What you are wondering about? Jenny: Firstly, do the poppy fields have any significance to the Alacrán Estate? I think the poppies are a method of keeping Matt hidden, and Celia far away from the house. I also understood in around chapter 3 that the Big House is referring to Alacrán Estate (or the Scorpion House.)
Rochelle: I am wondering what the white poppy field might symbolize. There is a chapter in the book called The Little House in the Poppy Fields, and I think that Farmer has named all of her chapters for specific reasons that contribute to different themes in the book. I am also wondering why there is a scorpion on the outside of the Big House. I think that the scorpion will have an interesting connection to the book, as well as the theme. Quote: “In the center of an arch was the carved outline of a scorpion.”Another thing I'm interested to find out is how Matt will realize his true identity once he finds out what a clone is, because at this point in the book he does not understand what it is.
Why is Farmer making the choices that she is in this first section?
Jenny: The setting Matt now lives in is very provoking and makes me connect to Matt better; understanding he's a vulnerable little boy surrounded my monsters that don't understand him. The poppy fields pained a mysterious image in my mind, and I think a dramatic scene will definitely take place in those fields. The little house Matt lived in before he was whisked away sounds like a unsuitable living condition. I think El Patron sent Celia to live there with Matt for a reason, so the trashy little building doesn't draw attention to trespassers.
Alysha: One thing I am wondering about is the tattoo
on Matt’s foot. I think that El Patron gave the tattoo to him because
when Rosa saw the tattoo she knew that something was unusual about Matt. The
tattoo says “Property of Alacran Estate.” And I think the tattoo represents if
you are a clone. I think this because every other kid (Maria, Emilia, etc.) does not have
the same tattoo that Matt does. Another thing that I am wondering about is
the letter at the end of chapter 5. Celia finds Matt in the tiny room that Rosa
keeps him in, and hands Maria a letter. She tells Maria to send the
letter to her father, and Celia says “If I give you a letter, can you keep it a
secret from everyone?” And then she says to Maria: “Maria, you must take this
letter to your dada. He’ll know where to send it.” This is where the author
ends off about the letter in this chapter. I am wondering what this letter is about
because Nancy Farmer does not explain to us what this letter is and/or why
and where they are sending it. So I wonder if she will bring up the letter
during the next portion of the book and explain to us what it’s all about.
Mikayla: So far in this novel I find it a little bit weird, and certain things I am still confused about. For example the fact of why they wanted to grow people in the first place. As well as why Matt is not aloud to talk to ANYONE except for him ‘mother’. I am definitely looking forward to finding out where certain elements of this book are coming from.
Jenny: I cannot believe the conditions Rosa kept Matt under when she locked him up! Why do the Big House people treat him so cruelly and unfairly? I considered Farmer's use of the sawdust being a hiding place a very creative and intriguing part of the novel. I hope it is a reoccurring theme in the future, perhaps it being a tool of defence or security for Matt.
Rochelle: The tattoo of numbers on Matt’s foot was surprising to me because I thought it was strange for there to be a number tattooed on his foot. Quote: “Look! There’s writing on his foot,” the little girl cried. She tried to get close but Emilia thrust her back.” As I thought about it I realized that the number is probably on all of the clones that El Patron creates.
Alysha: I was very surprised by the way Rosa treated Matt. When Matt fell on the glass, the kids took care of him. They made sure he was doing all right and they even got their doctor to treat the pain. But right when they found out Matt was a clone they threw him out on the poppy field. I wasn’t sure what made them change their minds about Matt. I was thinking that maybe they had some past experiences with clones, or maybe they had a bad experience with El Patron (Matt’s cloner.) Here is a quote from the book recording El patron and clones: “Technicians are supposed to destroy the minds at birth – it’s the law. But El Patron wanted his to grow up like a real boy. He’s so rich, he can break any law he wants.” As Emilia quotes: “They’re horrible! They drool and mess their pants. They make animal noises.”
Mikayla: The biggest thing that truly stuck me was completely just the fact that matt was born out of a cow! i am still kind of trying to grasp the fact that Farmer actually had that happen, and as to why El Patron would have wanted other versions of himself running around. I am still waiting to wind out thorough reasoning behind all of this madness.
