my surprise, clones in Gattaca were treated with the highest curtsy. Only the clones were able to have the jobs a human would only dream of. Much like Matt, Vincent had a dream. A goal he knew that he would be able to accomplish one day. To go to space! Unfortunately Vincent was a human with a heart that was 1000 beats over-due, a heart that everyone believed would never last through the trip to space or even training. Eventually through a hard journey that included lying to loved ones and taking the identity of one perfect genetically modified person, he was able to accomplish his biggest dreams. Matts dream was a little different, he was to once become the ruler of Opium. But he had one thing standing in his way, his destiny. He was never intended to become the ruler of Opium. He was intended to supply El Patron with his heart when the time came. That never stopped Matt, with his perseverance and amazing friends that looked out for him, he took his rightful place as leader. As you can see both of these characters excelled even though they were different, and made their dreams come true.
When reading "House of the Scorpion" Matt was constantly trying to prove himself good enough. "He was in a rage to learn. He would excel, and then everyone would love him and forget he was a clone."- Farmer Pg.91. Matt thought that if he could prove himself with good grades and an amazing talent for music than everyone would love him and treat him no different than a human boy. Vincent is very similar. His brother and himself would constantly have swimming competitions to see who can swim the farthest and longest without stopping. Vincent of course, never being as strong as his brother lost and could never prove that he was just as strong as the average genetically engineered child. With extensive training he triumphed and finally beat his brother, not once, but twice! He had finally proved hat he was just as strong as his brother, stronger even.
All in all Vincent is really no different than Matt. They both try to prove themselves worthy and they both live in a world that rejects what they are. I can not tell you how happy I am that both of them pulled through and complete their wildest dreams. Hey, maybe Vincent and Matt would be friends. After all, they have more in common then meets the eye.
Matt was extremely unwelcome when he was first introduced to the residents of the big house. Mainly because he was a clone "A bad animal" - Farmer pg.27, as Emilia and many other characters had described Matt. Matt was an outcast, a stupid beast that had only one purpose, to supply El Patron with spare body parts. To my surprise, clones in Gattaca were treated with the highest curtsy. Only the clones were able to have the jobs a human would only dream of. Much like Matt, Vincent had a dream. A goal he knew that he would be able to accomplish one day. To go to space! Unfortunately Vincent was a human with a heart that was 1000 beats over-due, a heart that everyone believed would never last through the trip to space or even training. Eventually through a hard journey that included lying to loved ones and taking the identity of one perfect genetically modified person, he was able to accomplish his biggest dreams. Matts dream was a little different, he was to once become the ruler of Opium. But he had one thing standing in his way, his destiny. He was never intended to become the ruler of Opium. He was intended to supply El Patron with his heart when the time came. That never stopped Matt, with his perseverance and amazing friends that looked out for him, he took his rightful place as leader. As you can see both of these characters excelled even though they were different, and made their dreams come true.
When reading "House of the Scorpion" Matt was constantly trying to prove himself good enough. "He was in a rage to learn. He would excel, and then everyone would love him and forget he was a clone."- Farmer Pg.91. Matt thought that if he could prove himself with good grades and an amazing talent for music than everyone would love him and treat him no different than a human boy. Vincent is very similar. His brother and himself would constantly have swimming competitions to see who can swim the farthest and longest without stopping. Vincent of course, never being as strong as his brother lost and could never prove that he was just as strong as the average genetically engineered child. With extensive training he triumphed and finally beat his brother, not once, but twice! He had finally proved hat he was just as strong as his brother, stronger even.
All in all Vincent is really no different than Matt. They both try to prove themselves worthy and they both live in a world that rejects what they are. I can not tell you how happy I am that both of them pulled through and complete their wildest dreams. Hey, maybe Vincent and Matt would be friends. After all, they have more in common then meets the eye.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Post #4, Before and After Comparison
Farmer as got the audience hyped up for one of Matt's biggest obstacles yet, and after all of the new secrets that have been revealed, it makes you want to catch your breath and let everything sink in. El Patron's betrayal, Maria's sacrifice, and the fact that Matt was kept in the dark about his fate has been pretty shocking for me. What I hated at first but loved at the end was the scene when Tam Lin presumably turned on Matt and decided to kill him. Tam Lin is a very mysterious character, and like Matt, I thought the bodyguard was fooling him the whole time. Only when both arrived in the Ajo Mountains was when I leaped for joy and knew that Tam Lin still loved Matt and saved his life. These past few chapters are definitely part of the climax, where Matt is able to escape the clutches of the deceased El Patron, or as Tam Lin remarks, "...You're the one possession El Patron let slip through his fingers."- Farmer. pg. 246
The setting and the characterization that starts us off in the beginning is enhanced throughout Youth, Middle Age and the early chapters of Old Age. But now, the reader's organized thoughts of the Alacran Estate and the well-known apartments, poppy fields and secret passage ways are about to change as we follow Matt's journey through the mountains. Farmer's story of Matt's life begins very slowly, and as she takes her time with Matt and his surroundings, I really believe she was preparing the audience for this moment. In Matt's early life, you get more of an understanding of his home and how he sees it. His first impressions as a child change as he ages, such as the estate and the people he encounters. Matt relates back to this kind of impression in page 238, "Matt was six years old again, lying in a pool of blood with Rosa plucking fragments of glass from his foot. A fierce man had burst into the room and shouted, How dare you defile this house? Take the creature outside now!"
Another thing to add to this notion is how Rosa develops in Matt's childhood. From a helpful maid, to a violent jailer, then to a mindless eejit, her character has certainly changed through Matt's eyes and feelings. He even tries to help her gain her memory back as seen in page 167, "Before going out, though, he tried to have a conversation with Rosa. He didn't like her. He wasn't sure why he wanted to wake her up, only that it seemed horrible to see her so changed."
Matt's older age certainly quickens the pace, the reactions and movement of the characters takes it up a notch and shoots up like fireworks at Age 14. You could relate it to one of those line graphs where it starts out very slow and quickly rises unexpectedly. Now that we know how Matt has escaped and successfully made it across to Aztlan, I'm certainly getting excited for the next and final section of "the House of the Scorpion."
