Nany ( Story #10 Fever)

After going through a break up it is very hard to get your life back together. Specially when there are many things you need to take care of. In this short story we can see how Carlyle goes through a tough time looking for a new baby siter for his kinds as well as getting through the dayly ruteen that he used to have. I really enjoyed this story even though it had a sad ending. It shows how something really small can change your life. In this case it was Mrs. Webster. She made him feel more calm, free from the suffering he had been going through because of his ex Eileen. He is also much happyer because he sees that his children are getting along with the new Nany, and that is just the best thing he could have givin his kids. In the end I feel that the ending is not disapointing even though its sad, because the story is so enjoyable, specially when Mrs. Webster shows up that when she has to leave its is sad but at the same time touching that she changed this family for good. So now they can continue with a better life.

( Story # 9 The Train)

In the short story called The Train there is an atmosphere of waiting for time to pass but time passes so slowly its seems to be almost like it is standing still. The characters are a random group of people that seem to be thrown together by chance because of the train and then after a few minutes of interaction, they are separated when the train starts moving. These people have nothing in common with each other except for watching the clock, waiting for the train and having an urgent desire and need to get away from the place.
I have been in a situation when I was one of a random bunch of people, thrown together by chance. The people there were part of my life for a few minutes, there was no interaction with them and I can not even remember details of what they wore or remember what they really looked like. It was all like a blur of color but without any mood or feelings. We just met in passing and then each went their own ways like in the expression two ships crossing the sea at night.

Family ( Story # 8 Where im Calling from)

I come from a divorced family and I know what it feels like to see how a family breakes apart. But something I had never experienced was a family breaking apart because of drinking and abuse caused from those drinking problems. Like JP's family did. I also thought that the story could have ended in a better way because at least it made me want to know the final ending.
I really hope that the family got back together if its for the best.
But some times its just better to have a family apart if it makes things more comfurtable and more safe.

Ears (Story # 7 Carefull)

In this small story the main characters Loyd and Inez are this weared couple .....
there seems to be a problem with his hearing. She aparently thinks that the problem can go away with just using some Q Tips .... I think that is very funny and reminds me of my mom because I get stomach flews very often and when I do so she always thinks it will go away with just a cup of tea. So every time I get sick she always makes me drink tea. It really never helped. Just like the Q Tips that Inez gave Loyde to use to clean up his ears to see if he could hear better, but it never worked.

Slang (Story #6 Vitamins)

What caught my attention and shocked me in this story was the use of slang words that I never really hear being said in public. The use of the name spades is meant for African Americans in the statement,"A few spades sat in the corner and a few more worked over plates of food at tables with a red oil-cloth." Lesbo bitch is used instead of Lesbian as in the sentence,"Suit yourself. But you are not going to wake Patti. Lesbo bitch, I said."The name gooks was used to refer to a person from Vietnam when it said in the story, "I teased the gooks some. "
The use of these names makes the story really sharp and aggressive and makes me feel very uncomfortable because I do not know people who use those words and it is hard for me to read them or hear them being used by others. It is very agressive and difficult for me.

Everything Happens for a reason (Story # 5 A small, good thing)

Life is full of surprises good ones and bad ones. You never know what is going to happen. I belive that everything happens for a reason. Even if you do not know what that reason is right a way. There is always good or bad concequences in effect of what happened.
For example " A Small good thing"is a story about a boy that is walking home from school on his birthday with a friend and gets hit by a car. He gets home seems to be fine and then enters in a kind of coma. His parents are worried sick about him, they do not want to leave the hospital they want to be next to Scotty when he wakes up from the coma. Scotty ends up dying, and the parents suffer very much, but i think that even though it is very hard for the loved ones to get through the loss, there is a reason for that to have happened. It could have been that if Scotty would have lived he would have had a terrible life, where he would suffer for different reasons. Or maybe it could have been that the parents needed to have a lesson in life and how to appreciate more. Everything happens for a reason.

Myers (Stroy # 4 The Compartement)

Myers, the main character in this short story is very interesting because so many weird things happen to him during his trip to find his son. For example getting robbed and changing his mind about seeing his some after he travelled many miles to go and see him.
" He put his hand into the inside pocket and took out his passport. He carried his wallet in his hip pocket. So he still had his wallet and the passport. He went through the other coat pockets. What was missing was the gift he'd bought for the boy- an expensive Japanese wrist watch purchased at a shop in Rome." This does not happen very often especialy in a European country, or at least I think people believe it is a very safe place in general because there are so many tourists visiting Europe all year long.

