Summary
After a while Chappie does not think of his real father and himself anymore. It was as if he had nothing to think about. While Chappie is walking on the road by himself at night and saying that he have had visions of him shooting his stepfather in the temple. In his vision he also kills his mom by shooting her in the heart, and his grandmother. Chappie has tried to kill willie his cat before, but instead he just up his mother's bedroom. Things were going on in his head about what he can do with the gun and got scared and tossed it away. When he got back to the bus he was weak from hunger. I-man helps him recover and teaches him more about his religion and how to take care of the garden. They also grew weed which they smoke at night. I-Mean dreams of going back to his homeland, Jamaica. Chappie is able to have some money left over that he stole from Buster Brown, and gave it to I-man, which may help him get back to Jamaica. They bought two airplane tickets to Jamaica. I-man has a saved his passport while the only ID Chappie have is a fake photo ID. while on the plane to leave Chappie is thinking this is going to be a great adventure. They got off the planned without to sign any papers because I-man knew someone there. Chappie did not imagine Jamaica to be the way it was because that is not what he saw in the papers, and pictures. the place where they stayed in Jamiaca was compared by Chappie as being the same as the video den, he called it the ant farm. In jamiaca I-man delivers weed to people and one day on one of I-man deliveries Chappie sees a guy that looks like his father. He yelled and scream after him but he drove too fast for his father to notice him. Chappie feels like an idiot because he was yelling and running in the streets. He told I-man about his father and wants to know if he could meet up with him. They were able to find the woman who was with his father and ask her about Paul his father. Chappie has met his father and his father is happy to see him again.
Quotation
" But he grinned, he actually looked happy to see me and he said, lemme see you! Lemme see what you look like, for Christ sake!" (Banks 283).
Reaction
This is an extraordinary quote. this quote shows that Chappie is finally accepted by one of his family members.That family member happen to be no other than his long lost father. I see this part of the book as the best part of the book and Chappie's life because throughout the book nothing very good every happens for Chappie. I believe this is a change of life for Chappie, a new beginning he been looking for. I would have never expect Chappie to ever Find his real father. Chappie was not the only one to be excited to finally meet his father. I-man was happy, the woman with Paul, Evening star was happy, and even dogs were jumping and grinning in happiness.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Rule of the Bone (pg 165 - 225)
Summary
I-Man and Bone are making a garden next to the bus were they live. Most of the ground is full of rocks, toxic waste and is not good for growing crops, but I-Man is able to find a Little area where they can produce vegetables. It is Fourth of July and Bones and I-Man are trying to do the best for Froggy which is to call her mom so she can return to her. Froggy's mom is also into drugs. When they looked into a phone book and called her they found her, Bones is going to put Froggy who's real name is Rose on a bus to go to her mother in Milwaukee. That night they stayed up watching the fireworks. the next day while Rose was leaving bone decided to leave to and go home. Bone meet a family on the bus and pretended that Rose and he was siblings. He met Someone name Whitley who also knew Russ. When Bones arrive home he finds his step dad completely drunk. he is angry at him for being drunk and at the same time feel sorry for him. He left to go find his mother at an Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) meeting because of the step dad. His mother is happy to see him, and Bones want his mom to choose between him or his stepfather. She chose his Stepfather Ken over him and that angered bones which made him go to see his grandmother. His grandmother is happy to see him, she thought he had died in the fire. They talk for some time about the usually health topics and then Chappie ask her about his father who left him when he was five. She showed him a picture of him and after he left his grandmother's house with a lot to think about now and hoping someone will pick him up along the way.
Quotation
"Is it gonna be your stupid sicko drunk of a pervert of a husband, or the homeless boy who's your own flesh-and-blood son? Red Rover, Red Rover who're you calling over, Mom? Is it me or is it Ken" (Banks 206).
Reaction
This quote really got me. I like the way he tries to differ the two of them, so he look more innocent, and how he used the allusion, Red Rover. When he ask his mother to choose between them two he remembered growing up and playing the game Red Rover, Red Rover. He remembered that game because, to the teachers watching it look cute but to the kids playing it looks scary, the biggest kids always always win in that game. When he asked his mom to choose between the two that is how he felt , and in the back of his mind I guess he knew his stepfather was going to win because he's bigger and stronger unlike him who is weak and who cannot support his mother.
