Sam Soltau

Mrs. Jarrett

English

29 February 2008

Desarollo

“I don’t know if you realize how advanced I am for my age! I think it’s because I have three older sisters, and so I’ve grown up quick. I knew how to read before I even started school!” (32). Maria Teresa wrote this in the first passages of her diary. Having three older sisters, Dede, Patria, and Minerva, Mate is the baby of the family. They live fruitfully in a small town in the Dominican Republic where they are under an oppressive dictatorship of the antagonist, Trujillo. In Julia Alvarez’s historical fiction, In the Time of the Butterflies, Mate’s diary entries directly relate her growth to that of the nations through her aging diction and her point of view.

In this story, both Mate and the nation were obedient. After many trials tribulations, both learn. “At first, I thought someone had died in our family until I noticed Minerva’s eyeballing me as if to say, watch what you say girl” (38). Although very youthfully revealed, Mate notes of Minerva’s rebellion against Trujillo. At a younger age, little naïve Mate would have tattled on her sister, now she knows better. Later in her diary she writes “My soul has gotten deeper since I started writing in you. But this what I want to know that not even Minerva knows. What do I do now to fill up that hole?” (43). In this last, more mature, passage Mate writes of her own growth. This is her last entry before she has to bury her diary to hide what she has written from Trujillo.

Mate is the youngest and Alvarez portrays her point of view through diary passages. Her diary passages demonstrate her personal growth and hint about the growth of society under the oppressive dictatorship. “The drive today was horribly tense. Manolo and Minerva kept addressing all their conversation to me, though every once and awhile, they’d start discussing something in low voices. It sounded like treasure hunt clues or something. The Indian from the hill has his cave up that road” (138). This observation exhibits censorship and the decline of free society. Not only is Mate writing in a new diary but Manolo and Minerva are speaking in a secret code. “What a way to spend my twenty second birthday! (If only Palomino would come tonight with a delivery.) I have been a little mopey, I admit it. Sonia reminds me that we have to make sacrifices for the revolution” (143). This passage also uncovers the impact of Trujillo’s oppression of society on normal people through the eyes of Mate.

In conclusion, Mate develops from a young girl to a mature woman while documenting her life. Her struggles reflect the societal changes that are occurring in the Dominican Republic. Through Mate’s point of view and aging diction, she directly relates her growth to that of the nation. “There is something deeper. Sometimes I really feel it in her, especially late at night, a current going among us, like a invisible needle stitching us together into the glorious, free nation we are becoming” (239).

Work Cited

Alvarez, Julia. In The Time Of The Butterflies. New York: Penguin,1995.

2/27 post b

"Here's another stupid reason to get married: you want a wedding!" pg 49

I just saw the movie twenty seven dresses and i know this is a little random but i must say what girl doesn't want to have a wedding? If not the wedding then a party? I want to party, maybe not as hard when family is around but what person doesn't want to have a good time in general? This book is annoying me just a little bit. It is written in the point of view of a man pretending to be an old ghetto woman. When i saw the book at first i thought it would be funny, but now i'm getting peeved. Super peeved. Not that grammar mistakes bug me that much but this book is like reading a song from Hurricane chris. I have to read it over and over again for it to make sense. Oh well. It's funny but not enough. Out of the twenty four lines on each page there are probably about three funny ones and the rest repeat constantly.

My favorite chapter so far is CHEATING ON YOUR SPOUSE. why? because it's not about cheating on your spouse. It's actually about spicing up a married couple's sex life. What she recommends is that one of the spouses play a hooker on the street corner and the other comes and picks them up. Her explanation of this is hil hil .

Another good chapter Marrying Someone Like Your Parents.
pg. 52 "But if your parents were crazy as hell, please don't marry them. Nine times out of ten, you do"
I love that she recommends to marry someone unlike your parents. The reason parents move out is the get away from parents unless you find the unlucky souls who still live in their parents basement.

