WRITER'S CRAFT
The wound on Elinor's neck was a wide, curved thing. For a second it was just a thin red line, upturned like a smile. But then the blood began spurting in bright bursts, streaking her white dress red. She crumpled to the ground, where the scattered flowers she had carried received her like a bier. (Year of Wonders - p.258)
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This passage was strong in describing the situation. Therefore, I thought to use this passage for this post. A vivid image of spattered blood, cried out pain, and the blood-stained flowers contrasting with the evergreen grass flashed in my mind. Reading and thinking about the blood seeping out and onto Elinor's white gown and flowers was a memorable moment. I could just imagine; Aphra's joy in finally being able to succeed in killing her, Mr. Mompellion shocked to the inner core of his body, and the numbed look on the faces of the villagers. Personally, I felt a bit relieved that she had died. You would be shocked to here this, but logically, maybe it’s not that bad as you think.
The villagers believed that if you died and did good deeds while you were alive, than you would go to heaven and rest there with God. Although you can hardly count dying as a reward, I felt glad Elinor could go and rest peacefully in heaven with God after all the hard work she had during the year of the plague. She had always looked and helped the ones who were sick and the ones who needed love and care. When Anna told her to look after herself too, Elinor usually said there were more people who needed love and care than herself. Anna had not been so sure about that, and I agree. I would not have always put the health of my neighbors in front of mine. Elinor had essentially sacrificed herself to the hilt for those who had the plague and their families. Anna had tried to reassure herself thinking that her dear friend would not feel physical or mental pain anymore since she was dead. That is what I thought too.
I wonder if there is such a person that is like Elinor or willing to be like Elinor today in this world…
Sunday, February 25, 2007
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
TRJ - #5
LETTERS
Dear Anna,
My feelings are a mixture of happiness and empathy for you. With the plague gone, but poor Elinor killed, I have no clue of how to express myself. Happiness and joy that the plague has gone, and a dreadful emptiness that Elinor used to fill up - now empty once more. Although I was terridfied when Aphra swished her knife and onto Elinor's back, I couldn't help the pity rising for Aphra. Loosing all her family as well as turning insane, I think she was an interesting stepmother to you. I mean no offence, and I know that you're happy that you don't have anything to do with her. However the limits of her madness and the actions were most horrifying even for a mad person and I've never encoutnered such a person before in a book! I know it's hard for you to try and follow the wishes that Elinor had which was for you to take of Micheal Mompellion - as a friend. Try to stay with him and think of Ellinor when yo feel despaired.
Ellionor's death must have been more than a big shock to Mr. Mompellion. He seems he has lost his senses for the first time. I think he thinks that his duties, the actions required of him are no longer in his power to do, and that they don't need to accomplished. What I'm sad about is that the people no longer require of him, they even whisper behind his back. The people feel bad and don't want him near them, since they think he had encouraged them to forget about the dead, and try to live on and not hanging back, which I admit, is true. Poor Mr. Mompellion, he had no one to look to other than his own mind and thoughts. He had even lost his faith in God, and doesn't seem to want to believe in God anymore. You, Anna, however shouldn't quail. I know that you helped others even when you were in difficult times yourself and saved other lives by helping with labor and curing. Please don't cease to do that. You must live, and not hunch in darkness. I'm proud of you, that you have not been put down forever by the despairing moments that you had in the year of the plague, and hope to continue that feeling of pride in seeing you as you go on.
Love, Lucia
P.S. Do you still believe in God, knowing why Mr. Mompellion is loosing his faith in Him?
Dear Anna,
My feelings are a mixture of happiness and empathy for you. With the plague gone, but poor Elinor killed, I have no clue of how to express myself. Happiness and joy that the plague has gone, and a dreadful emptiness that Elinor used to fill up - now empty once more. Although I was terridfied when Aphra swished her knife and onto Elinor's back, I couldn't help the pity rising for Aphra. Loosing all her family as well as turning insane, I think she was an interesting stepmother to you. I mean no offence, and I know that you're happy that you don't have anything to do with her. However the limits of her madness and the actions were most horrifying even for a mad person and I've never encoutnered such a person before in a book! I know it's hard for you to try and follow the wishes that Elinor had which was for you to take of Micheal Mompellion - as a friend. Try to stay with him and think of Ellinor when yo feel despaired.
