The Reading Nook

Title: Around The World In Eighty Days
Author: Jules Verne
Original Language: French
Original Publishing Year: 1872 (Le Temps Journal) 1873 (book)
Setting: London, England 1872. Victorian England
Main Characters: The main character’s name is Phileas Fogg who was a man who did not do much except go to a Reform Club. He had a servant named Jean Passepartout also known as Passepartout. One day at the club Mr. Fogg makes a bet with Stuart that he can go around the world in eighty days. On his journey he meats Aouda, a woman they rescue, his future wife.
Major Plot Points: One day Phileas Fogg, a man who did not do much, went to the club and made a bet with Stuart, a man he met at the bar, that he could go around the world in eighty days, the stake is 20,000 euros. He goes from London to Suez, Bombay to Calcutta, Calcutta to Hong Kong, Hong Kong to Yokohama, Yokohama to San Francisco, San Francisco to New York and New York to London. On the way they run into an Indian woman named Aouda and they decide to take her along on the journey. On the journey they meat many other people who help them on the journey. When they arrive Aouda asks him to marry her and he accepts. He thinks that he is a day late but he was actually a day early because they traveled east and the time was different. He won the bet and Aouda and Mr. Fogg got married.

Q:

Arman, Kheyanna, Leighton, Zach C., Deven, Zach LL, Ben L, Ben G., Mack

This is a quick combo report for the last two weeks’ labs.  We have been discussing with lots of energy regarding books and reading.  We just didn’t have time to write everything down.  Last week we talked about endings.  And Arman said that he liked book endings in a way that is not entirely happy but things might get better later!  Many agreed that really happy and pat endings are just not that great.  Then, Leighton, out of the blue, objected to the books that are “perfectly wonderful” with magic and battles and such, but have to be “spoiled” by romance! (yucky)  Not everyone agreed with her sentiment.  Many thought that inserting love and romance into a fantasy story makes for deeper and more intense conflicts since love is the opposite of hate and hatred is often the reasons for the bad things happen in the stories.  Without Love, there cannot be strong reasons for hate or for actions.

Today, this discussion continues a bit when a bunch of us who have read the fourth Percy Jackson (The Battle of the Labyrinth) shared (shouted over each other half of the time) our thoughts.  (SOME SPOILER BELOW!!!!  BE WARNED!!!!)
First we all exclaimed: There is no BATTLE in the Labyrinth at all … and then we realized that it’s a battle for the CONTROL of the Labyrinth.  So, we calmed down.

Of course, Leighton is unhappy with the Calypso episode since it has quite a bit to do with Percy’s “budding romantic feelings” toward girls!  Deven felt that Riordan does randomly insert Greek Myth creatures and make them part of the adventures because he seems to try to include “every myth creatures” in his series — even when the creatures and events take the heroes’ quest out of the original path and does not quite add to the whole picture of the story.  He agreed that there is no need for Calypso and her island at all!
Zach L.L. said, “But, we don’t know whether these characters will be important in the future books.  Calypso might become important in the next book.” (Think Rachel Elizabeth Dare! — and what’s with her INITIALS .. R.E.D.!?)

Someone questions the necessity of Janus but Ben G. vehemently supported this minor character because he thinks it adds to the depth of the book, foreshadowing Annabeth’s choices between Luke and Percy and whether to trust or distrust Rachel.  And he likes the episode on Calypso’s Island because he thinks that it plays an important in Percy and Annabeth’s relationship.
We couldn’t quite figure out the significance of Rachel’s hairbrush… but Deven and Ben both thought that since the last pledged demigod Ethan had only one eye, Kronos is not entirely “whole” and that will have some impact on Luke’s soul and body in the future.

I guess we shall find out in the future… Until next time, here is the rating for the four Percy Jackson titles so far from this small group:

Top Ranked: IV - Battle of the Labyrinth

Second: I - Lightning Thief

Third: III - Titan’s Curse

Fourth: II - Sea of Monsters

Title: The Secret Garden

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Original language: English

Originally published in: 1909

Setting: Victorian England Countryside, 19th century

Characters: The main character’s name is Mary Lennox. Mary is a disagreeable, rude, and spoiled little girl who has no love or care for anyone in her life. Archibald Craven, known as Mr. Craven, is Mary’s uncle. He is a bitter, lonely, and desolate man who spends all his time in the seclusion of his gigantic mansion home. Dickon is a simple boy who lives on the moor surrounding Mr. Craven’s home. He is able to tame wild animals through compassion, care, tentative observation, and his unexplainable ability to understand the creatures’ inner feelings. Colin is Mr. Craven’s son, he lives in the house in a hidden room. He has been deemed a cripple and a hunchback by his father, doctors, and the servants of the house. Colin is spoiled and prone to having tantrums, which increase the severity of his illness and make him weaker. Susan Sowerby is Dickon’s mother, she has twelve children including Martha, a young woman who works in Mr.
Craven’s house and tends to Mary and Colin. Susan is warm, understanding, intelligent, kind, and loving, she has a thick Yorkshire accent, just as Dickon and Martha’s. Ben Weatherstaff is a gruff old gardener who does not speak much but thinks much about the happenings in the gardens.

Plot Summary: Mary Lennox originally lived in India with her bitter and uncaring mother and many servants who hated her for her rudeness. When everyone in her home in India leaves to escape a plague, Mary is left behind. She is taken to her uncle’s mansion in England where she meets Martha, who is kind and warm to a little girl who is cold, heartless, and distant. In the mansion she also meets Dickon, Martha’s warm, kind, and good-hearted. With the wind of the moor in her lungs she soon becomes healthier and begins to explore the house, she finds herself with many mysterious rooms and many secrets to discover, some more tantalizing than the others. Through the course of the book, Mary becomes healthier, stronger, and more beautiful with the help of the moors, and her new friends who live in her mysterious new home filled with unopened doors.

Q: What do the children in the beginning of the book name Mary because of her attitude?

A: Mistress Mary Quite Contrary

Q: What was Colin often compared to in Mary’s thoughts?

A: A young Rajah

Q:What is Mr. Craven’s first name?

A:Archibald

Q:Why did Mr. Craven not wish to see his son?

A:Because Colin’s birth caused the death of Mr. Craven’s beloved wife

Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Author: Charles Dickens
Original Language: English
Originally Published in:
Setting: London, Englnd and Paris, France
Characters: Lucie Manette- Loved by three men but marries Darnay. Meets up with her imprisoned father, whom she thought was dead after 18 years. Charles Darnay- Former Noble man, charged for being a spy, marries Lucie Manette. Sydney Carton- Great Lawyer but has many vices. Falls in love with Manette whom makes him a better person. In the end, he makes the ultimate sacrifice for Darnay. Defarges- Revolutionaries, own a wine shop. Dr. Manette- Imprisoned for 18 years. Father of Lucie Manette.