The setting and the characterization that starts us off in the beginning is enhanced throughout Youth, Middle Age and the early chapters of Old Age. But now, the reader's organized thoughts of the Alacran Estate and the well-known apartments, poppy fields and secret passage ways are about to change as we follow Matt's journey through the mountains. Farmer's story of Matt's life begins very slowly, and as she takes her time with Matt and his surroundings, I really believe she was preparing the audience for this moment. In Matt's early life, you get more of an understanding of his home and how he sees it. His first impressions as a child change as he ages, such as the estate and the people he encounters. Matt relates back to this kind of impression in page 238, "Matt was six years old again, lying in a pool of blood with Rosa plucking fragments of glass from his foot. A fierce man had burst into the room and shouted, How dare you defile this house? Take the creature outside now!"
Another thing to add to this notion is how Rosa develops in Matt's childhood. From a helpful maid, to a violent jailer, then to a mindless eejit, her character has certainly changed through Matt's eyes and feelings. He even tries to help her gain her memory back as seen in page 167, "Before going out, though, he tried to have a conversation with Rosa. He didn't like her. He wasn't sure why he wanted to wake her up, only that it seemed horrible to see her so changed."
Matt's older age certainly quickens the pace, the reactions and movement of the characters takes it up a notch and shoots up like fireworks at Age 14. You could relate it to one of those line graphs where it starts out very slow and quickly rises unexpectedly. Now that we know how Matt has escaped and successfully made it across to Aztlan, I'm certainly getting excited for the next and final section of "the House of the Scorpion."
Post 4, Free Choice
I think that chapters 21 - 25 were a very crucial part of The House Of The Scorpion. This is basically were all the action really starts happening. That is why I decided for my free blog post I was going to write about this section in the book, just because it is so important. In these chapters, the reason Matt was created was officially revealed. It was hinted at before when they saw MacGregor's clone in the hospital, Matt then started to think about how El Patron was getting to be so old. Because he was using his clones for body parts and organs he was able to live as long has he has. Matt was worried that was what he was being used for, but decided that he wasn't because he was getting really good eduction and his brain wasn't destroyed like other clones. In this section of the book Matt finds out that this is not the truth. That El Patron created Matt so that he could help him stay alive. Matt felt extremely betrayed and I found this part of the book extremely sad. Everyone had turned against Matt and had figured out that all this time he was just being used and so many secrets were kept from him. But before they could kill Matt El Patron had died. Unfortunately everyone had still turned against him. They were just going to kill Matt because there was no use for him now that El Patron had died, and nobody wanted to keep a stupid clone around. Even Tam Lin turned against him and was going to kill him, and Celia was going to become and eejit for trying to help Matt stay alive. I really felt for Matt because I think everything was happening so fast for him. Everyone had turned against him and he didn't know what to do. But it turned out that Tam Lin had a plan. Tam Lin had saved Matt and helped him escape from Opium and go to Azatlan to meet Maria. So now Matt is all by himself trying to escape death.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Post 4, Age 14
A lot of things have happened over the part of the book, age 14. I am going to give a sort of summary of what has happened and then I will discuss all the twists and turns.
Matt was about to escape with Maria, but Emilia and Steven stopped them in their path. Bodyguards then took Matt to the hospital, and this is where age 14 starts, with Matt in a hospital bed. El Patron is very sick, he was on the verge of dying, but he has pulled through. Matt was brought to a room to talk with El Patron, and surprisingly, Celia was there and she was more than willing to giver her opinion. She told how she had been poisoning Matt so that El Patron couldn't use his body. By getting in a fight with Celia, El Patron suffered a heart attack, and he did not make it. Tam Lin was being harshly cruel to Matt, he wrapped him in duct-tape and the plan was to dump Matt's body in the "bad air" by the eejit pens. But they took a different route, and Matt and Tam Lin were by the oasis. They went into the oasis and Tam Lin told Matt that he had to leave, he had to run to Aztlán, and find Maria. Once he finds Maria, he is to speak with her mother, Esperanza. He thought that she would be able to help Matt and take him down Opium. Tam Lin leaves Matt by himself where he is to journey to a country he has only heard of, on a mission to take down all of Opium. As frightened as he was, he conquered a cliff, ridges and a tough journey to make it to Aztlán. But there was still one obstacle in front of him before he reaches this place, the farm patrol. On a mad sprint, he makes it across the border and lands in a pile of mud. He finally makes it! (pages 230-257)
This short section of the book, has been filled with exciting and intense events. One of the first and important parts is when Celia reveals that she had been poisoning Matt. This causes a reaction throughout all of the characters, Matt was almost confused, Celia was angry and proud of herself, and El Patron was furious, thus causing his death. It is strange to think that by killing Matt was saving his life. She was giving him arsenic so that his body was unable to be transplanted (pg. 236). I wonder what Matt was feeling? I wonder how I would feel if I had just learned that the woman who was a mother to me was feeding me poison and killing me so that it could save my life? I don't think I could have handled it well.
Another part during this section that I thought really told us about the characters was this whole fiasco with Tam Lin. Matt really looked up to Tam Lin and thought of him as a role model. When he was treating Matt really bad and acted as if he never cared about Matt, it provoked a lot of emotion out of him. But I think that somewhere inside of Matt, it was telling him that Tam Lin really did love him. He later showed that he does care about Matt, and that it was all fake what he was doing; he was really getting Matt to escape.
This is just a little about this part of the book, but it conveys a lot about each character and what they really are like. This was a very exciting part for me to read, and I am looking forward for the next twist in this book.
