The Great Gatsby - December 12, 2007 - pages 171 - end

The end of the book was pretty deep. Nothing too astonishing happened, yet a few majoy things had closure. For instance, Nick decides to move back to the mid-west. Also, Jordan and Nick's relationship ends. Jordan tells Nick that she is engaged, but I don't believe she is telling the truth.
A few years later he sees Tom, and finally confronts him about what he said to Wilson that night. Tom said he told him the truth, which he thought he did. Nick, though, told him that "the truth" that he thought he told Wilson, was not the truth at all. Tom didn't really seemed affected at all by the fact that Daisy is the one who really killed Myrtle. He made it sound like he suffered as much as anyone else in the fact that Myrtle was dead and no longer a part of his life.
The last line was different than what I expected. I read it and turned the page to keep on reading, but found nothing there. I guess I just expected somthing totally ironic or surprising that would explain everything we doubted in the book. Something that would help us distinguish between the illisions and reality in the book. Instead, we will never really know what was truth and what was fiction. The last line in the book merely tells us that when we want somthing we will do whatever, and give whatever, in attempt to get it?? Summarizing the characteristics of the people in America??
I was disappointed though that there was no mention of Daisy at all! What did she think of Gatsby's death? Did she even find out? Are her and Tom still together? There were so many things left unanswered. Everything in the book was focused around her and when Gatsby died, it was as if she did too. Maybe that was the point, without Gatsby, she wasn't a real person anyways. Therefore, her thoughts and feelings didn't really matter any more.

The Great Gatsby - December 5, 2007 - Pages 154 - 171

This second to last chapter is the most significant chapter in the whole book, I think. First, we learn that Daisy married Tom because she got tired of waiting for Gatsby to get back from the war, because she wanted her life to start. Then, it talks alot about Wilson and Michaelis the night of the accident. I think the writer did this to show us how "crazy" Wilson is becoming. At the end of the chapter, Wilson shoots Gatsby while he is in his pool. The end of this chapter was so astonishing. Yet, at the same time, it didn't surprise me at all. It was so ironic and so full circle, I don't think it could have ended any other way. The one thing I wonder though is how Wilson found out it was Gatsby? He had never met Gatsby, or seen him, and Tom definatly never talked about him. I think, though, that Tom tipped him off. After all, it would be the perfect way to get rid of Gatsby.
Predicting on the final chapter, I don't think anything this big will happen. I expect something big to maybe happen with Daisy though. I think we will maybe find out somthing ironic or astonishing about thier past together.
Reflecting, I expected Wilson to find out that Daisy did it and for Gatsby to some how take the blame. I didn't think that Wilson would be strong enough to actually kill someone.

The Great Gatsby - November 28, 2007 - pages 103 - 154

These two chapters were probably the most confusing so far. The first chapter told us about another man named James Gatz. It said something about how he changed his name becuase of some man that helped a sailor our on the lake. I think it maybe was trying to tell us that James Gatz is what Jay Gatsby's real name is???? It was very confusing, but that is my best guess as to what it was suppose to mean.
The second chapter was alot easier to understand. In a quick summary, Tom finds out about Gatsby and Daisy because Gatsby tells Tom that Daisy has never really loved him. Then, on the way back from New York, Daisy runs over and kills Myrtle Wilson. The bad thing is, is that Daisy doesn't stop at the accident, she just keeps going home, and Tom knows that she did it because of the car she wes driving is the same as the witnesses described. There is alot of irony in this chapter. Myrtle was leaving and ran out into the road in the first place because she thought that Jordan was Tom's wife and she had seen them together earlier, and because Mr. Wilson was going to move them to California and she wanted to go find Tom. Also, I think Tom probably thinks that Daisy may have done it on purpose if she knew is was Tom's mistress, but I don't think she really had any clue.
We learned alot about the character of the people. For instance, Gatsby and Daisy not even stopping when they killed a woman, and acting as if it was no big deal shows how cold they can be. It also gives the idea that maybe Gatsby is capable of killing someone and already has like all the rumors say. Gatsby also turns out to be quite confident in Daisy's love for him, he came right out and told Tom of the affair, which was pretty risky I think.
I predict that Daisy will move out of the Buchanan's and in with Gatsby. As far as Tom, I think we will see a big change in him. After all, he lost his wife to another man, and his mistress was killed by his wife.