Rochelle: The idea of Matt being a clone was introduced, which leads you to think that this story may have taken place in the future. I think this because there has to be a very high level of technology to make human clones. Farmer explains the way of life for Matt and Celia. Matt has hardly ever been outside of the house, and the only person Matt knows is Celia. We also learn that Matt wants to meet other children, since he has been locked up inside. Quote: “Celia left in the morning, and Matt spent the entire day waiting for the children.” I think that Farmer chose to explain Matts longing to meet other children, and how Matt has hardly been able to go outside because this explains his motive to break the window. Without this knowledge the readers would be questioning why Matt is so interested to venture outside.Farmer also shows how (most) people think of Matt once they find out he is a clone. Many people think of Matt as a filthy beast. Quote: “Matt’s a clone. You mustn’t go near it.” “What’s a clone?” A bad animal.” This is a conversation between Emilia and Maria once they have found that Matt is a clone. The only people who are still kind to Matt are Maria and Celia. I think that Farmer made sure to put the general opinion of clones in the book to show that many people would not treat Matt as a human being. When the everyone first saw Matt’s cut and bleeding feet they all were very worried, and did all they could to help. Once they found out Matt was a clone many of them immediately stopped treating him, and didn’t even want to be near him. They started to treat him in cruel, and horrible ways. This is a quote from the book to show how Rosa treated Matt: “In the evening Rosa brought him a flavorless stew with cement-coloured gravy. Matt was given no utensils and had to put his face in the bowl like a dog.”
Alysha: When the children of the big house find out that Matt fell on the glass and hurt himself, they bring him to their doctor and make sure he is alright. But when they realize that Matt is clone, they call him names and throw him out of the house in bad conditions. I think that Farmer did this to show us that clones are not admired. She hasn't really told us why they are not liked, but I think that in the next couple chapters she will let us know.
Mikayla:I think my biggest wonders are probably why is Matt so locked up inside this house, and what is the reason for growing clones within a cow. I am also wondering about how the boy recovers from falling on broken glass.
Second Discussion: Literary Element
What literary element is most interesting to you?
Jenny: The literary element I find most interesting is characterization. I translate words to images when I'm reading and it's difficult for me to perceive the plot as it's supposed to be when I can't fully envision the character's appearance and personality. The setting also is a huge part of the story because without a setting it is hard to imagine the circumstances and story in general. I think the visual elements of the book are most important for the mental
generation and film adaption of the book.
Alysha: The literary element that I find the most interesting is characterization. Right from the beginning I knew that El Patron was going to be a very important character in this story. In the beginning of the book we find out that El Patron implants 36 human embryos into a cow, but only one lives (which is Matteo). I am wondering why El Patron did this and what his reasoning is. We find out (from Rosa) that you are supposed to destroy the clones mind at birth. We also learn they are to grow up like an animal, with no control of themselves. It is illegal not to destroy their minds, but El Patron defied the law and now Matt is growing up like a real boy. Farmer has not yet revealed El Patron's decisions, so I believe that this is an important part in the story if Farmer is waiting to tell us why this has happened. Another interesting character that I find is the doctor. I cannot tell if he is a bad or good character in the amount of the book I have read. The doctor helped Matt when he cut his foot on the glass, but he changed when he found Matt was a clone. Matt was thrown out of the Big House, and kept in a tiny cell. Then Rosa took Matt out of the cell to meet El Patron and was returned back with Celia. Rosa was in huge trouble but the doctor changed his opinion and agreed with Celia that what Rosa did to Matt was wrong. Although at first he was on Rosa's side, and treated Matt like an animal. Because of this, I am not sure what to think of the doctor. So I wonder if Farmer is going to explain what is going on with the doctor later in the story.
