Response to Kite Runner(First Impressions)

      My first impressions of Kite Runner was that it was disturbing, yet intriguing. There are also lots of twists and turns that I didn't expect to happen. I was so immersed into the story. I felt  like I was right there along side Hassan and Amir just watching everything happen.
      When Hassan got raped I was very surprised. In the part when Amir describes that scene, I didn't think he was being raped until he said it later on in the book. I thought Assef was punching Hassan in the privates with his brass knuckles. I never would have expected Assef to rape him. I don't understand how these eight year olds know about raping other little boys. They must have really bad parents or experiences themselves. I really think Assef is really a Sociopath and need extensive care in a Asylum. This is probably a  factor that led to him raping Hassan.
      Another part of the book that was really interesting to me was the personality of Amir. He is a total coward, a-hole, and so many other words that I want to say. How could anyone with a heart stand in an alleyway and watch your best friends/brother be brutally beat up and then raped. I also don't understand how he is so different from his dad. I would think that he would inherit at least some of his dad's traits, but it seems like Amir is not even Baba's son. I can't believe Amir would would run away when Hassan was being harassed in that alleyway. If  that was me, I would have charged in there and make those three boys beg for me to kill them. When Amir threw pomegranates at Hassan I couldn't believe that Hassan didn't lay a single hand on Amir. Somebody with that much loyalty is very hard to find. I think only 0.000000001 out of the 6.5billion people on earth has that amount of loyalty. I think Amir should go and kill himself for being such a coward. I think that a recovery  from what Hassan experienced will take a long time.
      Overall, I think the story is great so far. I also think that there is a lot of controversy behind it.
 

Of Mice and Men

In John Stienbecks novel “Of Mice and Men” Two middle aged men named Lennie and George are migrant workers traveling together. The encounter countless problems with workers on the farm, each other, and even themselves. Lennie has a mental illness that attracts trouble for them everywhere they go. George and Lennie’s goal was go earn enough money to start up their own farm, but their plans are complicated by many roadblocks.

The central conflict in Of Mice and Men is character vs. self. Lennie’s mental illness keeps him from fully interacting with people and understanding right from wrong, causing trouble for himself and everyone around him.

Lennie causes mischief for George all the time. George acts as a babysitter, 24/7. Trouble follows Lennie everywhere and his mental illness acts like a second personality that is on autopilot. Lennie forgets most of the things George tells him. When George tells Lennie not to tell anyone about their plan to buy a piece of land, Lennie is so excited about tending the rabbits, that he tells Crooks all about it. Another time is when George has to always take animals like mice away from Lennie. Lennie doesn't remember half the things he's done, so its like he wakes up from a dream every time he's done something bad.

”Voices were approaching from outside. George said, Don’t tell nobody about it. jus’ us three an’ nobody else.” Is what George told Lennie and Candy after telling them about their plan to buy a piece of land. “Lennie said quietly, “ “It ain’t a no lie. We’re gonna do it.Gonna get a little place an’ live on the fatta the lan.” That was Lennie telling Crooks about their plan about starting up a farm, the thing George specifically told Lennie NOT to do.

Lennie also has this obsession with petting soft things, which leads him to his death at the end of the story. Lennie has killed countless animals just by petting them. His mental illness tells him that he needs to pet something all the time to keep calm and feel good. I think by petting something soft his brain calms down and causes Lennie to feel comforted. Lennie needs to pet something so that he doesn't freak, just like a baby needs a pacifier when he/she is about to cry. Lennie starts out with petting mice, he kills it because he’s too strong, then he gets a pup, he kills it because it was too small.