The Great Gatsby - November 21- Pages 65 - 103

This week we read chapters four and five. I really like the book and I think the real plot of the story started to develop in these two chapters. Chapter four started out kind of weird. It was just telling us about a "list" that Nick kept one summer of all the people that came to Gatsby's house over the course of the summer. I'm not sure though what the first two paragraphs were even talking about at all?? It then quickly jumps to one morning in July when Gatsby showed up in Nick's driveway and asked, or more like told, Nick that they were going to have lunch. While driving into New York Gatsby suddenly opens up about his past. He first implies that he knows what people say about him and asks Nick what he thinks of him. Nick never really gives a definate answer. Gatsby goes on to tell Nick that he inherited a lot of money when all his family died. He spent most of it traveling and living in foreign cities. He did go to Oxford though, and was considered a kind of 'hero' in the war for leading his section of soldiers so far ahead that it was impossible for the other side to win, or something like that. For this great feat, he was given a medal of honor from almost every country, including Montenegro, which was significant for some reason I do not know. Also, to prove these two things, he carries that medal from Montenegro, and a picture of him at Oxford with a cricket bat in his hand. Why did he need to carry these things with him to prove it? Why wouldn't people just believe him anyways?? He then implies that Mrs. Baker is going to tell Nick something at the tea Nick and Mrs. Baker had planned. This doesn't really make sence at first, but later on in chapter five it all comes together. So, they go to New York and have lunch with another man, Mr. Wolfshiem, and nothing peculiar really happens at all. When they are leaving though, they see Tom, and go to say hello. After talking for a brief moment Nick turns to Gatsby and Gatsby has disappeared. Later on we find why he leaves so suddenly without anyone knowing why.
When Jordan and Nick has tea we find out possibly the most important bit of information in the story so far. Jordan tells Nick of a long story about the past. It pretty much ended up that at one time Gatsby and Daisy dated, Daisy broke it off, and Gatsby has never forgotten her. He deliberatly moved across the bay from her, and wants Nick to have Daisy over for tea so he can come too. I don't understand why this all had to come fro Jordan, was he just kind of embarrassed maybe?? I think Nick wondered the same thing.
In chapter five Nick has Jordan over and Gatsby is a nervous wreck before she even gets there. He wants to make sure everything is perfect. At first it is very awkward, Gatsby is so nervous he isn't even acting like himself. Daisy knows that Gatsby lives across the bay though, because she asked Jordan about him in the first chapter, when Tom was at their house and she made the connection by the description Jordan gave her. I think that if Daisy actually liked Gatsby she would have came to one of the parties, afterall they were thrown to try to attract her. The tea goes fairly well after awhile and soon Gatsby invites them to his house. Daisy is overwhelmed with the size and beauty of it. They were suppose to tour the outside too but it is raining. Therefore, they are all just standing inside looking out. I think this is kind of an awkward moment, there has to be quite a bit of tension amongst the three, because they all know the reason why there was a tea now. At the end of the chapter Nick goes home and leaves Daisy and Gatsby, who seem to be quite cozy at this point.
These two chapters were filled with alot of information. It was almost overwhelming trying to decifer between what is real and what is symbolism, and what is suppose to be drawn from every action and word. At this point I have few prediction, I think anything is possible.