Ellionor's death must have been more than a big shock to Mr. Mompellion. He seems he has lost his senses for the first time. I think he thinks that his duties, the actions required of him are no longer in his power to do, and that they don't need to accomplished. What I'm sad about is that the people no longer require of him, they even whisper behind his back. The people feel bad and don't want him near them, since they think he had encouraged them to forget about the dead, and try to live on and not hanging back, which I admit, is true. Poor Mr. Mompellion, he had no one to look to other than his own mind and thoughts. He had even lost his faith in God, and doesn't seem to want to believe in God anymore. You, Anna, however shouldn't quail. I know that you helped others even when you were in difficult times yourself and saved other lives by helping with labor and curing. Please don't cease to do that. You must live, and not hunch in darkness. I'm proud of you, that you have not been put down forever by the despairing moments that you had in the year of the plague, and hope to continue that feeling of pride in seeing you as you go on.
Love, Lucia
P.S. Do you still believe in God, knowing why Mr. Mompellion is loosing his faith in Him?
TRJ - #4
UNDERSTANDING
"Think of what you are saying," Mr. Mompellion interrupted. His voice-right, loud, grave-cut off the Bradford's airy laughter. Colonel Bradford turned to him with a raised eyebrow, as if to censure rudeness. Mrs. Bradford tried to turn her titter to a cough. Mr.Mompellion continued, "If all who have the means run each time this disease appears, then the seeds of the Plague will go with them and be sown far and wide throughout the land until the clean places are infected and the contagion is magnified a thousandfold. If God saw fit to send this scourge, I believe it would be His will that one face it where one was, with courage and thus contain its evil."
"Oh?" said the colonel superciliously. "and if God sends a lion to rip your flesh, will you stand stead fastly then too? I think not. I think you will run from the danger, as any sensible man would." (Year of Wonders - p.62)
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This piece of writing was very memorable to me and there were several understandings that I discovered by reading this part of the novel. First, I saw that the Colonel already had in mind that he would leave when the plague struck, after I read this piece of writing. It became clear to me why he didn't stay in the village when Mr. Mompellion asked everyone to do. Colonel Bradford cared more about the consequences of his family than the villagers. This piece of writing helped me, selfish as he seems to be, to notice that most of the people in the plague village would have fled if it were not for the persuasion of Mr. Mompellion and Mr. Stanley, who was the previous rector.
I also understood that life is full of tough choices to make. Noticing that both Mr. Mompellion and Colonel Bradford words were true, I thought the rest of the villagers must have had a hard time convincing themselves to remain in the village so other people wouldn't be affected by the diesease. If I was wearing in one of the villager's shoes, I percieved the fact that I couldn't come to a final decision. The mind to escape and the mind to stay tugged with equal force at my decision, like tug-a-war with with the same amount of people with the same amount of strentgh on both sides. I saw that both the Colonel and Mr. Mompellion made sense in what they said. My head ached just to continue thinking about it. This is why I come back to the fact that I realized life is full of tough choices to make.
In the future, the understandings that I took out of the book will help me make decisions based on the word of God as Mr. Mompellion says so. Instead of evolving my decision around "what can I benefit from this?" I should base my decision around "how can God see satisfaction in my selection?". As I talked about it in the previous paragraph, the understandings should shape our society as considering other people, not only myself. Also, to not be selfish, for you will surely be punished from God.
"Think of what you are saying," Mr. Mompellion interrupted. His voice-right, loud, grave-cut off the Bradford's airy laughter. Colonel Bradford turned to him with a raised eyebrow, as if to censure rudeness. Mrs. Bradford tried to turn her titter to a cough. Mr.Mompellion continued, "If all who have the means run each time this disease appears, then the seeds of the Plague will go with them and be sown far and wide throughout the land until the clean places are infected and the contagion is magnified a thousandfold. If God saw fit to send this scourge, I believe it would be His will that one face it where one was, with courage and thus contain its evil."
"Oh?" said the colonel superciliously. "and if God sends a lion to rip your flesh, will you stand stead fastly then too? I think not. I think you will run from the danger, as any sensible man would." (Year of Wonders - p.62)
-----------------------------------------------------------
This piece of writing was very memorable to me and there were several understandings that I discovered by reading this part of the novel. First, I saw that the Colonel already had in mind that he would leave when the plague struck, after I read this piece of writing. It became clear to me why he didn't stay in the village when Mr. Mompellion asked everyone to do. Colonel Bradford cared more about the consequences of his family than the villagers. This piece of writing helped me, selfish as he seems to be, to notice that most of the people in the plague village would have fled if it were not for the persuasion of Mr. Mompellion and Mr. Stanley, who was the previous rector.
I also understood that life is full of tough choices to make. Noticing that both Mr. Mompellion and Colonel Bradford words were true, I thought the rest of the villagers must have had a hard time convincing themselves to remain in the village so other people wouldn't be affected by the diesease. If I was wearing in one of the villager's shoes, I percieved the fact that I couldn't come to a final decision. The mind to escape and the mind to stay tugged with equal force at my decision, like tug-a-war with with the same amount of people with the same amount of strentgh on both sides. I saw that both the Colonel and Mr. Mompellion made sense in what they said. My head ached just to continue thinking about it. This is why I come back to the fact that I realized life is full of tough choices to make.