Rochelle: The literary element that I found really interesting is the setting. This refers to the time and place that the novel is set. In the House of the Scorpion I found that the white poppy field was going to be a very important part of the story. I thought this because there was a chapter called "The Little House in the Poppy Fields." For Farmer to name a chapter she must have a good reason for doing so. Another reason I thought that this would be an important setting is because it was repeatedly mentioned throughout the book. It turned out I was right because the fields were used to produce opium, which is a powerful drug. This also shows a theme that things are not always as the seem, and even a beautiful poppy field can have hidden secrets. Another important part of the setting is the time period. I think that the time period is in the future because of the high technology. Here are some quotes from the book that prove my point: "It was called Mexico when he was a boy, he said." This quote shows that it used to be called Mexico, and that is what it is called in our present day! Also the fact that El Patron is 143 years old shows you how advanced the technology is. Here is another quote: "Iv'e had the benefit of a marvellous new treatment from the finest doctors in the world, and now my good friend Mac-Gregot is going to be treated by these same people." For these reasons
Mikayla:
A literary element that I found interesting about this book so far is the fact of how brief Farmer described the main character. Matt is most definitely the focus of the book, and his attitude and character in general is very well described. I have rarely heard anything about the way that he looks in the book though. In a way, I like that Farmer is letting the readers imagination wonder, and letting us figure it out for ourselves. Although at the beginning of the book I thought of him as a normal boy. The moment people started calling him an 'animal' a 'clone' and a 'abomination' was the moment I began to imagine Matt differently. I started to think of Matt a little bit different than a normal person. Other characters such as El Patron are better described, but I can't imagine Matt as El Patron yet because Matt is supposed to be his clone. One other aspect of this book that I found very interesting was the fact of how much Farmer has emphasized, and pushed to the readers how mean and rude the people in the big house are being to Matt in comparison to Celia and Rosa.
Third Discussion: Border Control and Illegal Immigration
Jenny: In this article, an American prosecutor reveals his thoughts on the issue of illegal immigration and how to reduce it. He believes technology plays a huge part in coyotes being successful in smuggling illegal immigrants over the USA border. Computers, cameras, and tracking assist coyotes in seeing where border guards are located and how to avoid them. To minimize this activity, it is suggested that the reinforcement of border security and advanced perimeter protection.
Alysha: The news article that I chose is about illegal immigration happening in the US borders. In Mexico, according to the world bank 53% of Mexico's population live in poverty. And in the US, 75% of undocumented immigrants arrive from Mexico and other central and South American countries. But about 50% of these illegal immigrants are from Mexico. In the story, Celia uses the coyote to get across to the United States. I think that the coyote is related to the U.S in this article. The coyote helps them and in the article the U.S is helping them escape from poverty.
Rochelle: In chapter 14 it describes Celia's story which includes the topic of illegal immigration. Celia was very poor and lived in a factory on the border. Celia had heard of people called coyotes. You may think this is the animal coyote, but it is something very different. Here is how Celia describes a coyote: "A man who takes people over the border. You pay him and he helps you to the United States. Only first you have to cross the Farms." My real world connection is a news story about 513 immigrants who were found in 2 tractor trailers. I choose this article because I think it really connects to Celia's story, and the idea of coyotes. The people in the news story paid the coyote $7000 to get them to the USA. According to officials the people were travelling inhumane conditions. The truck would have reached the border if had not been stopped by state attorney in Chiapas because the people were seen on an x-ray. In the truck were not only people from Mexico but also from El Salvador, Ecuador, China, Japan, India, Nepal, Guatemala, Honduras, and Dominican Republic.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-17/world/mexico.migrants_1_illegal-immigrants-tractor-trailers-mexican-authorities?_s=PM:WORLD
Mikayla: In the book it talks about how Celia had to illegally cross the boarder because she was not able to.
The article that I chose to look at is about a man that brought a boat across boarders that held hundreds of illegal immigrants. I think that the amount of illegal immigrations that you hear about is astonishing! In few ways it is understandable though, because not everyone is accepted as an immigrant and those who are not feel like they need to go to some fairly drastic measures to get away from their current situation. I think that Celia had the urge to cross the boarder because she was just not happy with the town she had lived in, and the condition of her life.
http://www.globaltvcalgary.com/charges+laid+against+man+connected+to+ship+carrying+tamil+migrants+to+bc/6442596360/story.html
Forth Discussion: Free Choice
Mikayla: So far in this novel I am finding it very interesting and I must admit at points throughout the beginning of the novel I had started having doubts about the book because in about chapter 10 the book started becoming a little bit boring for me. Now in the book i think that my biggest interest is what is going to happen to Matt? One element of the book that I really loved is the originality of the novel, and the style of writing Farmer has chosen. I think that a third person writing style is perfect for this book and it really added to the affects of the book. One thing that I hated about the book is that the novel is very predictable and at many times you could guess approximately what was going to happen. I think that the theme of the novel is currently getting a little bit more grim and mysterious. The novel is currently getting into more of a suspenseful feel and is definitely trying to keep you reading. One big connection that came up in the book was immigration. When Celia illegally crossed the boarder and El Patron kept her with him.