The Great Gatsby - November 17,2007 - Pages 43-65

In the third chapter of The Great Gatsby a few important things happen. First off, Nick is actually invited by an invitation from Mr. Gatsby to one of his elaborate parties. He has these huge parties and only a handful of the people who actually come are invited, the rest just show up. At first Nick is kind of alone, but he soon runs into Jordan Baker, and remains pretty close to her for the rest of the evening. The second important event is is when Nick is talking to a man at his table. The man recognizes Nick from the war, and they start up a conversation. Nick tells the man that this is an unusual party for him, becaue he doesn't even know the host, and that "this man Gatsby sent over his chauffeur with an invitation." To Nick's surprise the man suddenly responds - "I'm Gatsby." I was completely shocked at the quick turn in the book. I wasn't sure if they would ever actually meet in the book and then BAM! Nick was talking to him and he didn't even know it. It was a great element of surprise that completely catches you off guard.
I think there were two more points made in this chapter and they both have to do with Jordan Baker. As the party is getting close to the end, Mr. Gatsby asks to speak to Jordan alone. After about an hour she comes back out and tells Nick that she was told something amazing. She then gives Nick a name in the phonebook , which is her aunts, where he can meet with her and she will tell him what she found out, even though she isn't suppose to. The book never tells whether or not Nick does go to meet her, or what exactly Gatsby and Jordan talked about. I think that it will probably come up in the story later. Finally, we learn that Jordan is not very honest. Nick discovers this when she lies about whether or not she left the top down to a rental car when it was raining. Nick connects this lie to another that he had heard about while she was golfing. There was a scandal about whether or not she had improved her lie in the semi-finals of a golf championship. It ended up to never be proven, but I think that Nick thinks she did, because he states in the final sentence, " I am one of the few honest people that I have ever known."
I think this chapter was a kind of turning point in the story. We finally meet the elusive Mr. Gatsby, and we find out a few more characteristics about Jordan and Mr. Gatsby. Everyone thinks that Mr. Gatsby is this no good criminal who killed a man. I personally don't think this is true at all, I think the poeple just like something good to gossip about. I also wondered why the Bucchanans weren't there??
At the end of the chapter Nick states that these three evenings that have consumed the book so far actually absorb much less of his time than his personal affairs, so why does he only write of these evenings so far then? Also, at the very end, when he is talking about whether or not he loves Jordan, he says he has been writing letters back home and signing then "love Nick". Does this mean that he is still sort of involved with that woman he supposedly proposed to before he came out East??

The Great Gatsby - November 7,2007 - Chapter 2

In Chapter two Nick sees Tom's other life. Nick and Tom were coming back from New York one day and Tom demanded that Nick meet his mistress. She lived with her husband, Mr. Wilson, above his car garage. It was located in the part of town where ashes covered everything. I think the ashes definately symbolize something, I'm not completely sure what though. Maybe something like, how just like in life, things are always covered up, like Tom's relationship with Myrtle. Daisy tries to cover it up, even though everyone knows about it.
Tom, Nick, and Myrtle then go up to Tom and Myrtle's apartment in New York and they host a sort of party. I think Nick feels kind of like an outsider, there are all these couples there or at least people that know Tom and Myrtle, and Nick is just drug along. He does meet Myrtle's sister, and they talk for quite some time. At the end of the night, Tom and Myrtle are arguing about whether or not it was appropriate for Myrtle to bring up Daisy's name. It didn't seem to be that big of deal, but all of the sudden Tom hit Myrtle and broke her nose!! This made me wonder how any woman could over love Tom. He cheats on his wife, is abusive, and seems to be kind of a control freak. So far it seems that Nick is the one with the only normal life. Everyone else in this book has some sort of secret, or double life.
I predict that in the coming chapters Nick will continue to find out more little details about Mr. Gatsby, becaues everyone else seems to know him and something about him. I also think that he will see a lot more of Tom. Tom seems to like being friends with Nick, whether he is at home with Daisy, or with Myrtle in New York.

The Great Gatsby - October, 31 - Pages - 5 - 27

In only the first few pages of The Great Gatsby we are introduced to quite a few characters. Nick, the main character, who is also narrarating the story. The Buchanan's, Tom and Daisy, a married couple that lives across the bay from Nick. Daisy is also Nick's second cousin, but they don't know each other very well. We are also introduced to Jordan Baker, whom at this time is just the girl who lives with the Buchanans, and Mr. Gatsby, Nick's neighbor.
At the beginning of the story Nick tells us that he has moved east, to New York, to work with bonds, because that's what everyone else is doing. He is renting a very cheap house that sits unnoticed between two very large mansions on Long Island Sound. Nick goes across the bay to have dinner with the Buchanans. At first the two women, Jordan and Daisy, don't seem very friendly. As the evening goes on, the conversation picks up though, and it doesn't seem too bad. Tom, a once great football player, gives the impression that he is better than everyone else though, and therefore makes every conversation a little uneasy. During dinner Tom gets a phone call, and Jordan informs Nick that it his probably his "other woman", in New York. Daisy also mentions something about Nick being engaged, but Nick denies it, and then says something about that's why he moved east. I don't know if I interpreted that right though??? It seems weird to move a long ways away just because of some rumor.
After dinner Nick goes back to his house, and for the first time, sees Mr. Gatsby. He is just standing outside staring at the stars. Nick thinks about calling him, but as soon as he turns back around, Mr. Gatsby is gone. This gives me the feeling that Mr. Gatsby is going to be that interesting/mysterious character that will play a big part in this book.

The Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 29 - 30

Chapters 29 and 30 is the end of The Grapes of Wrath. Chapter 29 tells of the rain storm that is beginning to ruin the land. So much rain has fell it has ruined the cars and the people fear that it is going to come up into thier rail cars and ruin all of their belonings, too. Some people are trying to find higher ground to stay dry, and some have tried to get relief from t he government, but the government won't help them. People are stealing or begging for food, but still there is not enough to feed everyone. Disease starts to spread, and there are not enough doctors to see everyone. Finally, the rain stops. The people can finally look out and see how much damage has been done. They also realize that there will be no more work until spring.
In chapter 30 Rose of Sharon goes into labor. While she is trying to have her baby, the men of the camp try to build a sort of damn to stop the water from rushing into the rail cars. They build a high damn, but a cottonwood tree falls and and is too much for the damn to hold. The damn breaks and the water begins to rise under the rail cars. Meanwhile, Rose of Sharon has her baby, but it never even took a single breath.
Since the damn didn't work, the Joads, and most others, try to take the siding from their trucks and build high platforms in their rail cars to put their stuff on and keep it dry.
The next day, Ma decides that they have to get out and find a dry spot or Rose of Sharon is not going to make it. The adults carry Rose of Sharon and the kids through the chest high water until they reach the road. They walk for a short while before spotting a big barn. They decide to check it out, but as they start to head for the barn it begins to rain again. Once they reach the barn they find a man and his son that are also being sheltered by the barn, but the man is going to die because he has been giving all of the food to his son. The story ends with the rest of the family leaving Rose of Sharon and the boy alone in the barn.

The Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 26 - 28

At the start of chapter 26 Ma takes control of the family and decides that they must leave the gov't camp because they only have food left for one more day, and there is no work to be found anywhere near. They leave the next morning without a clear destination. After driving for a while the Joads truck runs over a nail and they must stop to patch the tire. While stopped along the edge of the road a man in a suit stops and tells them they are looking for people to pick peaches about forty miles away at the Hooper Ranch. The Joads are pretty happy that there is finally some work so they decide to go. A little ways outside the ranch they are stopped by a police man and told to follow the cars through. The Joads assume there was some sort of accident or something because there are so many policemen. As they are led through they seem a crowd of people in the ditch yelling at them, but the Joads can't make out what they are saying. When they arrive at the gate of the ranch they are asked how many can pick peaches and are assigned a house. The house they are assigned is not more than a shack but it has a roof and a floor and that is all that Ma wanted. They begin picking peaches that afternoon and make one dollar in store credit which Ma eagerly spends at the store. After supper Tom decides he wants to go see what all the people and police were doing at the entrance of the ranch. He doesn't tell anyone besides Al. He makes his way out of the ranch by slipping under barb wire. He comes up to a tent where a few men are sitting around talking and before he realizes it he is face to face with Casey. Casey tells Tom that they are all on stike because they were promised 5 cents a crate, but when more workers showed up they dropped it to 2.5 cents per crate. As they talk some policemen begin to move in on their little group and oen of them has a board and strikes Casey along side the head and kills him. Tom is also hit, but it only breaks his nose. In anger, Tom picks up another board and swings at the man that killed Casey. After that, Tom has to run, and he makes his way back to the house before he is caught, but he knows that they wil be after him now. In the morning he tells the family what happened and they decide if it is best if he just hides out in the house and pretends to be sick because everyone will know it was him in the fight because of his face.
They pick peaches for a few more days, but they drop the price to 2.5 cents per crate. Also, everyone is on the lookout for Tom, because he killed the policeman, so they decide they should get out while they can. They put Tom between two mattresses and they get out without any problems. Once again they do not know where they are going so they decide to head North on the back roads as to avoud the most cops. After driving for a while they come across a bunch of rail cars and a sign that says "cotton pickers wanted". They pickers stay live in the old cars and pick cotton during the days. They Joads decide to try this, but Tom can't stay with them because his face is still very beat up. He decides then to stay and hide out in the brush not far from the rail cars and Ma will just bring him food and leave it in a culvert everyday. They do this for quite a few days and it is working quite well. Al also meets a girl and they are going to get married.
One day, Ruthie is eating Cracker Jacks that Ma had bought her and she gets in a fight with another girl. She accidentally tells the girl that Tom has already killed two people. Ma gets worried and runs and tells Tom. They decide that it would be best if he takes off and tries to go far away where nobody will look for him.
At the end of the chapter they pick cotton in a a new cotton field about a mile up the road. So many people show up that they can only pick until about noon though. On their way back to their rail car it starts to rain and Rose of Sharon gets the chills. The chapter ends with the rest of the family gathering sticks for a fire in the rain, while Ma tries to keep Rose of Sharon warm.

The Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 23 - 25

In these chapters the Saturday night dance takes place. Everyone in the camp gets dressed up and puts on their best clothes. In the previous chapters, they found out that there were going to be men that tried to start a riot so the cops could come in and break up the camp, but the camp officers were going to be ready. They set people all around the gates to watch, and then Tom and another man near the entrance to watch for suspicious people. A little way into the night Tom and his partner noticed three men that came in and looked suspicious. The three men told the guard that Mr. Johnson had invited him, but he hadn't. As soon as one of these men asked a girl to dance, the group of men closed in on all three of them. One of them let out a high whistle that indicated there would be a riot so the deputies came to the gate. The only problem with their little plan was that all three of the men were taken to the edge of the camp with their hands tied and mouths covered, therefore, they couldn't start a riot and the deputies had no reason to be allowed in. They threatened the three men and threw them back on the other side of the fence.
The last section doesn't really talk about the Joads, but intead about how the farmers are beginning to go broke. They can't make enough money to even harvest and sell their fruit so instead they must dump the fruit in the river, or burn it. They do this because if they just allow the people to come get the fruit for free nobody would ever buy any. The people are starting to get angry, their children are dieing from malnutrion as they watch them burn piles of oranges and guard them from fishing the potatoes out of the river.
I predict that in the coming chapters the government camp is going to be broken up by the deputies because whenever they want to push the Okies around they always find a way. I also think that the people are going to start getting together and figuring out ways to get to all of this food that is being burned our dumped into the rivers.

