Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 20

Everything that happens to Toru has been influenced by his past actions or meetings. His experiences with people and the events of his past and present are currently shaping his future without any control by him. Fate is guiding him down a path that he is not even aware he's taking yet. The element water has been present his entire life, but any association with it has giving a negative effect on him. The element wind is not as freeing as it's supposed to be because when air shows up in the story it's usually about something or someone being stuck somewhere--grounded.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 19

A light drizzle of snow falls during the time Kumiko's abortion. Snow representing purity was described in an unpleasant imagery, which could hint at the dismay Toru felt and the topic of abortion. The snow was defiled, there was no more innocence left. Earlier Toru also realized that his innocence was gone after his first abortion.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 18

When Toru is in a bar in Sobbaru he comes across a singer who says that other people can feel the pain of others by making it their pain. The concept of empathy; however, Creta Kano was someone who experienced great pain and decided that no one understood how she felt. The way the singer talks about feeling what other people feel, Creta can be seen to be self-absorbed believing that the people around her don't know pain, when the pain she feels they feel. They want to share the pain and joy with others. The chance meeting of the musician and Toru may have been destiny and not luck.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 17

Kumiko and Toru's first date happens to be at the aquarium. Whenever Toru is associated with the element of water something wrong happens. During the jellyfish exhibit he becomes ill due to a past experience. When he was young he got lost in a school of jellyfish in the ocean.

Light no matter where it has shown up for Toru has given him relief and comfort. Knowing that the light is there makes Toru calm in any situation. THe light dissolves his fears and darkness.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 16

Mr. Honda predicted that Toru would need to climb to the highest place or go down to the bottom of the well. Toru goes all the way down the well at the vacant house. He experiences a less intense light than Mamiya, but he could understand that the light ruled over everything in the darkness.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 15

Mamiya starts to more and more resemble Creta Kano as the story progresses. He experiences great pain, and believed that him dying would be the ultimate bliss that he'd been searching for. This is more than coincidence between these two characters. I'm not sure if their connection has anything significant behind it or if they just have similar backstories.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 14

When Toru manages to think of his week, he realizes that the Wind-up bird hasn't been present for awhile. The Wind-up bird "winds the spring of their little world." The bird helped start the day of correctly, but there was an imbalance. The flow was changed and the bird was their to correct it. Toru's recent misgivings can have to do with the change of flow.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 13

When Toru's wife leaves him, it catches him off guard. He even says he likes "the sounds and the smells." He enjoys having his senses and his perceptions so that he can follow the world. Unlike Mamiya who couldn't rely on his perceptions within the well.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 12

Mr. Honda's keepsake that was left to Toru was an empty box. However, maybe the gift wasn't the box, but the story of Mamiya. Mr. Honda foresaw things and maybe he knew that if he were to give Toru a keepsake he would hear the story of Mamiya and that was the future he saw. The empty Cutty Sark box could also be used to represent an empty shell. Mamiya had said before he left that he was just "fulfilling the obligation of living." he had long become an empty shell, numb to the world. A piece of him died in the well and that was the ability to feel. Maybe Mr. Honda is telling Toru to not become an empty shell when the time comes to test his will.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 11

Lieutenant Mamiya was thrown into a dry empty well in Outer Mongolian Territory and left to die. Earlier in the story Toru looked down a deep empty well with May Kasahara at the vacant house in the end of the neighbourhood. I'm not sure if this is connected in any way to Toru, since there are two empty wells and the symbol of water all around him. I wonder if his actions now as a person are influencing the way his destiny is being decided. Will Toru experience the same fate as Mamiya? Will someone representing water throw him in a dry well?

