This Week in A Northern Light

One of Mattie's good friends is names Minne, and Mattie goes over to her house to tell her that she has been accepted to College. When she enters, she finds that Minnie has started to go into labor, and that the midwife is hard at work in her delivery. Minnie is a mess, and Mattie helps comfort her and deliver the babies as well. After a long time in labor, the babies are born. To everyones surprise, twins, a boy and a girl, are delivered. Then, Minnie's husband comes home in shock. Mattie envies the love that these two share, and questions whether its better to be in love or to have an education. She says shes never seen both. In the next chapter, we get a glimpse of Mattie's dad. Mattie has fallen asleep on the couch with her composition book, and her father wonders were she got the money. He beats her for it when she tells him she used some extra money to buy it. Later, Mattie goes to her Aunt's house. She asks her Aunt if possibly she would lend her money to go to college. The Aunt calls her selfish, and asks if shes out of her mind. Mattie's hopes of going to college are slimming. The following day, Mattie goes to the Loomis's house as her cow has broken through their fence. She is aided in retrieving the cow from Royal, and when walking her home, he kisses her and cups her breast. Though she yells at him, it is obvious that she likes it and is in love with Royal. In the next chapter, a quick glance to the future is portrayed as Mattie is working at the Glenmore. She is having trouble getting to sleep while thinking of the young girl who they retrieved from the bottom of the lake. Back into the past, Mattie and her best friend Weaver are walking home from school, and stop at the train station that Weaver's mother works at selling food from a cart. A man who must be from the south orders Weaver to take his bags, calling him a darky. Weaver is greatly offended and makes a scene kicking the mans bag. Royal interrupts, and offers Mattie a ride home. He doesn't make a move on her, as his little brothers are in the back seat, and Mattie is relived and disappointed at the same time. I truly home that Mattie gets the chance to go to college, and am realizing the lack of opportunity women have in this time period.

O Brother Where Art Thou

I forgot to comment on O Brother after we watched it. I truly enjoyed the movie, and did indeed see similarities to The Odyssey. Everett, Pete, and Delmer were a good match. They kind of reminded me of the three amigos. The parallels The Odyssey were great: the lotus eaters to the religious group being washed away of their sins, the sirens to the ladies washing themselves in the lake, and the cyclops to the man with the eye patch were cleaver yet easy to see. Both the epic poem as well as the film followed the Hero Quest pattern as well. I am glad the evil mayor was exposed and discarded by the people. Tommy was also a good addition to the group of amigos, and I thought his role in the soggy bottom boys was essential. Their hit song in constant sorrow was amazing, and I wonder if George Clooney can actually sing. I liked the ending, as Everett got his wife Penny back, who by the way is the voice of the mom in the Incredibles, but I didn't understand why she had been so hard on him at first. I thought it was kind of opposite to Penelope who mourned her husband for a very long time, and told no one that he was dead until the near end of his journey. I very much enjoy watching movies in school and hope to view another film soon.

Mattie Gokey

Mattie Gokey, from A Northern Light, is a very interesting protagonist. She is very determined, as she has stayed in school much longer than the average kid. She has also worked hard to receive a full scholarship at Colombia University. Responsible is another word I would use to describe Mattie. She has become the head of the household next to her dad as her brother left, and her mother died. She does everything around the house from making dinner, looking after her sisters, being a farm hand, and doing the grocery shopping. She is determined, but also realistic. She realizes that the chances of her going to college are slim to none. Her father needs her help around the house, and she is the only one capable of providing that assistance. I truly hope Mattie is able to pursue her biggest hopes and dreams of attending Columbia University. She deserves it over anyone, and needs a degree to truly make something of herself.

All the Pretty Horses.

