Archive for June, 2009
The God of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I came across The God of Small Things when it was handed to me in class. I had never heard of the book or the author beforehand, but I now see people reading it everywhere I go. My initial reaction to reading the book was one of wonder and interest. I had read books that took the same postmodernist liberties with language and characters, and I had read books about India. I had never read a book that combined the two. The novel reminds me of A Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez in that it focuses on a family in a small town in a far-off country grappling with the repercussions of colonialism, and in its flirtation with magical realism.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
Because the characters and their lives were so radically different from my own, there wasn’t a moment in my reading of the book that I didn’t want to keep finding out more about them. I can’t really say that I particularly related to any one of the characters in the novel, but this does not mean that I could not immerse myself in the novel—in fact, the exact opposite is true. The characters’ qualities were either so magnificent—the genius of Estha and Rahel, the valor of Velutha and Ammu—or so detestable—the selfishness of Baby Kochama—that they came across more as almost mythical entities than anyone I could relate to.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
The novel almost flows over with stunningly beautiful moments, both jubilant and sorrowful. The most specifically memorable experiences attached to reading the book have to have been the conversations we had about it in class. Michael Fabrizio always had something intriguing to add about a passage or a character. His reaction, for example, to the explanation of the romantic encounter between Estha and Rahel was a very public manifestation of the way that the entire class felt.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Since reading The God of Small Things, I was inspired to buy a copy of Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie, which is also a postmodernist novel about India, though it features some more distinctly supernatural elements and characters. The parallel to A Hundred Years of Solitude was made above, and the similarities extend to that entire subgenre of fiction which includes works like Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer and Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel and concentrates on the workings on a family in a small town.
Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I came across Things Fall Apart in Ms. Chan’s Later British Literature class senior year. I had heard of it before from my sister, who studied post-colonial societies in college. It was very different than what I expected, though. The British influence on the Ibgo culture is handled very subtly in the novel, and is marginalized to make way for the much more interesting personal focus on Okonkwo and his family. Even though the village’s conflicts with the church do play a predominant role in the novel, they serve to advance the plot of Okonkwo’s story—this makes the reader a lot more sympathetic to the Africans’ plight. The story itself is also different from anything I had ever read before—the characters are almost archetypical and this means that the struggles between Okonkwo and his surrounding characters have a transcendent, almost mythical quality.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
Okonkwo devotes all of his time, attention and social standing to appearing strong before his village. He cares much more about appearances—the way he is perceived—than his actual feelings or self-evaluation. I can relate to that. I would not go so far as to kill someone mercilessly to be considered manly, but I certainly do have to socially maneuver the village that is Stuyvesant High School very carefully so that my friends and classmates see me the way I want them to see me.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
The discussion that we had in class about Chinua Achebe (Actually Albert Achebe) was very memorable. Even though I understand why Achebe used his middle name and why he wrote a story about a time period in Africa that he personally didn’t know very much about, he did it in order for his book to appear more legitimate. Isn’t this similar to the way Okonkwo is so concerned with appearances, however?
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Connections can me made to Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, in that it deals with the repercussions of British colonialism in Africa. Things Fall Apart, however, is notably different in that it comes from the perspective of the Africans, not the white men. Connections can also be drawn to the Bible, which Achebe consciously parallels (the story of Abraham and Issac, for example) in order to appeal to his Christian readers and make his story more timeless and universal.
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I came across Heart of Darkness in Ms. Chan’s Later British Literature class senior year. My initial reaction to the book was that, even though I had heard a lot about the novel, it had always been in a celebratory sense, and I did not believe it deserved to be celebrated at all. Heart of Darkness is supposed to be a champion for African rights and a rejection of British treatment of the continent and of the natives. The book is deeply racist, however, and, in my opinion, does more to advance the philosophical justification for colonization and eventually slavery than the contrary. Joseph Conrad portrays Africans in as almost sub-human, which was what allowed white men to treat Africa and Africans as they did with a good conscience.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
I see very few parallels between Marlow and Kurtz and myself. We are in very different positions and, were we placed in the same position, would probably have different reactions to them. If anything, I can relate to Marlow’s trepidation when confronting the awesomeness and overwhelming wilderness of the jungle and of Africa. I have felt similarly when traveling to new and distant places.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
Kurtz’s death is particularly memorable for being so charged with symbolism. Michael Fabrizio’s insights about the novel and the author will be similarly difficult to forget. I am very glad that we read this book first, because many of the themes and points in Heart of Darkness manifested themselves in the other books that we read throughout the semester. This made Heart of Darkness more memorable within the context of the class.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Connections can be made between Heart of Darkness and any other work that relates to colonialism that came afterwards, which is basically all of them. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe is particularly significant because it is a direct response to it.
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I bought a copy of this book in Sophomore year because the AP American Studies class was reading it. I instantly fell in love with it. Michael Chabon has a mastery of the English language that I’ve never come across in the work of any other writer, and he uses it to create characters that feel as real as real as your best friends. The book is very long and covers several decades in the lives of its main characters, and the versatility displayed by Chabon is shocking. The feeling that you get while reading Kavalier and Clay is not only one of relation to the characters, but admiration for the author.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
When I read the book I found myself drawing a lot of parallels between myself and the character Sammy Clay in the book. At the time I had a close friendship and creative partnership with another boy that closely paralleled the one in the novel between Kavalier and Clay. In the book, Kavalier seemed to be overflowing with an innate talent and social ability that Clay envied. My friendship had a similar dynamic. As time has passed I have discovered my abilities and developed a more mature relationship with my friend.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
I had to reread the book in Junior year for American Literature with LaBonne, and discussing as a class the passages that I had internalized most personally was a very interesting experience. Some students had a very different take on things that I had interpreted in highly contrasting ways. One thing everyone agreed on, however, is that the ending is absolutely terrible. I remember talking to friends, family, and teachers about how unsatisfying the ending is not only for the characters, but for the reader, and probably for the author, too.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
The book is largely an inside look at the lives of two young men who produce a comic book in the 30’s and 40’s. Because of this, it changes the reader’s perspective on every single comic book and comic book adaptation that they read or watch afterwards. The novel is also comparable to any other story of youthful male camaraderie (now often referred to as “bromance,”) though it is certainly not a “young adult” book.
The Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I came across this book when we were reading it in Mr. LaBonne’s class. I had previously read Of Mice and Men and so I had some familiarity with Steinbeck and his work, but I had no idea how expansive it could be. My initial reactions were mainly of interest in the way that the depression affected people’s lives. When I thought about the twenties I tended to think about them a historical perspective, or through the flashing images of newsreels and Dorothea Lange. Never had I really taken the time to think about the individuals that lived through the era and the difficulties that were presented to them, not only economically, but also socially and personally and familially.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
The characters in The Grapes of Wrath certainly had a lot more personal strength than I did or do now. The tenacity, not only in trying to get ahead but in sticking together as a family, is something that I can only hope I could be capable of if such circumstances were presented to me.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
I remember hearing about this book when I was younger and being constantly perplexed by the title. As far as I knew, the novel had nothing to do with grapes, and especially not grapes that were so particularly angry as to be described as wrathful. It wasn’t until I read the book in class that I understood the origin of the phrase, from the Battle Hymn of The Republic (which in turn was referencing the King James Bible).