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 10

When Toru was recharging the batteries of his coworker, he began to refer to themselves as "two warm lumps of flesh. That was what everyone was." When Toru is listening to Lieutenant Mamiya and after Yamamoto was skinned, Mamiya refered to him as a "lump of flesh" I'm not sure if this is somehow connected to Toru. I just noticed that they were interconnected ideas. Toru's statement was evidenced with the experience of Mamiya. Everyone is just a lump of flesh.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 9

Mrs. Okada lies and doesn't tell Toru that she has received a gift from another man. I'm not entirely sure what this "thin veil of secrecy" has to do with the overall all plot though. It could be to reveal the misconceptions of Toru and his lies, or it could be a basic plot developer. After, the incident with his coworker, Mrs. Okada did say she was going to get back at him, so at this point anything could be possible. However, it does feel like she has someone else on the side because of her constant lateness when she comes home, but then again that could also be misleading or even irrelevant.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 8

May Kasahara says that balding is the guide to death. Earlier in the story she said to Toru that his hairline is starting to recede, so that may mean that he is leading towards his death. The story has revolved around the unknown, mysterious air of Toru and his seemingly harmless adventures. However, the people he's met and associated with are warning him of his passing or dangers in the future that may come.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 7

There are elements of water that surround Mr. Okada throughout his entire life. Every time he is associated with one of the characters representing water, he gets in trouble or experiences something negative. For example, his ex-coworker is deathly afraid of culverts, which is an underground stream, and when he fails to call his wife because of her, he gets the silent treatment in three days. Whenever a character is surrounded in water, the effect of it is reversed, water is supposed to represent cleansing, but to Mr. Okada it befalls tragedy.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 6

Creta Kano has a "woe-is-me" type of thinking. No matter if she feels pain, or is filled with numbness there is a negativity that she finds and from that negativity suicidal apprehensions develop. She is projected as "light and airy" which is a symbol to freedom, but she is strapped down by death. She is scared of being free and therefore she wishes to die.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 5

Creta Kano experiences "pain" a physical pain, that could just be from her emotional state or mental state. She thinks that she has experienced "real" pain. The pain she feels could possibly be from the anxiety of being the youngest child; a son would receive high praise and Malta Kano, the person she relied on most, was gone. The pain could possibly be just a manifestation of these factors.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 4

Malta Kano is interested in water. Water is a cleansing and purifying element and she seems to be the character that can help Mr. Okada with all his problems, therefore purifying and/or cleansing him. She said that human existence was largely controlled by water and Mr. Okada was predicted that he needed to stay away from water for it was dangerous to him.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 3

Noboru Wataya is fake. He constantly hides his true intentions and emotions with a mask. He has able to change the mask he wears to fit different situations in which he's roundabout. He avoids anything concrete and hides from the world through his lies.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 2

Mr. Okada enters a dreamlike state in the yard of a vacant house and decides to nickname himself the Wind-Up Bird. He takes the name after an already preexisting nickname given to an unseen, mysterious bird that winds up the morning and starts the day. He takes this name in front of a spring bird that ironically stares at the sky, however, since it's made of stone it can never leave the ground.

Wind-Up Bird Chronicle 1

I'm not entirely sure what I need to blog about so I will just give a brief interpretation of what I've read up until now.

Mr. Okada and his wife recently lost their cat, Wataya, and they hired a channeler to help find him. The channeler, Malta Kano, is supposedly a foreseer that has given a brief generality of the events which to about to unfold for Mr. Okada. The next day he goes and searches for the cat and ends up sitting on a lawn chair in a vacant house inbetween a wall separating two neighbourhoods.

Hour 2

Edited for another power hour.

Hour 1

Edited my essay for an hour

What is the What? #4

What is the What was extremely hard to analyze because it was written in a biographical format. With that in mind, analyzing someones writing about their life was difficult since most of what was written is objective rather than subjective. However, I did notice a lot of biblical allusions layered within the story.

The Eleven--Valentino's group in Pinyudo--represents the 12 disciples because if you include him it makes twelve. He also comments on how they are the best and that even one of the members is a great fisherman just as how Peter of the disciples was a fisherman.