Matt was about to escape with Maria, but Emilia and Steven stopped them in their path. Bodyguards then took Matt to the hospital, and this is where age 14 starts, with Matt in a hospital bed. El Patron is very sick, he was on the verge of dying, but he has pulled through. Matt was brought to a room to talk with El Patron, and surprisingly, Celia was there and she was more than willing to giver her opinion. She told how she had been poisoning Matt so that El Patron couldn't use his body. By getting in a fight with Celia, El Patron suffered a heart attack, and he did not make it. Tam Lin was being harshly cruel to Matt, he wrapped him in duct-tape and the plan was to dump Matt's body in the "bad air" by the eejit pens. But they took a different route, and Matt and Tam Lin were by the oasis. They went into the oasis and Tam Lin told Matt that he had to leave, he had to run to Aztlán, and find Maria. Once he finds Maria, he is to speak with her mother, Esperanza. He thought that she would be able to help Matt and take him down Opium. Tam Lin leaves Matt by himself where he is to journey to a country he has only heard of, on a mission to take down all of Opium. As frightened as he was, he conquered a cliff, ridges and a tough journey to make it to Aztlán. But there was still one obstacle in front of him before he reaches this place, the farm patrol. On a mad sprint, he makes it across the border and lands in a pile of mud. He finally makes it! (pages 230-257)
This short section of the book, has been filled with exciting and intense events. One of the first and important parts is when Celia reveals that she had been poisoning Matt. This causes a reaction throughout all of the characters, Matt was almost confused, Celia was angry and proud of herself, and El Patron was furious, thus causing his death. It is strange to think that by killing Matt was saving his life. She was giving him arsenic so that his body was unable to be transplanted (pg. 236). I wonder what Matt was feeling? I wonder how I would feel if I had just learned that the woman who was a mother to me was feeding me poison and killing me so that it could save my life? I don't think I could have handled it well.
Another part during this section that I thought really told us about the characters was this whole fiasco with Tam Lin. Matt really looked up to Tam Lin and thought of him as a role model. When he was treating Matt really bad and acted as if he never cared about Matt, it provoked a lot of emotion out of him. But I think that somewhere inside of Matt, it was telling him that Tam Lin really did love him. He later showed that he does care about Matt, and that it was all fake what he was doing; he was really getting Matt to escape.
This is just a little about this part of the book, but it conveys a lot about each character and what they really are like. This was a very exciting part for me to read, and I am looking forward for the next twist in this book.
Post 4. Title
When Farmer decided to name the book "The House of the Scorpion" I had many ideas and thoughts as to why. For example, I thought the book was going to be in ancient Egypt, I also thought Matt was possibly going to be trapped in a house. But most of all I knew that there was supposed to be some significance, or symbolic meaning of the word scorpion.
While reading the book my thoughts had definitely changed. I amended my thoughts when I read these few lines in the 3rd chapter of the book: "On either side were orange trees, and all at once lamps went on among the leaves. Lights outlined the white walls of a vast house above, with pillars and statues and doorways going who knew where. In the centre of an arch was the carved outline of a scorpion" -Farmer. Pg.21. I looked at these lines and instantly thought this is the house of the scorpion. Unfortunately I still had no idea who or what was the scorpion, and why it had such relevance to the story.
Eventually later on in the book I started to develop a fairly good idea as to who this scorpion was. I believe the scorpion is El Patron. The reason I believe this is because of the following: "People from Durango are called alacrane- scorpions- because there are so many of them scurrying around" Pg. 57-58. El Patron also remarks to Celia: "We make a fine pair of scorpions, don't we?"- Pg. 235. There is also a part in the book where Maria remarks that the Scorpion is: "The mark of the Alacrans"- Pg. 221.
If you think about Scorpions, they are feared. No one wants to bother them or make them irritated. Mostly because they are afraid of what might happen. If you think about it, in the book everyone fears El Patron, they do not want to anger him because they are afraid of the consequences of their actions. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that all this evidence I have provided has led me to the conclusion that El Patron is the Scorpion. I now believe the title is referencing to the house of El Patron. All in all I think Farmer has done a fantastic job providing us with small evidence to uncover the meaning behind the title.
While reading the book my thoughts had definitely changed. I amended my thoughts when I read these few lines in the 3rd chapter of the book: "On either side were orange trees, and all at once lamps went on among the leaves. Lights outlined the white walls of a vast house above, with pillars and statues and doorways going who knew where. In the centre of an arch was the carved outline of a scorpion" -Farmer. Pg.21. I looked at these lines and instantly thought this is the house of the scorpion. Unfortunately I still had no idea who or what was the scorpion, and why it had such relevance to the story.
Eventually later on in the book I started to develop a fairly good idea as to who this scorpion was. I believe the scorpion is El Patron. The reason I believe this is because of the following: "People from Durango are called alacrane- scorpions- because there are so many of them scurrying around" Pg. 57-58. El Patron also remarks to Celia: "We make a fine pair of scorpions, don't we?"- Pg. 235. There is also a part in the book where Maria remarks that the Scorpion is: "The mark of the Alacrans"- Pg. 221.
If you think about Scorpions, they are feared. No one wants to bother them or make them irritated. Mostly because they are afraid of what might happen. If you think about it, in the book everyone fears El Patron, they do not want to anger him because they are afraid of the consequences of their actions. I have absolutely no doubt in my mind that all this evidence I have provided has led me to the conclusion that El Patron is the Scorpion. I now believe the title is referencing to the house of El Patron. All in all I think Farmer has done a fantastic job providing us with small evidence to uncover the meaning behind the title.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Post 3, Celia's Story
Link to Real Life Example:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-11-30-coyotes_x.htm
In the chapter "Celia's Story", she talks about how she ended up working for El Patron. She said that she hated living in her home town and wanted to go to America so that she cold have more opportunities in life and make a better future for herself. So she went to a coyote (a person who guides you across the border to America) and asked them to take her, but the coyote abandoned her and left her to farm patrol and before she was turned into an eejit, she had met El Patron and he stopped her from being turned into an eejit and became "owned" by El Patron. This story, to some degree relates to really life. First off, coyotes are real people. They guide Mexicans across the American border without have to go through the American government. Farm Patrol in real life is basically the people who control who goes across the border. In the article I have chosen it says "Many Mexicans trust them to navigate past the army of agents assembled along the border between Mexico and the USA."In the book, coyotes navigate them past Farm Patrol so that they can go to America. It also says "The smugglers who bring immigrants into the USA illegally are reviled by officials as unscrupulous and unsavory, but tens of thousands of Mexicans view them as heroes." and this is also the same in the book as well. People are given hope that they will have a better life in America because of coyotes. though in Celia's case, the coyote turned her into the Farm Patrol so it wasn't quite the same.