(Story # 3 PERSERVATION)

One thing that I have always been scared of is having a boy friend or a husband for so long that like in the movies they become these big lumps that sit on the couch that the only thing they do is watch TV, eat, and complain about everything woman do. That was my first impression I got when I started reading this short story.
But it appears to be something comepletely different, that I can relate to. I can relate to the fact that Mandy's husband seems to have some bad memories with auctions. I can relate to this because something bad once happened to me and at that momento there was some ballenato music playing and since then every time I hear ballenato music I remember that bad thing that happened to me by associating the music to the experience. This experience is similar to what happened to Sandy's husband because he does not like to go to auctions any more because of something that he associated with what had happened to him in the past.

Short story # 2 Life Experience

In the second short story I was able to relate one of my life experioences to one of the thinngs that happen to Wes when the Chef drove up to the house and told him that he needed to move out in a month, " I heared Chef say to WesGod knows he was sorry but he was going to have to aske us to leave at the end of the month"
I can relate to this in a way because ever since I have lived in Bogota I have always lived off rent and once me and my family were finally confurtable in this perfect house the owners had told us that we had to move out because his sister was moving back to Bogota. We had only lived there for 8 months when we were planing to live there for at least two years.
So this part of the short story reminded me of that time.

Story # 1 Peacock

In the short story called"Feathers" by Raymond Carver, I thought that the title was very interesting, but at the same time acquward because the Peacock does not have much to do with the main part of the story. The peacock only has a wierd impact on Fran and the narrator when they get to Buds house and the peacock pops out of the trees.
"Goddam, I said again, we stayed where we were in the front seat. The bird moved toward a little. Then it turned its head to the side and braced itself. It kept its bright, wild eye right on us. Its tail was raised and it was like a big fan folding in and out. There was every color in the rainbow shining from that tail."
I would have personaly givin the short story a different title, maybe something about the ugly baby, or about the unusual mold of Olla's old teeth. I definetly would have used a title using these different parts of the short story.

Section 31-40

" When you do something that you determine is to be done, never try to not be seen doing it, even if most people are likely to think something bad about it. If you are not doing it rightely avoid the act itself; If you are dong it rightely why do you fear those who will criticize you wrongly?"
I chose this quote from the text because I did not seem to understand it in the begining. When I read it over and over again I found it quite interesting to analize and reflect my life with it. I personally think that I can relate to the statement because if you put all your effort into doing something and you are completely sure you are right about it, there is no reason why you should fear those who will critisize you, corectly or incorectly.
I can relate to this because I tend to speak about things and then when I hear another point of view it sometimes makes me change my mind about that thing. So reading and understanding this quote made me realize that sometimes you just have to stick to your own ideas and no matter how much criticsm there is about my opinions and who is the one who is doing the to criticsm.

The End

In general I think that the whole book was interesting, but the only thing I was not crazy about was the ending. I enjoyed the way the author used many details when describing the different scenes and especially the beach scene. "When I went outside, the sun was up. Above the hills that separate Marengo from the sea, the sky was streaked with red. And the wind coming over the hills brought the smell of salt with it. It was going to be a beautful day."
I really thought there was going to be more of a climax in the ending, not just him basically giving up and then waiting for his death. I was disapointed with that kind of ending and it made me think much less of the whole book.

Pg. 98- 107 Absurd

“Fumbling a little with my words and realizing how rediculous I sounded, I blurted out that it was because of the sun. People laughed.” I think that this quote is important because you can see how even he is realizing that something is not ok. That everything that is happening is because of the person he assasinated. Also that giving lame excuses like that is not going to get him anywhere

Pg. 82-97 Listen and Appreciate

After going through a rough time in court, it is clear to see that in this part of the book a simple thing you do not get to experience in prison can make days worthwhile living for. Even though your rights have been taken away the little things can take on a new importance.“As I was leaving the couthouse on my way back to the van, I recognized for a brief moment the smell and color of the summer evening. In the darkness of my mobile prison, I could make out one by one, as if from the depth of my exhaustion all the familiar sounds of a town I loved and at a certain time of day when I used to feel happy. The cries of a newpaper vendors in the already languid air, the last few birds in the square, the shouts of the sandwich sellers, the screech of the streetcars turning sharply through the upper town and that hum in the sky before night engulfs the port.” Here you can see how much he appreciates just a few seconds of sounds of everyday normal life before entering the van. This is something he is not able to experience in jail so when getting the opportunity to really listen, it is something he really end up appreciating.

Pg. 72-81 Memories

Once you are stuck in jail it is really hard to keep yourself busy at all times. Not only that but having to get used to the way of life, for example sleeping on a hard board or even going to the bathroom in a small bucket and when any guard can walk by and watch what you are doing.
But something that helps getting away from this way of life is using you good memories
“Apart from theses annoyances, I was not too unhappy. Once again the main problem was killing time. Eventually once I learned how to remember things I was not bored at all. Some times I would get to thinking about my room, and in my imagination I would start at one corner and circle the room, mentally noting everything there was on the way. At first it didn’t take long.”