Alysha: I am going to be looking at the setting and the characters in the House of the Scorpion. In the beginning, the book takes place in a little house on the poppy fields. Also known as Celia and Matt’s house. Then in the next couple chapters we are introduced to the Big House. Also known as El Patrons house. There are also other people living in the big house. Maria, Felicia, Tom, Stephen and many others live in the big house. I wonder why Nancy Farmer decided to introduce all of these characters in the book. I am thinking that it was to bring more excitement into the book. For example, we all think that Tom posioned Maria’s dog. But then later in the book, it turns around and we find out that Felicia was actually the guilty one.
Jenny:
Rochelle:
Fifth Discussion: Comparing Main Characters
Alysha: In the movie Gattaca and the book House of the Scorpion, each of the characters are trying to achieve something. The main character in Gattaca wants to become an astronaut. But he goes through many different obstacles to achieve this goal. For example, they won't let him go into space because he isn't tall enough. So he stretches out his legs to make himself taller so he will be allowed to train to become an astronaut. But the differences between these characters is that Matt tries to change himself mentally and Vincent tries to change himself physically. And in the house of the scorpion, Matt is shoved into jail because he isn't a human being, he is a clone. So Matt decided that he was going to learn as much as he can and become very intelligent so people think of him as a human being. In both of these stories, the main character definitely gets looked upon. People don't believe in them because of a certain characteristic. And I don't think that Matt or Vincent live in a very good environment. This is because Matt has been living in jail for a while and Vincent has been putting himself down because he isn't tall enough to travel to space. But both of these characters don't give up and believe that they can do the things that they want to achieve.
Mikayla: Comparing Gattaca and the House of the Scorpion, i realized that both of the main characters were trying to achieve something, something that they wanted to find out or achieve for their whole life. Vincent in Gattaca wanted to go to space for his whole life, and his plan seemed to be going perfectly until an eyelash was dropped. I compared this to Matt in the way that Matt's life was seemingly perfect until El Patron died, and he ran away and things slowly got worse and worse. I think that you could relate this to both situations because of the worry and pressure from both people to become, or to get to where they wanted/needed to get.
Comparing Gerome, and El Patron. There is the obvious similarity that they are both in a wheel chair. As well as this Matt was the clone of El Patron, and Vincent was pretending to be Gerome.
Some of the larger differences in the movie is that in Gattaca Vincent tries to genetically change himself to be accepted into a higher life, while in The House of the Scorpion Matt is almost completely rejected by society because of the way he was grown, and because of what he is. I thought that the differences in these movies were very interesting because in so many ways you could see that they were similar, but at the same time they are almost completely different.
Other similarities that I thought were interesting were the way the irene reacted when she found out that Vincent was not actually Jerome, and the way Maria reacts with knowing that Matt is a clone. These are similar but different, because vincent had convinced irene from the start that he was jerome, while Maria knew from almost the very beginning of knowing Matt that he was a clone, he was different. Some other similarities i found between the female leads were definitely the affectionate side of them. In my eyes they both seemed a little bit new to love (especially Maria) and things started moving slow and both of the females had suspicions with their men, as well as being careful to not get caught, in Maria's case. Overall I think both of the themes are very similar in the way that the main character is being discriminated towards, or would have been discriminated towards if they showed their true selves.
Rochelle: There are many similarities between the House of the Scorpion and Gattaca. A major similarity between the two stories is both of the main characters have been discriminated because of their genetics. Matt was discriminated because he is a clone, so he was treated differently because of his genetics. The main character in Gattaca (named Vincent) was also discriminated because of his genetics. In his case it was because he was born normally, rather than being perfectly made by genetic modification. This means that Vincent follow his dream, which was going to space. Matt’s life was also very restricted because as the author says he was being raised like an animal for slaughter.