Chelsea
http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-11-30-coyotes_x.htm
In the chapter "Celia's Story", she talks about how she ended up working for El Patron. She said that she hated living in her home town and wanted to go to America so that she cold have more opportunities in life and make a better future for herself. So she went to a coyote (a person who guides you across the border to America) and asked them to take her, but the coyote abandoned her and left her to farm patrol and before she was turned into an eejit, she had met El Patron and he stopped her from being turned into an eejit and became "owned" by El Patron. This story, to some degree relates to really life. First off, coyotes are real people. They guide Mexicans across the American border without have to go through the American government. Farm Patrol in real life is basically the people who control who goes across the border. In the article I have chosen it says "Many Mexicans trust them to navigate past the army of agents assembled along the border between Mexico and the USA."In the book, coyotes navigate them past Farm Patrol so that they can go to America. It also says "The smugglers who bring immigrants into the USA illegally are reviled by officials as unscrupulous and unsavory, but tens of thousands of Mexicans view them as heroes." and this is also the same in the book as well. People are given hope that they will have a better life in America because of coyotes. though in Celia's case, the coyote turned her into the Farm Patrol so it wasn't quite the same.
Chelsea
Post #3, Real Life Farm Patrol
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/beyondtheborder/immigration.html
(Research to the History of Immigration)
http://www.pbs.org/itvs/beyondtheborder/story.html
(The Story)
In
our world and Farmer's futuristic time period, both borders are relentless and
secure. With the exception of minor differences to the country's landscape and
story line, both Celia and the Ayala brothers share an equivalence with their two different journeys.
As
we listen to "Celia's Story" in chapter 14, it becomes very clear to
readers how the people of Aztlan earned a living. For Celia, she had to leave
her family to work in "...that gray building forever, getting older and
older." - pg. 141
Wouldn't
it be harsh if you had to sit day after day with your back hurting from
crouching over an assembly line with a pair of tweezers in your hand? The only
thing that could be on your mind would be FREEDOM, posted up like a giant
billboard sign. To leave her fate to this stranger that could give her what she
desired would be like jumping into the dark without a light. Perhaps this
is what leads Celia to trust a coyote. It might have been her only chance
to escape to the country of lights and free will. Her travel through illegal
immigration reflects the immigration in 1994, when the border patrol was
reinforced. Like Celia and the other workers escaping through the mountains, "Militarizing
the border with more border patrol agents and resources has forced immigrants
to cross through the Imperial Desert or over the mountains north of
Tecate."
Celia's
mindset for independence is similar to the Ayala brother's story. They too
search for a better lifestyle, and move to Kentucky to find jobs to support
their parents and sisters they left behind. One
brother still suffers from alcohol addiction even after taking a rehabilitation
program, and two of the brothers had to sell their instruments they both quit
the band they created.
What
I found most similar to the four brothers and Celia was how their journey to
the United States ended. Both stories ended up kind of like the other
because of certain limitations. Celia was given her life back instead of
being turned into an eejit, but lost her freedom mentally. This was because she
now knew she would always belong to El Patron. For the Ayala brothers, they
gained the access into the U.S. but each brother had something they lost. For
the brothers, discrimination by race and culture has put them in different jobs
and status, while Celia is discriminated by El Patron because she now is like a
simple object one holds on to. Farmer's "the House of the Scorpion" has really adapted historic events and details into the book.
Post 3, Real Life Farm Patrol
http://www.kasa.com/dpps/news/montana/border-task-force-recieves-praise_4106616
Praise to the border officials of New Mexico for keeping out those illegal Mexicans from entering their territory. YAY! (Please detect my sarcasm here). The border officials on the line of Mexico and New Mexico have been receiving congratulations for having a lower border arrest rate. Although, the article doesn't have a statistic on the actual rates, my guess is that it must be a small change.
What the border is doing here is that they arrest those Mexicans who don't belong, and kick them back to their homes. But people are being persistent with this, saying that they will try again, and if they get kicked out, they will go home and just try again later.
This relates to Celia, because she didn't have these chances. When she was caught at the border, they were going to toss a chip in her brain and turn her into a beast. It was really a lucky chance that El Patron had found her. If the border crossing was like it is now, it would be a lot different. They wouldn't fear as much about it. They would be able to conjure up the courage to cross the border knowing that if they fail, they will be back home in a few months. And then they could try again. They are able to have these chances without being turned into machines in a human body. But Celia didn't have this chance, if El Patron were to have been a minute late, things would be different. He may not have found her, and the next time he sees her she will be working in his fields. But the border is not like that today. Today, when you cross it, you get kicked out. And this happens again. And again. And again.
Praise to the border officials of New Mexico for keeping out those illegal Mexicans from entering their territory. YAY! (Please detect my sarcasm here). The border officials on the line of Mexico and New Mexico have been receiving congratulations for having a lower border arrest rate. Although, the article doesn't have a statistic on the actual rates, my guess is that it must be a small change.
What the border is doing here is that they arrest those Mexicans who don't belong, and kick them back to their homes. But people are being persistent with this, saying that they will try again, and if they get kicked out, they will go home and just try again later.
This relates to Celia, because she didn't have these chances. When she was caught at the border, they were going to toss a chip in her brain and turn her into a beast. It was really a lucky chance that El Patron had found her. If the border crossing was like it is now, it would be a lot different. They wouldn't fear as much about it. They would be able to conjure up the courage to cross the border knowing that if they fail, they will be back home in a few months. And then they could try again. They are able to have these chances without being turned into machines in a human body. But Celia didn't have this chance, if El Patron were to have been a minute late, things would be different. He may not have found her, and the next time he sees her she will be working in his fields. But the border is not like that today. Today, when you cross it, you get kicked out. And this happens again. And again. And again.
Post #3, Real Life Border Patrol
http://www.broowaha.com/articles/1434/the-real-story-of-an-illegal-mexico-usa-border-crossing
Part 2 in this story really caught my eye. It was almost exactly like what Celia went through! "Maria" got a coyote to help her across the boarder, and she was abandoned and caught by a boarder patrol. The two stories are very similar, but "Maria" walked away from all of the incidents, Celia would have gotten a chip put into her brain. There are many people risk everything to cross the boarder, for a job, like "Maria", or for freedom, like Celia. A Coyote was hired by both Celia, and "Maria", and both were abandoned, but if trusting a coyote is the only option, then I understand why people will hire one. Crossing the boarder illegally is the only option for some people, and for Celia, if she had stayed in her village, she would have been working her whole life at an assembly line. She would be trapped, with "no parties, no boyfriends, no nothing" pg. 141.