Pg 63- 71 Consicuences

When commiting a crime, some people find it really hard to realize they have done it but in the other hand there are people that do not realise they have commited a crime at all.
" I looked at him and saw a tall, fine-featured man with deep-set blue eyes, a long grey moustache, and lots of thick almost white hair. He stuck me as being very reasonable and overall, quite plesant, despite a nervouse tic which made his mouth twitch now and then. On my way out I was even going to shake his hand, but just in time I remembered that I had killed a man. The next day a lawyer came to see me at the prison."
Here you can see that he does not show much intrest, emotion or concern to the fact that he killed a man. It is hard to imagine that a person can just forget that they took someones life away. That is not something you can just forget about from one day to another. When you kill some one you have to be aware of the consequences that a person faces and will get for doing such a horrible act. He did not seem to do that in the begining and he just went on as if it were some kind of a game.

Pg 47-59 The Beach

In the last chapter of the first part I thought that having the descriptions of the scenery on the beach really had a lot of meaning because up until now the most meaningful moments of his life have been on the beach. An example of this is when he is meeting Marie for the first time after not seeing her for a long time. This scene took place on the beach.
But this time it was an important part of his life as well as it was also a bad part of his life at the same time. His life is completely switched from being a regular life, to one where there is pain and happiness, to a life that there was no more freedom.

Pg 41-46 Boring

I personally thought that this chapter was boring because nothing really important happens and it describes different events that happen in the main characters life.
The chapter has a sequence of events that really did not lead anywhere or have much of a climax in them.
The only part that I found that was impressive was about the lady in the restaurant and what happened to her in the sequence of events. I never found the real connection to the story and it seems to be just this random lady going through a random day.
"I had already started eating when a strange little woman came in and asked me if she could sit at my table. Of course she could. Her gestures were jerky and she had bright eyes in a little face like an apple. She took off her jacket, sat down, and studies the menu feverishly."

Pg 34-39 Appreciation

Salamano seems to spend most of his time with his dog but, it is ironic how Salamano does not appreciate his dog when he has him, but when he seems to lose him he finally shows that he cares. It is like when you have something we do not really tend to appreciate it until we lose it, and then its too late as it is gone forever.
"From a distance I noticed old Salamano standing on the door step. He looked flustered. When he got closer, I saw that her did not have his dog. He was looking all over the place, turning around, pearing into the darkness of the entry way, muttering incoherently, and then he started searching the street again with his little red eyes."
I am sure that losing his dog was hard on him but sometime when things are not appreciated time flies by and once it is gone it is too late. Also by losing his dog, he begins to lose his routine, his daily plans can become all mixed up and confused.

Pg 34-39

Pg. 25-33 Monotonus

What I thought was the most interesting part of this Chapter was Salamano, who has a dog. He walks the dog every day, at the same exact time, in the same exact way. "They havent changed their route in eight years. You can see them in the Rue de Lyon, the dog pulling the man along until old Salamano stumbles. Then he beats the dog and swears at it. The dog cowers and trails behind. Then it is the old man who pulls the dog. Once the dog has forgotten, it starts dragging its master along again and again and gets beaten and sworn at." If I was the old man I would change my routine because things that are very monotonus make me bored, are not exciting and what never changes is boring, atleast for me.
If I would take out my dog for a walk, I would do so at different times, change my daily routine each day, and take a new route for our walks. Maybe in this way the dog will realize when its ok for him to pull on the leash and when it is not ok to do so. Perhaps instead of only taking him out to walk, I would just teach him some new tricks here and there and then his life will be less monotonus and boring, and the combination of walks and tricks will be more interesting for the two of us.

Pg 19-24

After Mammans death, he got back to his normal daily life, and it is always hard to get back to your every day routine after losing some one special. Not having what to do, who to speak with, or any way of spending your time, when you basically cannot really find anything to do and you are not able to keep yourself entertained by anything, you start thinking about that person you miss so much. You really can not admit that they are gone even though its the last thing you want to think about.
For example "After lunch I was a little bored and I wandered around the apartment. It was just the right size When Mamman was here. Now its too big for me and I ve had to move the dining room table into my bedroom. I live in just one room now with some saggy straw chairs, a wardrobe whose mirror has gone yellow, a dressing table and a brass bed."
Its kind of like Murphies Law, when you least want something to happen to you, it is then when the probabilities of that thing happening goes up so high that they reach the fact that it ends up happening. Even though Meusald does not admit the fact that he misses Mamman, the book in a way is giving us small hints that deep inside he really does miss her in his own way.

Ch 1 Pg 3-19 Emotion

When Mamman died it kind of reminded me of when my grandfather died because he does not show much emotion, and when my grandfauther died i was also really confussed and thats way i didnt show much emotion especially in the funeral.

Losing someone special usually gets your feelings all mixed up and makes you act in different ways in this case show no emotion although its obviouse that he is devistated with his moms death.