Plot Summary:

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness…” Set in Paris during 1775, chaos was evidently present; executions were popular, as was much violence. It was the best of times, for the French revolution to oust the aristocracy was about to happen, but it was the worst of times for the violent result of the revolt. The scene is set with a man named Jarvis Lorry riding in a mail coach. He receives a letter, which tells him to meet a young lady at Dover, he then says, “recalled to life.” Lorry proceeds on his journey, and meets with Lucie Manette a beautiful maiden, whom he tells that her father is not dead; he has been imprisoned for years, and now lives in Paris as a shoemaker. They both travel to Paris where her father is housed in a wine shop owned by the Defarges. Five years pass, and a man by the name of Charles Darnay is put on trial, and being charged for being a spy whom betrayed the English and gave the French and Americans information on the beginning of the American Revolution. However, he is saved by his lawyers appearance; they both look extremely alike; Darnay is acquitted of all charges, as it is argued that Darnay looks like many people and, and the witnesses could be getting him confused with another man. Three men from the trial, Darnay, Carton (Darnay’s lawyer) and Stryver (a lawyer) fall in love with one of the witnesses, Lucie Manette. Lucie chooses Darnay to marry, without the knowledge that he is a French noble men; Darnay could not tell Lucie that, as all of the aristocracy were getting beheaded because of the revolution. While Lucie and Darnay are married, Darnay’s uncle Monseigneur is murdered. He receives a letter from Gabelle to go to Paris. On his journey, he is arrested for being an emigrant. Meanwhile, in the Defarges wine shop; there is a spy present to see if they are revolutionaries. He can’t decide if they are, but at the side, Madame Defarge is knitting a list of whom the revolts are going to kill. Meanwhile, Dr. Manette, Lucie Manette, and a man named Pross travel to Paris because of Darnays imprisonment. Dr, Manette has much power, and gets Darnay released. To his demise, he gets thrown back in jail by the charge made by the Defarges. We learn that Dr. Manette was in jail for a witness of a rape, which happened because of Darnay’s family. Darnay is sentenced to death, but Carton, who is in love with Lucie, and inspired to do good deeds because of her, makes a plan. Carton goes into Darnay’s cell, drugs him and changes their clothes. Barsad carries Darnay out of his cell. Him and his family all flee. Meanwhile, Madame Defarge is looking for Lucie, but in her house is another person, Pross. Pross and Defarge have an argument and Pross accidentally shoots Defarge. Darnay and his family are all safe. In the end, Carton dies by means of the guillotine, in honor of Darnay.

Questions:

1) What are the names of the two men in love with Lucie Manette?

1. Charles Darnay 2. Sydney Carton

2) Why was it considered the best of times, and the worst of times?

In France, the reign of terror was happening. Although people thought it was the best of times because the aristocry was overthrown, but it was the worst of times, as there was mayhem; innocent men fell to the guillotine.

3) During the revolution, how did the revolutionaries kill the members of the aristocracy?

They used the guillotine, a machine that beheads people.

4) In the end of the novel, what is the ultimate sacrifice?

Sydney Carton sacrifices his life in honor of Darnay.

5) How many books is The Tale of Two Cities broken into?

3

Leighton, Deven, Mack, Kheyana, Zach C., Zach G.,

Deven has a prediction. He thinks that Battle of the Labyrinth might not be as good as others and these are my reasons: Since the first book was amazing, but the second book wasn’t as good. The third book was better than the second … but not as good as the first. So, this might not be as good as the first one. He thinks that in this one, Percy will fight Cronos. Riordan messes up the myths. For example, Athena didn’t have children!

Leighton’s comments on Sharpsburg: She thinks that the book is horribly sad. It was an amazing book and she likes how it is written, but the worst part (tear-jerking) was when the papers and the deeds to free the slaves were burned.

Deven saw an amazing movie: Lawrence of Arabia. It’s a real classic!

Then we got to discuss the movie 21, and all the controversies surrounding it.
This meeting we also talked about TITLES of books. Here are some of the opinions from the students:

Books with Great Titles: Enna Burning (Leighton): When she says the title, each time, it’s like an arrow piercing through her chest. It’s short and powerful. Combined a girl’s name with the word burning is so cool.

Mac thinks that Cliche titles actually work — like “The Fabulous Adventures of Blah Blah” — even if you groan reading the title, you still want to read it.

Deven: He likes titles that do not tell anything about the book. So it leaves a mystery for you to figure out. For example, the Lightning Thief does not really tell you what the story is about but it sounds cool and you want to find out what it means by reading the book.

At this point, Mrs. Feldman brought out a recent book called “100 Cupboards” and showed everyone the cover.  The students then commenced to make predictions and comments upon seeing the title:
Kheyana: Freakish House, children are daring each other to go in. Cool but mysterious cover. Zach C: Cover looks like one of the scenes from Mirrormask and it looks awesome. A room of cupboards and each cupboard is a portal to a different place. Deven: It’s going to be a book about children who go to a house and see a bunch of cupboards. Each cupboard is opened and contains a different story. Some look like vaults. Something can live in each cupboard and takes children to a different worlds. Zach G.: A different story for each cupboard. Mack: I would not have been intrigued because the title doesn’t sound that exciting. Leighton: The title font makes you think that this is some stupid witch Halloween story. It doesn’t go with the tone of the design of the cover. She thinks that the cupboards are not necessarily portals but they will loom over you in the background the entire time.

Title: The Scarlet Pimpernel

Author: Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Original language: English

Original publication date: 1905

Setting: The Scarlet Pimpernel takes place during the French Revolution. It takes place in four major cities, London, Paris, Calais, and Dover.

Main Characters: Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, who was an English aristocrat who helped Marguerite Blakeney, find her husband. Marguerite Blakeney, beautiful woman who does not know she is married to the evasive Scarlet Pimpernel, goes on a great journey with Sir Andrew to find him. Percy Blakeney is an English aristocrat who disguises himself as the Scarlet Pimpernel to get French aristocrats out of France. Chauvelin, a Frenchman who is a part of the French revolution, and is trying to find the Scarlet Pimpernel so that he can be killed. Armand, anther Frenchmen, is the brother of Marguerite Blakeney and is promised safety to England if Lady Blakeney helps Chauvelin find the Scarlet Pimpernel.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is an exiting novel taking place during the French Revolution. The novel revolves around the evasive Scarlet Pimpernel, a tall man who is able to rescue French aristocrats from the rebelling French. The French send a man over to England by the name of Chauvelin to find out who is Scarlet Pimpernel is. Chauvelin is able to strike a deal with an old friend, Marguerite Blakeney, who is mourning what might happen to her brother Armand who is being held in captivity in Paris. At the ball that same night Marguerite is able to find out where the Scarlet Pimpernel will be at one in the morning by stealing a letter sent by him to one of the English aristocrats; however, the only man in the room was her sleeping husband, Percy Blakeney. Chauvelin is very well aware of who the Scarlet Pimpernel is however Ms. Blakeney is confused about who the man may be. The adventure begins when an old school friend Suzanne whose father is going to be saved by the Scarlet Pimpernel the night of the day that the two were talking. Percy Blakeney had just left that morning, and when Marguerite looks in Percy’s office she finds a coin with the symbol of a scarlet pimpernel, thus the journey begins. Lady Blakeney asks Andrew Ffoulkes for help in finding her husband before Chauvelin does, and in Calais France, they all encounter.

Questions:

Q: Who is the Jew that Chauvelin and his men encounter in Calais?

A: Percy Blakeney is the one pretending to be a Jew

Q: How does Marguerite Blakeney find out that her husband is the Scarlet Pimpernel?

A: She finds out when she finds a coin on the floor of Percy’s office with the symbol of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Q: What happens that does not allow Ffoulkes and Lady Blakeney to go to Calais?

A: A large storm.

Q: What is Marguerite’s brother’s name?

A: Armand.

Q: Where does Percy say he goes, when he leaves suddenly from the house?

A: He had a business problem up north that he had to take care of.