Part 2 in this story really caught my eye. It was almost exactly like what Celia went through! "Maria" got a coyote to help her across the boarder, and she was abandoned and caught by a boarder patrol. The two stories are very similar, but "Maria" walked away from all of the incidents, Celia would have gotten a chip put into her brain. There are many people risk everything to cross the boarder, for a job, like "Maria", or for freedom, like Celia. A Coyote was hired by both Celia, and "Maria", and both were abandoned, but if trusting a coyote is the only option, then I understand why people will hire one. Crossing the boarder illegally is the only option for some people, and for Celia, if she had stayed in her village, she would have been working her whole life at an assembly line. She would be trapped, with "no parties, no boyfriends, no nothing" pg. 141.
Post 3. Celia's Story in real life.
When Celia came from her small town she had one thing in mind freedom. "I lived in that tray building forever, getting older and older. No parties, no boyfriends, no nothing"- Farmer pg. 141. She was to cross the border into the United States and forever live her life they way she wanted to. Unfortunately for her the farm patrol had ended her dreams when she was captured and forced to work with the evil man they call El Patron. Much like in the immigration story I have picked, Rogelio Mendez wanted to move to the United States for money to provide for himself and his family. It was important to him and the other immigrants to get across the border, they did not care wether it was scalding hot, or if they were dehydrated, they only wanted the money. In this story they talk about how the border control is no longer messing around. They have fences, security cameras, and God knows what else. Celia faced the same problems with the farm patrol, there was absolutely no way she was getting across the border with them on the prowl. Rogelio Mendez unlike Celia actually did make it across the border, but soon figured out that he was not going to get payed much in the United States. I am almost positive that when Celia got handed over to El Patron she got paid close to nothing, knowing how selfish the old man is. Both Celia and Rogelio Mendez had to make sacrifices, risk their lives, and deal with the consequences of their actions. All in all I think Rogelio Mendez's experience going across the border was fairly similar to Celia's journey.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sULpnyJaHek&feature=relmfu
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sULpnyJaHek&feature=relmfu
Friday, March 16, 2012
Post #2, Setting
The setting in the House of the Scorpion is the Big House
and the Poppy Field. The Big House is the main setting in the book and acts
like something different to everyone in the book. To El Patron it is more like
a pyramid, somewhere to keep his belongings and a place to die in. Matt even
relates El Patron to a Pharaoh on page 140. To Celia it is a house and a work
place. It is considered a house to many other characters, such as Emilia, Tom,
Maria and El Viejo. To some characters such as Tam Lin, it is just a work
place. The Big House is also a jail. Yes, a jail. Matt was trapped there early
in the story. Another character trapped in the Big House is Felicia.
Then there is the Poppy Field. This is a place Celia and
Matt know very well, because they lived there in the beginning of the book. The
Poppy Field is also a place where many ejits work, die and get buried.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Brea Twitter Posts
Since they are way to big to put on twitter I decided to just write them on here instead.
1. In the book we learn that El Patron makes eejits work in the fields. I can't help but wonder why? I mean can he not just ask humans to work out in the farms all day and then pay them a reasonable salary? I can't help but think that maybe the reason El Patron puts eejits to work is because he is hiding something in those fields. I think it could also possibly be a punishment, after all Rosa was turned into a eejit after she went crazy when Matt first meet El Patron. I remember one part of the book when Celia was talking about how she first came to the big house. She said she was led by, I think he was called a coyote. She said the coyote had left them to fend for themselves out in the mountains. They where then caught by the guards. Does El Patron have a deal with these coyotes to bring him people to work in the fields? I can't wait to learn more about why the workers are eejits and not humans. I do think El Patron is hiding something and am itching to find out what.
2. In the book Tom and Felicia lure Matt and Maria to the hospital. Here Tom shows Matt and Maria MacGregors clone. This clone is battered and bleeding, and it's brain has been destroyed. I can't help but think the reason Tom has shown Matt this is to send him a message. If it wasn't for El Patron this would be you, mess with me again I will see to it this will be your future, or something similar to this. I hope that we learn more about this clone and what it's purpose is.
3. At the birthday party Matt is overthrown with power. When Matt asks for a birthday kiss form Maria, Tam Lin tries to convince Matt to let her go. If we remember the tree metaphor about the twisting branches, I think Tam Lin is trying to protect Matt from growing those twisted branches. But why? Is there something wrong with El Patron that Tam Lin doesn't want to happen to Matt? Is El Patron mad with power, and Tam Lin saw a glimpse of that in Matt? Why does Tam Lin care so much? I hope my questions are answered further on in the book.
1. In the book we learn that El Patron makes eejits work in the fields. I can't help but wonder why? I mean can he not just ask humans to work out in the farms all day and then pay them a reasonable salary? I can't help but think that maybe the reason El Patron puts eejits to work is because he is hiding something in those fields. I think it could also possibly be a punishment, after all Rosa was turned into a eejit after she went crazy when Matt first meet El Patron. I remember one part of the book when Celia was talking about how she first came to the big house. She said she was led by, I think he was called a coyote. She said the coyote had left them to fend for themselves out in the mountains. They where then caught by the guards. Does El Patron have a deal with these coyotes to bring him people to work in the fields? I can't wait to learn more about why the workers are eejits and not humans. I do think El Patron is hiding something and am itching to find out what.
2. In the book Tom and Felicia lure Matt and Maria to the hospital. Here Tom shows Matt and Maria MacGregors clone. This clone is battered and bleeding, and it's brain has been destroyed. I can't help but think the reason Tom has shown Matt this is to send him a message. If it wasn't for El Patron this would be you, mess with me again I will see to it this will be your future, or something similar to this. I hope that we learn more about this clone and what it's purpose is.
3. At the birthday party Matt is overthrown with power. When Matt asks for a birthday kiss form Maria, Tam Lin tries to convince Matt to let her go. If we remember the tree metaphor about the twisting branches, I think Tam Lin is trying to protect Matt from growing those twisted branches. But why? Is there something wrong with El Patron that Tam Lin doesn't want to happen to Matt? Is El Patron mad with power, and Tam Lin saw a glimpse of that in Matt? Why does Tam Lin care so much? I hope my questions are answered further on in the book.