The Grapes of Wrate - Chapters 20 - 22

At the start of chapter 20 the Joads have just left Grandma with the coroner. Ma is sad because Grandma always wanted a nice funeral but they didn't have the money to give her one. They then move into a Hooverville and set up camp for the night. Tom makes friends with another man in the camp and this man tells Tom that he has heard there is work up north. Meanwhile nobody has seen Connie for awhile, and while Rose of Sharon thinks he will come back, everyone else knows that he won't. Once the family has ate and has begun to settle in a car pulls into the camp with two men inside. The man that was driving steps out and asks a group of men if they want any work. Of course the men say they need work, but Floyd, the man that Tom has made friends with, asks the contractor how much he is going to pay. The man says he's not sure, and Floyd starts to get angry. He starts to get angry because he knows that the man isn't a real contractor. He knows that he is just going to get as many guys as he can to come and show up for work so that he can pay them hardly anything. Floyd then asks him to show his liscence if he is a contractor, and the man starts to get angry and calls for the other man in the car. The other man steps out of the car, and everyone can see he is a deputy. The contractor asks the deputy if he has every seen Floyd before and the deputy says that he is the same guy that robbed a used-car lot last week, which isn't true. When the deputy orders Floyd to get in the car Tom steps in and says that the deputy has nothing on Floyd, which only aggrivated the deputy enough to tell the rest of the camp that they all better go work for this contractor because they are going to have to burn down the camp the next day anyways. As they turn to leave the deputy grabs Floyds arm to escort him into the car, but instead Floyd punches him and as he staggers around Tom trips him and Floyd takes off. As the deputy lies on the ground he starts shooting at Floyd running between the tents, but instead shoots a ladie's fingers right off her hand. As the deputy attempts to get up Reverand Casey steps up and kicks him in the neck. Casey tells Tom to run, he will take the blame for it. Tom hesistates, and then realizes that he has to, considering that he is on parole. When more deputies arrive they take Casey away and probably to jail.
After this whole incident, the Joads decide that they should get out before they come to burn the camp down. They decide to try to go north to where they heard there was some work. They don't get far before they are stopped by a handful of men who won't let them enter their town because they don't wan't "Okies" taking over. So instead of giving up, they decide to go around the towns and find the government camp that they have heard so many good things about. They arrive at the camp in the middle of the night to find that there is a spot that has just opened. They don't even unpack, they set up their tent, and they all fall asleep.
In the morning Tom is the first one up and he meets the Wallaces. They say they have had work for 12 days straight and tell Tom that they can probably get him work too. Tom agrees to go with them to work. They have to walk about a mile and when they get there the boss agrees to let Tom work for 25 cents an hour. This man, the boss, also tells them though that there is going to be a fight at the next Saturday night dance at the camp. He continues to tell them that the reason for this fight is because then the cops can come in and shut down the camp. I think this bit of information will come into play in the next few chapters.
While Tom is working the rest of the family is trying to get used to their new home. The government camp is the nicest place they have stayed at since they left Oklahoma. It has wash tubs, toilets, and even showers. They also start to learn how this camp is run. The people in the camp elect officers to run the camp. There are even seperate officers for the women and the men. Ma is given a tour of the camp by the women officers and ma thinks that this is the greatest camp ever. Rose of Sharon is starting to go a little crazy though. She believes that she is going to lose her baby if she sins just because this one crazy lady told her so. Meanwhile, the rest of the men go looking for work and find none. Ma doesn't seem to care though, she seems so happy to be in such a nice place with people that are just like her. At the end of the chapter she tells Tom and Al to go to the store and get something good to eat. I think she wants to have a celebration, even if they don't have any money, because they have found such a nice place.

The Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 17 - 19

In Chapter seventeen the book describes how all these people that are moving to California form a sort of "community" every night. It tells how there are certain rules that everyone know they must follow, even though nobody has ever actually said them. It also shows that these people are very helpful to each other. Whever someone dies or needs some extra money all the people in the camp spare a few coins and leave them at their tent.
Chapter eighteen was very long, but quite eventful. It stars out with the Joads traveling across New Mexico, and then they finally cross into California! Before they can get into the good part of California they must cross about three hundred miles of desert. They decide that the best time to do this would be at night so they decide to rest during the day alongside a big river where others had also chosen to stop. The men bathe in the water and finally have a little time to relax when they start talking to another man and his son who are on their way back from California. He says that they are on their way back to the pan handle because he couldnt make enough money in California and if he is going to die he wants to die with people who actually like him. After talking with this man for awhile I think the Joads kind of start to wonder if this may be true, since they have heard this same kind of story serveral tims now. But like Uncle John said, "We're going there ain't we? None of this talk can keep us from going. This talk ain't gonna do us no good."
While the men are relaxing Ma and Rose of Sharon are in a tent trying to get grandma to rest when a sheriff comes by and threatens that if they aren't gone by tomorrow he will have them run off. In this chapter Noah also decides that he wants to stay behind and live off this river. He only tells Tom though, and before Tom can stop him he is already making his way down the river. As Grandma comes to tell Tom about the sheriff, Tom tells Grandma about Noah and they decide that it is best for the family if they just take off across the desert now, instead of waiting for night.
The journey goes pretty well, the car doesnt break down, and they make it across the desert in good time. But as they are all standing on the side of the road admiring the beautiful valley full of orchards and fields of crops, Ma tells the rest of the family that Grandma died last night while they were crossing the desert. Nobody says much, but you can tell it affects them all greatly.
In Chapter nineteen it talks about the general population moving toward California. It describes these towns called Hoovervilles that are set up at the edge of every town and are a place that the Oakies can live. They are mainly camps that people set up by building houses out of tents or even paper they find in nearby landfills, but before long the sheriffs come and tell them they must go because they are a health hazard and they are going to burn them down. The chapter ends and the Joads are moving around through different Hoovervilles as they make their way towards what they think will be job opportunities and a better life.

Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 14 - 16

Chapter fourteen of The Grapes of Wrath was the most confusing chapter in the story yet. It kept repeating the phrase: "The Western States nervous under the beginning change." It would then go on and talk about "man" and how he would build things, but they would just be destroyed. It also talked about "I" becoming "we" and how it was a bad thing because "two men are not as lonely and perplexed as one." All in all I was quite confused throughout the chapter and was glad when I found that it was only three pages long! Hopefully my discussion group can help make this chapter a little clearer for me.
In Chapter fifteen we are introduced to the lifestyle of owning a cafe/gas station on Highway 66. We learn that in order to get business and to keep business the waitresses are always nicest to the truck drivers. They are the ones that will bring customers, stop again, and leave a good tip. We also see how poor the people in the time really are. Everyone that comes in is looking for a deal, or for something free. Yet even though the cafe owners are trying to make a living, they still have a soft spot in their heart for children. For instance, a family came in with two boys looking to buy a loaf of bread for fifteen cents, which they sold him, and they also game them two peppermint sticks for 1 cent, when they were suppose to be ten cents each.
In Chapter sixteen the story goes back to the Joad's journey west. They are presented a problem though when the Wilson's car's con-rod bearing goes out. In order to fix the problem they must travel back about 25 miles with the truck, retreave a new con-rod bearing from a junk yard, and then work in the dark to put the new one in. While Tom, Al, and Casey are doing this the rest of the family has paid a half dollar to spend the night at a camp ground a few miles ahead, but as soon as they fixed the car, they also drove to the camp ground. They find the rest of the family here along with many other families. At this time another man starts talking about how there really arent going to be any good paying jobs in California because of how the business men work. He says that if they have 800 jobs they will tell 2,000 people to come and work, so then when two thousand people show up for these 800 jobs, he can pay them dirt cheap to work. The Joads and the rest of the families arent sure what to believe anymore, but try to stay optimistic that California will really be as wonderful as they all imagine. During this chapter we also find out that Grandma is starting to go a little bit crazy. She starts having fits and is yelling at Grandpa like he is still alive. The only prediction I have for the upcoming chapters is that Grandma will have a stroke like Grandpa did because the heat and all the traveling is just too much for her to handle. Reflecting on these three chapters I have to say that they weren't the most exciting chapters of the book, but they weren't the worst chapters either. I think they are about half-way to California right now with still a long, rough half to go.

Grapes of Wrate - Chapters 9 - 13

Chapter nine was another chapter like the one about selling cars. There were no characters in it that we knew, just random people talking. This one was about all the families going through and selling their stuff. When they went to sell their belongings they never got as much as they asked for. For instance, the Joads only received $18 for all the belongings they sold.
In Chapter ten Al and Tom come back from selling their belongings and they also bring back Ruthie, Winfield, Rose of Sharon, and Connie. They then had a family meeting in which they decided that there would be room for the preacher to go along with them to California. Their original plan was to pack up and leave the following morning, but Uncle John finally suggested that they pack up tonight and leave. They packed and loaded the truck throughout the night, and when morning came they were finally ready to go. Well, all but grandpa. When it came down to actually leaving Grandpa declared that he wasn't going. The Joads knew they couldn't just leave him there, so they drugged him with cough syrup, and when he fell asleep they put him in the truck with the rest of them and took off for California.
In the next two chapters it explains how empty everything is once everyone is gone. How the wildlife starts to inhabit the houses and how the wind was beginning to destroy them by tearing off the shingles one after another. It then explains how Al had to constantly be listening to the car to make sure it was going to make it to the next town. He would always be trying to figure out whether something was loose or broken, or whether it was just fine.
In Chapter 13 they make their first stop at a gas station to fill -up and let everyone out to stretch and drink water. This is when grandpa finally wakes up and realizes that they took him with after he had demanded to stay. The only dog they brought also gets out, but runs into the highway and is hit by a car. After a short stop they hit the road again. As soon as it is starting to get dark though, they stop next to another car and decide to make camp. Shortly after stopping Grandpa doesn't feel very well and is taken to lie down in the Wilson's tent. After a few moments the preacher comes out of the tent and announces that Grandpa has passed away due to a stroke. They have a burial for him and leave a note in a bottle explaining who he is and what happened. Finally, the Joads and the Wilsons decide that if they made the journey together they could really help each other out. The Joads would help out the Wilsons by keeping their car running, and the Wilsons could help out the Joads by taking some of their belongings and by having room for a few of the kids to ride in their car too.

Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 5 - 8

At the start of these four chapters it flashes back to when the men from the bank are telling the families that live on the land that they must leave. They say that it is no actual person's fault, but instead more of a monster that the bank must keep happy. Of course, the families do not want to leave, but they are told that if they stay the tractor will simply run right through their house, and that is what it did.
The next chapter comes back to present time and starts off with Joad and Jim Casey exploring the Joad's property. Joad now knows for sure that his family no longer lives here, and as they are sitting on the porch Joad recognized a man approaching them. The man's name is Muley, and used to also farm some of the land that was taken away by the bank. Joad and Jim soon find out that Muley's family has gone to California, but he has chosen to stay behing because he doesn't want somebody else telling him what to do. But in order to keep from being caught by the cops he must always be on the move wondering from one old abandoned house to another, which is why he ended up at the Joad's place. Joad and Jim also find out that Joad's family is staying 8 miles away at his uncle's house, but are planning to also take off for California. This makes Joad very pleased to find out that they have not left yet, and decides that in the morning he will make his way to his uncle's. For the rest of the night, the three men build a fire and roast a rabbit that Muley had trapped, and simply talk. Muley hasn't talked to anyone recently so he begins to ramble on about everything he has been thinking, when all of the sudden Jim declares that he feels God in him again. He also said that he wants to go to California and ben with the Joad family and everyone else on the road because in a time like this they need someone to talk to. Just as they are finishing eating the rabbit they see a car coming down the road. Muley knows it is the sherrif and finally convinces them to hide with him in the cotton field until he leaves. The plan works perfectly, and soon the sherrif is leaving again. Just in case the sherrif comes back they follow Muley down to an old cave that Joad had dug out when he was just a boy and this is where they sleep for the night.
The 7th chapter in this book talks nothing of any of the characters. It simply describes what it is like at a car dealership while they are trying to sell used cars to all the families going to California. The dealership is taking great advantage of this high demand for vehicles and therefore seems to rip-off most of the customers. I found it a little strange why they put this chapter in the book, but maybe it will have more meaning later in the book.
In the last chapter I read today Joad and Jim finally make it to his uncle's farm. They can see Joad's father working on some sort of truck and decide to sneak up on him. At first Joad's father doesn't notice him, but when he does he is very surprised to see him. After a few moments they decide he should also surprise his mother. She is more startled when she see's him and like everyone else, assumes that he escaped prison. Soon everyone is inside the small house and is wanting to eat breakfast when Grandma declares that they should be a prayer said considering there was a preacher there. At first Jim is reluctant, but once he starts he kind of begins to ramble until he remembers to say "amen". Once they finish breakfast the men wonder outside to find Joad's other brother coming towards the house. His name is Al, and he thinks that he gets a lot of attention because his brother killed a man. Therefore, he was dissappointed when he found out that he had only been parolled and had not escaped prison.
At the end of the chapter they decide that they will leave for California either tomorrow, or the day after.
In these four chapters the book finally started to get a little better. We were introduced to alot more characters and have figured out that they will be going to California. I predict that the whole Joad family, and Jim Casey will go to California, and their journey there will make up the main portion of this book.

Grapes of Wrath - Chapters 1 - 4

In the beginning of The Grapes of Wrath the author provides detailed imagery of how life is changing during the dirty thirties. For instance, people are struggling to keep the dust from coming through the smallest cracks in their houses, and are struggling to figure out how to keep their crops alive. We are also introduced to a main character, Joad. Joad is given a ride by some sort of truck driver when we find out a little more about him. We find out that he has just been released from prison on parole after serving only four years for a homocide. When the driver lets him off at his stop Joad soon runs into his old preacher. The preacher, Jim Casey, is no longer a preacher any more, yet Jim and Joad talk about many things from past memories to the thoughts and feelings they have of religion right now. But when the sun finally started to go down and the air started to cool off Joad, along with Jim now, decided it was time to walk the last part of his journey to his home. As they came up over the hill and looked down onto the house Joad once called his home, he knew that something was different. He realizes that his parents no longer live there.