Moses is like Judas betraying the group and Valentino to join the SPLA and to meagerly throw away his life.

Tabitha is compared indirectly to being an angel in how he wishes he could watch her ascend upon an escalator.

Valentino's constant mishaps are trials he must overcome to become a better person. Free from his war ridden past.

What is the What? #3

Valentino and Achor Achor find an A shaped hut and light a fire. Even though they're now dry and warm from the evident dangers of the rain and wildlife, Achor Achor wants to die. He wants to die, since everyone is dying, but Valentino lives up to his given name in which he is spreading the light or the will to live.

What is the What? #2

Chapter 14:

Valentino is reunited with his childhood friend William K. Together they venture into the desert in hopes of reaching Ethiopia. William K tells magnificent lies of Ethiopia in order to keep both of them in high spirits, knowing that they could die at any moment. During the chapter Valentino's leg is severely wounded by barbed wire and later becomes infected. Vultures start to approach and hover above William K and Valentino.

The presence of a vulture signifies death. A vulture being a decomposer, feeds on dead, rotting animals hinting that Valentino may die from his infected leg. However, it is to signify the oncoming death of William K. His body becomes weaker more of a skeleton and his body becomes distraught and he even goes crazy.

What is the What? #1

Valentino a Sudanese refugee is robbed and beaten in his own house. The comfort of his home is violated and his items stolen. The irony in this is that, Valentino, has seen worse than his robbers, Tonya and Powder, he has seen death in all forms. At the end of chapter nine Valentino says, "No one is waiting to hear the kicking of a man above." alluding to the absence of God's watchful eye on Sudan.

catch-22 #7

Catch-22 was an enjoyable book, whether or not I comprehended anything at all. The story itself was out of the norm for it reversed in which we think of things. Basically meaning that we ourselves were caught in the notorious rule of "catch-22."

catch-22 #6

This book was extremely difficult for me to follow. The story would have within it substories that would seem like a hallucination rather than real dialogue. At one point of the book Yossarian speaks to Clevinger, but in the previous pages they say Clevinger disappeared. The lack of indication whether or not something is a flashback, a foreshadowing of the future, or even what events are occurring adds to the lucidity of the characters. Questioning whether or not someone is sane or considered insane adds to the height of the story. Having the story this way though I cannot stray from the idea that Joseph Heller made it this way in order for us to familiarize ourselves with the soldiers. They were confused and caught in an unavoidable loophole known as "catch-22", so by making the story itself lucid adds to our insanity allowing the reader to relate.

catch-22 #5

Aarfy is a mess officer who is building a produce/food distribution organization around the Eastern Hemisphere. He signs contracts with Germany and anyone since he sees that everyone has a part in the profit, so no man can be excluded. We see Aarfy in two views, a provider, yet a traitor. He provides for the squadron mess halls, allowing them to have fine cuisine and exotic pastries, desserts, and fruits. However, we soon learn that he contracts a deal with the German forces to attack them.

The reason the audience is so displeased and furious at this turn of events is that he is the mess officer. He controls the food and therefore one of our life sustaining forces. When we think of dinner or dining we see it as a peaceful time of merriment and joy and at first Aarfy brings that to the squadron and we are rooting for him. But he then destroys the traditional view of eating with disgust. Joseph Heller most likely chose Aarfy as the mess officer to portray that in war, nothing is sacred anymore.

catch-22 #4

Chapter 16

The chapter aptly named Luciana is full of symbolism toward the seven deadly sins. Hungry Joe even states that Aarfy is "Sinful" further supporting my observation. Luciana is the devil, a temptress towards Yossarian. She even exhibits a catch-22 when Yossarian says he wants to marry her saying "You won't marry me because I'm crazy, and you say I'm crazy because i want to marry you?"

