Outside reading- #4

Shortly after returning home Franks one-year-old brother, Oliver, dies in the hospital. The day of the funeral Franks father spends all his dole money on alcohol.  The McCourts move to a new home, and Frank and Malachy finally begin school. The school that they are attending is difficult and challenges your spirit.  After starting school the McCourts face, yet again, another challenge, Eugene dies of pneumonia.  Yet again Franks father drinks the whole day of Eugene's funeral, so Frank has to pull him from the pub so that he can pay his last respects to his son. After the funeral Frank and Malachy eat fish and chips.  While eating Frank can't help but think about how Eugene has been taken by angels to go see Margaret and Oliver.  After Eugenes funeral Mrs. McCourt decides that the family should once again move, so they do. Unfortunately Mr. McCourts pay is reduced to 16 shillings a week, and they have to share a bathroom with 11 other families in their new home. 

The McCourts life just keeps getting worse and worse. Having to lose one child is something no parent should have to deal with, but three is just terrible.  Although this tragedy does strike I feel that the move and education that Malachy and Frank finally receive is exactly what they need. These kids need something they can escape to so that they have something other to do that just get in trouble.  Although the first move is good for the boys, the McCourts are once again just attempting to run away from their problems when moving isn't going to make them disappear. At the beginning I felt just a little bit of sorrow for the McCourt family but now I feel terrible.  No one should have to go through this type of a life, and I really hope that their situation gets better in the near future. 

McCourt, Frank. Angela's Ashes. New York: touchstone, 1996. 

Outside Reading Post-#3

When I last left off the McCourts new life in Ireland wasn't going to well, and I was hoping that their situation was going to get better, but unfortunately it hasn't.  Mr. McCourt has a job that pays 19 shillings which isn't enough to pay rent and feed his family.  So one morning when the family is eating breakfast Franks grandmother tells Mr. McCourt that if he wants he can go to the IRA so that he can ask for money to commend what he's done. Before they leave they go to church and even there the family is referred to as Yanks "... he hoped he'd see us all at Mass, especially the little Yankees..."(McCourt 48).  Once they are there Mr. McCourt asks for money but the man working the desk refuses him even the fare to get a bus ride home.  The whole McCourt family went along to try and get money, but they were sent home empty handed. 

The McCourts have a much worse life in Ireland than in America.  Mr McCourt has a terrible job, no money and his children are learning terrible habits.  I really don't understand why the the McCourts family wanted them to return to Ireland with them.  They too are living terrible lives, and for me if i loved someone I would want the best life for them.  This life can't be found in Ireland.  The kids are being given drugs, not being fed, and aren't receiving an education.  I think that if the McCourts stay in Ireland the kids will not be able to make better lives for themselves.  Although this book is sad, the writing style is very intriguing. Frank puts a funny flare to his writing and makes the rare funny parts of his life almost stick out just as much as the unfortunate events.      

McCourt, Frank. Angela's Aches. New York: touchstone, 1996.

Blog Question Response #3

In the movie On The Water Front all of the working people know that what the mob is doing is wrong, and they want to see the mob gone, yet they withhold the information they do know in fear that they will be thought of as a "stool pigeon" and end in their demise. All of the characters, apart from Doogan and the reverend, were to scared to stand up to the mob and become moral crusaders in fear that they would be "tattle tales". All the characters think that anyone who stands up to the mob is a brave person, but unfortunately they know that the mob will become angry and "get rid" of them. The truth is that these people who did stand up to the mob, and attempted to make a difference in every one's lives were moral crusaders, but they were thought of as tattle tales. Most of the characters in On the Water Front know what the right thing to do is, but they won't stand up to the mob because although they know what the crusader is doing is right and brave, they are to scared to take action in fear that the mob will think they are a tattle tale.

I believe that the smart people are those who stand up for what is right. Although they may stand alone they are strong and they have a cause that they believe in, and are willing to make sacrifices so that change will occur. In real life a tattle tale is someone who tells someone of a higher authority any little detail that can have some importance, but usually doesn't. A moral crusader is someone who shares information that will help and make a difference in theirs or others lives. Tattle tales are usually small minded, scared people who have no back bone and are only doing what they are doing so that they have safety provided to them. Where as a zealot is someone who is brave, and knows what the right thing to do is and takes action so that the situation will get better, rather than going along with everyone else.The cause that these brave citizens are fighting for is usually something of importance to them and others. Although we might think it's easy to stand up to others, in the situation that the characters in On the Water Front face is a very tough and scary decision. These citizens are forced to choose between a better tomorrow while possibly giving up their life, or just standing in the background and watching the same terrible things happen over and over again. The effects that the moral crusaders have to deal with are serious and real, but if they are willing to risk that so that them and others can have a better life, then we should all support them and help them so that their journey can be easier.

Blog Question Response #2

In the play All My Sons there is one main character that has to make the immense decision of family over society, Joe Keller.  He is forced to make the decision between his sons future, and the lives of the pilots who fly with the parts that his company makes.  Keller decided that his son, Chris's future was worth more than the lives of many men in the army.  While Keller and Chris are fighting Keller admits, "Chris, I did it for you, it was a chance and I took it for you.  I'm sixty-one years old, when would I have another chance to make something for you?" (Miller 70).  Keller felt that his duty as a father was to create a better life for his son than he had.  Keller does exactly this, yet he forgets to show his son what is the "right" thing to do.  This decision is a very difficult one, yet Keller feels that he had only one option if he wanted to be a successful father.  In addition to Keller believing Chris's future was at the up most importance, he also thinks that his businesses reputation and success is more important than a humans life. While making the decision to send out the cracked parts he thought of his businesses future and reputation for each of the two possible situations. Keller, attempting to defend his decision tells "I'm in business, a man in business; a hundred and twenty cracked, you're out of business... you stuff is no good; they close you up, they tear up your contracts, what the hell's it to them?" (Miller 69).  Keller knew that if he didn't send anything that his business wouldn't make a profit, and the army would look to another company for their products; so he told Steve Deever, his partner, to weld the cracks and send them out anyways.  He did this so that his company could still make profit, even though it meant many men would die, and families would suffer.  Keller had a huge decision to make, and he choose to make his son's future better rather than making sure his products were safe.  Although his decision helped out his Chris, he wasn't happy with what his father decided. 

Keller was able to make this huge decision, yet I don't feel as if I can. The love that a parent feels for a child is like no other love in the world, and can sway and alter you ethics.  I feel that I'm not in the right position to make this decision because I have no children and I have never been in the terrible situation where I've had to choose between family and society.  I also feel that I'm incapable of making this life changing decision because I've never felt that type of pressure and I think during that moment you have to make the decision your random feelings and pressure can sway your choice.  In my life I hope that I never have to make the terribly hard decision of the future of my family over the well being of people I've never met.