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
The Grapes of Wrath has most similarity to the other works of John Steinbeck in that it deals with migrant workers during this very particular point in American history. The book can also be seen as a spiritual foil to The Great Gatsby, contrasting the reality of poverty and suffering as a family and the whimsy of solitary luxury.
The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
The Great Gatsby is such a classic that by the time that you get around to reading it you feel like you already know it. I still remember falling in love with it, though, when I did finally read it in Mr. LaBonne’s American Literature class. The story is so rich and charged with meaning, and the characters so emblematic, that the book truly did meet the extraordinary expectations I had for it.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
I can relate to Gatsby to a certain extent, insofar as I sometimes feel that I am presenting a manufactured image of myself to the rest of the world. I certainly don’t have the wealth that Gatsby does, but I sometimes use other means to pretend I a something I am not (to varying degrees of success, just like Gatsby). I can also relate to the hopeless romantic in Gatsby, and have certainly felt that impossible pull towards the green light across the pier, knowing full well I’ll never fully attain it.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
I have a close friend who has a summerhouse on Long Island in an area that could easily be classified as West Egg, and another who also has a summerhouse on Long Island, but in an area that could be better classified as East Egg. All three of us were reading the book at approximately the same time, and the experience created some palpably interesting tension between the two of them, especially as the reader’s sympathy for Gatsby grew and shrunk and grew and shrunk continuously throughout the novel.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
The connection to The Grapes of Wrath was made above. Similar stories have been told throughout all of history, however, with the moral that money cannot buy happiness. This goes all the way back to the mythical King Midas to real-life millionaire failures like Michael Jackson.
A Streetcar Named Desire, Tennessee Williams
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
A Streetcar Named Desire is yet another classic work of American fiction that I never read until Mr. LaBonne’s American Literature class in junior year. Before reading it I had obviously heard and read about Marlon Brando’s performance on stage and screen as Stanley Kowalski, so I found it impossible not to place him into the play as I read it. I don’t think this hurt my experience, though. I was astounded by the viscerally powerful writing and the interplay of sex, violence, class and family.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
The characters in A Streetcar Named Desire are all deeply flawed. Stanley is a selfish brute (and a rapist), Stella cannot or will not stand up for herself, and Blanche is a pretentious failure. I would like to say that I do not see myself in any of the characters, though I can relate somewhat to Stanley’s animalistic passion and to the feelings of guilt, remorse and regret that plague Blanche. Obviously they do not manifest themselves quite so encompassingly in my life, but I would admit to having channeled the qualities of these characters at some points in my history.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
I have a profound interest in theater and have produced, written and directed different pieces throughout my time at Stuyvesant. A Streetcar Named Desire is truly any director’s dream to read. The mise-en-scene, or the way that Tennessee Williams stages the work, as it progresses, is truly staggering. The growing claustrophobia and confusion throughout the entire scene leading up to the rape, and then during the rape itself, are deeply engaging when putting together what the stage will look like in your mind. Stanley’s violation of Blanche has to be the single most riveting moment in all of theater.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Any other American play can be linked to A Streetcar Named Desire, and especially, I feel, the work of Arthur Miller. The connections, also, between the movie adaptation of Streetcar and the movie adaptation of Gone With The Wind are compelling enough to point out. The actress Vivien Leigh was the young southern belle in Gone With The Wind, and then, after she aged, played the faded and miserable southern old maid.
The Odyssey, Homer
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I first attempted to read this book in elementary school, but didn’t finish. I tried again in middle school, and got a little farther, but again did not finish it. Finally, in sophomore year, I read it with Mr. Garfinkel as part of a section on the ancient Greeks. My initial reaction to it when I went back to it in high school was that Odysseus maybe wasn’t quite a heroic a figure as I had always accepted him to be. A lot of the things he does throughout the book, and the reasons he does them, are very much in contrast to what typically heroic people and characters are supposed to do.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
Odysseus is simultaneously one of the weakest and most invincible characters in western literature. He can survive monsters and whirlpools and the wrath of the gods, but he cannot conquer his own basic urges for sex, for recognition, and for revenge. I feel the same way sometimes. I can use my intellect and abilities with people to overcome obstacles, but I cannot get myself to do the work that is necessary to avoid putting those obstacles in my path to begin with.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
When I finally finished the book, on my third attempt, the experience was totally anticlimactic. I was expecting a much more epic ending to such an epic story. Odysseus’s returning to Ithaca as an old man was laborious and unsatisfying, the murder of the suitors unnecessary, and his re-assimilation into normalcy inevitable, but still disappointing.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
The Odyssey, together with The Iliad, were the first works of western literature, and, a such, have connections to every single other work created after them. Most specifically, though, comparisons can be drawn to Ulysses by James Joyce, which is a direct reinterpretation of the classic story.
Cyrano de Bergerac, Edmond Rostand
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I was introduced to Cyrano de Bergerac in Mr. Garfinkel’s sophomore English class. My initial reaction was mainly of disinterest in the story and the characters, but a fair amount of appreciation for the beauty of the language.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
Cyrano is a confident, charismatic and talented gentleman. I cannot convincingly be described as being any of those three things. Cyrano is also incredibly selfless. He orchestrates a love affair between a protégé of his by the name of Christian and the woman that he truly is in love with, Roxane. Cyrano makes Roxane fall in love with Christian by feeding Christian lines and composing love letters to her in Christian’s name. When Christian dies, Roxanne swears herself to his memory, and Cyrano spends the rest of his days tragically silent on the issue, in order to honor the bond between Roxane and Christian that was really between Roxane and Cyrano. I could never do something like that. I am not so noble, or patient, or caring.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
Mr. Garfinkel took some days out of the schedule to show us the old, black and white movie adaptation of the play. Watching some of the more surreal and implausible elements of the written play be acted out onstage made them even more dubious.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Cyrano has been adapted many times and in many different mediums, mainly because the play itself is just an adaptation on the true story of a man with a large nose, large brain and a large heart. The most recent adaptation was the Steve Martin movie Roxane, which set the story in modern times.
Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I came across this book in Mr. Garfinkel’s sophomore English class. My first reaction to it was to link it to the musical My Fair Lady, which is based on the play. I was also struck by how fresh its take was on class relations, even though the play is so old. This led to the further realization that if such insight into the issue had been made such a long time ago and public perception hadn’t budged a bit, this constituted a pretty dire social problem.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
Eliza Doolittle is the very model of a free spirit. She acts however she wants and says whatever she wants and refuses to bend for anyone. That is, until a man comes into her life and makes her change. I relate more to the Eliza at the beginning of the book than to the one at the end. In some ways I also find similarities between my own personal philosophy and that of Mr. Doolittle, Eliza’s father. He is a differently-scrupled man, who believes in trying to look out for himself and make a little money from rich people whenever he can. I certainly have that streak in me.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
After reading the play I had the good fortune of watching it performed on Broadway by Claire Danes and Kevin Kline. It was interesting to watch something so inherently British performed by American actors with accents, especially considering that the true, authentically classy British accent is what so much of the play is devoted to imparting onto Eliza. It was also a memorable moment for me when I came across the Greek story that gives the play its name. I hadn’t made the connection, and it gave the work a whole new meaning once I did.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Obviously, My Fair Lady is a direct adaptation of Pygmalion, which in turn is a very sophisticated and modernized adaptation of the Greek myth of the same name, in which a sculptor falls in love with his own creation. A connection can also be drawn to any of the myriad other works of literature that have tackled the sensitive issue of class in Britain, all the way back from Jane Austen to Zadie Smith.
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I came across this book in Ms. Rober’s freshman composition class. Obviously, I had heard of it, but before reading it had never actually cracked open anything by Shakespeare. I have to say that I was very pleasantly surprised when, instead of containing the expectedly stuffy and archaic Shakespearian language style that is almost mythicized in the minds of young people in this country, I found a very beautifully written account of a compelling love story. Comedy, romance, action, thrills…this play really has it all, and it is all very well done.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
The type of specific rivalry between the Montagues and Capulets that exists in Romeo and Juliet doesn’t really manifest itself in modern society, and kids no longer get married at fourteen. Many parts of Romeo and Juliet stand preserved as peculiarities of the time that it was written about. Some things do carry, however. For instance, I am currently in an interracial relationship. In some ways, the types of tensions that existed between the two major families of Verona can still find themselves into a romantic liaison through the issue of race.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
I remember reading through the play and all of a sudden recognizing that one of the passages on the page was a perfect sonnet. This was not something I had ever seen before—I was aware that William Shakespeare used iambic pentameter throughout all of his playwriting, but it takes superior effort, attention and skill to conform to the additional parameters of a sonnet. To do so, and incorporate it into the body of a play, seemed to me when I read it a truly genius move.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Tales of young love, and of forbidden love, did not stop after Romeo and Juliet. In Love in The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, for example, two teenagers in South America are prevented from seeing each other because the boy is of a lower class than the girl. This has become a very standard theme in western literature throughout the ages, and though class discrepancies are not necessarily the same as family rivalries, the difficulties and passions are often the same.
Angela’s Ashes, Frank McCourt
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I read Angela’s Ashes in my freshman composition class with Ms. Rober, and I loved it. It is truly remarkable to read such a convincing and immersive account of youth and coming of age in any form, but even more so as a work of nonfiction. Angela’s Ashes was the first memoir I ever read, and I was very impressed by the format. I was also struck by the difficulty of growing up in poverty, in a semi-rural environment. Before cell phones and television and all of the distractions and conveniences of modern life, kids were freer to discover the world on their own. If their parent’s didn’t have money, and if they didn’t live in a city, children had almost free reign in their journey to self-discovery.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
Frank McCourt is exceptionally brave, and has been made hard by the environment in which he was raised. Had I had to put up with so much misery and squalor in my youth, I too might personify some of his qualities. As it is, the main connection point I had with the character/author while reading Angela’s Ashes was with his sense of curiosity and wonder. He is constantly exploring and trying to learn new things, go new places and meet new people.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
Frank McCourt came to Stuyvesant a few years ago (being, as everyone knows, a retired teacher from this institution). Being audience to an author describing not only his work but also his life truly shed a completely different light on the memoir. It grounded the story for me even more, and it also made me realize that we cannot ever possibly know very much about a person at first glance. We have so many stories inside of us—so many secrets and private sufferings—that even if you interact with someone every day there is always probably a huge part of themselves you’ll never be familiar with.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Angela’s Ashes has a sequel called ‘Tis, and Frank McCourt wrote a third book called Teacher Man as well. Angela’s Ashes was also adapted into a movie. The true connections between it and other works of fiction are with stories of growing up poor, of which there are many both fiction and nonfiction—both Born Into Brothels and Slumdog Millionaire.
Frankenstein, Mary Shelley
1. How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I read Frankenstein in freshman composition class with Ms. Rober. My initial reaction to the book mostly had to do with having had a completely different understanding of the story and the characters of Frankenstein than the one portrayed in the book. In many ways, society having turned the eloquent and depressed “abomination” of Shelley’s Frankenstein into the violent green idiot of the movies is a real-world manifestation of the lack of understanding that anyone had for Dr. Frankenstein’s unfortunate creation. I loved the book, though, and it could still stand as my favorite among all of the novels I have read in class at Stuyvesant.
2. How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? To yours now?
At some point in our lives everyone has felt the isolation and inability to connect that Frankenstein’s monster experiences in the book. I was born in Mexico and I relocated to California when I was ten years old. My family moved to a predominantly white neighborhood, and I remember the feeling of not-belonging, of being an “other,” similar to the way that Frankenstein’s monster complained about feeling. I was physically different from everyone else, but the same inside. Unfortunately, it took the people around me a while to realize that.
3. What memorable moments were there in the reading of the book, discussing it, or interacting with it/with others in any way?
The most memorable moment in the novel has to be the end. I don’t think I’ve ever read another work of fiction so pessimistic and depressing as Frankenstein. Especially since I had always been conditioned to believe that man would triumph over Frankenstein, the starkly contrasting original meant a lot.
4. What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can be made?
Frankenstein is sometimes considered the first work of science fiction, because it features man using technology to create something that could not exist otherwise. Because of this, every single writer of science fiction owes a debt of gratitude to Mary Shelley. Ties can also be made to the myriad of reinterpretations of the story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster, however faithful they stayed to the source material.
Freshman Fall
Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I came across this book in my fall semester of Freshman Compostition and as most assigned reading I looked at is as homework because it wasn’t something I could relate to on a cultural or a gender perspective.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
The protagonist, Sophie Caco, after leaving her native Haiti to America discovers that the only way to create opportunities was to excel in her academics. This is most likely the only relatable theme in the novel. As the majority of Stuyvesant High School, I find that to be successful in life you must shine in your education or else the doors of opportunity available will be little to none. This mind set is something I took to thought more seriously in my earlier years of high school. While it is still as applicable it is not something that plagues my mind as much as I would want it to.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
For most of the novel there was a solemn tone that overshadowed any possible memorable moment. Even as Sophie Caco loses her mother to suicide she is at the very end able to set herself free from the fears associated with her mother’s rape. This is shown in her reenactment of the event and this is probably the most memorable in that it resolves many of the problems of the characters.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
From experience there is nothing I can particularly connect it to, although for some reason I seem to think that this is a relatively common occurrence, in comparison to our society, in African and African descending cultures.
Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
This is the second book that I read in my fall semester of Freshman Composition that instantly reminded me of stories about the experiences of immigrant families in America.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
We learned that the author, Frank McCourt, was a Stuyvesant student but that was about all I could personally relate to. His parents were complete opposites where his father would do nothing but drink away all of the money and his mother having to care for the children without the aid of money. Frank McCourt was stuck living a life of deprivation which I have yet to experience. One aspect of Frank that I also experience is his feeling of responsibility and empowerment while working. Even though I have only had one job it had a feeling unlike anything I have felt to that point in my life. It was a sense of purpose that I had not come across before.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
One of the memorable moments in reading the book is when Frank McCourt saves enough money to return to New York City. It brings the story full circle where he expects to begin the journey towards a successful future. Even as these noteworthy thoughts are revealed he doesn’t waste time in adapting to “American” culture where he attends a party and sleeps with an American woman.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
As many Stuyvesant students can relate to, my family is the first of their family to come to America. They experienced hard ships as they had no one to lean on for help. The only thing one can hope for is that circumstances will only get better as it did for my family and me.
Catcher in the Rye J.D. Salinger
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
This is the final book we read in the fall of Freshman Composition. On initially reading it we were introduced to a Stuyvesant student’s greatest fear. This being the fear of becoming a failure at school and subsequently at life. It helps to convince us to not become Holden, the protagonist of the story.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
Holden’s approaches and attitudes towards life and their situations is something I can easily compare to my own, as of present day. My determination and focus in doing what is necessary to get going with life is slowing dwindling. It is not something that someone should be proud of but I cannot sit here and deny the fact.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
Oddly enough as most other books the most memorable moment of The Catcher in the Rye is at its ending. Holden is able to revolve his issues regarding life due to what I believe is his sister’s influence. We are told that he plans on returning to school and is optimistic for the future
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
As known before my experience is starting to sadly parallel the major events in Holden’s life. I am at the lowest point I have been in my academics and am only hopeful and optimistic for my college education. Like the story resolves itself, I hope to resolve my issues as soon as possible.
Freshman Spring
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
I came across this book during my Spring semester of Freshman Composition. When first reading it I thought it would be a disturbed and awkward piece of writing as it centered itself in a psychiatric hospital. It proved to be otherwise.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
Initially all of the characters introduced were seemingly lifeless and overly submissive. This we can conclude represents most of society who do what is expected of them. On the other hand there is Randle McMurphy who is unlike everyone else in the ward and gives the patients hope. He represents who everyone aspires to become including myself.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
The memorable moments of the story were the rare occasions in which the patients were able to taste part of the normal life most notably the fishing trip. There was also much to discuss about the influence McMurphy played in the outcome of the patients.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
This novel could be compared to any situation in which those facing oppressive powers are given hope by a lone authority. This is something that is usually most often seen in the victory of independence by many people of their native lands.
Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
This book was the second reading of my Spring term of Freshman Composition and as many English students I cringed alone at the thought of reading Shakespeare. I thought to myself that there was no way I was going to be able to read and understand what I read.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
The male protagonists in the story are all concentrated on finding themselves the “right” woman but in order to get there someone must marry the faulty woman. Yet the woman with fault turned out to be the better of the lot. This shows that no matter who it may be someone is capable of changing.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
I can clearly remember the focus of the discussion for class consisting solely of interpretation and translation of Shakespearean literature. Towards the ending it was obvious that the most shocking moment of the story was when it is revealed that the woman most suitable and appropriate is the character who is thought to have been the worst.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
The connections to other books, movies, and television that can be made between real life and it are significant somewhere along the lines of don’t judge a book by its cover because its contents may be different that what it is made out to be.
Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
This novel perhaps the last of my freshman reading proved to be the best to that point in high school. It instantly drew the attention of the minds of young readers with its relatable protagonist and issues.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
Chappie or Bone the protagonist is a character much in line with the beliefs of Holden, the protagonist of Catcher in the Rye. Chappie drops out of school and is guided by a Rastafarian which I can safely assume hasn’t and won’t be something I will be experiencing. All of this is his weird way of finding himself which I hope I will be able to do without involving awkward and shady characters.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
The moments I can still remember to this day are the scenes in reference to drugs and sex which although a touchy topic for young teens represents a real problem worth taken a look at. It was something that was specifically in reference to our age group and not something really pertaining to anyone else.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
This story took the extreme route in which the author was to discover himself. It took him from struggles in America all the way to Jamaica due solely to the awkward people he has met on his journey on self-discovery. Once again I am unable to recall anything specific that can connect to other book, movies or television.
Sophomore Fall
The Odyssey by Homer
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
This is my first book of my Fall term of Classical Literature which for the most part revolved around the study of mythology and understanding its basic setup. In looking at the book you are immediately intimidated as to how deep and complicated the story will get.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
Even though the protagonist, Odysseus, is being assisted by the help of the gods; he manages to somehow remain alive leaving hope for his wife and his kingdom. That in itself, the struggle to survive, is an instinctual trait that all of us attain but use in the rarest of circumstances. He is able to, after ten years of battle, get past the most trying of obstacles to return to his normal life. All of us struggle to do this on a daily basis although we are not faced with obstacles of this sort.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
As the other books I have reviewed, the ending is still the most common position for a memorable part. This is when Odysseus dressed as a beggar is able to complete the task set by the Queen his wife who suspects that her husband is nearer than she thinks.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
The connection that is most obvious in this story is the relation to happy fairy tale stories in which the main character overcomes their struggles to live a life happily ever after.
Metamorphosis by Ovid
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
Sophomore Spring
Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
This was my first book of Spring term of Modern English. This book at first glance was intimidating in its thickness and fine print. The idea the book played on the psyche of crime and punishment by the main character Raskolnikov.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
This story has introduced numerous characters in this story but the one that is followed most by the story is Raskolnikov. He feels that he is sly enough to get away with the killing of two people and that no one will ever come to find out. Yet he confesses his crimes at the end out of love for his girlfriend Sonya. This shows that love will lead you to do things you wouldn’t do under normal circumstances.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
The memorable moments in reading the book were many in number as this book was quite large. The scene in which Raskolnikov murders the two people is incredibly descriptive and set up.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
This story reminds me of other stories in which people psychologically troubled commit murderous crimes and end up eventually confessing to it or get caught. Yet they are given a lighter sentence to the fact that they confessed or that they are legally troubled people.