2/27 post A

pg. 37 "So, I say, what the hell. I was in a bad situation. I just broke up with my man. You know, after enough Hennessey, Bernie Mac will start looking like Denzel Washington."

I know this quote is a funny one but i also think that Hennessey is a symbol for time. After you've been with someone for a long time, it doesn't matter what they look like because one should only care about what they feel not what they see.

I keep seeing more and more ideas of self respect but also emerging respect for others.

2/20 post B

pg. 32 "You know, you can't walk into a club with a thong on and a string and talk about that you've got mystery. Everybody can look at you and see that you're a ho. Put something on. Cover yourself up. Get some mystery in your flirting."

In this book Medea is really real and is not afraid to speak her mind. I used to always think that a person shouldn't say anything unless it was good but then Medea makes me think, how will a person know any better? Human society copies from media. Teens see hos in music videos slutting around, not respecting themselves. Do they know any better? No because no one told them to class up. Medea would. In her ten commandments number eight is "Stand up straight" so clearly she would like to make everyone at least honorable to start.

pg. 27 "I had this little girl come up to me and say, 'Madea, I have sex with a lot of people because it makes me feel loved' I told her, I said, 'Baby, having sex with a lot of people don't make you feel loved, it makes you a ho. And I ain't never met a man who said 'I'm looking for a nice ho to settle down with.' " So Shut it down.

I don't think Madea takes any bs from people looking for her advice. As described here, clearly a young girl's cry for comfort and a nod for her ugly actions, Madea just says no, your a ho. Stop making dumb excuses. Overall theme i think is represented here because she seems to be aiming toward self respect. Don't go sleeping around, it not good for you, your image, or your health. As she says also on page 27 "I don't understand why these children will walk around in this day and not use something to protect themselves from AIDS and other stuff" In this quote she refers to young people as children i believe is a striking phrase. Add children, a word that sounds so pure and innocent, and add it in with words like condom, AIDS, and sex. This whole chapter is very revealing of how very real Madea is and how she speaks the truth. This realness definitely shows in the title, Madea's Uninhibited Commentaries On Love and Life. It's almost like the word uninhibited is a warning for how raw her language is.

2/20 post A

pg. 29 " Do you want those kinds of titles? They say 'ho, ho, ho,' and it ain't even Christmas. Are you Santa Claus? Close your legs."

This quote just means that women should respect themselves more. Medea's advice is to not go sleep with everyone you meet because there should at least be a respectable relationship first.

I believe that the emerging theme is so far that of self-respect.

Week 7 Post B

Overall i really liked this book. I normally don't like reading and or writing of any kind but the freelance of this assignment really made it partially less suck-ish if you will. Although, throughout the story, Sammy Tigertail and his journey really did not entertain me as a much as the stories of Fry, Honey Santana, Perry Skinner, and the other characters from the polar side which is Boyd Shreave, Lily Shreave, Eugenie Fonda, and then you also have the mostly random but splashes of light characters Wilson, Gillian, and Louis Piejack. I loved the end because most books will try and trick people and have a quirky ending which mostly just turns and stupid and ruins the whole book. I loved that this story ended well because there are way to many depressing ones out there. Why not read something that makes you smile? The only thing that i didn't like about this book was the really lame title. NATURE GIRL. How stupid is that? Sorry Carl Hiaasen but that was a bad choice. Some of my friends didn't even want to look at it because it sounded lame. I thought it would be too but then i read the first page and it was amazing. The title seems to focus on Honey Santana who i guess without her ambition this whole story would have been toast.

Week 7 Post A

VOCAB

pg. 266 sinuous-having many curves, or bends
pg. 267 epidural-injection of pain killer when giving birth

Figurative Language

pg. 273 "And there the Simonle went, running on the bones of his ancestors."
This is a metaphor and also imagery.

pg. 272 "He had spotted the Gibson, his fondest connection to the white world, in the cinders of the dead campfire"
This is a symbol of tigertail's rebirth.

Quote

pg. 302 "... But there's too many so-called normal people with no soul and no balls."
I think this quote is awesome because it gives credit to every indiviual for all their certain attributes.