Title: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Original Language: English
Originally published: 1897
Setting: England
Characters: Jonathan Harker- an energetic smart businessman at the start of the book, but becomes a stern self doubting person. Mina Murray (Mina Harker) - Johnathan Harker’s fiancée and later to be wife. A good and kind and woman. Count Dracula- the main antagonist of the story. A vampire who stalks the night. Dr. Abraham Van Helsing- a genius scientist and the brain of the anti-Dracula group. Dr. John Seward- one of Lucy’s suitors. He runs an asylum which eventually becomes the headquarters of the anti-Dracula group. Arthur Holmwood- Lucy’s husband. After killing Lucy, he joins the band to defeat Dracula. Quincey Morris- an American who joins the battle against Count Dracula. Also one of Lucy’s suitors.
Summary: Dracula is a classical horror novel written by Bram Stoker in 1897. The book consists mostly of diary entries and letters written by various people. The story starts with Jonathan Harker going on a business trip to Count Dracula’s castle in Transylvania to help the Count with buying new real estate. When he arrives at the enormous isolated castle, he is gently welcomed in by a tall and old man, Count Dracula. However, after some time, he notices some strange things about his client. The count never seems to sleep, is nowhere to be seen in the day, and does not eat anything. Soon Harker finds that he is held captive in the castle and searches for an escape route. While looking for a way of escape, he is confronted by three young female vampires, the Wives of Count Dracula. Now desperate for escape, he makes a final effort while the Count was away. Meanwhile in England, we meet Mina Murray, Jonathan Harker’s fiancée, and her friend Lucy Westerna, who was just proposed to by three men. They take a vacation to a seaside town where a Russian ship is shipwrecked. The ship carried 50 boxes filled with earth from Transylvania which are delivered to their destinations. Shortly after, Lucy starts to show signs of a mysterious illness; she gradually becomes paler and thinner every day. Worried about her, they take her to Dr. Abraham Van Helsing. He realizes that her illness is caused by a vampire. He tries various charms to keep Lucy alive, but a wolf attack finally kills her. After Lucy’s death, Dr. Van Helsing reveals that Lucy has turned into a vampire herself. Arthur Holmwood, Lucy’s husband, John Seward, and Quincey Morris travel to destroy Lucy. Holmwood stabs her through the heart with a stake while she is asleep, and the four swear to kill Dracula. Back in England, Mina and Jonathan, now happily married, join the anti-Dracula force. Mina collects her husband’s diaries and gives them to Dr. Van Helsing who pieces together the clues. They come to the conclusion that the 50 boxes scattered across the land containing earth are the objects fueling Dracula’s power. They plan to purify each box with holy water and track him to the one in Transylvania. However, one of Seward’s patients lets Dracula in to the asylum, letting him prey on Mina. Mina starts her evolution into a vampire, and if they do not destroy Dracula in time, she will, like Lucy, will turn into a bloodthirsty vampire. The others hurriedly purify the many boxes, eventually driving Dracula into a corner and forcing him to flee to Transylvania. Traveling over land and sea, they finally catch him about to reach his castle. Quincey receives a fatal wound which eventually kills him, but they manage to destroy Count Dracula. The team returns to England. The story ends with Jonathan and Mina happily living life, and naming their child Quincey.
Questions:
Q. What is Jonathan Harker’s Job?
A. A solicitor
Q. What is the name of the shipwrecked Russian vessel?
A. The Demeter
Q. What does Lucy become?
A. A vampire, also called an un-dead
Q. In this book, what do wolves do?
A. Do Dracula’s bidding.
Q. How many boxes of earth did Dracula have in all?
A. 50

Title: Pygmalion
Author: George Bernard Shaw
Original Language: English (even though the first performance was in German)
Original Publish Date: 1916
Setting: Pygmalion takes place in the early 1900s in London.
Main Characters: Eliza Doolittle is a poor young girl who roams the trashier neighborhood of London, selling flowers to anyone who will buy them. Throughout the story, Higgins turns Eliza into a proper lady who could pass for a duchess or a lady in a flower shop.

Henry Higgins is a temperamental dialect teacher, who earns his living by teaching people to learn how to speak properly. His lack of manners, cold-hearted attitude and temper irritate Eliza greatly.

Colonel Pickering: Colonel Pickering is a gentleman who came all the way from India to meet Higgins because of his interest in phonetics. He assists Higgins in turning Eliza from a poor flower seller into a lady.

Plot Summary: Pygmalion(that should be underlined but i don’t know how) is the story of the metamorphosis of Eliza, a poor girl earning her salary by selling flowers on the streets of London. Henry Higgins, the temperamental phonetics teacher, takes her into his home to teach her how to act and speak like a lady with some help from Colonel Pickering. Eliza has parents who do not seem to care about her and has been living on her own for some time. Higgins, Pickering and Eliza meet in Covent Garden and he mocks the way she speaks. There is a family of snotty social climbers there by the name of the Eynsford-Hills. They ignore Eliza since she is of such lower class. Eliza pursues Higgins after she hears that he could teach her how to be a lady. Higgins does not want to take her in but Pickering and Higgins bet on whether or not Higgins could pass her off for a duchess. Pickering agrees to pay for all of Eliza’s lessons and expenses. Time passes and Higgins, much to the irritation of his mother, arrives at her house on her at-home (when visitors come over to her house) day and tells her about the girl he has been teaching. The visitors are the Eynsford-Hills, who come in shortly before Eliza arrives. Eliza arrives and tries to make conversation with the Eynsford-Hills and Higgins’ mother. Eliza is not presentable yet and still uses some of her old language. Eliza and the Eynsford-Hills leave and Higgins’ mother is wondering what will happen to Eliza after her time with Higgins is up. More time passes and Pickering, Higgins and Eliza return from the ball at which she was being passes off for someone of higher class. Pickering and Higgins are congratulating themselves for a job well done but still feel unsatisfied. They say that it became boring. This obviously hurts Eliza’s feelings greatly as she throws Higgins’ slippers at his head. Higgins and Pickering go to Mrs. Higgins’ living room and tell her that Eliza ran away from them. Eliza’s father walks in. He has come into some money and is now a part of the middle/upper class. He invites Higgins, Pickering and Mrs. Higgins to his wedding to Eliza’s soon-to-be stepmother. Eliza walks in and there is another conflict between the two of them. Higgins is the only one who stays behind and doesn’t go to Eliza’s father’s wedding. The play ends with Eliza not marrying Higgins but marrying Freddy Eynsford-Hill.

Q: What famous movie was based on Pygmalion?
A: My Fair Lady

Q: What is another play that George Bernard Shaw wrote that was performed in the high school last year?
A: Major Barbara

Q: Where does Colonel Pickering come from and why does he come?
A: Colonel Pickering comes from India to meet Henry Higgins.

Q: What is an at-home day?
A: A day when you stay at home and entertain visitors that come over to your house.

Q: What is Covent Garden?
A: A district in London, England

Title: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Original Language: English
Original Publication Date: 1876

Setting: 19th century Mississippi

Characters:
Tom Sawyer- a mischievous boy who soon matures into adulthood and is one of the book’s heroes
Huckleberry Finn- son of a drunk, he is abandoned by his father and he can do anything he wants, but soon matures in the face of trouble and saves the Widow Douglas’ life by telling people about Injun Joe’s murder conspiracy against the widow. He is the second protagonist.
Becky Thatcher- new girl in town, she is Tom Sawyer’s heartthrob and has blonde pigtails
Injun Joe- the antagonist, Joe is half-Indian, half-white. He is malevolent and a villain, but all of his crimes are revenge for biased treatment because of his Indian (Native American) heritage. He is a murderer and a thief.
Aunt Polly- The mother figure to Tom and Sid, since the boys are orphans. She does her best to discipline Tom, but it hurts her to punish him.
The Widow Douglas- one of Joe’s targets and almost his victim, the Widow Douglas then adopts Huck Finn and helps him on his path to a civilized life.
Sid- Tom’s annoying little brother; he is malevolent and loves getting his brother in trouble.
Amy Lawrence- Tom’s former girlfriend, she is the reason Becky Thatcher became angry after engaging to Tom.
Dr. Robinson- he is killed by Injun Joe in the graveyard for marginalizing him.
Muff Potter- he is framed by Injun Joe for the murder of the doctor. He is the reason Tom and Huck confessed and told the court that Injun Joe was the true murderer.