Yossarian is full of lust, Hungry Joe full of envy, Aarfy of pride, Luciana of gluttony, and wrath.

catch-22 #2

catch-22 #3

Chapter 12

This particular chapter was layered with biblical allusion and symbolism. The chapter starts off with Yossarian drunk and picking a fight with Colonel Korn, while outside it's pouring rain. Rain signifying the cleansing him and his bombardiers receive. Captain Halfoat even willing says that they would all rather die drowning than die Flying. Flying is no longer a symbol of freedom, but one of death and dismay.

Near the end of the chapter Yossarian would want the rain to go on forever. Therefore he would like to be forever cleansed from all the death he and his squadron have surrounded themselves with. However, the rain stops signifying that they cannot be cleansed and have to continue to fight until they die.

catch-22 #2

Each character in their own right is perplexing. Chief Halfoat, a Native American, dictates his life as a boy telling everyone how his family was pursued by oil farmers. This being an obvious reference to the displacement of American Indians during the time. As his family constantly change dwellings and the infinite walking. At the end of his chapter it stated that he "hated his family for being liars" but we can assume that they lied to protect him from the racism.

Doc Daneeka is an untrustworthy person and being a doctor that is ironic for doctors are people we entrust with our very lives.

catch-22 #1

The book's name is not just a title but a revolving theme in the entire book. Catch-22 is a rule in which a man who does not want to be killed is sane but is insane for fighting but if he asks to stop fighting hes deemed sane. The only sane one left is the character Yossarian cause he is a "crazy bastard."

1984 #6

Through this book I have learned that humanity and the individual needs to be able to change to survive. Thinking that if everything just become more unemotional and society can be ran through hate is naive at best. People have this internal almost supernatural desire to want to be able to be free. Freedom is not slavery but the means in which we cage ourselves.

1984 #5

The analysis of the text is probably the most difficult part of this book for me. The reason why is because the interpretations I have do not necessarily mean it is the right interpretation. As in, the memory hole, my interpretation of it is that it is the gates of hell, burning everything up--freedom, information, and power. Once it enters the fire, it all becomes ash.

1984 #4

Ninety Eighty-Four's value is more than just an interesting story about totalitarianism. It explains that one is being watched and observed throughout their life. Always and forever being judged by the people around them, but one cannot judge someone from appearance. It shows the readers that there is hope, but that the hope is miniscule if you do not believe.

1984 #3

The book has an interesting way of pulling up emotions of betrayal and cynicism. Winston and Julia are caught and betrayed by Mr. Charrington, who is later to be revealed to be part of the thought police. Ironically, he was the light at the end of the tunnel allowing Julia and Winston a haven for themselves, just to take it all away.

1984 #2

The story is getting pretty interesting I especially like the way the author is throwing up irony all over the place. Being Free, but enslaved. The memory hole especially in my interpretation is the gates of hell, burning everything. The bombs blow up the buildings but to Winston the fires of the memory hole are his saviour for his love.

1984 #1

Winston's life intrigues me greatly, not only does he have no memories of anything before his present time, but he seems unscathed by it. I enjoy reading these types of stories where it presents the "what if" questions in us. What if this was the world after WWI, where would we be? I agree with Winston in the early pages of the book, where he wants free expression and freedom, challenging the views of Big Brother.

HTRLLAP #2

At last I have accomplished reading the last few pages of this book (well I did a few days ago). It was helpful in the sense that it was more of a review of Mrs. Panosian's teachings rather than learning something new. The author used simple academic vocab and was able to provide sufficient evidence for his claims. However, it felt like he expected us, the readers, to already have read a cornucopia of literary novels, but being in high school we have yet to scrape the surface of Sophocles, Shakespeare and other noted authors.

How To Read...

This book seems to give some helpful tips, but it also seems a bit one-sided. It just feels that there could be other ways to view what he says and the examples he gives and the interpretations that he has, though, is a good starting point. The first 106 pages were a bit dull but the book started to pick up. It is mostly review since Panosian went over this mostly.