Theme.
Revenge and Forgiveness.

Week 6 Post B

The relationship between Honey Santana and Perry Skinner is really confusing. They hate each other, and the love each other at the same time. I think the problem is that they both have made mistakes which both understand but they needed a separation for a while. I think that they were at different times in their lives. Perry Skinner got out of jail and was on a road to recovery from dealing and stealing marijuana and Honey was definitely preoccupied with raising Fry. Both i think had an understanding that they needed to split up for a while for Fry's sake to have a semi'normal life without his parents fighting all the time. After this whole experience with Louis Piejack i think that now Perry is more back to normalcy and Honey has got a better grip on society and it's lackingness in manners. 147Fry did voice his opinions and concerns about perry moving back in though. He is worried that they are both caught up in the moment (just like their quickie marriage after only knowing each other for two days) and he doesn't want either of them to make a mistake that they would regret later. But i think that its a combination of both. They are caught up in the moment and the love each other. So why not? Better sooner than later i guess. I hope that both of them will make a full recovery and that they will have a happy ending.

Week 6 Post A

VOCAB

pg. 225 deviant-differing from the normal
pg. 240 petty-of little or no importance

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

pg. 233 "Then all the sudden he was kissing her again"
This quote is ironic because at the beginning of this story he wanted Gillian to leave him alone and get off the island with her dumb boyfriend.

pg. 236 "By Lester"
This is an example of humorous relief because it is in the middle of the moment where Dealy is being taken away by a helicopter.

pg. 240 "Shortly before sunrise, the U.S. Coast Guard station in fort Meyers Beach had received a call from Fort Worth, Texas." This quote continues on to a lot of specific metaphors which are all relating to Lily Shreave's life.

QUOTE

pg. 225 "Darlin, who is this noodle dick?"
I love this quote because it is said by Louis Piejack and he thinks that he and Honey are together and this moment. It is almost ironic and sad how twisted Louis Piejack thinks that Honey will just come be with him after he sexually assaults her. FUNNY STUFF.

THEME.
I have officially come to the conclusion that unless some huge twist comes in the next forty pages that the theme is revenge.

Week 5 Post B

DICK HEAD OF THE YEAR AWARD
(sorry about the title Mr. Hatten but Dick head of the year award is actually a funny line in the book.)

Nominees

Boyd Shreave-Thinking that he's good enough to even have a mistress.
Boyd Shreave-Thinking about leaving his wife for Eugenie Fonda the Amazon woman.
Boyd Shreave-Stupid for leaving his wife because she is loaded.
Boyd Shreave-Dumb for exploding at Honey Santana on the phone.
Boyd Shreave-Dumb for thinking that he could still have his job after that.
Boyd Shreave-An idiot for thinking that a trip to the florida everglades would be a good idea.
Boyd Shreave-An idiot for taking Eugenie on the trip instead of HIS WIFE.
Boyd Shreave-For thinking that his wife wouldn't find out about the affair.
Boyd Shreave-For thinking that Eugenie would run away with him after he left his wife.
Boyd Shreave-For thinking that he can mooch off his wife's credit cards and thinking that she won't find out.
Boyd Shreave-For thinking that even though Honey Santana despises him and ties him up that she wants to make a move on him.
Boyd Shreave-For breaking his junk on a cactus.
Boyd Shreave-For thinking that when Eugenie left him that it was all a sick joke on HIM and that she would loveingly come out of the bushes to see her man.

Week 5 Post A

VOCAB

pg. 185 cistern- a reservoir or a tank holding water
pg. 196 poinciana-a tropical tree

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

pg. 191 "AH!" This is an example of onomatopoeia.

pg. 205 "The scream didn't sound like Genie. It sounded like a girl."
This quote is definitely ironic.

pg. 204 There is about two paragraphs of similes and metaphors all talking about the islands of the everglades.