Post 2, Setting
I think that in the book, The House Of The Scorpion, Farmer did an excellent job of really explaining the setting. When you read the book you can really get an idea of what she is trying to portray through her description of the setting. You can feel as if you are actually in the book and you are actually seeing everything that is being descried to you. First off, time period was very clearly conveyed. Because the fact that the book is based around the idea of clones and cloning we already know that this book takes place in the future because we do not have that kind of technology in present time. Also some more evidence that this book takes place in the future is the fact that "eejits" are basically people with a chip in their brain so that they act as if they are a zombie or a robot. And as you know, we do not have that kind of knowledge or technology quite yet. Although, it is unclear how far into the future the book takes place because we don't know when this type of technology will be discovered and used because we cannot predict the future. So the book begins in the little house in the poppy fields where Matt and Celia live. And for the first little while all you know, and all Matt knows is the inside of this house and the view from the window so it really gives you an idea of what he sees. And Farmer does a fantastic job of trying to show you what Matt sees. Through this, you are really put in Matt's shoes because what he sees you see and when he sees something new that he is never seen before it is just as new to you as it is to him. As you go through the book you get a very insightful description of all the things that Matt sees and I think that the book was extremely well written in the category of setting.
Chelsea
Chelsea
Blog entry 2. Setting.
In the "House of the Scorpion" Farmer has done a fantastic job with establishing setting. With the amazing descriptions of the Alacran estate, that vary to the gardens outside all the way down to the elaborate halls that fill up the giant big house. Farmer truly supports the setting and is able to make any reader feel as they are living in the same poppy fields as Matt.
One of my favourite settings in the "House of the Scorpion" is when Tam Lin takes Matt for a picnic in the fields. In this part of the book I feel Farmer really shines with her vivid descriptions that paints a perfect picture in any readers mind. "They came to a giant boulder that seemed to block the trail until Matt saw a round hole in the middle. It was worn smooth like the hole in a donut. Tam Lin climbed through and reached back to help Matt. The scene on the other side was completely unexpected. Creosote bushes and palavered trees framed a small, narrow valley, and in the centre of this was a pool of water. At the far end Matt saw an enormous grapevine sprawled over a man-made trellis. In the water it's self , Matt saw shoals of little brown fish that darted away from his shadow." When ever I read those sentences I believe they are the most perfect example of the amazing, vivid, and exceptional descriptions Farmer provides on setting.
Not only does Matt venture into the wonderful oasis, there is of course the Alacran estate. This is one of the main settings in the whole book. It is described as a big house with a red tiled roof and white cement. It may seem boring on the outside but on the inside it is exploding with classy furniture, colours, and patterns that exceed your expectations. "Finally they come to a large room with a marvellous carpet woven with birds and vines."- Pg.54 " He saw windows framed by blue curtains that went from floor to ceiling. A small table set with a teapot, cups, and a silver plate of cookies sat next to a flowered armchair."- Pg. 54. This is one of my favourite rooms described. Throughout the book we also learn about miraculous gardens, shimmering mountains, and of course the poppy fields that are in between the U.S.A and Mexico where the whole book takes place.
All in all the setting in this book is extremely well described and by the sounds of it is absolutely beautiful. I think Farmer is doing a excellent job of describing the setting, and I can not wait to read more about the Alacran estate.
Brea
One of my favourite settings in the "House of the Scorpion" is when Tam Lin takes Matt for a picnic in the fields. In this part of the book I feel Farmer really shines with her vivid descriptions that paints a perfect picture in any readers mind. "They came to a giant boulder that seemed to block the trail until Matt saw a round hole in the middle. It was worn smooth like the hole in a donut. Tam Lin climbed through and reached back to help Matt. The scene on the other side was completely unexpected. Creosote bushes and palavered trees framed a small, narrow valley, and in the centre of this was a pool of water. At the far end Matt saw an enormous grapevine sprawled over a man-made trellis. In the water it's self , Matt saw shoals of little brown fish that darted away from his shadow." When ever I read those sentences I believe they are the most perfect example of the amazing, vivid, and exceptional descriptions Farmer provides on setting.
Not only does Matt venture into the wonderful oasis, there is of course the Alacran estate. This is one of the main settings in the whole book. It is described as a big house with a red tiled roof and white cement. It may seem boring on the outside but on the inside it is exploding with classy furniture, colours, and patterns that exceed your expectations. "Finally they come to a large room with a marvellous carpet woven with birds and vines."- Pg.54 " He saw windows framed by blue curtains that went from floor to ceiling. A small table set with a teapot, cups, and a silver plate of cookies sat next to a flowered armchair."- Pg. 54. This is one of my favourite rooms described. Throughout the book we also learn about miraculous gardens, shimmering mountains, and of course the poppy fields that are in between the U.S.A and Mexico where the whole book takes place.
All in all the setting in this book is extremely well described and by the sounds of it is absolutely beautiful. I think Farmer is doing a excellent job of describing the setting, and I can not wait to read more about the Alacran estate.
Brea
Post #2, Setting
Farmer has made this fictional novel "the House of the Scorpion" into a totally realistic and believable place. Her intense use of word vocabulary gives you tangible spaces like the various rooms in the Alacran household to the vibrant, colourful oasis that Matt and Tam Lin travel to. As I have read, Opium, the region in which Matt has grown up in, is a futuristic outlook on what was once Mexico. This is the first clue to readers that Matt's world is concentrated in the future years of mankind. Another way for readers to establish this is how El Patron is able to clone himself along with turning capable people into hard-working zombies. The chapter "Celia's Story"described Aztlan, Opium and the United States from her perspective and gets the reader to understand an outside view of what each place is like. Within the mysterious region of Opium, we have the Alacran estate and of course, the opium fields. In Matt's description, the estate is easily pictured in my mind by the recognizable red tile roofs and the white cement that surrounds it. I would definitely agree with Matt when he thinks of the house, "like a giant birthday cake covered with frosting." When Matt first ventures into the fields of poppies with Tam Lin, he sees every vivid detail to the poppies and the outstretched land before him. Once Matt crawls underneath the hole in the mountain, it becomes a completely different place. The water sparkles, the wildlife stirs and it welcomes Matt to explore and forget his worries. I think Farmer wanted this place to exist because it would bring relief to Matt. In this little world, he could learn, think and feel wanted. The piano was also a way for Matt to escape from reality, as when he played his mind pushed away the truth that he was a clone. Overall, the setting seems to develop as we continue with "the House of the Scorpion", and provides us to use our imagination to plan out where each and every detail is positioned.