Candide by Voltaire
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
This was the last book of Spring term of Modern Literature and as a reading assigned by the teacher it didn’t become more than something other than homework.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
The protagonist of the story finds himself in situations where he feel his has no choice but to escape or kill someone to come to a resolution. His life has been a roller coaster of feelings and events. He finds himself traveling the world in search of his lover, Cunegonde. Something that I can take from this is that I find myself trying to escape when confronted with challenging problems.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
Obviously one of the many memorable moments of this novel is Candide’s luck on finding El Dorado, lost city of gold. You will hardly find that readers would forget something as special as this. Another one is where Candide fulfills his promise to marry Cunegonde however much the circumstances have changed.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
On instantaneous connection that I made when reading Candide was the connection to the movie The Road to El Dorado. Unlike Candide, the two main characters are on a quest for fame and fortune and happen to stumble upon love along the way. This is the reverse though for Candide.
Junior Fall
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
1) How and when did you come across this book and what were your initial reactions to reading it?
This is the first book I read in the Detective Fiction class offered at Stuy. I was eager to read any book this class recommended reading as the genre is one of my favorite. However as most detective stories it began the same way with the introduction of the detective and the crime or case.
2) How did the characters’ approach/attitudes towards life and their situations compare to yours at the time? to yours now?
The detective Sam Spade is revealed as being highly attracted to women and that is something we are shown gets tied up with his detective work. To some extent I can say the same for myself with school but it only serves as a visual distraction.
3) What memorable moments were there in reading the book, discussing it, or interacting with it and with others in any way?
The memorable moment in reading the book was as most detective stories the solving of the case. The twist and turns in the case always leaves the reader satisfied when everything that was in question or doubt in unraveled.
4) What connections to other books/movies/television shows/real life can you make?
The “hard boiled” detective genre is something that captures the reader in my mind and thought.
Metamorphosis
Franz Kafka
I came across this book in my senior year. It was the first book of the semester. My initial reaction was that it was going to be something dealing with science, because of the title. But as I read the book, I saw the true message that Kafka was trying to give to the readers. I saw that everything that he wrote had a purpose and that the novella is deeper than just a story of one man and his metamorphosis.
The main character, Gregor, is the one who goes through the metamorphosis and turns into an insect. After that, his life changes for the worse. Sometimes, in my life I felt as if I went through some type of transformation overnight too and that everything was better the day before. I felt a real connection to Gregor in this way and that helped me understand why he did the things that he did.
I also felt that I related to the book in my life in that sometimes it felt as my family treated me like an insect too and the only one who cares for me is my little sister. This is exactly how Gregor felt and as I was reading the book I felt accustomed with the feelings that he felt as well.
I remember the first day that we discussed the book. We looked at the first sentence of the novel before we even got the book. I felt like that was very substantial because of the ideas and questions that the first sentence brought up. I think that is one of the main aspects of the book that differentiates it from others. Everything in the book is a mystery.
My thoughts on the book are that it is very different from all other books that I read throughout my life. The writing styles, the characters, and the imagery are all aspects that are unique to Franz Kafka.
The Canterbury Tales
Geoffrey Chaucer
I read this book in my senior year English class. At first I thought it was going to be a bunch of short stories compiled together in a book. But after reading it, I found it to be way more than what I expected. The book was filled with humor and action and almost every story was tangled with each other. I could not relate to most of the characters, as the time period is very different, but I could relate to some of the situations of the characters. Many of the characters dealt with class distinctions, which is something Chaucer ridiculed throughout all of the stories. I felt that I understood what people of different social classes go through everyday just by reading the narrative of an individual.
The part in the book which I remembered the most was when Chaucer apologized if he hurt anyone in writing the story. This had many important aspects about it. For example, it showed how realistic Chaucer portrayed his book to be. Another aspect is that it showed how strict the Catholic Church actually was during that time period.
I kind of related the movie Crash which is similar to the structure of The Canterbury Tales. In the movie, several different stories are told from different standpoints and in the end all of them intertwine into one main plot. If the book had been adapted into a movie, I think that it would have ended up looking just like Crash.
Jane Eyre
Charlotte Bronte
I read this book in my Early British Literature class. Déjà vu is what came to my mind as soon as I finished the first few chapters of this book. My thoughts were that it was just another book with the same familiar storylines, but with different characters, which I have read before. But little did I know how different the moral was in this book. The book itself was filled with sadness, happiness, and indefinable surprising moments.
The déjà vu I mentioned earlier was pertaining to several other masterpieces of literature such as Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I expected Jane Eyre to be similar to that novel in that they have the same storyline and structure, but it was completely different as Jane Eyre exceeded my expectations.
One of the scenes which stuck to me from the novel was when Jane’s aunt imprisoned Jane in the red-room where her Uncle Reed died. This was Jane’s punishment for fighting with her bullying cousin John Reed. While locked in the room Jane fainted believing that she saw her uncle’s ghost. As she screamed and fainted, I felt the emotional pain that she was going through because Bronte did such a good job in unfolding that moment.
I really enjoyed reading this book as I felt that it put me through an emotional roller coaster, making me feel everything from remorse to guilt. I think that the book can lay out these emotions in a way that even someone with no emotions at all will feel something.
Beowulf
Seamus Heaney
I remember reading this book senior year in my Early British Literature class as the final book of the semester. I expected the book to be a joke because the teacher said that we were going to watch the movie while we were reading the book. As I started reading further on in the book, I knew why the class was called Early British Literature. It was very difficult to comprehend and truly understand everything that was going on, and that is why I guess the teacher helped us follow along with the movie.
My initial reaction to the book was that it can’t be as good as the movie was. In my opinion it was not even close to being like the movie. The book itself was not bad; it’s just that the movie was way beyond my expectations and standards. I
The characters in this book really showed me what a true hero actually is. The most memorable scene, in my opinion, was the battle between Beowulf and Grendel’s mother. This scene truly shows why the book is named Beowulf and why he is such a hero. I read and watched this scene several times, and I thought to myself why it didn’t get old. It was because I was at the standpoint from both Beowulf and Grendel’s mother. I understood why Beowulf had to protect his people and I also understood why Grendel’s mother had to get revenge for the slaying of her son.
The book reminded me of Odysseus as a hero that saves the day for everyone. I remembered reading The Odyssey and I realized how similar the two epic heroes actually are.
The God of Small Things
Arundhati Roy
I came across this book in my Later British Literature class in my senior year. My initial reaction to the book was, “A book written by an Indian. Finally something I can relate to!” The characters in the novel are very similar to me in the way that they have to try and make the right decision, even if what they decide is not what is best for them. A good example of this is when the twins lie when they testify against Velutha. Even though they caused harm to others, they still had the right intention in that they were trying to protect their mother.
I remember reading the book and I especially remembered how violent and disturbing the book was. I understood this, however, because I knew that it was by an Indian author. All the violence and lewdness was justified in the end as it was shown to be an essential part of the plot. I do not think that the novel would be the same without this important aspect of it.