QOUTE

"I'm going to nominate you for Dickhead of the Year Award." pg. 199

This has been my favorite quote of the entire book so far. When i read this I was seriously on the floor laughing. I completely agree with Honey that Boyd is completely a dickhead. He is so naive to think that Eugenie leaving with some cruel joke that they were playing on him.

THEME

I am now completely confident that the theme of this book is revenge.

Week 4 Post B

Dear Boyd Shreave,

These past days working at Relentless were amazing. I loved meeting with you and actually getting to know you better. Passing dirty notes and in front of the boss really hyped up my day. I loved being in the secrecy of your wife but now i think that our relationship must end. You don't work at Relentless anymore so i see a need to make a clean break from you. Honestly, I think that i need to go onto bigger and better things. You weren't making progress in your job and you were hindering my emotional and business success. So to put it blankly i am breaking up with you. Don't call me. I wish not to talk to you anymore and your number is blocked on my phone, cell and home.

Genie

P.S. Your cock is messed up from the stupid cactus.

Dear Managers of Relentless,
I would like to file a complaint against your client Boyd Shreave. He sends sexual notes to me during hours of work and touches me in innapropriate places. I would assume that you should fire this dirt bag immediatley.

Genie Fonda.

Dear Ms. Lily Shreave,

This is Genie Fonda. For a long time i have been having an affair with your husband which i recently broke off. I am really sorry but i feel that you should know that Boyd is a lying, cheating scum bag and you are to good for him. Your more successful and he mooches off of ou and your pizza money ALL THE TIME. I recomend that you break it off.

Genie Fonda.

Week 4 Post A

VOCAB

pg. 142 Ad Hoc-For a special purpose
pg. 149 insipidly-without distinctive, interesting, or important qualities

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

"...his stepmother had persuaded his father to invest the accumulated balance-16759.12- in 307 Beanie Baby Dolls..."pg. 149

This is an example of Irony.

"Get your camera, I see titties." pg. 155

This is an example of humorous relief because this quote is in the middle of a serious/tense part of the story.

"Strictly, SOP" pg. 165

This quote is foreshadowing. SOP means Standard Operation Procedure and and in about the next three pages SOP is mentioned again.

QUOTE

"Right side, Boyd, right side. Watch out for those snags, Genie."

I find this quoet funny because I believe that Haaisen wrote snags meaning Boyd in Genie's life.

Theme

I still think the theme in this book so far is REVENGE. It's pretty darn apparent.

Week 3 Post B

Dear. Boyd Shreave,

I would like to talk briefly with you on the matters of etiquette in the work place. Here and Relentless we pride ourselves in our politeness, our un-lingering work ethic, and our quality of product. Your phone call made to one of the name, Honey Santana, didn't show us your pride in this company and made the managers think long and hard about you and if you should continue to represent this company. We will allow you to continue working at Relentless if you abide by these rules:
1. No use of any words that such can be considered swearing and inappropriate.
2. The script which that of the company has supplied to you will always be read in full.
3. You will remain on probation for the next three months where one more slip and your existence at this company will be terminated.

Reply back with any concerns or questions.
Managers. Relentless

Dear Managers of Relentless,

I am sorry to inform you that I am not able to continue my work for your company. Relentless in my mind has always stood for a company of low lifes on welfare who enjoy making other people's life 's miserable. 97 I truly believe that this entire company is a complete sham of computer key board punchers and like to be told what to do. I will use to full capability of my vocal chords to scream absenities on your roof top with which i will find words that come from inside and not from some bullshit of a script. As for the probation that you would have put me on if i had decided to me a pack mule for the rest of my suck fest career, no thank you.

Sincerely, Boyd Shreave

Week 3 Post A

VOCAB

p. 89 patronize-to behave offensively

pg. 115 deluded-to mislead to mind, or misjudgment

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

pg. 104 " 'I thought you and me weren't going to have any secrets.' 'I don't recall such an agreement, Boyd.'"
This quote is an example of foreshadowing because eventually many secrets come out from Eugenie Fonda. Also this is a symbol of Boyd's naiveness and stupidity.

pg. 114 "'Unless you feel guilty,' Eugenie said, 'about mooching off your wife.'"
This quote is ironic because earlier in the story Eugenie didn't mind Boyd mooching off his wife. Now she is realizing what a loser he is and is coming to her senses. She unknowingly criticizes her own judgement by making fun of Boyd.