Plot Summary
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a book about a mischievous boy who always disobeys the rules and acts mostly very childish. However, Tom is also very cunning and always finds ways to get out of his chores and other responsibilities or he finds a way to take advantage of people so he can get what he wants. He likes playing hooky and doing fun things. Every time he is caught, he is given a licking. He goes and hangs out with Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunk and a boy Tom is forbidden to talk to or play with, but Tom does it anyway. When the two boys go to the graveyard to confirm Huck’s superstition of a dead cat curing warts, the action begins here. They see Dr. Robinson, Injun Joe, and Muff Potter. Potter is drunk and passed out. Joe and Robinson begin to fight. Injun Joe is tired and angry of being marginalized, and he wants to get revenge on Robinson. Joe ends up killing the doctor and places the bloody knife in Potter’s hands. Potter wakes up and thinks that he is the murderer, so Injun Joe’s framing of the murder worked. Meanwhile, Huck and Tom see this and are terrified. They make a pact that they will not tell anyone of what they saw and they signed it in their blood. However, at Potter’s trial, Tom confesses that the real killer was Injun Joe and he says this out of guilt and maturity, showing signs of Tom coming into manhood. The next encounter with Injun Joe was his plan to murder the Widow Douglas as revenge for more racism. The boys once again overhear this. This time, it is Huck’s turn to be mature. He gets help by telling someone the plan and saves the Widow Douglas’ life in this way. The last encounter was when Tom and Becky Thatcher are trapped in a cave. There is a search going on for them. They are found soon, and Injun Joe is left, trapped inside the cave to starve. When he does starve, Huck and Tom go back to his deathbed and find Injun Joe’s loot. Huck becomes rich and he is told to stay with civilized society. Huck cannot stand it and is about to escape through the window, but Tom promises him that he can join his band of robbers, so long as he stays in civilized society. Huck agrees and goes downstairs. Since Sid has ruined the Widow Douglas’ surprise announcement of how Huck is the hero, everyone pretends to be surprised at the news. The story is continued in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Questions

Q: What was Injun Joe’s fate?
A: Injun Joe starved to death in the sealed cave he was trapped it.
Q: With whom was Tom Sawyer first engaged?
A: Tom was first engaged to Amy Lawrence.
Q: How many yellow tickets does it take to win a Bible, and how many memorized verses do that equal to?
A: It takes ten yellow tickets, or 2,000 memorized verses, to win a Bible.

Dylan Freeman
English C
4/16/08

Slaughterhouse-Five

Title: Slaughterhouse-Five
Author: Kurt Vonnegut
Original Language: English
Original Publish Date: 1969
Setting: This book takes place throughout many different places and times jumping around dates throughout the main character life (around the time of WWII), all over Germany, U.S.A., and Tralfamadore (a 4th dimensional planet which he is taken to when abducted by aliens).
Main Characters:

The Narrator of this story is Kurt Vonnegut as a veteran after the end of WWII writing about the war and one of his friends stories.

Billy Pilgrim, the protagonist, is an optometrist with a dull but safe marriage. His hometown is in Ilium, New York and throughout the story he travels through different points in his life. Billy was drafted as a young boy and became a prisoner of war almost immediately. Also at another point in his life he was abducted by aliens and taken to a planet called Tralfamadore and put in a Zoo.

Valencia, Billy’s overweight wife and mother to Billy’s two children Robert and Barbera Pilgrim.

Tralfamadorians, the aliens who abduct Billy and teach him about the fourth dimension and time.

Monatan Wildhack, a pornographic actor who is also abducted by the Tralfamadorians and studied by them in the same “room” (simulation of Earth).

Plot Summary: The narrator in this book is Kurt Vonnegut who is a war veteran writing a war novel about a friend of his in the war, Billy Pilgrim. Billy Pilgrim is an aspiring optometrist in Ilium, New York and goes to an optometry school. Billy’s father is killed in a hunting accident just before Billy was sent to Belgium in WWII and he was captured almost immediately. Just before the Germans capture Billy he becomes “unsuck in time” and sees a vision of his whole life. The POWs are then taken to another camp in Germany and are hosted by a group of English men who had been captured earlier in the war. Billy starts to time travel more often now. They are then taken by railway boxcar to Dresden and stored in a Slaughterhouse which was originally used for pigs. One night forces come and carpet bomb the city killing everyone one in it except for the americans who were stuck in the air tight slaughterhouse. Billy returns home and goes back to finish optometry school. Billy checks himself into a veterans mental hospital and is introduced to the writer Kilgoure Trout by a fellow patient. After his reccuperration he gets married to Valencia Merble and they have two children together. The night after Billy’s daughter’s wedding, Billy sneeks away to New York to go on a radio talk show and tell everyone about his abdution by the Tralfamadorians. Billy then goes to an optometry meeting but his plane crashes in Vermont and everyone on the plane was killed except for him. He is then operated on because he had brain damage, in a Vermont hospital. On her way up to the hospital, Valencia crashes her car and drives off with a broken tailpipe. When she reaches the hospital she fainted and died one hour later from carbon monoxide poisoning. Billy then tape records what he predicts his death will be because he has seen it many times in his numerous time travels.

1. What is the name of the planet that Billy Pilgrim is taken to?
a. Tralfamadore

2. What is Billy’s wife’s name?
a. Valencia

3. Who is the narrator of the story?
a. Kurt Vonnegut

4. Who kills Billy?
a.Paul Lazzaro

5. What is the name of the actress who was captured by the Tralfamadorians?
a. Montana Wildhack

Kaori Nagase
English C, Classics Assignment
April 16, 2008

Title: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Author: Betty Smith

Original Language: English

Original Publish Date: 1943

Setting: Pre – World – War I. Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York City.

Main Characters:
∑ Francie – A very serious girl who understands most of the things that are going on around her, even the troubles of her parents. She is very kind and benevolent to her family members (especially her father who she loves the most.), but is not liked very much by her school classmates. Considers Neeley her true friend.
∑ Neeley (Cornelius) – A boy who is excited by many things in life, Mama’s favorite because he is a boy.
∑ Mama – Francie and Neeley’s mother, Katie Nolan. A very frugal lady who really loves her husband, Johnnie. She is used to a very simple life, most of which is actually pretty harsh in terms of hunger and living conditions. She is a determined woman who works her hardest all of the time. Favors Neeley over Francie. She is a janitor at the local public school before she stops working. Then she becomes a janitor for her building.
∑ Papa – Francie and Neeley’s father, Johnny Nolan. A severe alchoholic who gets fired at the beginning of the book, and then thereafter does not have a permanent job.

Plot Summary:

     Francie comes from a typical poor family with her in a cramped apartment. She lives a typical life in Brooklyn, but she is not the average girl. She has a very special trait that not many young girls have: she is hungry for knowledge. She reads books, and tries to listen in on any conversations she can listen to. Since her favorite pastime is reading, she does not have any friends at school (although she loves school); her only friend is her brother Neeley. Just like she loves Neeley as a friend and a brother, she loves her father the best out of her whole family. Unfortunately, Johnny is a sever drunkard and dies in the middle of the book. This leaves Francie’s family lost and confused, also making them realize that they are in dire need of money. Katie decides to take Francie out of school and get her a job with a good salary, and afterwards the Nolans start leading a much easier life. Francie also decides to try out for college, and although she has not had a complete education, she qualifies. Although part of this lucky turn came from Francie’s intelligence, many parts of it come from her strict but benevolent mother, her favorite Aunt Sissy, and her beloved father although he is dead. Towards the end of the book, Francie takes up a full-time job, and at first she is regarded as a inexperienced and bad buissiness-woman, she quickly is promoted to a very high position. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the amazing story of Francie Nolan, her supporting family, and Francie’s life as she grows up.

 Q: What is the last name of the owner of the bar that Johnny used to go to?
A: McGarrity
 

 Q: Which one does Katie prefer: Francie or Neeley?
 A: Neeley

 
 Q: How many children does Katie have?
 A: Three
 

 Q: What is Aunt Sissy’s problem?
 A: That she always gives birth to a stillborn.

Q: What was Johnny’s job before he got fired?
A: A school janitor.

Q: Did Aunt Sissy ever have a baby?
A: She adopted one secretly without telling her husband.
    