In the end, both characters ended up proving determination and individualism will help you achieve your dreams wether you were born the way you are or if you were artificially modified.
Rochelle: The tattoo of numbers on Matt’s foot was surprising to me because I thought it was strange for there to be a number tattooed on his foot. Quote: “Look! There’s writing on his foot,” the little girl cried. She tried to get close but Emilia thrust her back.” As I thought about it I realized that the number is probably on all of the clones that El Patron creates.
Alysha: I was very surprised by the way Rosa treated Matt. When Matt fell on the glass, the kids took care of him. They made sure he was doing all right and they even got their doctor to treat the pain. But right when they found out Matt was a clone they threw him out on the poppy field. I wasn’t sure what made them change their minds about Matt. I was thinking that maybe they had some past experiences with clones, or maybe they had a bad experience with El Patron (Matt’s cloner.) Here is a quote from the book recording El patron and clones: “Technicians are supposed to destroy the minds at birth – it’s the law. But El Patron wanted his to grow up like a real boy. He’s so rich, he can break any law he wants.” As Emilia quotes: “They’re horrible! They drool and mess their pants. They make animal noises.”
Mikayla: The biggest thing that truly stuck me was completely just the fact that matt was born out of a cow! i am still kind of trying to grasp the fact that Farmer actually had that happen, and as to why El Patron would have wanted other versions of himself running around. I am still waiting to wind out thorough reasoning behind all of this madness.
Rochelle: The idea of Matt being a clone was introduced, which leads you to think that this story may have taken place in the future. I think this because there has to be a very high level of technology to make human clones. Farmer explains the way of life for Matt and Celia. Matt has hardly ever been outside of the house, and the only person Matt knows is Celia. We also learn that Matt wants to meet other children, since he has been locked up inside. Quote: “Celia left in the morning, and Matt spent the entire day waiting for the children.” I think that Farmer chose to explain Matts longing to meet other children, and how Matt has hardly been able to go outside because this explains his motive to break the window. Without this knowledge the readers would be questioning why Matt is so interested to venture outside.Farmer also shows how (most) people think of Matt once they find out he is a clone. Many people think of Matt as a filthy beast. Quote: “Matt’s a clone. You mustn’t go near it.” “What’s a clone?” A bad animal.” This is a conversation between Emilia and Maria once they have found that Matt is a clone. The only people who are still kind to Matt are Maria and Celia. I think that Farmer made sure to put the general opinion of clones in the book to show that many people would not treat Matt as a human being. When the everyone first saw Matt’s cut and bleeding feet they all were very worried, and did all they could to help. Once they found out Matt was a clone many of them immediately stopped treating him, and didn’t even want to be near him. They started to treat him in cruel, and horrible ways. This is a quote from the book to show how Rosa treated Matt: “In the evening Rosa brought him a flavorless stew with cement-coloured gravy. Matt was given no utensils and had to put his face in the bowl like a dog.”
Alysha: When the children of the big house find out that Matt fell on the glass and hurt himself, they bring him to their doctor and make sure he is alright. But when they realize that Matt is clone, they call him names and throw him out of the house in bad conditions. I think that Farmer did this to show us that clones are not admired. She hasn't really told us why they are not liked, but I think that in the next couple chapters she will let us know.
Mikayla:I think my biggest wonders are probably why is Matt so locked up inside this house, and what is the reason for growing clones within a cow. I am also wondering about how the boy recovers from falling on broken glass.
Second Discussion: Literary Element
What literary element is most interesting to you?
Jenny: The literary element I find most interesting is characterization. I translate words to images when I'm reading and it's difficult for me to perceive the plot as it's supposed to be when I can't fully envision the character's appearance and personality. The setting also is a huge part of the story because without a setting it is hard to imagine the circumstances and story in general. I think the visual elements of the book are most important for the mental
generation and film adaption of the book.