I-Man and Bone are making a garden next to the bus were they live. Most of the ground is full of rocks, toxic waste and is not good for growing crops, but I-Man is able to find a Little area where they can produce vegetables. It is Fourth of July and Bones and I-Man are trying to do the best for Froggy which is to call her mom so she can return to her. Froggy's mom is also into drugs. When they looked into a phone book and called her they found her, Bones is going to put Froggy who's real name is Rose on a bus to go to her mother in Milwaukee. That night they stayed up watching the fireworks. the next day while Rose was leaving bone decided to leave to and go home. Bone meet a family on the bus and pretended that Rose and he was siblings. He met Someone name Whitley who also knew Russ. When Bones arrive home he finds his step dad completely drunk. he is angry at him for being drunk and at the same time feel sorry for him. He left to go find his mother at an Alcoholic Anonymous (AA) meeting because of the step dad. His mother is happy to see him, and Bones want his mom to choose between him or his stepfather. She chose his Stepfather Ken over him and that angered bones which made him go to see his grandmother. His grandmother is happy to see him, she thought he had died in the fire. They talk for some time about the usually health topics and then Chappie ask her about his father who left him when he was five. She showed him a picture of him and after he left his grandmother's house with a lot to think about now and hoping someone will pick him up along the way.
Quotation
"Is it gonna be your stupid sicko drunk of a pervert of a husband, or the homeless boy who's your own flesh-and-blood son? Red Rover, Red Rover who're you calling over, Mom? Is it me or is it Ken" (Banks 206).
Reaction
This quote really got me. I like the way he tries to differ the two of them, so he look more innocent, and how he used the allusion, Red Rover. When he ask his mother to choose between them two he remembered growing up and playing the game Red Rover, Red Rover. He remembered that game because, to the teachers watching it look cute but to the kids playing it looks scary, the biggest kids always always win in that game. When he asked his mom to choose between the two that is how he felt , and in the back of his mind I guess he knew his stepfather was going to win because he's bigger and stronger unlike him who is weak and who cannot support his mother.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Rule of Bone (pg 129 - 164)
Summary
From the cabin, Russ leaves Chappie or "Bone" by himself, saying that he need a new start. He was leaving to go to his aunty's house, before he left he gave Bone a number to call him if he ever needed help. Russ was mad and sad at the same time. on his way out he packed everything he could, he packed a stuff chicken, some CD's, clothes and a gun he found at the cabin. When he left he was shooting in the air, and yelling the Bone Rules. Bone then find himself again with no place to go, he later hitch a ride on a christian van, which was Buster Brown van a person in a band. He stool the van and his money and took off with Froggy a girl who was traveling with Buster. Still in need of a place to stay Buster went back to the bus, and found that the guys are gone. There he met I-man, a Rastafarian man, and soon became friends. With I-man Bone feels thankful. I-man teaches him a lot of things about his culture, his plants, and the food he makes.
Quote
"Because up to then for me living was the same as Running through hell with a gasoline suit on" (Banks 152).
Reaction
I believe in what he is saying. This quote is one that I find to be very strong, and shows much hardship throughout his life. He is basically saying his life so far has been worse than hell. From what i have read about his life, i can tell he had it ruff. Reading about What he has gone through make me feel lucky to have the life I have.
From the cabin, Russ leaves Chappie or "Bone" by himself, saying that he need a new start. He was leaving to go to his aunty's house, before he left he gave Bone a number to call him if he ever needed help. Russ was mad and sad at the same time. on his way out he packed everything he could, he packed a stuff chicken, some CD's, clothes and a gun he found at the cabin. When he left he was shooting in the air, and yelling the Bone Rules. Bone then find himself again with no place to go, he later hitch a ride on a christian van, which was Buster Brown van a person in a band. He stool the van and his money and took off with Froggy a girl who was traveling with Buster. Still in need of a place to stay Buster went back to the bus, and found that the guys are gone. There he met I-man, a Rastafarian man, and soon became friends. With I-man Bone feels thankful. I-man teaches him a lot of things about his culture, his plants, and the food he makes.
Quote
"Because up to then for me living was the same as Running through hell with a gasoline suit on" (Banks 152).
Reaction
I believe in what he is saying. This quote is one that I find to be very strong, and shows much hardship throughout his life. He is basically saying his life so far has been worse than hell. From what i have read about his life, i can tell he had it ruff. Reading about What he has gone through make me feel lucky to have the life I have.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Rule of the Bone (pg 73 -128)
Summary
Chappie, the main character of the book was duck tape to a chair by the drug addicts, which are Bruce, Roundhouse, and joker in Russ room. They tape him up to a chair with only his underwear on until Russ comes back so they can question the two.They want to question him about stealing their stuff, which are mostly TVs and VCR. Russ came back and they escape, in their escape a fire was started by the curtains catching on fire from being to close to the heater. It took over the whole building. Bruce died in the fire going back for Chappie thinking he was stuck in the building. In need of a new place to go and stay, they stole a car at convenient store parking lot, later on they parked the car and took the plates to sell. They came to a rundown bus and stayed there for a while. They were trying to get rid of the tattoos they got from Bruce's gang so they sold the plates for 100 dollars and used that money to pay for the new tattoos. Chappie got two crossbones and changed his name to bone. With only 30 dollars left they needed to find a place to stay. They bought tickets for the bus to go to a cabin in the woods that used to be own by a rich professor to stay in. they can stay there until the Ridgeways, who are the professor family come up from Connecticut.