Nia Heslop
English C

Title: Rebecca
Author: Daphne Du Maurier
Original Language: English
Original Date of Publish: 1938
Setting: In the beginning of the book, the setting was in Cote d’Azur at Monte Carlo. Then the setting moved to Manderly.
Main Characters: The main character are: Maxim de Winter, Mrs. de Winter, and Mrs. Danvers.

Summary:
The book Rebecca is about a young woman who had come from a difficult life and tells the story about previous life and her life with her very first husband. In her previous life, she was a secretary to a woman whose name is Mrs. Van Hopper. She meets her future husband, Mr. Maxim de Winter, while sitting at a meeting with Mrs. Van Hopper. After their first meeting, they had very random meeting times and unusual endings. After about four meetings, she is faced with the decision of moving to New York and continuing to work for Mrs. Van Hopper or to live in Manderly and marry Mr. de Winter. It was a difficult decision, but she moved ot Manderly and married Maxim de Winter. Upon moving to Manderly, she is greeted with harsh glares and dirty tricks from the head maid, Mrs. Danvers. One of Mrs. Danvers’ worst tricks was tricking Mrs. de Winter into wearing a dress that the previous Mrs. de Winter had worn embarrassing her infront of all of the people in Manderly during their first ball since she and Mr. de Winter were wedded. When she moved into the house she bearly knew the story of the previous Mrs. de Winter. Rebecca was her name and she was said to be beautiful. It always seemed that Maixim had never gotten over Rececca’s death and had still loved her, but the new Mrs. de Winter never wanted to accept that. Aside from being many years apart in age, she thought that she could live hapiliy with her husband and have at least one person to be able to comfort her, but she was wrong. She was alone, young and confused; in a relationship that she was starting to beleive was not right. Her dream relationship with the man of her dreams was turning into a nightmare.

The death of Rebecca was always thought to be an accident. Mrs. Danvers and the whole Manerly staff thought such a story was true. They thought that she went out for a sail and by accident her boat toppled over and she had drowned, but the story could have be otherwise. Trapped and blind to her surroundings, Mrs. de Winter is faced with the thoughts of the past and the present. She is constantly being reminded of how beautiful and sweet Rebecca was and how unlike Rebecca she is. Beatrice, Maxim’s sister and her husband, Giles, are very good friends to the newly wedded couple nad even they are telling her the difference between her and Rebecca. Mrs. de Winter hated being compared ot Rebecca and hated that fact that everything she did was bad and did not appeal to Maxim, but most of all she hated the fact that she did not know the true story of how Rebecca had truely died. Maxim finally told her over a resting peirod when they were together. He was forced to tell her the truth because the boat that was Rebecca’s was found earlier, and if all things did not go his way, there could be severe consequences to the life of them both. The confession time had come and finally Mrs. de Winter was going to find out who the true Rebecca was, an angel or a devious woman who played with mens hearts. As the story unwinds the trial of Rebecca is brought up and closed with the decision that she had comitted suicide. The actual cause of Recbecca’ s death is far from suicide. her killer and widower, Maxim, was able to escape the trial. For Rebecca was truely a cruel wife and deserved the death she got. She had spent many nights making love to other men while she was still married to Maxim. One of her lovers, Jack Favell her cousin, was unsatisfied with the final decision that was made of her death, but he was not able to give a sutible case to turn the jury around. When all of the drama in finished, Mr. and Mrs. de Winter are finally free to live their lives with out having to worry about reinacting the movements made by the now dead and the invisible divider between them, Rebecca. They could now start over as a new couple keeping nothing from each other, no secrets like the death of the previous wife.

1. What is the name of Rebecca’s cousin?
Ans. Jack Favell.

2. Where did Maxim de Winter first meet his second wife?
Ans. Monte Carlo.

3. Who are Beatrice and Giles?
Ans. Maxim’s sister and brother-in-law.

4. Where is Maxim from?
Ans. Manderly.

5. Who did Mrs. de Winter work for before marrying Mr. de Winter?
Ans. Mrs. Van Hopper.

Title: The Island of Dr. Moreau
Author: H.G. Wells
Original Language: English
Original Publish Date:1896
Setting: The island of Dr. Moreau, 19th Century

Summary: The Island of Dr. Moreau begins as the boat known as the Lady Vain is starting to sink. The main character, Edward Prendick, a seaman who is one of seven on the boat, is able to get aboard a dingy successfully along with two others. Unfortunately, there is no food aboard the boat and the three became starved. Then, the two other men who are with Prendick fall overboard and drown. As Prendick is about to die of starvation another boat picks him up. The man who takes care of him on the boat is named Montgomery. After he is almost back to health, Prendick is thrown off the boat into yet another dingy by the captain.

After a while, Prendick is picked up again by Montgomery and taken to shore. There, he is shown to a nice room and receives food. He notices that many of the creatures he has seen so far on the island are misshapen. One day, he hears a Puma yelp in the office that he has been forbidden to enter by the only other regular human on the island, a man named Dr. Moreau. He remembers that Moreau was a well-known scientist who had been shunned and forced out of England. He goes into the forest where he sees many unknown and deformed species. After running back to the cabins where he is staying, he sees a human being vivisected. He quickly gathers a stick with a nail and runs away. When he arrives back in the forest, he meets a very oddly shaped man/creature who is described as being just a bit smarter than a complete idiot. This man/creature takes Prendick back to his tribe where he discovers many other oddly shaped creatures.

Prendick later returns with Dr. Moreau and Montgomery. Moreau tells Prendick what actually happened with the creatures and how they always recite their law. Then things start to go wrong. The creatures begin to break their law, and one creature attacks and kills Dr. Moreau, which forces Prendick to shoot the creature dead. Later, Montgomery has to kill quite a few animals, which forces him into depression. One day, Montgomery drinks too much. After becoming drunk, he leaves the compound and is killed. Unfortunately for Prendick, in trying to save Montgomery he burns down the compound and is forced to live with the creatures until he finds a ship and is rescued. When he returns to England, he tries to tell about his strange experience on the island but he is thought of as mad.

Questions

Question 1: What was the name of the boat that sunk at the very beginning of the book.

Answer: The Lady Vain

Question 2: What was the law of the animals?

Anwser:Not to go on All-Fours; that is the Law. Are we not men?
Not to suck up Drink; that is the Law. Are we not men?
Not to eat Fish or Flesh; that is the Law. Are we not men?
Not to claw the Bark of Trees; that is the Law. Are we not men?
Not to chase other Men; that is the Law. Are we not men?

Question 3: What was the name of the pamphlet that forced Dr. Moreau to leave England?

Answer: The Moreau Horrors

Question 4: What was the animal that Prendick kept hearing yelp while it was being vivisected?

Answer: A Puma

Question 5: How long was Prendick forced to stay on the island before being saved?

Answer: Eleven months

Title: Fahrenheit 451
Author: Ray Bradbury
Original Language: English
Original Publishing Date: 1953
Setting: The Future
Main Character: Guy Montag

Plot Summary:
Set in the future, Fahrenheit 451 tell the story of Guy Montag, a fireman of ten years, but not the kind of fireman we think of today. Instead of putting out fires, the firemen in Bradbury’s story start them. According to Bradbury, in the future, no one is allowed to posses any books. For entertainment, people watch television programs, specifically chosen by the government to control people’s thoughts. Anyone suspected of the possession of a book has his or her house lit on fire. Guy Montag finds nothing wrong with this system is happy with his job and finds pleasure in watching paper being set on fire. His life seemed simple, until he met Clarisse. Clarisse, a seventeen-year-old girl, was unlike anyone Guy had ever met. The biggest thing that stood out about her was that she could think for herself. When Clarisse questions the fire burning system and Guy’s happiness, his life begins to become more complicated. Guy, too, begins to question his life. He realizes that his world is being diluted and controlled by television. Guy finds himself intrigued by books and begins to read, but his sudden interest in books is not discreet enough to hide from his boss. This is a great book that shows the importance of books and what happens when our minds become controlled, taking away our freedom of thought.