Alysha: The literary element that I find the most interesting is characterization. Right from the beginning I knew that El Patron was going to be a very important character in this story. In the beginning of the book we find out that El Patron implants 36 human embryos into a cow, but only one lives (which is Matteo). I am wondering why El Patron did this and what his reasoning is. We find out (from Rosa) that you are supposed to destroy the clones mind at birth. We also learn they are to grow up like an animal, with no control of themselves. It is illegal not to destroy their minds, but El Patron defied the law and now Matt is growing up like a real boy. Farmer has not yet revealed El Patron's decisions, so I believe that this is an important part in the story if Farmer is waiting to tell us why this has happened. Another interesting character that I find is the doctor. I cannot tell if he is a bad or good character in the amount of the book I have read. The doctor helped Matt when he cut his foot on the glass, but he changed when he found Matt was a clone. Matt was thrown out of the Big House, and kept in a tiny cell. Then Rosa took Matt out of the cell to meet El Patron and was returned back with Celia. Rosa was in huge trouble but the doctor changed his opinion and agreed with Celia that what Rosa did to Matt was wrong. Although at first he was on Rosa's side, and treated Matt like an animal. Because of this, I am not sure what to think of the doctor. So I wonder if Farmer is going to explain what is going on with the doctor later in the story.
Rochelle: The literary element that I found really interesting is the setting. This refers to the time and place that the novel is set. In the House of the Scorpion I found that the white poppy field was going to be a very important part of the story. I thought this because there was a chapter called "The Little House in the Poppy Fields." For Farmer to name a chapter she must have a good reason for doing so. Another reason I thought that this would be an important setting is because it was repeatedly mentioned throughout the book. It turned out I was right because the fields were used to produce opium, which is a powerful drug. This also shows a theme that things are not always as the seem, and even a beautiful poppy field can have hidden secrets. Another important part of the setting is the time period. I think that the time period is in the future because of the high technology. Here are some quotes from the book that prove my point: "It was called Mexico when he was a boy, he said." This quote shows that it used to be called Mexico, and that is what it is called in our present day! Also the fact that El Patron is 143 years old shows you how advanced the technology is. Here is another quote: "Iv'e had the benefit of a marvellous new treatment from the finest doctors in the world, and now my good friend Mac-Gregot is going to be treated by these same people." For these reasons
Mikayla:
A literary element that I found interesting about this book so far is the fact of how brief Farmer described the main character. Matt is most definitely the focus of the book, and his attitude and character in general is very well described. I have rarely heard anything about the way that he looks in the book though. In a way, I like that Farmer is letting the readers imagination wonder, and letting us figure it out for ourselves. Although at the beginning of the book I thought of him as a normal boy. The moment people started calling him an 'animal' a 'clone' and a 'abomination' was the moment I began to imagine Matt differently. I started to think of Matt a little bit different than a normal person. Other characters such as El Patron are better described, but I can't imagine Matt as El Patron yet because Matt is supposed to be his clone. One other aspect of this book that I found very interesting was the fact of how much Farmer has emphasized, and pushed to the readers how mean and rude the people in the big house are being to Matt in comparison to Celia and Rosa.
Third Discussion: Border Control and Illegal Immigration
Jenny: In this article, an American prosecutor reveals his thoughts on the issue of illegal immigration and how to reduce it. He believes technology plays a huge part in coyotes being successful in smuggling illegal immigrants over the USA border. Computers, cameras, and tracking assist coyotes in seeing where border guards are located and how to avoid them. To minimize this activity, it is suggested that the reinforcement of border security and advanced perimeter protection.
Another article comes from the perspective of a young coyote
from Mexico. He says people resort to illegal immigration because of poor
living conditions. A controversial debate is being held regarding the topic of
him and his family getting deported back to Mexico. They’ve lived in North
Carolina for almost their whole life and that’s all they’ve ever known. Sending
them back to Mexico would mean a new life they aren’t ready to begin, being a
young family.
In House of the
Scorpion, Celia was capable of crossing the border with the assistance of a
coyote. She almost made it, until the technology used in the operation proved
to be less advanced than those of Opium’s guards.
She wanted to cross in hopes of a better future, and
technically she gets it, caring for Matt and now having a job. Although she
despises El Patron, it’s not too bad.