I was a little lost at first in All the Pretty Horses, but have been able to better understand the book since the first nights reading. Rawlins and John Grady are sure dedicated to getting away from their homes as they leave for Mexico and don't once look back. They are only sixteen, and I wouldn't be ready for the real world at that age. I think they make a good pair of buddies, and that their friendship will be able to last through the journey. I think that Blevins, the boy they meet on trail, is a bit annoying. I really do wonder where he got his horse, and why how he is going to survive on his own. Rawlins seems to hate the boy, and I don't blame him as the only thing Blevins does is cause trouble, but John Grady feels some sort of a responsibility for him. Blevins shows his immaturity, as well as craving for adventure, when he takes back is big bay horse from the local Mexicans. I do respect him though for trying to leave his "friends" out of the mess. At the ranch where Rawlins and John Grady work as cowboys, John Grady shows his skills. He trains sixteen wild horses for riding, and the wealthy head of the ranch takes notice. He is promoted. John definitely has a thing for the owner's daughter, and she seems somewhat interested in him as well. I think a romance might spark. I hope that John Grady's promotion and his crush on Alexjandra doesn't come between his friendship with Rawlins.

A Northern Light continues

Mattie has many responsibilities on the farm. Ever since her older brother left, her jobs have increased even further. One day she is plowing the wheat field, but her horse is not being very cooperative. An older neighbor boy named Royal steps in and gets the job done with ease. Her father approaches and appreciates the job he has done. Mr. Gokey reflects on the fact that his son left, and asks Royal why his dad got so lucky having four boys while he has none. The next day Mattie is in class, and doesn't have the best day. It all turns around when she is asked by her teacher to stay afterwards and is given a letter. She finds out she has received a full scholarship to Colombia University, and gets very excited, but is put back into reality when she thinks about how her father needs her help around the farm. She thinks that going to college is unrealistic. Later that week, Mattie goes to the market in order to buy groceries for her family. While shes there, she picks up the latest book from the library. She also purchases a beautiful composition book with the money she has earned from selling fiddle heads. She debates whether or not to buy the thing for a long time, but decides it is worth it. Royal is at the market as well and offers her a ride home in his buggy. She agrees, and has a thrill ride as he conducts the horse at full speed. Mattie develops a crush on Royal. The next chapter is set at the Glenmore. Mattie has been trying to get a chance to throw the letters away, but her boss has not given her one. Late at night when she is walking the dog, Mattie almost has her chance, but is stopped by Weaver. We also find out that she is dating Royal at this point. I am excited to read more.

The End of The Odyssey

The end of The Odyssey was really good. I thought that Odysseus's slaughter of the suitors was a little intense, as some probably didn't fully deserve death. I feel the ones such as Antinous who had taken full part in plotting Telemachus's death, taking advantage of Penelope, and abusing the beggar deserved the death that they got. But some, which were only pursuing Penelope because they thought Odysseus was dead didn't deserve it. Also, the maids who were hung, and suffered such cruel deaths, could have been killed in a more peaceful way. I was surprised that Penelope was so suspicious of Odysseus when he came home. Also, I was glad that Athena stopped another battle that could have taken place between the loved ones of the suitors and Odysseus. Overall, I actually enjoyed the story.

A Northern Light.. getting into the plot.

So far, A Northern Light has been pretty good. Mattie Gokey is the oldest of four girls. She has a brother too, but he has left the family. She lives in the North Woods. Her mother died, and as Mattie is the oldest, she takes the role as the female head. She has many responsibilities in her house, and though she attends school, she often has to skip in order to help her father. He says she is going to have to drop out next year. Mattie resents her father for this, but they are very low on money. Mattie's passion is writing, and she is very interested in words. She chooses a new word to learn every day in her treasured dictionary. Her best friend is a black boy named Weaver, who admires her gift of writing. Without her permission, he gives her notebook of stories to their teacher, who says she has a real talent. This has given her what she considers an unrealistic dream of one day going to New York to become a writer. Mattie asks her dad if she can work at a Hotel called the Glenmore, which she hopes will allow her to save enough side money to go to New York. He refuses. The book alternates chapters though, and in one chapter she is at home, but the next she is working at the Glenmore. The Chapters that take place at the Glenmore are exciting. A girl named Grace has just been found in Moose Lake. She went out on a boat with her boyfriend, who is still missing. A day earlier, she handed Mattie some letters which Mattie was told to burn. She hasn't burned them yet, and hasn't gotten a chance. I am wondering what she will do with the letters. Can't wait to find out!