In the future, the understandings that I took out of the book will help me make decisions based on the word of God as Mr. Mompellion says so. Instead of evolving my decision around "what can I benefit from this?" I should base my decision around "how can God see satisfaction in my selection?". As I talked about it in the previous paragraph, the understandings should shape our society as considering other people, not only myself. Also, to not be selfish, for you will surely be punished from God.
TRJ - #3
FIVE-STAR QUOTE
"And so, as generally happens, those who have most give least, and those with less somehow make shrift to share"(Year of Wonders, p.114~115)
This was the five-star quote that I chose that really "jumps off the page". You can easily identify that it is obvious how the problem of the novel becomes worse when it is already in a frightful and dreadful state. Notice how the quote is true to the last word, even today. It can describe accurately of how the solution to this terrible issue is getting more difficult to pinpoint because of the fact that it is correct.
Able to recognize many connections is why I chose this quote. How it precisely communicates with the reader in one sentence; the big issue of the novel and how people act in that issue is remarkable. It can also be referred easily. In my opinion, part of the quote that says, "...those who have most give least..." refers to the Bradfords. Here is a brief description of them. The name has been greatly respected and they have been in the village for generations.Their courage has been long celebrated. Colonel Bradford has led men to war, and he has skills to command all of the people through the present crisis, which is the plague.
Lastly, they are wealthy. Far more wealthier than any of the other folks in the village. Let's focus on the fact that they are wealthy. By sharing, together as a whole village, everyone can relief the ones who are infected from the plauge and maybe provide some remedies for the plague. That is not what the Bradfords did. Being incredibly selfish, they left the village in a hurry for their own good health. Every one of them, the Colonel, Mrs. Bradford, and Miss Bradford (the daughter), all left with thier noses hight in the air abandoning all their servants and locking their mansion so nobody can come and live there. They could have given so much to the villagers just by sharing a little portion of their wealth, but they didn't. The Colonel does not care for the judgement of this village, and does not value the people. He did not relent to any of the servants and maids who served him to take shelter in his mansion.
The last part of the quote that says, "... and those with less somehow make shrift to share" refers to the rest of the villagers including Anna Frith who are not that rich. Working and taking care of themselves, they somehow seem to be able to spare the time to help those in need more than they do.
"And so, as generally happens, those who have most give least, and those with less somehow make shrift to share"(Year of Wonders, p.114~115)
This was the five-star quote that I chose that really "jumps off the page". You can easily identify that it is obvious how the problem of the novel becomes worse when it is already in a frightful and dreadful state. Notice how the quote is true to the last word, even today. It can describe accurately of how the solution to this terrible issue is getting more difficult to pinpoint because of the fact that it is correct.
Able to recognize many connections is why I chose this quote. How it precisely communicates with the reader in one sentence; the big issue of the novel and how people act in that issue is remarkable. It can also be referred easily. In my opinion, part of the quote that says, "...those who have most give least..." refers to the Bradfords. Here is a brief description of them. The name has been greatly respected and they have been in the village for generations.Their courage has been long celebrated. Colonel Bradford has led men to war, and he has skills to command all of the people through the present crisis, which is the plague.
Lastly, they are wealthy. Far more wealthier than any of the other folks in the village. Let's focus on the fact that they are wealthy. By sharing, together as a whole village, everyone can relief the ones who are infected from the plauge and maybe provide some remedies for the plague. That is not what the Bradfords did. Being incredibly selfish, they left the village in a hurry for their own good health. Every one of them, the Colonel, Mrs. Bradford, and Miss Bradford (the daughter), all left with thier noses hight in the air abandoning all their servants and locking their mansion so nobody can come and live there. They could have given so much to the villagers just by sharing a little portion of their wealth, but they didn't. The Colonel does not care for the judgement of this village, and does not value the people. He did not relent to any of the servants and maids who served him to take shelter in his mansion.
The last part of the quote that says, "... and those with less somehow make shrift to share" refers to the rest of the villagers including Anna Frith who are not that rich. Working and taking care of themselves, they somehow seem to be able to spare the time to help those in need more than they do.
TRJ - #2
PREDICTION
"You can't do this!" Miss Bradford replied, but this time in the tone of a very young child who has been thwarted in its pursuit of a plaything. The rector was standing half a flight of stair abbove her, sot htat she had to gaze up at him like a supplicant. "My mother has need of you..."