~Paige
~Paige
Post 2, Characterization
In this first section of the book, we have met a lot of different characters. We have our protagonist, Matt the clone. This book is unusual in the sense that the main character of this book is the clone, rather than what I originally thought it would be, the person who has the clone (El Patron). He was introduced as just a small, innocent child who didn't know what was going on. In the way that the book is written, it makes you feel for Matt and you always take his side in situations. If it were to be written with more of a perspective from a different character, maybe Tom or someone, you might think of Matt differently. You may see him as the "dirty, filthy clone" the other characters see him as.
Another character we have had many interactions with is Maria. She is a little girl who isn't one to judge Matt. I don't think that she really understands what a clone is, but what she does do is connect Matt to her dog, Furball. She seems unsure of whether to treat him like an animal as everybody else does, or to just be friends with him. This is where Maria can really show her true colors and who she is, she can either give into what others are doing, or do what she wants and to befriend Matt. This can tell a lot about her. When she is placed in different situations that give her the option to either be nice or be angry with Matt, this speaks to us about her personality.
One more character I am going to look at is El Patron. He is extremely old and it seems that he doesn't want to give in to death and to follow life's plan. He keeps cheating death with these clones he has. Many of the characters find him terrifying and really kiss up to El Patron. If he is so old and weak, why do these characters feel threatened by him? Maybe its the power of his authority? If a character is mean or disrespectful to El Patron, what does he do? Does he just order people around to bully him and to tell people to discipline them? Whatever it is, everybody except for Matt watches their own actions just to make sure they are on El Patron's good side.
~Gabriella
Another character we have had many interactions with is Maria. She is a little girl who isn't one to judge Matt. I don't think that she really understands what a clone is, but what she does do is connect Matt to her dog, Furball. She seems unsure of whether to treat him like an animal as everybody else does, or to just be friends with him. This is where Maria can really show her true colors and who she is, she can either give into what others are doing, or do what she wants and to befriend Matt. This can tell a lot about her. When she is placed in different situations that give her the option to either be nice or be angry with Matt, this speaks to us about her personality.
One more character I am going to look at is El Patron. He is extremely old and it seems that he doesn't want to give in to death and to follow life's plan. He keeps cheating death with these clones he has. Many of the characters find him terrifying and really kiss up to El Patron. If he is so old and weak, why do these characters feel threatened by him? Maybe its the power of his authority? If a character is mean or disrespectful to El Patron, what does he do? Does he just order people around to bully him and to tell people to discipline them? Whatever it is, everybody except for Matt watches their own actions just to make sure they are on El Patron's good side.
~Gabriella
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Post 1, Youth 0-6, Character reactions
"... Matt was so terrified, he couldn't squeeze out a single word. 'Maybe he's and idiot,' the girl said matter-of-factly. 'Hey, are you an idiot?' Matt shook his head. The girl laughed." - Page 9.
There are many reactions between characters, both positive and negative. Most of the reactions between many of the characters towards Matt are negative, because of the fact that he is a clone. Almost all of the children in the big house have a changes reaction to Matt once they find out that he is a clone. At first, the children show affection and concern towards Matt, but after, Matt is considered a "filthy clone", a "dirty animal" and a "little beast". Rosa's reaction towards Matt is worst of all, as he is forcing her into solitude. Nobody wants to be around a clone, or anyone who is around a clone. Rosa resorts to being mean to Matt. The children in the house don't pay attention to Matt, except for Maria and Tom. Tom shoots Matt with a pea shooter, and treats him with a hostile attitude. Maria's reaction towards Matt is one of the only positive ones. Maria sees Matt as a regular kid instead of a clone. Celia, his caregiver, sees Matt as a child, not a clone. She loves Matt and really cares about him.
~Meagan
There are many reactions between characters, both positive and negative. Most of the reactions between many of the characters towards Matt are negative, because of the fact that he is a clone. Almost all of the children in the big house have a changes reaction to Matt once they find out that he is a clone. At first, the children show affection and concern towards Matt, but after, Matt is considered a "filthy clone", a "dirty animal" and a "little beast". Rosa's reaction towards Matt is worst of all, as he is forcing her into solitude. Nobody wants to be around a clone, or anyone who is around a clone. Rosa resorts to being mean to Matt. The children in the house don't pay attention to Matt, except for Maria and Tom. Tom shoots Matt with a pea shooter, and treats him with a hostile attitude. Maria's reaction towards Matt is one of the only positive ones. Maria sees Matt as a regular kid instead of a clone. Celia, his caregiver, sees Matt as a child, not a clone. She loves Matt and really cares about him.
~Meagan
Post 1, Youth 0-6, Matt
Before I began reading the book, I assumed that the book would be based around the person who was cloned which I now know as El Patron. Once I started reading the book I realized that was not the case. The book is actually based around the clone of El Patron named Matteo Alacran or Matt for short, which is what he is referred as most often in the book. I definitely found it very interesting that the book was based around Matt and I think the concept was very creative. I find Matt a very interesting and unique character. For one, the fact he is a clone makes you ask yourself a lot of questions, such as why he was created, how does it affect his life, and how does it affect the way he functions and thinks. One of the things I found very interesting was that Matt seemed very intelligent. This point was brought up in the first chapter when Matt was being created, that he was supposed to be made stupid by law, but they chose not to. I wondered why exactly, if the clones were smart, did they have to be made stupid? Also, why are clones intelligent in the first place? I found this very strange considering in the book he was only about 6 years old and he seemed to have the brain of about a 10 year old. Another big aspect about Matt in the first section of the book was how people reacted to him being a clone. I wondered why they saw him as dirty animal and evil? Obviously it was for this reason that he was hidden away in the small house in the poppy fields and told not to leave. People's reaction to Matt seemed to change they way readers viewed his character and made themselves ask questions.
