Metamorphosis...WHAT?!?

I just got done reading the first nine pages of The Metamorphosis, and I would have to say that it was one of the weirdest beginnings of a book that I have ever read. I'm not saying it's bad at all, but to put it in perspective...a man turned into a bug. I'm sure this will lead to an excellent story--or at least I hope it does--but how could someone even come up with this. I mean, somebody could easily imagine this happening, but most people would immediately dismiss actually writing a story about it. I think the fact that the author went through with this and wrote about it makes the book even more interesting. Since I have no clue where the plot of the book is going to go, I can't really make any good predictions or anything, but I can say that I think it will be an interesting and very good read. I actually look forward to reading it because I've liked pretty much everything we've read so far in College Lit, so chances are that I will also like this.

Since Metamorphosis made it on a crazy story line, it got me thinking. What other plots could one write about that sound crazy at first but brilliant on paper? If this book had been written today, would it have made as big as an effect on literature as it did back then?

Stubborn Old Troy!!

In the book Fences, one of the major issues has to do with Troy holding his son Cory back. I think that it is terrible that a father would do that to his son. I understand that Troy is just worried about Cory being rejected, but times have also changed. Troy may not have been able to play baseball because of the color of his skin, but Cory is from a different generation. Yes, he may have some obstacles or problems with his dream of becoming a big star, but that doesn't mean he shouldn't try at all. If anything, Cory would be able to potentially go to college while playing football. This would be an awesome opportunity for him.

I think that Troy is truely trying to help Cory and truely believes deep inside that Cory doesn't have a chance. It's understandable that he would think this way because of his own past experiences, but Troy needs to live in the present and not just the past. This is a major theme (maybe even a problem) with Troy. He tends to think only about what has already happened and not about the future or what he can change.

I guess my final thoughts are actually questions. How should Cory react to his dad? Should he go against him, or should he somehow find a way to continue with football? Is there a chance that Troy will change? What, if anything, would force Troy to change?

The "Others" in The Hunger Games

I am currently reading The Hunger Games, and I realized that the theme of our class ("others" or being an outsider) actually plays a role in the book. For those of you who haven't read this book, it is about a future world. There are 12 different districts and the Capitol takes a boy and a girl from each district every year to fight until death. Basically, the last person standing wins. Now your next question is probably: "How does this have to do with the theme at all?" In the book for most of the districts, it is considered honorable to be picked as a participant to fight in the Hunger Games. The main character, however, comes from a rather poor district that has the complete opposite view of this sick entertainment. Katniss lives in District 12, and the people there live in fear of being chosen to fight in the Hunger Games. In a way, District 12 is an "other" compared to the other districts. District 12 is considered strange in that the people don't enjoy this disgusting form of fun. Even further, Katniss is an "other" in the way that she volunteers to join the Hunger Games. Even though her reasoning to save her sister makes sense, people of District 12 never thought they would see the day when someone would do this. I thought that it was pretty cool that this theme was in the book, but even further, I thought it was awesome that the "others" were the ones doing the right thing. The fact that District 12 is considered strange because it doesn't like cruel entertainment seems backwards. Why is it that sometimes the right way is sometimes considered outlandish? Shouldn't it be the other way around?

Introduction

Hello, I'm Ali. I'm interested in a ton of different things. A lot of my life revolves around sports. Most of the time I enjoy playing soccer, but sometimes basketball is fun too. I also play piano, but I don't get much time to practice/play because of school. I really like music and books too!

I kind of have my post-high school plans figured out, but they aren't definite. I've always wanted to go into the medical field, and lately I have kind of taken some interest in oncology. College is obviously part of my future, but I also want to keep up with soccer and maybe basketball. Maybe I will play intramural sports....

One of my favorite books is Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult. I also really like Stephen King because he's creepily awesome. I don't really have a favorite movie; however, I do really enjoy the comedies. I also have a ton of favorite musicians. For example, I love Phil Vassar, who is a phenomenal pianist and country singer!