My last post ended with a question about whether the shooting actually happened or if it was just a dream. As I read on I found out that it was no dream, Nina, a lawyer, just decided to shoot the priest in front of the jury and judge. Why would she do this? While as she leads the reader to believe, she thinks she can get away with it!! If she pleads innocent by reason of insanity then she's basically off the hook. To encourage the jury and those around her that she is in fact coo-coo she twitches and keeps repeating the phrase, "I had to do this" (Picoult 153). Although she is pretending to be insane it is my belief she actually is. Caleb, her husband, had to go through this same horrible ordeal of finding out a priest most likely molester his son, and although he had rash emotions in the beginning he cooled off and didn't actually shoot him (152). Nina is in denial. She is insane for taking these rash actions against another human being and she's going to have to deal with the fact she was wrong to shoot him.
Throughout this past section Patrick's feelings for Nina, if changed after the shooting, haven't been revealed. How could they? He's so incredible in shock and confused about what has happened still, and I can't blame him. Caleb's overall feeling haven't changed, however he is still in disbelief about what his wife did. She was fully aware of what she was doing and didn't even talk to him about it before hand. He's starting to get extremely angry. Caleb goes to a bar one night and has a conversation with the bartender, but he's pretending to be somebody else. He just is relieved to get away and not be himself for a short while as the author says, "Caleb doesn't know why he is not telling the businessman the truth-but prevarication comes so easily, and the knowledge that this man will buy anything he says right now is oddly liberating" (171). I'm looking forward to reading the next chapters. Will Nina go to jail, will she tell the truth? How about, will Patrick and Caleb turn their backs to Nina??
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Outside Reading #2
A lot has happened in the the book since my last post. Nina's little boy, Nathaniel, stopped talking one day and was taken to a therapist. He gave signs that he had been molested, but since he couldn't talk he wasn't able to give the name of the person who did it. Thus, he learned some basics in sign language and when asked who hurt you he answered father (Picoult 67). Immediately Nina Frost got a restraining order against her husband, only to soon realize her son was trying to accuse Father Glen, a priest at the family's church. The family and Father Glen appeared in court where suddenly Nina pulls out a gun and shoots the priest 4 times in the head!!! At first I thought this was some kind of hallucination or dream going through Nina's head since it was so completely bazaar. I read a little farther and found out it wasn't. Patrick, who I previously suspected to have a crush on Nina, actually does and he was dumbfounded by this event.
Before the shooting I did feel that something weird was about to happen. I wasn't through half the book and the trial for the molesting was taken place, I felt that something big must happen in order to keep my attention through the rest of the novel. I wasn't surprised to find out that Patrick wishes he were the one who was married to Nina instead of Caleb (93). I'm curious to see how his feelings change after the shooting, and what Caleb does in response as well. I'm also wandering what came over Nina to shoot this priest. Although he was the most likely suspect who molested her son, he was still a priest who had been nothing but nice to her in every other way. Yet, all she cared about was the fact that he was dead as we see when she says, " 'Is he dead?' Nina asks. 'I just need you to tell me, Patrick. I killed him, right? How many shots did I get off? I had to do it, you know I had to. He's dead, isn't he? The paramedics can't revive him, can they?' " (128). There's such an urgency in her voice, she doesn't care that she's going to jail, about all the witnesses are now traumatized, or that all the media caught everything on film. She just wants to know that this man won't be alive to ever hurt her son again. Throughout this section of the book the reader sees a different side to Caleb who cares for his son maybe more that his wife, Patrick who shows his true feelings for Nina, and Nina who shows such strong hate for this priest who might have hurt her son that she murders him!! This might be bringing out the theme that traumatizing events can bring out new sides of people. I must keep reading (I hope the murder is a dream).
Before the shooting I did feel that something weird was about to happen. I wasn't through half the book and the trial for the molesting was taken place, I felt that something big must happen in order to keep my attention through the rest of the novel. I wasn't surprised to find out that Patrick wishes he were the one who was married to Nina instead of Caleb (93). I'm curious to see how his feelings change after the shooting, and what Caleb does in response as well. I'm also wandering what came over Nina to shoot this priest. Although he was the most likely suspect who molested her son, he was still a priest who had been nothing but nice to her in every other way. Yet, all she cared about was the fact that he was dead as we see when she says, " 'Is he dead?' Nina asks. 'I just need you to tell me, Patrick. I killed him, right? How many shots did I get off? I had to do it, you know I had to. He's dead, isn't he? The paramedics can't revive him, can they?' " (128). There's such an urgency in her voice, she doesn't care that she's going to jail, about all the witnesses are now traumatized, or that all the media caught everything on film. She just wants to know that this man won't be alive to ever hurt her son again. Throughout this section of the book the reader sees a different side to Caleb who cares for his son maybe more that his wife, Patrick who shows his true feelings for Nina, and Nina who shows such strong hate for this priest who might have hurt her son that she murders him!! This might be bringing out the theme that traumatizing events can bring out new sides of people. I must keep reading (I hope the murder is a dream).