QUOTE

pg.94 "'Aphenphosmphobia-you can look it up. Dr. Millard Garfield was the one who first documented it."

I love this quote. It just proves to me that Boyd Shreave is obviously one of the dumbest characters ever. This Aphenphosmphobia is a fear of being groped when lilly is trying to be kinky and mess with his head. It's really pathetic. I almost feel sorry but not really.

THEME

So far i am sticking with the revenge theory. I really am not to interested with sammy tigertails point of view and i find the whole controversy with Honey Santana and Boyd to be way more interesting.

Week 2 Post B

Reflection

In this section of the three stories, the complicated mess just simply continues. Honey Santana meets with her ex husband who is now actually a reasonable man who cares for Fry greatly. She meets with him the first get money for her new adventure with Eugenie Fonda to Florida which she is hosting. The money will be for kayaks and hotel expenses. She also needs plane tickets. Skinner, the ex-husband/father, starts to get worried. His initial thought is that she was taking Fry somewhere, and if she did that would be against their agreement in the divorce papers. But she explains that Fry also needs to stay at his house during this experience. She also expresses her concerns. She doesn't want his drug friends coming over, or his other women. (Here she displays lots of jealousy which complicates the situation even more). Skinner, being kind of clean and has total respect for Fry understands and agrees without a moment to spare. You can feel the tension reep from the pages during this specific section. There are mixed feelings from both. Skinner is especially confusing because he heard of Honey getting fired from the crab house and was about to go hurt the owner who grabbed her boob. WEIRD.
Instead of taking his wife, Boyd Shreave decides to take is lover Eugenie. She, having "moved on" to a even more boring man at the office agrees, even though she has many doubts. Although Boyd is trying to be more spontaneous, his efforts lack and Lily can't help but chuckle to herself. She has got him wrapped around her little finger. The detective is going to Florida too. I think there will be a controversy there consider the foreshadowing that took place in many quotes.

Week 2 Post A

VOCAB

flaccid (personalty) : soft and limp, not firm flabby pg 51

morosely: gloomy or sullenly pg. 56

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

On page 56 " In the car Honey reached to turn down the radio, only to find it was off."
This is an ironic quote. Also, in this same quote is a symbol. The music Honey hears is that in her own head. She sometimes goes a little insane. She has very high highs and very low lows. When she starts to get this way she hears random music in her head. This music is a symbol of her progression into one of these stages.

On page 81 " 'Then all you get is a free trip to Florida,' said Boyd Shreave's wife, 'which isn't such a bad deal, is it?'" This is an example of foreshadowing. My prediction is that something terrible will happen when the detective goes to Florida, either an encounter with is client's husband or a run in with Honey Santana.

QUOTE

"'Here's what else: Boyd was fired several days ago from the call center. He was out banging Ms. Fonda when his boss called to ask where to mail his final paycheck-minus the cost of some missing office supplies.' Dealey said, 'Mr. Shreave has no idea that you're onto him?' 'No, it's pathetic. I'll give him as much rope as he needs to hang himself. ..."

This is my favorite quote because first of all, Lily Shreave is definately a dominant figure in this book. Basically she kicks major Shreave ass. The only weird thing about this individual story so far is that she wants footage of actual penetration, aka meaning she was a closer look at them having sex which I find pretty weird. She already has enough footage to sue him and take him all for the little that he is worth. But I suspect there is some grudge against him. Then again I wouldn't want to get that deep of footage if I had been cheated on and hired a detective to figure it out.

EMERGING THEME

Still pretty shady on the theme of this book but I so far am getting a hint of self happiness and REVENGE. Lily wants to get back at Boyd and Honey wants to get back also at Boyd. Sammy Tigertail's business in this book has not been specified so far.