I can relate the book to Slumdog Millionaire in that it truly shows the real India uncensored. In the movie, there were many graphic scenes such as people being beat to death or people being burned alive. Without these features, it becomes hard for the viewer to familiarize themselves with the situations that are going on throughout the movie.
I was not expecting to read a book like this in an English class, especially in Stuyvesant, but I am very happy that I did. The book taught me many things about Indian culture that I did not know myself and it really showed me what makes that part of the world different from everywhere else.
The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne
This was the first book that I had to read in my junior year. I was not surprised to be reading this book in class because I knew how great a book it is because I saw the movie before.
The characters in the book are the standards of those in puritan times. I felt like I could relate to the main character, Hester, who was publically ashamed due to one of her mistakes. In my past, I have committed errors which I have been humiliated for and because of that I felt like I really knew what was going on through Hester’s mind as everything was happening.
I especially remember the part in the end of the book where Hester is buried. I thought that this part was very memorable because it shows how a bad deed can harm someone for their whole life, even after their death. Hawthorne revolves the whole book around the scarlet ‘A’ which is engraved on Hester’s grave.
The book relates to the movie Seven, which stars Brad Pitt. I liked how in the movie, people are being punished for the seven deadly sins. I think that it really relates to the novel in that it shows how one little sin can have an effect on you for the rest of your life. The message in both the novel and the movie is choose your actions wisely and to know that you will be accountable for anything that you do.
The Great Gatsby
F. Scott Fitzgerald
I remember reading the book in my junior year. I heard of the book before I even began to read it that had a huge influence on what I thought of the novel. I started reading the book with very high expectations, and when I was done I felt as though the expectations never changed. I thought that it was a very well written novel and that it deserved all the awards that it got.
The characters in the book are very comparable to me because it is just a story about some people in New York. I especially felt a connection with Gatsby as I too have felt underappreciated throughout my life due to some event which occurred in the past. In the end, I understood why even though Gatsby was not the protagonist, the whole story revolved around him.
I remember how in the end of the novel, no one attended Gatsby’s funeral. People just came to claim his personal belongings. This really made the readers feel sympathy towards Gatsby and it eventually uncovered why the book is called The Great Gatsby.
I can relate this book to Scarface as it shows how one man can become rich doing immoral things. Gatsby was a bootlegger with many underground ties and connections. He proclaimed himself self made millionaire, just as Tony Montana did in his movie. I thought that all this really explained why Fitzgerald came up with the exposé of Gatsby as “Great”.
Hedda Gabbler
Henrik Ibsen
I came across this book in my summer school English class during my junior year. This is one of those books that never really caught my attention. The fact that Hedda committed suicide was frightful itself and not only did she commit suicide, but she also lead to the death of Ejlert Lovborg. It wasn’t a first hand murder because it was not her who shot Lovborg but it was her pride which forced her to keep Lovborg’s manuscript, which frustrated him to the point to kill himself.
Lovborg was a character which I can relate to in that he is someone who tried to get his life back on the right track but was hindered by stupid mistakes. I felt connected with him and I understood why he killed himself in the end.
I despised Hedda since the beginning of the book and felt that the best part of the book is when Hedda committed suicide. I felt relieved that no one else would have to suffer from the hands of Hedda Gabbler.
The book contained of too many depressing events for it to attract me. That is why I think that it is very similar to Final Destination because, in the end, no one survives. Reading the book definitely made me uncover the bad side in things and I think that’s what Ibsen was trying to do when he wrote the novel. The book really makes one disregard the value of human life.
Holes
Louis Sachar
During the summer classes in my junior year, I was introduced to this wonderful book. I saw the movie and thought that it was amazing and so I knew that the book would be too.
I felt that I can relate to Stanley Yelnats because sometimes I feel like I have all the bad luck in the world. When something goes wrong for me, everything goes wrong at once. This is exactly what Stanley was goin though and through my lens I experienced the same frustration and aggravation that he felt.
My favorite thing about the book was the part that Stanley carried Zero to the top of the mountain and then took care of him. This showed how Stanley progressed throughout the book and how bad luck can change into good luck with just a little effort. It was also the climax of the book in that the curse that had haunted Stanley’s family for ages was finally over.
I can relate the book to Pirates of the Caribbean because it deals with curses that have been passed on throughout generations. The movie is very similar to the book in that, in the end, the curse is removed and everyone lives happily ever after. Both the movie and the book show how people don’t give up, no matter how bad the situation, and in the end all the perseverance pays off.
The Taming of the Shrew
William Shakespeare
I ran into this book in my junior year English class. At first, I thought it was just going to be another love story by Shakespeare, but after reading the first act, my view on the book indefinitely changed. It was not just another cliché of a romance, but a comedy and a drama as well.
The characters in the play are all part of a sub-plot which the servants use in a play to try to confuse a drunkard. I can relate to the characters in the play in that sometimes I have pretended to be someone else to get somewhere that I want to be. In the play, many characters develop another persona just to try to deceive other into doin what they want them to do. I think that this is one of the true comedic geniuses of Shakespeare to unravel all the characters at once in the end.
I especially liked the part in the book when Petruchio tries to tame his wife like an animal by starving her and depriving her of sleep. I thought that this scene was hilarious and that it truly showed the reader why the title of the play is The Taming of the Shrew.
The book was remade into a movie in 1999, which is called 10 Things I Hate About You. In the movie, the same situation is being dealt with as Petruchio tries to tame his wife. The only difference is that the movie takes place in a modern day high school while the play occurs in medieval times.
The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Robert Louis Stevenson
I read this book sophomore year as an introduction to the class. When I first saw the book, I thought that it was a kid’s book because of its size. But that all changed when I actually began to read the book. I immediately saw how Stevenson used the idea of a split personality to change the views on how one perceives the main character.
The characters in the novel were very fictitious in the way that they acted. I can relate to the main character, Dr. Jekyll in that sometimes I go through phases which I lose my temper and become very violent and unfriendly just like Dr. Jekyll when he transforms into Mr. Hyde. But I think that it true with everyone, not just me.
I especially remember the end of the novel when Dr. Jekyll does not even have to drink the potion anymore to become into Mr. Hyde. I thought that this showed how evil is more powerful than good and that it is easier to become immoral than it is to become moral. I think that this is the main message that Stevenson was trying to project in his book.
Whenever I think of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, I always think of Van Helsing. In that movie, a hunter tries to hunt down Mr. Hyde for all the bad things that he has committed. One can always imagine Mr. Hyde as being the true bad guy due to the fact that he does not drink the potion anymore so that he is not in control of his mind and actions.