~Chelsea
~Chelsea
Post #1, Youth 0-6 Review, Character Relationships
At anytime of the day or night, one might find a good way to escape is through reading a book. When taking the time to soak up the atmosphere, the setting, and the characters a new perspective can be formed. In the reality, we are a part of we find a collection of people with their different natures and how they work together. Like in "The House of the Scorpion", we see Farmer's characters clash and bond throughout their experiences.
In the two characters Matt and Celia, we find love. Although, as we find out, Celia is not Matt's mother, she finds a special way to give affectionate words and kisses to him meaningfully.When Celia found Matt enclosed in his apartment of saw dust and filth, she reacted much like a mother would, "My child! My child! I did not know you were here. Oh, God!" Despite Celia's hard work cooking for the house, she always cares for Matt as if he was her own child. I would describe this relationship much like two very good friends who care for one another.
What we find with Matt and Maria is a fondness and intimate friendship. In Maria, I see a cute, annoying little girl that was bold enough to go where the older children could not. When Maria went to visit Matt in that cold forsaken apartment, she showed a child-like curiosity that blocked out the truth that Matt was a clone. This allowed her to cross this barrier of fear that the other children could not overcome. When Matt was taken away to the prison where he was held, Celia's songs and wisdom of Mary and Maria's short companionship really kept Matt alive until he was found.
With every story having some sort of malice, I dub Rosa the main villain in this section. How people get the poison to abuse and hurt a child, I do not know. Could it have been the love/hate relationship with Willum, the doctor, that added to her anger? Or being the laughing stock of the house because she serviced "the clone"? Rosa's torments of name-calling, unsanitary living quarters, and just plain abuse left trauma on Matt emotionally and physically. Matt encounters this nature in another character named Tom. Their relationship is much like a dog and a cat fight, with a wormy orange and a peashooter as weapons. Between the two characters there is a brief conflict that I find will linger and build in the continuing chapters.
So far, I am enjoying this particular read. Although I don't relate to the characters they have introduced, Farmer's writing compels me to read page after page with the mysteries and hidden secrets yet to be revealed. As readers of "The House of the Scorpion" start to get the vibe of the characters and the suspense to the events that take place, I think we are ready to move on to the next section of Matt's life.
~Paige
Friday, March 2, 2012
Post 1, Youth 0-6, Setting
The first part of The House Of the Scorpion was great. It is set in an amazing futuristic world where they are creating clones for people. I don't think it is so far into the future because they do have some scientific advances, but most of the things happening are things that are happening now. For example, the way that they described that house Matt is in, seems like how it is in the present day. He doesn't have any fancy technologies with him, just basic things that we have nowadays.
Our main character, Matt, has an almost difficult life. This is because of the environment he was raised in. He was locked in a small house that is isolated out in the middle of a field. The only person he talks to is Celia, and the doctor once a month. He spends all day talking to stuffed animals because he is so lonely. The setting where the book started with Matt is almost depressing. He sits there all day wishing to go outside, imagining the feel and smell of grass, to see anything other than a long, boring field of poppies. But when he does get the chance to get out of that small chained up house, he gets to the larger houses on the property. Not only is this a big change for Matt, but the vibe Matt gets from the house is very cold and it terrifies him. He is being treated like an animal in this environment. He gets thrown into a small, cold room. After a while, they throw piles of saw dust in there with him. This place he is in really makes an emotional impact on him. He is being forced to live like an animal, so he almost starts acting like one.
So what we have so far learned about this setting is that it is in the future, there is a family living on this large property, and the environment is having an emotional effect on our main character.
~Gabriella
Our main character, Matt, has an almost difficult life. This is because of the environment he was raised in. He was locked in a small house that is isolated out in the middle of a field. The only person he talks to is Celia, and the doctor once a month. He spends all day talking to stuffed animals because he is so lonely. The setting where the book started with Matt is almost depressing. He sits there all day wishing to go outside, imagining the feel and smell of grass, to see anything other than a long, boring field of poppies. But when he does get the chance to get out of that small chained up house, he gets to the larger houses on the property. Not only is this a big change for Matt, but the vibe Matt gets from the house is very cold and it terrifies him. He is being treated like an animal in this environment. He gets thrown into a small, cold room. After a while, they throw piles of saw dust in there with him. This place he is in really makes an emotional impact on him. He is being forced to live like an animal, so he almost starts acting like one.
So what we have so far learned about this setting is that it is in the future, there is a family living on this large property, and the environment is having an emotional effect on our main character.
~Gabriella
Post 1, Youth 0-6, Character Introduction
When you read a book you almost never think about
how the characters are introduced, and how that relates to their identities.
Although we may never think about this it can be extremely important to our
first impressions of the characters. Lets look at how Farmer introduced Maria.
"Maria wasn't at all shy about coming up to the window." Maria was
introduced as an outgoing, confident little girl, who didn't think twice
about asking Matt to play. Throughout the rest of the first part, she continued
to support how she was introduced by keeping Matt company, even after she
figured out he was a clone. If we look at how Matt was introduced into the
book, first as just as cell and then trying to prevent Celia, his caregiver, from leaving. We
can make the inferences that firstly, he is a clone, and second he may be on the shy
side, and depends on Celia's company. Because he depends on Celia's company we
can lead to the conclusion that he is isolated, and does not make human
interactions very often. Lastly we will look at how Farmer introduced Celia.
"'What's this?' the woman said. 'You're a big boy now, almost six. You
know I have to work' She picked him up to move him out of the way." This
is where we first hear about Celia, we can assume that she is a strong woman,
who works hard, and takes care of Matt. Farmer introduced the characters this
way for a reason; there can be many reasons to why she wanted to introduce them
this way. The theory I have is that she wanted to introduce them this way to
set a standard. So the reader can get an idea of what the characters
personality is and how the character will possibly affect the story. If you
think about it when you first meet a person you get your first impressions,
which is similar to a story. When the character is first introduced that is
your first impressions of the character. All in all I think Farmer introduced
the characters so we can get the general idea of their role in the story, or
their personality.
~Brea
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
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