Week 1 Post B

REFLECTION

The book is split into three different stories that I believe will all be combined eventually. My favorite and most page turning story so far is that of Lily and Boyd Shreave. Lily is wealthy, very wealthy, to good to be stuck with her deadbeat husband. Lily has suspicions of cheating so she hires a detective to follow and take pictures of her husbands in acts of adultery. It's not hard. Boyd, a telephone salesman, is having a hot and heavy affair with Eugenie Fonda whose social history is insane. They work together and Relentless, Inc. in Texas. The detective shows pictures of Boyd and Eugenie together. Example, there is a particular picture of Eugenie giving a blow job to Boyd in a restaurant. Lily decides that she wants more, more proof. She is not in denial but I think that she wants to know why and to what extent. Lily also is going to divorce Boyd soon, but first she wants to play with is mind a little. She starts sexually enticing him after five months of no sex. This makes Boyd feel very awkward and he feels that he can't emotionally support two women at once. Oh well.
Sammy Tigertail is having dreams about the man that died on his boat which doesn't disturb him but more questions what he is going to do in the future. There is a quick flashback to his past. He is half Semonile and half white. He lived with his white father until he died where he then moved into a reservation with his mother where he seemed to be more in tune with nature. Other than making the connection with Honey Santana's ex-husband's boat, there isn't much to his individual story.
Honey Santana seems young but that might just be an impression of her name. She doesn't like her husband, or so that's the impression she gives off. She can't hold a job, and she has a son named Fry. Money is tight so she is always borrowing from her ex-husband who from hearing how she was felt up then quit her old job still seems to be in love with her. He went to jail for smuggling pot and other sorts of drugs and illegal substances. She exploded and vice versa at a telephone salesman who happened to be Boyd Shreave. Boyd got fired from this incident but Santana wants to find him and give him a free ecotour of the everglades where Tigertail resides. Slowly but surely I think this story will all come together.

Week 1 Post A

VOCAB

ambient: completely surrounding or encompassing pg. 6

ranchette: a very small ranch tending to be about a few acres max. pg. 27

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE

Mr. Boyd Eisenhower is a symbol of Honey Santana's paranoia. Her son Fry's safety is her main priority and Mr. Boyd Eisenhower's horrible outburst represents the dangerous people that would be capable of making the world a WORSE place than it already is.

It is an ironic occurrence that Sammy Tigertail borrowed a boat that is Honey Santana's ex-husbands considering these to parties were never previously related to the reader's knowledge.

The description of Boyd Shreave is full of about 7 different metaphors comparing his individual characteristics to that of automobiles, worms, elvis, and herbal baldness remedies.

QUOTE

" 'I don't get it. You've got more than enough to bury him already.' 'The deeper the better,' said Lily Shreave, snapping her purse shut." pg. 25

This is my favorite quote from this section of reading because it shows that Lily Shreave is no twit readily prepared to be lied to and cheated on by a dirt bag of a husband Boyd a.k.a. Boyd Eisenhower. This significance of this quote is forshadowing. Later in the section she performs a sexual act on Boyd in a public place where he feels very awkward and only thinking to himself that he can't emotionally support two women. I predict in the next round of their story that they will divorce or she will meet Eugenie Fonda, the mistress.

EMERGING THEME?

So far I haven't been able to recognize the theme of this story considering it's only the exposition. My best guess is that there will be some love triangle where the main characters will learn that it is best just to be themselves.

Outside Reading

1. Nature Girl by Carl Hiaason
2. Copyright 2006
3. Fiction
4. 304 pages
5. When I went to Barnes and Noble and asked the clerk if Nature Girl would be an okay book to read she replied, "It is more of adult reading but you seem intelligent enough to comprehend." Also, this book was not in the children or teen section.
6. My mother said that Hiaasen's writing was incredible. His book's are on top seller's list and are seemingly fast moving. If a book is to slow I won't even finish it, so I must find an interesting, shocking, and insane story to keep my attention.