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
I read this book in my sophomore English class. Upon reading this book I came across a lot of characters whose approach to life I found a bit extraordinary, especially that of Elizabeth’s. Elizabeth the only character in the book who came across as not arrogant to the readers, but she was in fact very ignorant. Her prejudice towards Mr. Darcy had blinded her to the extreme that she forgot all wrongs, and became acceptant to the very man who had run away with her sister. I can relate to Elizabeth’s prejudice towards Darcy very much because it taught me the true meaning of “not to judge a book by its cover.” After reading this book it had opened my eyes and I realized that everything around me is not how it appears but rather there is something beyond everything.
I especially remember the views on marriage and love in this book and I found it very amusing. I found it very ironic that Elizabeth is the very person who had hated Mr. Darcy from the beginning of the book and had fallen in love with and married him in the end. This was funny to me but had also made me realize that no matter how much one denies something, they may come to accept it if they clear themselves from ignorance and look at things from a clear point of view.
I can relate the book to real life in that I have seen families with multiple daughters and I have seen the problems that the parents go through to marry them off. I can relate the problems Mr. and Mrs. Bennet went through to that of my cousins and their family members. I understand the struggle that the parents go through in order to ensure that their daughter makes the very best choice that she can.
The Three Theban Plays
Sophocles
I read this book in my Classical Literature class during my sophomore year. I thought that this was going to be three long plays all bunched up into one book, but I found out that it was rather one long play divided into three parts.
I feel like I can especially relate to Oedipus, the protagonist of the Three Theban plays. He is a very strong and dominant figure and his power overwhelms the fact that he is blind. I feel like I too, have made many great accomplishments even with all my setbacks.
The part of the play which I consider to be most memorable is the scene in which Oedipus blinds himself when he finds out that his wife, Jocasta, has killed herself. He takes two pins from her dress and he gouges his eyes out. This is the part of the play which many consider to be the climax of the story as the prophecy is completed and Oedipus is defeated.
The three plays remind me of Homer’s Odyssey as they are both examples of classical literature. In the Odyssey, there are also many references to Oedipus and the prophecy which he fulfills.
Candide
Voltaire
This was a book that I was forced to read as an extra credit assignment for my Classical Literature class. It was a very difficult looking book, but the teacher argued that it was a satirical comedy so I thought that it was going to be fun to read.
The one that I can relate to in the book is Pangloss as he is the only one who is an optimist all the time. I am very similar to him in my thinking in that I believe that everything always happens for a reason and that whenever something bad occurs, something good will always occur right after.
The scene which I can vividly remember and which stuck to me through out the entire novel was the killing of Cunégonde’s brother. Because Candide proclaimed he was going to marry Cunégonde, Cunégonde’s brother became enraged and went to attack Candide. However in the twist of situation Candide killed Cunégonde’s brother. This scene, to me, seemed to be the turning point of the story and of Candide’s milestones.
I can relate Candide to many other satirical works, but the one that always comes to mind when I think of satire is American Psycho. Both these works really show how satire can be used to set the mood and they explore the message that satire brings to the plot.
Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde
I ran into this book sophomore year as a conclusion for the whole semester. At first, I wondered if Earnest was a name or an emotion. I thought that since Oscar Wilde wrote it, it would be a comedy so it would involve both interpretations of Earnest.
The characters in the play are very humorous in the way that they handle their situations. I can relate to Jack, because in the end, I appreciate all the little things that make me who I am.
The most memorable scene in the play would have to be the scene in which Jack finally admits the “Importance of Being Earnest”. This sums up the whole story into one as it shows how certain characters maintain fictitious identities to escape unwelcome responsibilities. It also shows that the best personality one can have is their own and that people should not pretend to be others because that has its own consequences.
The book reminds me of the movie Fight Club, in which a character has split personalities and does not realize that they themselves are both the characters. It is very similar to Jack and his split personality, Earnest. In the movie and the book, the main characters finally grasps a hold on theirs double lives and finally corrects everything that they did.
Things Fall Apart
Chinua Achebe
This is the book that I introduced to freshman year as I walked into my Freshman Composition class. It was the first book that I had ever read and discussed in my Stuyvesant career. I initially had no emotions on the book, but later on I saw why the book was viewed as the archetype of modern African writing in English.
The characters approaches towards life are very similar to that of mine. In Igbo culture, status can be gained through fighting and wrestling. This is how I also earned part of my status and my respect. When other people saw what I was capable of doing when I was in a fight, they changed their views on me and my status in society changed, just like Okonkwo’s.
I especially remember the part in which the District Commissioner and his messengers go to look for Okonkwo and find him dead, having hanged himself. The most important aspect about this part was that the commissioner was asked to take down his body as suicide was regarded as an act of weakness in Igbo culture. This lead the commissioner to come up with the idea to write a book about African culture and mention Okonkwo’s death in it. This truly showed the effects of British colonialism in African culture and it unraveled how native their culture actually is.
I can relate the book to Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness as both the stories revolve around African culture and how British colonialism affects these African traditions. In both the stories, the African culture is “restored” with the contents of colonialism.
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Ken Kesey
This was the second book I had read in my time at Stuyvesant. I had seen the movie adaptation of this book before and I loved it. I especially loved Jack Nicholson as the role of Randle McMurphy. So I walked into the class with hopes that I would enjoy reading the book and I did.
I really felt connected with the personality of McMurphy. I knew that possessed many qualities which he possessed as well such as leadership and bravery. I know that if I played the role of Randle McMurphy in the movie, I would do as well a job as Jack Nicholson.
I especially remembered the end when the Chief smothers Randle with a pillow to let him die with dignity instead of being a representation of what the Nurses are capable of doing. I thought that this showed the real effects of Randle’s actions and it also showed how he changed everyone around him. He helps the Chief regain his self-respect and that is when he pays one last tribute to Randle and finally escapes from the asylum.
I can relate the book to real life situations such as Martin Luther King. He was a hero who helped everyone else and in the end he was the one who suffered. But his accomplishes did not go unnoticed and neither did Randle’s. I think that is what makes both these men such great heroes.
Of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
I came across this book in my Freshman Composition class. At first I thought that the book was goin to involve animals because of the title. It was not until I read the book for the second time that I truly understood the title and why the book is named the way it is.
Characters in Of Mice and Men had a drastic view toward life. Their aspirations of living came directly from their dreams of having a better future. Although George and Lennie grew up in a pretty nomadic life style which was always limited, they always hoped for the better and always held on to their dreams of achieving something greater. From reading this novel and understanding how George and Lennie coped with the conflicts given to them, I was able to tell that these two characters were strongly steadfast and willing to break boundaries that held back their dreams. That is one way which I felt a connection with the characters in the novel.
One memorable moment which really stuck to me from this novel was all the way in the end of the story when George finally realized that Lennie is a major setback in his life and takes his life by shooting him in the head with a gun. I thought that this scene was really shocking because George dealt with Lennie his whole life and never had problems with him until the end. This showed how even the most patient of all humans can snap and become corrupt.