Questions:

Q: What is the significance of the title “Fahrenheit 451″
A: 451 degrees fahrenheit is the temperature at which paper burns

Q: What is Guy Montag’s wife’s name?
A: Mildred

Q: How many wall-TVs do Mildred and Guy have?
A: 3

Q: How old is Clarisse?
A: 17 years old

Q: What animal is pictured on Guy Montag’s fireman uniform?
A: A salamander

Title: The Time Machine
Author: H.G. Wells
Original Language: English
Original Publishing Year: 1895
Setting: This book takes place in London, England. There is no time period given, but part of the book also takes place in 802,710 AD. This part of the book also takes place in London.
Characters: The main character of the book has no actual name, but is called The Time Traveller, by the narrator. He is a scientist and is probably about somewhere between 50-60 years old. He has a group of men who come to his house to listen to his idea, and one of them is the narrator. Later in the book, The Time Traveller encounters people called Eloi and he meets a girl of the Eloi named Weena.

Plot Summary: The Time Traveller had a group of men at his house. He is talking to them about his idea that time, is the fourth dimension. These men are very skeptical of this, so The Time Traveller shows them a very small machine that looks like a clock. It is a mini-time machine and he shows them that it disappeared into thin air after he turned it on. The men are quite amazed, and next, he shows them his real time machine, that he will use, himself. The next day, the men go to The Time Traveller’s house, but he is not there. He arrives and tells the men about his journey on his time machine. For the most part, the rest of the book is about The Time Traveller’s stay in London in the year 802,701 AD. So The Time Traveller arrives and encounters these very frail people, who call themselves Eloi. He explores the place where the Eloi live and returns back to the site of the time machine, but it is no longer there. He sees a statue and thinks that it is in the statue’s pedestal. He tries to open it, but it does not open and he is frustrated. The night comes and he sees these creatures that look like apes; the Eloi call these creatures Morlocks. He discovers that the Morlocks live underground. He next finds a female member of the Eloi drowning; her name is Weena. Weena and The Time Traveller befriend each other, and together they go to where the Morlocks live. They do this to try to get The Time Traveller’s time machine back. Weena and The Time Traveller are chased out of the Morlocks’ “world” by the Morlocks. Very frightened, they travel to the Palace of Green Porcelain. That night, as The Time Traveller is evading the Morlocks, he accidentally starts a fire in a wood. Most of the Morlocks are killed, but Weena dies too. Finally, The Time Traveller goes back to the statue, and the pedestal is already pried open. He quickly fixes the machine before the Morlocks attack him; he gets away and goes further into the future. The Time Traveller continues in the future and makes a few more stops. After this, he returns back into the year he started in, and goes back into the future, once more.

Questions:

1. Q: Who are the Eloi?
A: The Eloi are very small and frail, futuristic people.

2. Q: What is the Time Traveller’s theory?
A: His theory is that there is a Fourth Dimention.

3. Q: What is the name of the girl the Time Traveller befriends?
A: Her name is Weena.

4. Q: What year did the Time Traveller travel to?
A: 802,701 AD.

5. Q: What was the Time Traveller’s problem when he wanted to leave the Eloi?
A: His machine dissappeared and he could not locate it.

Title: 1984
Author: George Orwell
Original Language: English
Setting: London England now called Airstrip one, in the country of Oceania. The year 1984 and the years following it.
Originally Published on: June 8, 1949
Characters: Winston Smith, the protagonist. A man living in London works for the party and is an outer party member. Julia a woman that Winston meets from his work and has a forbidden love affair with. Big Brother, the party leader, no one knows if he actually exists. O’Brien, a spy working for the Party but tricks Winston into thinking that he is a member of a group of people working against the party: the Brotherhood.

Summary: Winston Smith is a 39-year outer party member living in London, in the one of the 3 countries in the world: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia. It is a totalitarian society where the government controls the past and present. Winston works in the ministry of truth where they edit history so that it fits with the party’s lies. Winston finds himself opposing the party subconsciously. He doesn’t like his job and the concept of the party. He bought a journal, which is illegal and writes things that oppose the party. He could be convicted of thought crime, which is thinking conspiratorial thoughts. He meets a woman who he first is afraid is going to turn him for his thought crime. Her name is Julia and she also works at the ministry of truth. Winston falls in love with her but love between party members is forbidden. They live in a room above Mr. Charrington’s junk store. O’Brien is man that Winston suspects to be opposing the party. O’Brien invites Winston and Julia over reveals to Winston that he is a member of the brotherhood. They are inducted into the brotherhood, but later, soldiers come into their room and arrest them. It turns out that O’Brien and Mr. Charrington were both loyal to the party and setting them up. Winston is taken to the ministry of love where they brian wash people who oppose the party. He tries to resist, so they take him to Room 101; the room where they meet their worst fear. Winston is afraid of rats, so they put rats in with him. He begs for forgiveness and tells them to do it to julia and not him. This is what O’Brien wanted. He is released.

Questions:

1. What are the 3 countries in the world at the time?
Answer: Oceania, Eurasia, and Eastasia.

2. Where does the story take place?
Answer: London, Which is in the country of Oceania.

3. How old is Winston?
39 years old.

4. What are proles?
Proles are the lowest society members. Not watched as much by the party, so they have more freedom.

5. What is a Telescreeen?
A two-way television that can never be shut off, so that the thought police is always watching everyone.

Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Original Language: English
Originally Published in: 1813
Setting: Longbourn. England. During Napoleonic wars (1797-1815)
Characters: Elizabeth Bennet: The second Bennet daughter and the most intelligent. Fitzwilliam Darcy: A wealthy gentlemen, master of Pemberley, Nephew of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Jane Bennet: First daughter, the most beautiful. Charles Bingley: Darcy’s wealthy best friend.

Plot Summary:

In Longbourn, England, five Bennet sisters live together with their parents. The Bennets are a very poor family, and all of the girls are single. Mrs. Bennet is a noisy and foolish woman, who wants all of her daughters to be married to rich and handsome men, unlike her husband who doesn’t care very much. The Bennets attend a Ball, where the oldest daughter Jane befriends the kind and wealthy Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth is sitting with a rich but rude and prejudiced man named Mr. Darcy. The two of them are not alike at all. Elizabeth has much pride in herself, even though she is poor, but Mr. Darcy doesn’t care how she feels about herself, he just cares if she is wealthy or not. As the story progresses Darcy and Elizabeth feel more attracted to each other. Of course distractions get in their way, a man named Mr. Collins, who is the Bennets cousin, comes to visit. He is a pompous clergyman, who plans to inherit Mr. Bennet’s money and property. Soon after his arrival he proposes to Elizabeth. Elizabeth immediately refuses his offer. Collins then successfully proposed to Elizabeth’s best friend Charlotte. Soon after Charlotte accepts, Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth. Elizabeth refused proposal due to her own pride. More time passed and after a series of ups and downs, Mr. Darcy tells Elizabeth how he feels about her and proposes for the second time. This time Elizabeth accepts, and both her and Jane are married.
Questions and Answers:

Q: Where does the story take place?
A: Longbourn, England

Q: What are the names of the five daughters?
A: Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Catherine and Lydia Bennet.

Q: Who are the two married couples?
A: Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Jane and Mr. Bingley

Q: Who does Mr. Collins propose to first?
A: Elizabeth

Q: Who demonstrates pride in the novel, and who demonstrates prejudice in the novel?
A: Pride=Elizabeth, Prejudice=Mr. Darcy

Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Author: Charles Dickens
Original Language: English
Original Publication Date: 1859
Setting: The novel is set during the French Revolution in the cities of Paris and London.

Main Characters:

Charles Darnay, a Frenchman who is an aristocrat although he does not play a part as one in the French Revolution, and the husband of Lucie Manette.

Jarvis (Mr.) Lorry, a banker working at Tellson’s bank and a friend of the Manette family.

Sydney Carton, an English lawyer who changes enormously throughout the duration of the story, and a suitor of Lucie Manette.