Quotation
"They had hoses snaked all over the place and were shooting hard heavy streams of water into the fire but it was like the fire was alive and the water was its food that only made it grow larger and hungry for more" (Banks 82).
Reaction
There is great use of imagery in this quote, metaphor and personification. I like this quote and I am fascinated by it, because of the many literary devices that are being used. there is the use of metaphor when the it said, "they had hosed snaked", comparing the hoses with snakes. Personification when it was describing how the fire was alive eating the water like food and that it was hungry, and we know fire cannot eat only humans can.
Chappie, the main character of the book was duck tape to a chair by the drug addicts, which are Bruce, Roundhouse, and joker in Russ room. They tape him up to a chair with only his underwear on until Russ comes back so they can question the two.They want to question him about stealing their stuff, which are mostly TVs and VCR. Russ came back and they escape, in their escape a fire was started by the curtains catching on fire from being to close to the heater. It took over the whole building. Bruce died in the fire going back for Chappie thinking he was stuck in the building. In need of a new place to go and stay, they stole a car at convenient store parking lot, later on they parked the car and took the plates to sell. They came to a rundown bus and stayed there for a while. They were trying to get rid of the tattoos they got from Bruce's gang so they sold the plates for 100 dollars and used that money to pay for the new tattoos. Chappie got two crossbones and changed his name to bone. With only 30 dollars left they needed to find a place to stay. They bought tickets for the bus to go to a cabin in the woods that used to be own by a rich professor to stay in. they can stay there until the Ridgeways, who are the professor family come up from Connecticut.
Quotation
"They had hoses snaked all over the place and were shooting hard heavy streams of water into the fire but it was like the fire was alive and the water was its food that only made it grow larger and hungry for more" (Banks 82).
Reaction
There is great use of imagery in this quote, metaphor and personification. I like this quote and I am fascinated by it, because of the many literary devices that are being used. there is the use of metaphor when the it said, "they had hosed snaked", comparing the hoses with snakes. Personification when it was describing how the fire was alive eating the water like food and that it was hungry, and we know fire cannot eat only humans can.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Rule of the Bone (pg 1- 72)
Summary
From the first page, the narrator told the reader what he is going to say and do is all real and did occur. He said that because throughout the few pages I have read in the book there are occurrences that I would never expect a boy of his age would be doing some. He is very addicted to weed, and he drinks. he has easy access to alcohol because his step father drinks. After getting a fight with his stepfather he left the house and went to live with his friend Russ. He took his clothes, a 22 caliber gun, and stole his mothers money and left the house. He starts selling drugs, shoplifting, and hangout at malls. He got kick out from where he was living because he ran out of drugs and the crack addicts wanted some but he didn't have any so they kick him out and now his leaving in the Video den.
Quote
"You'll probably think I'm making a lot of this up just to make me sound better than I really am or smarter or even lukier but I'm not" (Banks 1).
Reaction
This qoute shows that he really dont think of himself much.
From the first page, the narrator told the reader what he is going to say and do is all real and did occur. He said that because throughout the few pages I have read in the book there are occurrences that I would never expect a boy of his age would be doing some. He is very addicted to weed, and he drinks. he has easy access to alcohol because his step father drinks. After getting a fight with his stepfather he left the house and went to live with his friend Russ. He took his clothes, a 22 caliber gun, and stole his mothers money and left the house. He starts selling drugs, shoplifting, and hangout at malls. He got kick out from where he was living because he ran out of drugs and the crack addicts wanted some but he didn't have any so they kick him out and now his leaving in the Video den.
Quote
"You'll probably think I'm making a lot of this up just to make me sound better than I really am or smarter or even lukier but I'm not" (Banks 1).
Reaction
This qoute shows that he really dont think of himself much.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Down these mean streets (pg 129 -210)
Summary
Piri has a friend name brew who is black. They get talking about skin color and race. Brew said that blacks are proud of their race and I agree with him. Brew told his story to Piri about some coccasion people coming up to him and threatening him. Piri than returns to New York, where he found out that his mother is in the hospital, who later dies. After that he found that his father had another woman on the side. Piri hates that lady a lot, after finding a picture of her he ripped it up.
Qoutation
"I wanted to scream it out, but that man's arm was cutting my air from sound. I twisted n force out" (Thomas 147).
