The Soloist 23-31

The soloist has been a very interesting book to say the least. From begining to end, Lopez is there for Nathaniel and trys to help him in every way that he can. Although Steve could not cure Nathaniels mental illness, he cured his lonesome by becoming his best friend. It was a good thing that Steve realized curng him was almost impossible, because becoming his friend was so much better for Nathaniel. A story about helping someone is my favorite. It cannot get any better than that.The Soloist definetely brought up many modern day issues. I cannot beieve the fact that Nathaniel remained homeless for so long. That is proposterous. This goes to show how people only socialize with "normal" human beings. We need more people like Steve who would be willing to do things out of the "ordinary."

I am happy that Nathaniel finally agreed to live in the apartment despite the confrontation him and Lopez had. Another thing I liked was the growth of an irregular friendship. This is a good moral that the readers have learned. Befriending people that normally would not have any friends is a great deed.

Overall, reading the Soloist was a unique experience but overall im glad i did.

The Soloist 13-22

Once again this book has exceeded my expectations in a good way. The persistency of Lopez really astounds me, but I still don't really understand why he's going through all this trouble. Even though I don't understand Lopez, I definitely respect him for what he is doing. Not many people would take time out of their everyday schedule to help a poor, schizophrenic, violin player, playing violin on the streets. But the impact Lopez has on Nathaniel is incredible. He has almost completely changed Nathaniel's life for the better. I know personally if I was in Lopez's situation when he first met Nathaniel I would not have given him the time of day. Over the short period of time Lopez and Nathaniel have known each other they have become very close friends and more has happened to Nathaniel then expected. I thought that Lopez would write the article and readers would be interested but I didn't they would go as far as to send him equipment and sincerely care for him. Nathaniel has a bright future because of Lopez.

The Soloist 1-6

So far in chapters 1-6, I have really enjoyed this book. Although I am enjoying it I find myself with a lot of questions and no answers. Why is Lopez helping this guy out? How far is Lopez willing to go? How does a poor man from the streets get into Julliard? Although I ask all of these questions I can sympathize with Lopez. I mean if I met a poor, homeless, schizophrenic that could play the violin so well that he got into Julliard, I would make a fuss about it to. So far this book has been one of the most interesting books I have read. The story of Ayers is astounding to me and I can't wait to read more.

The Catcher in the Rye

In The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield remembers the days following getting kicked out of Pencey Prep, a private school. After a fight with his roommate, Stradlater, Holden leaves school two days early to explore New York before returning home, interacting with teachers, prostitutes, nuns, an old girlfriend, and his sister along the way. This book was interesting but I'm not quite sure it was my speed. I didn't really feel like J.D. Salinger portrays the "teenager" in a proper way. However J.D. Salinger was very vivid and descriptive in the way he told the story and at some points it was like i was actually there.

The Soloist 7-12

These last chapters have raised a lot more questions then the ones before. One question is whether Steve Lopez was an under-privileged kid because he always writes about those who are less fortunate. Does Lopez ever write about upbeat stories of people who have great success? What is so special Nathaniel that Lopez is going through all this trouble? Is Nathaniel Lopez's favorite story? One of my previous questions had been answered though. My question was whether or not Lopez himself had ever played an instrument but he states that he always wanted to learn an instrument but never had the time or the ambition. I am very interested to see what happens next in the story.

Death of a Salesman

There are many reasons that Willy Loman dies. One is that he was an elderly salesmen lost in false hopes and illusions. Another is that the sales firm he works for no longer pays him salary. Because he is working on straight commission, Willy cannot bring home enough money to pay his bills. After thirty-four years with his firm, they have spent his energy and discarded him. You can tell Willy Loman is delusional because everyone knows that his son Biff is a failure, but Willy is the only one who doesn't see it. He wants his son to succeed where he has not. He believes his boys are great and cannot understand why they are not successful. As Willy gotolder, he has trouble distinguishing between the past and present, and is often lost in flashbacks where we find out about much of his past. These flashbacks are generally during the summer after Biff's senior year of high school when all of the family problems began.The reason Biff is not successful is because once, Willy Loman was having an affair with another woman on a business trip and Biff caught him in the act. Biff was so angry at his father that instead of going to summer school he fled and never got his diploma. Now, Biff does not respect Willy and they do not get along. In the end Willy commits suicide so that Biff can have the insurance money to become successful and be everything Willy wasn't.

Third Quarter Reflection

Using blogger during the third quarter was a wonderful surprise. I'm not usual a person who likes to embrace technology for all it's worth, no matter how convenient it is. In a way using this online "blogging" technique is convenient and in some ways it can be an annoyance. It is nice that you can hand in an assignment anytime you want instead of having to wait until the next school day, and you know it will always be there. It is sometimes an annoyance if you do the assignment and there is a technical problem and your posts don't get published. Overall I think it is great that we are using this online system and it is an enjoyable change of pace from the usual homework experience.