Alexandre (Dr.) Manette, the father of Lucie Manette and also a prisoner for many years.

Lucie Manette, a French woman, the son of Alexandre Manette, whom Sydney Carton and Charles Darnay both love.

Plot Summary:

A Tale of Two Cities is the story of the French Revolution told through the eyes of ethical people. The novel begins in 1775, when Mr. Lorry travels to inform Lucie Manette that her father is alive and has been released from prison. Mr. Lorry is sent by Tellson’s bank to Paris to get her father, Dr. Manette. Mr. Lorry and Lucie travel to Defarge’s wine-shop, who has housed the Doctor since his release, and they meet Dr. Manette, still mad due to his imprisonment. In 5 years, Dr. Manette has fully recovered. At the courthouse, Dr. Manette and his daughter are called as witnesses for Charles Darnay, accused of spying by Roger Cly and John Barsad. In Paris, the Marquis, Darnay’s uncle, kills runs over the son of Gaspard, a peasant, and kills him. Gaspard murders the Marquis. Charles. In London, Charles asks Dr. Manette, who accepts, to marry Lucie as long as Charles tells Dr. Manette his real name on the marriage morning. When Charles does tell him on the marriage morning, Dr. Manette begins to work on his shoemaking bench as he did in prison, but he recovers before Lucie finds out. In 1792, Darnay gets a letter from imprisoned Gabelle addressed to the heir of Darnay’s uncle, and he goes to save the prisoner, and gets arrested. After 1 year and 3 months, Darnay is released, and then put on trial again. He is sentenced to die for the sins of his family, read in a letter found in Dr. Manette’s cell. Meanwhile, Carton finds out about Madame Defarge’s plan to condemn Darnay’s family, and tells them to leave France immediately. In the end, for his love for Lucie and her family, Carton sacrifices his life for Darnay’s and forces Darnay to except this.

Q: When does this story take place?
A: During the years of the French Revolution.

Q: Which character was changed by the Revolution the most throughout the novel?
A: Madame Defarge, who became extremely involved in being a revolutionist.

Q: How did Sydney Carton change as a person?
A: Carton went from being jealous of the love between Darnay and Lucie, from being generous enough to sacrifice his own life for them.

Q: How many instances are there of Dr. Manette being possessed by his imprisonment?
A: Two: one at his release and other at hearing the family of Charles Darnay.

Q: How long is Darnay’s first imprisonment (on the way to rescuing Gabelle)?
A: 1 year and 3 months.

Title: The Importance of Being Earnest
Author: Oscar Wilde
Original Language: English
Originally Published in: 1895
Setting: London, England in the 1890s
Characters: The main two characters are Jack (Ernest) Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff. Jack and Algernon, who goes by the name of Algy both use the same pseudonym of Ernest because their romances require upon it. Both their loves have always dreamt of marrying an Ernest, so in desperate measures they pretend their names are Ernest to please their loves. Jack is a serious gentleman, while Algy is the opposite being carefree, irresponsible, sardonic and witty. Jack’s love interest is Gwendolyn, the proper and “perfect child” of an over-bearing and protective mother, Lady Bracknell, who is also pretentious. Cecily, Jack’s ward and Algy’s love interest is a semi-foolish, young, and day-dreamy girl who is educated by the highly knowledgeable, Miss Prism. Miss Prism is deeply infatuated with Dr. Chasuable, the local priest.

Plot Summary: Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff both fool their romance lovers to believing their real name is Ernest because with any other name their lovers will not marry them. They use the same pseudonym in the hopes of mistaking their identities to increase their chances of romance with the ones they love, but their deception does not get them very far before they are figured out. Jack goes by Jack in the country and Ernest in town. He loves Gwendolyn, the daughter of Lady Bracknell, who does not approve of them marrying. This is so because when she interviews Ernest (Jack) as a possible bachelor he tells her that he was found in a handbag in the cloak-room at Victoria Station by an old charitable man, Mr. Thomas Cardew, which is clearly unacceptable. Going against her mother’s wishes, Gwendolyn does not want to end her affection toward Jack, so she furtively sneaks to the country to be with him. In the mean time, Algeron becomes nosy about Jack’s personal life in the country, in particularly interested in Cecily, Jack’s ward. Jack forbids any type of relationship between them, but is surprised to find Algy pretending to be his younger brother, Ernest, so that he can come to see Cecily. Jack made up his “younger brother, Ernest” in the first place so that he could come to town whenever he liked. In the country, both Algy and Jack make appointments to be christened to the name of Ernest for their lover’s sake, however an unexpected visit from Lady Bracknell creates more mayhem. Lady Bracknell approves of the marriage between Cecily and Algernon, but Jack will not give his consent, being Cecily’s legal guardian, unless Lady Bracknell will allow him to marry Gwendolyn. This conflict is interrupted when Dr. Chasuable is about to see Miss Prism who is supposedly waiting for him in the vestry. Lady Bracknell hears that there is a Miss Prism and goes after her, thinking she knows her. The story unfolds that Miss Prism had put a baby of Lady Bracknell’s sister in a handbag and left it in a cloakroom at Victoria Station. Jack, in complete excitement believing he has found his mother is only disappointed when this is not actually the case. Lady Bracknell explains that Jack is the son of his sister and therefore the older brother of Algy. However, Jack still has to figure out his name. Lady Bracknell tells him he was named after his father’s Christian name, which she cannot remember. So, Jack looks up his father’s name in the Army Lists and finds that his real name is Ernest, proving he had not lied to Gwendolyn after all. Dr. Chasuble and Miss Prism embrace, Algy and Cecily embrace, and Ernest and Gwendolyn embrace. In the end, Ernest figures out the importance of being earnest.

Questions and Answers:

Q: What is the name of Algy’s “ill friend”?
A: Mr. Bunbury

Q: Who are 3 couples in the story?
A: Dr. Chasuble & Miss Prism, Cecily & Algernon, and Ernest & Gwendolyn

Q: What was Ernest born in?
A: Ernest was born in a handbag.

Q: What does Cecily call Ernest?
A: Uncle Jack

Q: What did Algy have Merriman, his butler, make especially on his Aunt Augusta’s account when she was visiting his flat?
A: Cucumber sandwiches

Title: The Wind in the Willows
Autor: Kenneth Grahame
Original Language: English
Originally Published: 1908
Setting: Most of the book takes place in a forest called the Wild Woods or in and by the river.
Characters: The main characters are Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger. Mole is a calm and well adapting animal who is not used to all of the business that goes on above ground. Rat is a caring rodent who loves the river and gladly takes Mole under his wing. Toad is the richest in the group, and although he usually means well Toad will become obsessed with one specific thing only to drop it, unfinished, the next week for something else. Badger, although grumpy, is wise and has the most common sense and knowledge of the bunch.

Plot Summary:
The book begins with a character name Mole cleaning his underground home for the spring. Mole is a good-natured and curious creature that wanders out for some fresh air only to fall upon and into the river, which he has never seen before. By the river Mole meets Rat, who lives in the water, and they become friends. Rat is also kind enough to teach Mole to swim and steer his boat. Rat and Mole run into Toad who has recently given up his obsession for boating and changed it to horse-drawn caravans. Toad gets into an accident when a car hits his caravan and cars become his next obsession. Mole desperately wants to meet and befriend Badger, one of Rat’s friends, who lives deep in the heart of the Wild Woods, known as dangerous place. One day Mole explores the Wild Woods but becomes hopelessly lost during the cold winter. Rat goes looking for him and once they have found each other they stumble upon Badger’s house. Badger, although usually impatient and unfriendly, gives them both dry clothes and food to eat for the night. Later on in the book Badger visits Mole and Rat with concerns of Toad and his dangerous habit of getting into crashes with his new car. Mole and Rat decide to put Toad under house arrest, but soon Toad escapes and steals a car. After getting into a car crash Toad is sentenced to 20 years in jail. After Toad is put into jail Rat visits Otter and discovers Otter’s son is missing. Mole and Rat goes on a journey to find Otter’s son. On their journey the animal god Pan, who is the one to give them the place to find Otter’s son, visits Mole and Rat. While Mole and Rat are on their journey Toad gains the sympathy of the jailer’s daughter who helps him escape from jail by dressing him as a washer-woman. Many chapters describe Toad’s expedition fleeing from jail still in disguise until he arrives at Rat’s house. After Rat informs Toad that his home, Toad Hall, has been taken over by weasels, ferrets, and stoats from the Wild Wood him, Toad, Mole, and even Badger drive away all of the animals from Toad Hall. Toad then realizes how great his friends are and undoes all his wrongdoings by making amends and the four friends live happily ever after.

