Introducing the New and Improved (?) Birdie Lee

During this reading, Birdie has gone through many changes. This new Birdie doesn't have the spring in her step that the Birdie who attended Nkrumah did. She has lost all the joy in her life and has paranoia instilled in her. She has become more and more dependent on her mother, but with this new man in her life, even her mother seems to be fading away. Birdie is extremely quiet and keeps to herself especially when accosted by the mean girls in town. This reminded me of her behavior when she was new at Nkrumah--only now Cole isn't there to help her. Birdie is lonesome and misses Cole desperately. I can't imagine living without knowing where my sisters were or if they were alive. Also, I believe that the chances of Birdie seeing Cole again are very slim. Her mother keeps mentioning that they'll all see each other again and that they'll go home right when Cole's plane touches down. I doubt it... Birdie's new friendship with the Marshes' son is turning into something. Perhaps it'll play a bigger part later on. I think it's nice for Birdie to feel some happiness even if it's with a 14 year old boy... While this Birdie (or Jesse) is certainly new I feel she is worse off then she was back home.
xoxo
Charlotte

It Doesn't Matter if You're Black or White. Or Both

Here's to you Michael Jackson... This blog is all about racial (in)equality. Caucasia is filled with racism by both white and black folk. It really makes it a difficult read for me as I find it embarrassing that people are judgemental over the color of skin. The scene where the elderly couple brought the police officer over to Birdie and her father made me cringe. It was blatantly obvious that Birdie's mother was a radical activist with her secret meetings and her paranoia with the government and the F.B.I. She had many secret meetings throughout the book and they got more frequent and intense as I neared the stopping page. I think that she and her cohorts were planning a big rebellion. I believe that she planned a big uprising and intended for violent action. I believe that the bags that Cole and Birdie saw being brought into their basement late in the night had weapons in them. Those weapons were to be used and distributed to those participating in this 'demonstration'. While I respect Birdie's mother for standing up against racial inequality, I have to say that I don't respect the way she is going about it. She has her children to think about, and uprooting Birdie, and having Cole move to Brazil with her father will have a big impact on her life.... Just how big we'll have to see.
xoxo
Charlotte

Tying the Pieces Together

So this isn't going to be one of my upbeat blogs. It's depressing actually. Perhaps it's due to my lack of sleep due to Model UN, regardless, here it is. The Book Thief mentions Dachau numerous times. In the book, Liesel witnesses Jews being marched on the streets (what they called parades) to the Dachau concentration camp. It was really hard for me to read that part of the book because I had been to Dachau when I was in Germany. It had a gate with "Arbeit macht frei" (work makes us free) on it, and was depressing to say the least. Inside the camp, I saw the markers of every unit that Jewish people lived in. Three of the units were tested for medical purposes and were basically lab rats. Two model units were up and I went inside. The bunk beds were stacked up to the ceiling and were so small that it was almost impossible to imagine a person fitting on them. There was a crematorium along a rocky path, but I didn't have the strength to see it. A beautiful sculpture was there symbolizing unity and had been made in the last couple of years. After experiencing Dachau, I feared for Max's life and was hoping that he would make it.

Onwards and Upwards

****** of important note: if you are in the other College Literature class, you will be confused about this blog, don't worry. Your time will come.

Chello! I have started my choice novel the Book Thief, and let me tell you I love it! It is narrated by Death who is actually a nice guy. He describes things in ways that I have never read before. He describes what color the horizon is when he picks up dead people (vulgar sounding I know, but really, he words it better than I). He mentions that the horizon was the color of milk, cold and fresh. He narrates by adding in a lot of side-notes that give the reader the straight up personality of characters or secrets of their past, without making the reader read a biography on the person! He also gives definitions to some of the German terms that are used throughout the book. His interesting perspective makes the 550+ page an enjoyable read. He tells the story of a girl named Liesel who is growing up in Nazi Germany. Liesel lives with her foster parents (mama and papa as they are affectionately known) and he describes her trials and tribulations. The story intensifies when we (the reader) find out that papa sneaks a Jewish man into their home in order to keep a promise. I would keep raving and praising the book on my blog, but frankly, I'm going to keep this short so I can keep reading!!
xoxo
Charlotte

Holden and Judas: a Match Made in Hell?

So as I was reading Ratcher and the Cye, I came across a part where Holden is arguing religion with this Arthur Childs fellow. Holden claims that he Judas isn't in Hell, and Arthur says that he is. Well my heartstrings, this subject is exactly what I am doing my cool writing presentation on!! Not to spoil the presentation coming your way third block, but I am reading an excerpt from the play the Last Days of Judas Iscariot. The play questions whether Judas deserves to be in Hell or not, and it really made me question what I have learned as a Catholic. After being in the play, I can say that I too believe that Judas should be in Heaven, and if he's not, then Christianity is not a religion I want to take part in. After reading the little excerpt about Judas, I wondered if that is where Stephen Adly Guirgis got his idea for the drama... If it is, he is a brilliant man as this really makes the reader take a good hard look at what he/she knows to be true! Tis all for now!
xoxo
Charlotte

Sarcastics and Snarks: the Loves of My Life

Ok. So here it is. The first big blog. The actual blog! Yay!! You (the anxious reader) are not nearly as excited as I am, but nonetheless you are still reading... Upon my completion of the first 40 or so pages of the Catcher and the Rye, I must say that I love Holden. He is just a little snark and he has the wittiest response to everything! He swears in what I can only describe as a complete unnecessary amount. He throws in Goddam and helluva just for funsies! He is very precise with short and choppy sentences breaking up phrases. Take for example on page 34 "I was getting nervous all of the sudden, for a change. I'm quite a nervous guy." Not only is this an example of his short sentence structure, but it is a perfect example of his irony. He uses many contradictory statements, usually one right after the other. He doesn't want to be taken seriously, which I appreciate, and is a very calm guy. Not only does the guy swear for funsies; he tap dances! I laughed out loud (reader: please don't think of lol) as I read about him being the Goddam governor's tap-dancing son. He is very random and strange which I love about him. His wit and repertoire keep the book a page turner, and I am looking forward to finding some time to read this "goddam" novel! Whew! My first blog, under my belt! I think I could be so inspired as to tap-dance!

How My Bloggie Got Its Name

This day starts the day of epic proportions--my blog! Before you start examining my blog, you best show some respect. MY BLOG TIS AVERAGE got its name based on all of the websites out there that post lame life stories. Namely, my life is average. I find this to be rather fitting because, like MLIA, my blog will be average. Sure, it will have some great blog entries, but probably no better or worse than the others on the site. I threw in the tis because I believed it was completely necessary. If you are still reading my explanation, God bless you. I hope that you enjoy my average blogs and continue to read them. Tis all for now!
xoxo
Charlotte