Reaction
There are a lot of violence that take place in this book and this is one of them. The person who is envolve is piris father and himself. This qoute shows that Piri's farther doesnt really care about him. He had his hands around his neck, choking him.
Piri has a friend name brew who is black. They get talking about skin color and race. Brew said that blacks are proud of their race and I agree with him. Brew told his story to Piri about some coccasion people coming up to him and threatening him. Piri than returns to New York, where he found out that his mother is in the hospital, who later dies. After that he found that his father had another woman on the side. Piri hates that lady a lot, after finding a picture of her he ripped it up.
Qoutation
"I wanted to scream it out, but that man's arm was cutting my air from sound. I twisted n force out" (Thomas 147).
Reaction
There are a lot of violence that take place in this book and this is one of them. The person who is envolve is piris father and himself. This qoute shows that Piri's farther doesnt really care about him. He had his hands around his neck, choking him.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Down these mean streets (pg 81 -128)
Summary
Piri's family left Harlem for the life in the suburbs. Even though he does not want to leave his parents are leaving because they think there are more opportunities, and better schooling. This means new start in a new town,but he stills have difficulties fitting in. He still gets himself into weired adult situation, and faces discrimination. He faced discrimination when he went to apply for a job with a friend, he went in first and did not get the job , but when his friend went after him he got the job immediately.
Quotation
"It wasn't right to be ashamed of what one was. It was like hating Momma for the color she was and poppa for the color he wasn't" (Thomas 94).
Reaction
I choose this quote because i think it has great a defenition and that mix children and adults faced more difficulties in life than other people. What I mean by difficulties is that they are not really accepted into society. When I read this quote i thought of To Kill a Mocking bird because mix children were not accepted very well into the society. This shows that this occurs a lot of places.
Piri's family left Harlem for the life in the suburbs. Even though he does not want to leave his parents are leaving because they think there are more opportunities, and better schooling. This means new start in a new town,but he stills have difficulties fitting in. He still gets himself into weired adult situation, and faces discrimination. He faced discrimination when he went to apply for a job with a friend, he went in first and did not get the job , but when his friend went after him he got the job immediately.
Quotation
"It wasn't right to be ashamed of what one was. It was like hating Momma for the color she was and poppa for the color he wasn't" (Thomas 94).
Reaction
I choose this quote because i think it has great a defenition and that mix children and adults faced more difficulties in life than other people. What I mean by difficulties is that they are not really accepted into society. When I read this quote i thought of To Kill a Mocking bird because mix children were not accepted very well into the society. This shows that this occurs a lot of places.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Down these mean streets
pg 41-82
Summary
In this section of my book the main character is getting more social with kids his own age. There are many use of slang and swears in the book. He is having a difficult time fitting in with the crowd.
Quotation
" I wonder why the fuck he came in the first place. if anything brings fuzz, it's gonna be his knocking kness" (Thomas 75).
reaction
I chose these qoute specificly from the book because it reveals the dialect of the people in this book.It shows the vulgerity being used.
Summary
In this section of my book the main character is getting more social with kids his own age. There are many use of slang and swears in the book. He is having a difficult time fitting in with the crowd.
Quotation
" I wonder why the fuck he came in the first place. if anything brings fuzz, it's gonna be his knocking kness" (Thomas 75).
reaction
I chose these qoute specificly from the book because it reveals the dialect of the people in this book.It shows the vulgerity being used.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Down these mean streets
(pg 1- 40)
Summary
The first few pages of the book introduces the narrator and his home life. His family is introduced, especially his father. The boy is nine years of age. He sees many things on the streets were he lives. An example is crack addicts on the streets were he lives.
Quotation
"Carlito was a good kid. Someday he was gonna go through hell. Carlito was gonna be a junkie, like most us would be-but that is the future" (Thomas 17).
Reaction
this quote from the book is a powerful one. Even at a young age the boys knew their own future or fate. It is sad to see young adults thinking they are going to end up with a life of misery in the future. They believe that is what their future is going to be like because their society is fool or junkies. Will this be true as I continue on reading Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas? That is a question i will like to find out.
Summary
The first few pages of the book introduces the narrator and his home life. His family is introduced, especially his father. The boy is nine years of age. He sees many things on the streets were he lives. An example is crack addicts on the streets were he lives.
Quotation
"Carlito was a good kid. Someday he was gonna go through hell. Carlito was gonna be a junkie, like most us would be-but that is the future" (Thomas 17).
Reaction
this quote from the book is a powerful one. Even at a young age the boys knew their own future or fate. It is sad to see young adults thinking they are going to end up with a life of misery in the future. They believe that is what their future is going to be like because their society is fool or junkies. Will this be true as I continue on reading Down These Mean Streets by Piri Thomas? That is a question i will like to find out.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)