"My dear Miss Bradford," he interrupted coldly. "There were many people here with needs this past year, needs that you and your family were in a position to have satisfied. And yet you were not...here. Kindly ask yourmother to do me the honor of advancing the same tolerance for my absence now that your family arrogated for so long in regard to its own." (Year of Wonders, p.16~17)
This passage was quite intriguing. It was in the beginning, before the actual story that Miss Bradford was not being treated respectfully by both Anna and the rector(Reverend Mompellion). On page 12, Anna suddenly reencounters Elizabeth Bradford (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bradford) for the first time in about a year and a half and treats her coldly as if she had sinned. Miss Elizabeth desires to see Reverend Mompellion, but for some reason, he turns her down and does not want to meet her or come with her to her mother.
In my opinion, this must have something to do with all the villagers and that the Bradfords have left the village in haste for a peculiar reason. This is becasue in the passage, prior to the paragraph before this, Reverend Mompellion says, "There were many people here with needs this past year, needs that you and your family were in a position to have satisfied. And yet you were not...here." There must have been a problem of some sort that made the Bradfords "not...here".
Therefore, I predict that the coldness pressed on Miss Bradford and her family, was a questions of abandonning the village for their own good.
"You can't do this!" Miss Bradford replied, but this time in the tone of a very young child who has been thwarted in its pursuit of a plaything. The rector was standing half a flight of stair abbove her, sot htat she had to gaze up at him like a supplicant. "My mother has need of you..."
"My dear Miss Bradford," he interrupted coldly. "There were many people here with needs this past year, needs that you and your family were in a position to have satisfied. And yet you were not...here. Kindly ask yourmother to do me the honor of advancing the same tolerance for my absence now that your family arrogated for so long in regard to its own." (Year of Wonders, p.16~17)
This passage was quite intriguing. It was in the beginning, before the actual story that Miss Bradford was not being treated respectfully by both Anna and the rector(Reverend Mompellion). On page 12, Anna suddenly reencounters Elizabeth Bradford (daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bradford) for the first time in about a year and a half and treats her coldly as if she had sinned. Miss Elizabeth desires to see Reverend Mompellion, but for some reason, he turns her down and does not want to meet her or come with her to her mother.
In my opinion, this must have something to do with all the villagers and that the Bradfords have left the village in haste for a peculiar reason. This is becasue in the passage, prior to the paragraph before this, Reverend Mompellion says, "There were many people here with needs this past year, needs that you and your family were in a position to have satisfied. And yet you were not...here." There must have been a problem of some sort that made the Bradfords "not...here".
Therefore, I predict that the coldness pressed on Miss Bradford and her family, was a questions of abandonning the village for their own good.
TRJ - #1
WRITER'S CRAFT
This book starts out with an unusual beginning. It starts from the presnt, and goes back a year for the beginning of the actual story of the novel. The year 1665, our main character, Anna Frith, describes how the enormous disaster of a plague occur in the tiny village. This peculiar little village, distant from other main cities in England, has been a peaceful and tranquil village until... a man, George Viccars, enters the stage. Well, what's so bad about a man?Is he a big deal? Does it matter?
Yes, it matters. In fact, IT MATTERS VERY MUCH. The man who is a journeyman tailor causes the most intense devastation and sweeps the village of melancholic death and depression that no one has ever experienced. The plague, the enemy rapidly spreads and takes the life of old ones, young ones, and tries on anyone on its way. The villagers, though they are exhausted and want to flee to other places where their kins would recieve them, they plant their feet on the ground and try to stay firm while they are swayed like reeds in the middle of the wind. Forcing themselves to think that this is a hard test that God has given us, they seek of ways to cure this terrible plague. Will these villagers survive?
This book starts out with an unusual beginning. It starts from the presnt, and goes back a year for the beginning of the actual story of the novel. The year 1665, our main character, Anna Frith, describes how the enormous disaster of a plague occur in the tiny village. This peculiar little village, distant from other main cities in England, has been a peaceful and tranquil village until... a man, George Viccars, enters the stage. Well, what's so bad about a man?Is he a big deal? Does it matter?
Yes, it matters. In fact, IT MATTERS VERY MUCH. The man who is a journeyman tailor causes the most intense devastation and sweeps the village of melancholic death and depression that no one has ever experienced. The plague, the enemy rapidly spreads and takes the life of old ones, young ones, and tries on anyone on its way. The villagers, though they are exhausted and want to flee to other places where their kins would recieve them, they plant their feet on the ground and try to stay firm while they are swayed like reeds in the middle of the wind. Forcing themselves to think that this is a hard test that God has given us, they seek of ways to cure this terrible plague. Will these villagers survive?
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