A particular book which I have currently read that I can relate this novel is Night by Elie Wiesel. In this novel as George and Lennie, Elie Wiesel, the protagonist of the novel, sought only out to his dream of looking for a better future. Being in the Concentration Camps and living through the Holocaust, Elie’s only dream was to get a better life. Just like George and Lennie, Elie’s dream was not fulfilled in the end.
The Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini
I ran into this book freshman year. It was the second to last book I read in my freshman year. I knew that book involved kites and that is one of the reasons why I loved it so much as I am a huge fan of kites. I never watched the movie, The Kite Runner, but I had heard that it was amazing. I finally watched the movie after reading the book, and I am glad that I read the book first because it was much more entertaining than the movie.
For one thing, I feel like I can relate to the characters in the novel because I love playing with kites as well. Even the act of “kite running” is something that I am familiar with because of my passion for kites. I am especially fond of the characters which show as much passion about kites as I do, such as Hassan and Amir.
My most memorable part of the novel is when Hassan receives a beating from Assef just for standing up for Amir’s kite. I like the loyalty and brotherhood that Hassan showed, and I especially like the fact that he is doing all that to protect a kite.
Whenever I think of Khaled Hosseini’s Kite Runner, I also think of other works by Hosseini such as A Thousand Splendid Suns. Both his books are similar in that they revolve around Afghanistan and its culture and traditions. I think that Hosseini does a good job in both these books in making the reader feel as if they are actually in Afghanistan. I think that is what sets apart Hosseini from all other writers.
Catcher in the Rye
J. D. Salinger
This was the last book that I read freshman year and it was also one of the best books that I ever read in
my life. At first, I was wondering what the title meant. Even though I have read the book many times, I
still feel as though I do not truly understand what a “Catcher in the Rye” actually is.
The characters attitude towards life is very similar to mine. I feel like I especially can relate to Holden in
many ways. One way is that I consider a lot of people to be “phonies” especially in Stuyvesant. But I
never obsessed about “phonies as much as Holden. Another way in which I am similar to Holden is that I
care about my little sister a lot, more than anyone else in my family.
The most memorable thing about the book was the vulgar language and all the obscenities. Holden swears
a lot in the novel and that is one of the main reasons why the book was so challenging to teach in high
school. It went through a lot of censorship and challenges and that is why it is one of the most
controversial books of all time. I think that the vulgarity played a huge part in the book, and that the book
would not be the same without it.
I can relate this book to my real life experiences as I personally have been through many of the situations
which Holden goes through in the book. Sometimes I fee like the book is a narrative and an
autobiography of my life instead of Holden’s.
Dear Stuy student,
Welcome! If you would like to post a recommendation, take a look at the instructions and examples of formatting. Otherwise, feel free to browse the shelves and shelves of book recommendations there are for you!
A number of recommended books are now sorted on the bookshelf page!
NH – Sophomore
What is your favorite book?
Holes by Louis Sachar
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part of the book is when Stanley Yelnats leaves camp in order to friend his friend Zero who escaped a few days earlier. This event was the climax of the book.
Who was your favorite character?
Stanley is the character that the story follows; he is the one who tries to solve his issues.
What were the issues in the book?
Stanley was falsely accused of a crime and arrested. He had to choose between jail and Camp Green Lake and choose the latter. There they were forced to dig holes everyday five feet wide and five feet deep.
Is there a sequel to the book and if so what is it about?
The sequel to the book was Small Steps; unlike the first the protagonist is not Stanley but it is Armpit another detainee. This book follows his life after Camp Green Lake.
JL – Sophomore – JV Football
What is your favorite book?
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
What was your favorite part of the book?
My favorite part was when Professor Robert Langdon and Sophie escaped from the bank an armored vehicle.
What made you want to keep on reading?
It was a well-written book as well as being easy to read. The suspense was enough to keep on turning the pages.
What did you get out of the book?
I thought that the questions brought up and answered by the story were believable. I found myself researching to see if any of this was actually true.
Who was your favorite character?
My favorite character was the person who set up the entire scheme to find the holy grail by way of his research, this person is known as the “Teacher” at first and it is revealed that it is Sir Leigh Teabing.
AH – Senior – Stony Brook University
Which book would you say most piqued your interest of the various books you have been assigned to read throughout Stuyvesant?
I found White Oleander by Janet Fitch the most intriguing and easiest to read.
What did you find intriguing about it?
While the story itself had the same Baudelaire trait of one tragic event after another, the book kept from having a melancholy dull tone.
Did you like the main character? What was your favorite trait?
No. I did not like the main character, nor could I relate to her. She was a tramp that lost her virginity to her stepfather who was fifty three years old when she was thirteen years old.
Which characters in the book did you like and why?
I liked the man at the beginning that was killed by the girl’s mother because he cheated on her. At first the girl’s mother laughed at his advances toward her because of his obesity and ugliness but in the end he still got into her pants.
Was there a message that the author was trying to portray in his writing?
The message I got from the book is that no matter how much wrong you have done in life you can still redeem yourself.
AS – Senior – Emory University
What book would you recommend that you have read in Stuyvesant?
Rule of the Bone by Russell Banks
What did you like about the book?
Even though this was an assigned book for Freshman Composition, it was something relative to our time unlike other books we have been assigned. It discussed topics such as sex and drugs.
Who is the main character and what did you like about him or her?
The main character is Chappie later referred to as Bone after his tattoo. I like that he was only fourteen years old and went through so many life changing experiences.
What were the main points that you think the author tried to get across to his readers?
I think the author wanted us to see for our self the process of coming of age from teen to adulthood.
What else would you like to say about the book?
If you ever want to read for recreation if you possibly have any extra time in Stuyvesant I suggest that you read this book.
AS – Senior – CUNY Hunter
What book would you recommend for future Stuyvesant students?
I would highly recommend The Brass Verdict by Michael Connelly or for the matter any one of his books.
What is it that leads you to recommend it so highly?
His style of writing in his genre is captivating and addictive. When you pick up one of his books you find it hard to put down.
What is the Brass Verdict about?
It is about a detective, Harry Bosch, and a lawyer, Mickey Haller who find themselves working together to solve one of the biggest cases thrown on them involving a Hollywood lawyer.
Which of the characters do you favor?
This is an obvious answer having read many of Michael Connelly’s books, I have gotten used to the LAPD detective Harry Bosch whose personal motto is everybody counts or nobody counts. This helps to drive him to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth behind all of his cases.
Is there an underlying message although it is aimed at recreational reading?
I think Michael Connelly uses his book as social commentary to say that our justice system is as weak as the people who make it run.
Book recommendations by Stuyvesant students for Stuyvesant students and readers around the world. Also known as Stuy Bookshelf/Book Box. Submissions are open—click on register below!