                  “When I’m doin’ my hair sometimes I jus’ set an’ stroke it ‘cause it’s so soft.” “ She took Lennie’s hand and put it on her head. Feel right aroun’ there an’ see how soft it is. Lennie’s big fingers fell to stroking her hair. Lennie said, Oh! That’s nice, and he stroked harder. Oh, that’s nice. “Look out, not, you’ll muss it. And then she cried angrily you stop it now, you’ll muss it all up. She jerked her head sideways and Lennie’s fingers closed on her hair and hung on.Let go,s he cried. You let go! Lennie was as in a panic. His face contoured. She screamed then, and Lennie’s other hand closed over her mouth and nose. Please don’t he begged. She struggled violently under his hands. Her feet battered on the hay ad she withered to be free; and Lennie began to cry with fright. He shook her then, and he was angry with her. Don’t you go yellin’, he said. And then he shook her and hr body flopped like a fish. And then she was still for Lennie had broken her neck.”

Near the end of the story Curley’s wife tells Linnie to feel her hair. He touches her hair and his mental illness wants to keep touching it because hes never felt anything as soft. Curley's wife then tell him to stop, but Lennie pulls her hair, she starts to scream and Lennie starts to freak, he covers her mouth with his giant hand suffocating her, then he accidentally snaps her neck by shaking her killing her instantly.  This obsession with petting soft things  ultimately leads to his own death.

At the end of the story Lennie hallucinates. This was his real inner personality taking control and telling his illness that it really messed up. Lennie's mental illness was a second personality that was a little kid and bullied the real Lennie. When he hallucinates the real Lennie argues with his mental illness and reflects on all the bad things hes done. When he finally sees George he wakes up from his hallucination, Lennie's mental illness takes control. He then tells George to give him hell.

“Lennie said, “Geroge.” “Yeah?” Ain’t you gonna give me hell. sure like you always done before. Like, if I di’nt have you I’d take my fifty bucks. “Jesus Christ Lennie! you Can’t remember nothin that happens but you remember ever’ word I say. After George goes through his usual lecture Lennie says “And I get to tend the rabbits.” “an’ you get to tend the rabbits.” Lennie giggled with happiness.

His mental illness probably thinks that when George gives him hell, it is his consequence and that everything will be better once he is punished. When this happens Lennie is basically forgiving himself because he took his punishment and now there is nothing wrong.

In conclusion Lennie mental illness creates lots of unnecessary problems for the people around him, but mostly hiself. If his mental illness was not present then all the trouble would be gone and everything might have gone according to plan. George, Lennie, and Candy would have their farm and everything would be alright, but that's only if Lennie didn’t have his mental illiness.

Emotions

    Emotions appear in everyday life, they can change the way people act and react to things. There are lots of emotions, but the main ones are happiness, sadness, anger, being scared, and being surprised. There are ways people can tell what other people are feeling by paying close attention to their facial expressions. There are three types of facial expressions a "slight expression", "partial expression", and a "micro expression" (Emotions revealed pg 261) Most of what I know is from the book Emotions Revealed by Paul Ekman. Theres a chart on pg261 in the link that basically defines the quoted words above.
   Trying to read peoples faces is really challenging and can give you headaches. I've tried to look at someones face and see what they are feeling (happy,sad, etc) but it doesn't just work like that. Mr.Fargher is one of those teachers that are fairly easy to interpret or read, whatever you call it. In the beginning of the school year he was very happy and filled with lots of energy. Now he has lots of sadness, surprise, and anger all over his face. I think it might be related to the fact that he has to do a whole bunch of tests and stuff for multiple scrosis. Sutherland is very relaxed and his overall stress is very low. There was that day when he first switched periods with corbally and he was just soo stressed out and I think was surprised a little. Mr.Sousa is always calm and happy. Ms.Corbally is usually calm and happy with a side order anger. Mr.Higashi has recently been a little sad but is usually calm and happy. Umm I think thats all, not everything I say is absolutely true cause I basically kinda suck at looking at people and just knowing what they feel. How is this not more than 350 words ughhh
    Another important thing about reading people, is the situation. No, not Jersery Shore the situation the people are in. If you see someone that is showing sadness in their face, and they just won a million dollars, then either 1.your not very good at reading emotions 2.The person that won the million dollars might express excitement in a different way. People can release emotions in many different ways, so knowing the situation the person is in can greatly help with knowing what the person is feeling. Sometimes people will have a conflict and when that happens, anger is usually written all over their faces. I really want to terminate the adding of the academic vocabulary.