Alysha: The news article that I chose is about illegal immigration happening in the US borders. In Mexico, according to the world bank 53% of Mexico's population live in poverty. And in the US, 75% of undocumented immigrants arrive from Mexico and other central and South American countries. But about 50% of these illegal immigrants are from Mexico. In the story, Celia uses the coyote to get across to the United States. I think that the coyote is related to the U.S in this article. The coyote helps them and in the article the U.S is helping them escape from poverty.
Rochelle: In chapter 14 it describes Celia's story which includes the topic of illegal immigration. Celia was very poor and lived in a factory on the border. Celia had heard of people called coyotes. You may think this is the animal coyote, but it is something very different. Here is how Celia describes a coyote: "A man who takes people over the border. You pay him and he helps you to the United States. Only first you have to cross the Farms." My real world connection is a news story about 513 immigrants who were found in 2 tractor trailers. I choose this article because I think it really connects to Celia's story, and the idea of coyotes. The people in the news story paid the coyote $7000 to get them to the USA. According to officials the people were travelling inhumane conditions. The truck would have reached the border if had not been stopped by state attorney in Chiapas because the people were seen on an x-ray. In the truck were not only people from Mexico but also from El Salvador, Ecuador, China, Japan, India, Nepal, Guatemala, Honduras, and Dominican Republic.
http://articles.cnn.com/2011-05-17/world/mexico.migrants_1_illegal-immigrants-tractor-trailers-mexican-authorities?_s=PM:WORLD
Mikayla: In the book it talks about how Celia had to illegally cross the boarder because she was not able to.
The article that I chose to look at is about a man that brought a boat across boarders that held hundreds of illegal immigrants. I think that the amount of illegal immigrations that you hear about is astonishing! In few ways it is understandable though, because not everyone is accepted as an immigrant and those who are not feel like they need to go to some fairly drastic measures to get away from their current situation. I think that Celia had the urge to cross the boarder because she was just not happy with the town she had lived in, and the condition of her life.
http://www.globaltvcalgary.com/charges+laid+against+man+connected+to+ship+carrying+tamil+migrants+to+bc/6442596360/story.html
Forth Discussion: Free Choice
Mikayla: So far in this novel I am finding it very interesting and I must admit at points throughout the beginning of the novel I had started having doubts about the book because in about chapter 10 the book started becoming a little bit boring for me. Now in the book i think that my biggest interest is what is going to happen to Matt? One element of the book that I really loved is the originality of the novel, and the style of writing Farmer has chosen. I think that a third person writing style is perfect for this book and it really added to the affects of the book. One thing that I hated about the book is that the novel is very predictable and at many times you could guess approximately what was going to happen. I think that the theme of the novel is currently getting a little bit more grim and mysterious. The novel is currently getting into more of a suspenseful feel and is definitely trying to keep you reading. One big connection that came up in the book was immigration. When Celia illegally crossed the boarder and El Patron kept her with him.
Alysha: I am going to be looking at the setting and the characters in the House of the Scorpion. In the beginning, the book takes place in a little house on the poppy fields. Also known as Celia and Matt’s house. Then in the next couple chapters we are introduced to the Big House. Also known as El Patrons house. There are also other people living in the big house. Maria, Felicia, Tom, Stephen and many others live in the big house. I wonder why Nancy Farmer decided to introduce all of these characters in the book. I am thinking that it was to bring more excitement into the book. For example, we all think that Tom posioned Maria’s dog. But then later in the book, it turns around and we find out that Felicia was actually the guilty one.