Monday, October 22, 2007
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Outside Reading Post 1
Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult has definitely kept me interested so far. The book centers around a woman, Nina Frost, who is a district attorney. She loves her son and husband, but is so career-driven that she makes decisions putting her work in front of her family. She has a hearing for an important case one day, and in order to get there she sends her sick son to school as she shows us when she thinks, "Two Tylenol will buy me time; I could be finished with the rape case before getting a call from Miss Lydia to come get my son" (8). Nina cares for her son but is willing to put him through school so she can finish a part of her job. Caleb is Nina's husband who is also, a builder, very deliberate, and wishes his wife was home more. I think that this scenario is very interesting because one usually hears about the husband being too committed to his career.
The "rape case" that Nina is dealing with currently deals with a young girl who tells her mother that her father was molesting her. However, since the judge says the victim is not competent because the action occurred when she was 3, the case is dropped until the victim is older. That's when me meet Patrick. Patrick, a cop, and Nina have been best friends since they were little and lived in the same neighborhood, and currently they are meeting for lunch. It is my personal suspicion that Patrick has a thing for Nina because of the way the author says, "All Patrick knows is that his back can be to the door, and when Nina comes in, he can feel it-a tickle of energy on the nape of his neck, a snap to attention as every eye in the place turns toward her" (25).
I believe that not only will Nina have to make a difficult decision in the future concerning her family and work, but also have to deal with Patrick who might want to be more that just friends. The already intriguing plot has captured my attention within the first 30 pages of Perfect Match.
The "rape case" that Nina is dealing with currently deals with a young girl who tells her mother that her father was molesting her. However, since the judge says the victim is not competent because the action occurred when she was 3, the case is dropped until the victim is older. That's when me meet Patrick. Patrick, a cop, and Nina have been best friends since they were little and lived in the same neighborhood, and currently they are meeting for lunch. It is my personal suspicion that Patrick has a thing for Nina because of the way the author says, "All Patrick knows is that his back can be to the door, and when Nina comes in, he can feel it-a tickle of energy on the nape of his neck, a snap to attention as every eye in the place turns toward her" (25).
I believe that not only will Nina have to make a difficult decision in the future concerning her family and work, but also have to deal with Patrick who might want to be more that just friends. The already intriguing plot has captured my attention within the first 30 pages of Perfect Match.
Friday, October 12, 2007
memoir question
Memoirs are not written because people want to make some money off their life story, or because they want to be famous. People put their souls into these books because they want to tell their story and want others to learn from their experiences.
Many memoirs are written to express feelings and show hard times, like in Richard Wright's book Black Boy. When I read this book and many other memoirs you really are able to get into the person's head and feel what they feel. The reader also gets a better understanding of the author's opinions about different things, and gets a point of view from somebody that you will never have to be in the same position as. And it takes some guts to show the entire public your weaknesses, embarrassments, and the bad choices that you've made in your past. By reading these stories the reader is able to come up with a better understanding of a time period, certain hardships, and learn a few lessons from the author.
Many memoirs are written to express feelings and show hard times, like in Richard Wright's book Black Boy. When I read this book and many other memoirs you really are able to get into the person's head and feel what they feel. The reader also gets a better understanding of the author's opinions about different things, and gets a point of view from somebody that you will never have to be in the same position as. And it takes some guts to show the entire public your weaknesses, embarrassments, and the bad choices that you've made in your past. By reading these stories the reader is able to come up with a better understanding of a time period, certain hardships, and learn a few lessons from the author.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Hunger; positive and negative effects
Richard Wright shows hunger for many things in different ways throughout his memoir. He mainly hungers for education and independence.
Richard desires a good education for numerous reasons. It helps him escape from his home life and gives him hopes for a successful future. This hunger has a positive effect on Richard. Although it forces him to take a job despite his grandmother's wishes, the fact that he is expanding his mind and abilities now will help him in the long run (144). The only negative Richard's desire for education produces is that his home life becomes more tense with disagreements.
The hunger for independence also hangs over Richard. He wishes to explore the North, get a job, and move out on his own. However the reader sees there are things holding Richard back when he says, "Vague hopes of going north. But what would become of my mother if I left her in this queer house? And how would I fare in a strange city? Doubt. Fear" (161). Although Richard longs for independence he doesn't want to leave his mother and he has fears of being somewhere new. Overall, he still hopes of being on his own.
Although Richard's hunger can be taken as literal because he lives in poverty and has little to eat, it is more prominently shown throughout the memoir as desire for other things such as education and independence.
Richard desires a good education for numerous reasons. It helps him escape from his home life and gives him hopes for a successful future. This hunger has a positive effect on Richard. Although it forces him to take a job despite his grandmother's wishes, the fact that he is expanding his mind and abilities now will help him in the long run (144). The only negative Richard's desire for education produces is that his home life becomes more tense with disagreements.
The hunger for independence also hangs over Richard. He wishes to explore the North, get a job, and move out on his own. However the reader sees there are things holding Richard back when he says, "Vague hopes of going north. But what would become of my mother if I left her in this queer house? And how would I fare in a strange city? Doubt. Fear" (161). Although Richard longs for independence he doesn't want to leave his mother and he has fears of being somewhere new. Overall, he still hopes of being on his own.
Although Richard's hunger can be taken as literal because he lives in poverty and has little to eat, it is more prominently shown throughout the memoir as desire for other things such as education and independence.
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