Jenny:
Rochelle:
Characterization
includes showing the character’s appearance, displaying the character’s
actions, revealing the character’s thoughts, letting the character speak, and
getting the reactions of others. While reading this novel I noticed that Matt’s
physical appearance was hardly described . Of course Matt’s actions are shown,
and we also are let into Matt’s brain to see what he’s thinking. Example - “And
with that discovery grew a desire to see them more closely.” Matt speaks
throughout the novel, except the beginning. We also see how characters react to
Matt. Celia treats Matt like a human not a clone, while other characters are
very cruel to Matt such as Rosa and Tom. Tam Lin is described as a huge bodyguard. Tam
Lin’s action are shown in the book, but his thoughts are not shown. As the story goes on Tam Lin becomes a more
prominent character in the book, as he starts to try to make Opium a better
place. So Tam Lin speaks more throughout the book, and then we see the
reactions of others toward Tam Lin. Celia is on Tam Lin’s side, while others
see Tam Lin as who he pretends to be such as El Patron. In the book the way the maids were dressed was
described so we assume that Celia would be wearing one of the black and white
dresses. Celia’s actions in the book appear to be very motherly, kind, and
caring towards Matt. We don’t get inside Celia’s thoughts, but we definitely here
her speak to Matt, Tam Lin, El Patron, and others. We also see the characters
reactions to Celia.
Fifth Discussion: Comparing Main Characters
Alysha: In the movie Gattaca and the book House of the Scorpion, each of the characters are trying to achieve something. The main character in Gattaca wants to become an astronaut. But he goes through many different obstacles to achieve this goal. For example, they won't let him go into space because he isn't tall enough. So he stretches out his legs to make himself taller so he will be allowed to train to become an astronaut. But the differences between these characters is that Matt tries to change himself mentally and Vincent tries to change himself physically. And in the house of the scorpion, Matt is shoved into jail because he isn't a human being, he is a clone. So Matt decided that he was going to learn as much as he can and become very intelligent so people think of him as a human being. In both of these stories, the main character definitely gets looked upon. People don't believe in them because of a certain characteristic. And I don't think that Matt or Vincent live in a very good environment. This is because Matt has been living in jail for a while and Vincent has been putting himself down because he isn't tall enough to travel to space. But both of these characters don't give up and believe that they can do the things that they want to achieve.
Mikayla: Comparing Gattaca and the House of the Scorpion, i realized that both of the main characters were trying to achieve something, something that they wanted to find out or achieve for their whole life. Vincent in Gattaca wanted to go to space for his whole life, and his plan seemed to be going perfectly until an eyelash was dropped. I compared this to Matt in the way that Matt's life was seemingly perfect until El Patron died, and he ran away and things slowly got worse and worse. I think that you could relate this to both situations because of the worry and pressure from both people to become, or to get to where they wanted/needed to get.
Comparing Gerome, and El Patron. There is the obvious similarity that they are both in a wheel chair. As well as this Matt was the clone of El Patron, and Vincent was pretending to be Gerome.
Some of the larger differences in the movie is that in Gattaca Vincent tries to genetically change himself to be accepted into a higher life, while in The House of the Scorpion Matt is almost completely rejected by society because of the way he was grown, and because of what he is. I thought that the differences in these movies were very interesting because in so many ways you could see that they were similar, but at the same time they are almost completely different.
Other similarities that I thought were interesting were the way the irene reacted when she found out that Vincent was not actually Jerome, and the way Maria reacts with knowing that Matt is a clone. These are similar but different, because vincent had convinced irene from the start that he was jerome, while Maria knew from almost the very beginning of knowing Matt that he was a clone, he was different. Some other similarities i found between the female leads were definitely the affectionate side of them. In my eyes they both seemed a little bit new to love (especially Maria) and things started moving slow and both of the females had suspicions with their men, as well as being careful to not get caught, in Maria's case. Overall I think both of the themes are very similar in the way that the main character is being discriminated towards, or would have been discriminated towards if they showed their true selves.
Rochelle: There are many similarities between the House of the Scorpion and Gattaca. A major similarity between the two stories is both of the main characters have been discriminated because of their genetics. Matt was discriminated because he is a clone, so he was treated differently because of his genetics. The main character in Gattaca (named Vincent) was also discriminated because of his genetics. In his case it was because he was born normally, rather than being perfectly made by genetic modification. This means that Vincent follow his dream, which was going to space. Matt’s life was also very restricted because as the author says he was being raised like an animal for slaughter.
In the end, both characters ended up proving determination and individualism will help you achieve your dreams wether you were born the way you are or if you were artificially modified.
Hey Mikayla,
ReplyDeleteMaybe explain a bit more as to why you started to find the book boring at chapter 10? I think you should add some specific examples and quotes from the book. Also, you need to capitalize your "i" 's. Good job!