Questions and Answers:

Q:Does Rat teach Mole how to swim?
A:Yes, right after he meets him and then he teaches him to steer a boat

Q:How long is Toad sentenced to be in jail?
A:20 years

Q:Who helps Rat and Mole find Otter’s missing son?
A:Pan, an animal god, helps them find Otter’s son

Q:Who helps Toad get out of jail?
A:The jailer’s daughter

Q:In the end, are Toad’s home invaiders driven out?
A:Yes, Toad, Rat, Mole, and Badger drive them away

Maria Emily Lovett
English A, Karp

Title: The Hound of Baskervilles
Author: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Original Language: English
Original Publishing Year: 1902

Main Characters:
Sherlock Holmes: A detective with amazing deduction skills.

Watson: Sherlock Holmes’ assistant. He goes with Sir Henry to Devonshire.

Sir Charles Baskerville: The old Barron of Baskerville Hall. He recently died in the moor by his house.

Sir Henry Baskerville: Sir Charles’ Heir to Baskerville Hall.

Mr. and Ms. Barrymore: The butler and Maid of Baskerville hall.

Dr. Mortimer: A doctor and good friend of Sir Charles. He acquires Sherlock Holmes in order to solve the Mystery behind Sir Charles’ death.

Mr. and Mrs. Stapleton: A brother and sister, who live in Devonshire.
The Hound of Baskerville: The Baskerville family curse, which was started by Hugo Baskerville when he kidnapped a women. The hound is a hellish monster the haunts the Moor.

Setting: Late 19th Century, London, and Devonshire

When Dr. Mortimer’s good friend, Sir Charles Baskerville, is found dead in the moor, he goes to London to acquires the help of Sherlock. He explains to Sherlock Holmes that a ghost hound has always haunted the Baskerville family ever since the mistakes of Hugo Baskerville, who imprisoned a woman. Dr. Mortimer also mentions that the death of Sir Charles was caused by shock and near his dead body there were the footprints of a massive hound. Although he explains this situation to Homes, he does not ask him to solve the case, but instead wonders what he should do with the new heir, Sir Henry. Holmes becomes intrigued by the case tells Dr. Mortimer to take Sir Henry to Baskerville Hall. He also asks Watson to accompany them and to always stay with and guard Sir Henry. When they reach Devonshire, they meet several suspects, Mr. and Mrs. Barrymore and Mr. and Ms. Stapleton. They also learn that a recently escaped convict is hiding in the area. After events unfold, Watson notices several suspicious actions. Barrymore always carries a light to the window at night and leaves the house, Mr. Stapleton gets very upset when his sister is with Sir Henry, and long howl is often heard from the moor. Eventually, Watson and Sir Henry follow Barrymore and learn from his wife that the escaped convict is her brother. They were helping him hide and brought food to him every night after signaling him with a light from the window. They also learn of another suspect who lives within the moor. Later, Barrymore tells them about a letter, which he found partially burned in the fireplace. The letter told Sir Charles to meet L. Lyons on moor at the time of his death. Watson later learns that the writer of the letter was Laura Lyons, a friend of Sir Charles. After learning this, Watson visits Laura. She tells him that the other man living in the moor is Sherlock Holmes. He meets with Holmes. Holmes tells him that the murderer is Mr. Stapleton, who actually is another Baskerville. Stapleton wanted to murder Sir Henry with a vicious hound in order to gain his rightful ownership to Baskerville Hall and to make it seem like the Hound of Baskerville kill him. .At the end of the book Stapleton tries to kill Sir Henry, but fails. Once again, Sherlock Holmes solves the case!

1. Q: Who introduces the murder to Sherlock Holmes?
A: Dr. Mortimer

2. Q: What item did Holms’ and Watson’s early visitor leave?
A. A Cane

3. Q: How many Boots were stolen form Sir Henry?
A: 2

4: Q: What was the real relationship between Mr. and Ms. Stapleton?
A: They were married

5. Q: Who was the owner of the hound that scared Sir Charles and almost killed Sir Henry?
A: Mr. Stapleton

The Three Musketeers

Author: Alexandre Dumas
Original Language: French
Original Pub. Date: 1844

Setting: The book is set in the early 17th century and takes place in England and France, mostly Paris and London.

Main Characters: d’Artagnan, the main character, is a young Frenchman who wishes to serve the King in the musketeers. He meets three friends: Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, who are all King’s musketeers. M. de Treville is the captain of the King’s musketeers. The Queen of France, Cardinal Richelieu of France (who has two main henchman and a host of guards), and the Duke of Buckingham, who is having an affair with the queen, are all also main characters.

D’Artagnan, a young Gascon, sets out from his home with a letter of introduction to find M. de Treville, the captain of the King’s musketeers in Paris, and enlist in the musketeers, who act as soldiers and guards for the King of France. The Cardinal de Richelieu also has his own guards patrolling Paris, and both groups regularly duel in the street. On his way, d’Artagnan has a mishap with a stranger, who steals his letter of introduction. D’Artagnan is crestfallen, but continues on to Paris. While in the office of M. de Treville, d’Artagnan accidentally offends three other musketeers, who each challenge him to a duel on the same day. This does not work out, and the four men quickly become friends after many duels with the Cardinal’s guards. In Paris, d’Artagnan meets and falls in love with a seamstress who works for the Queen of France. While d’Artagnan is trying to get close to her, he learns of her kidnapping. This tumbles him up in a secret meeting between the Queen and the Duke of Buckingham, her lover. The Cardinal hears about this, and d’Artagnan is set out on a mission back to London to get rid of any evidence of the love affair before the Cardinal can prove it and destroy the Queen’s honor. He completes his quest, and gains a place in another troupe of guards. He meets Milady DeWinter, the Cardinal’s right-hand seductress/spy, and tricks her into giving him information. D’Artagnan and his friends follow the king to the siege of a French town called La Rochelle, one of the last Protestant strongholds. While here, Milady makes many attempts on d’Artagnan’s life, and she sets out to England to assassinate the Duke of Buckingham. She is successful, and returns to a convent in France, where d’Artagnan’s lover also happens to be. She is killed by Milady. The four friends track Milady to a riverside cottage, where they kill her for all of the awful deeds she has done. D’Artagnan and his friends are commended for doing this, and D’Artagnan receives the rank of lieutenant in the musketeers. His friends all retire and pursue their separate interests.

Questions:

1. What part of France is d’Artagnan from?
A: Gascony

2. What is another name that Milady DeWinter goes by?
A: The comtesse de La Fere

3.What is the name of d’Artagnan’s lackey (servant)?
A: Planchet

4. What is the Queen’s real name?
A: Anne d’Autriche

5. What is Aramis’ life ambitions?
A: To be more involved in religion

JD Askin
4/16/08

Classic Book Assignment

Title: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Author: Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens)
Original Language: English, though used with intentional improper grammar
Originally Published: 1884
Setting: Missouri
Characters: Huckleberry Finn, the main character and narrator of the novel, is a 13 year old boy living in Missouri on his own because to the death of his mother and the alcoholism and violent nature of his father. Jim, an African American slave living in Missouri, serves for a white Lady named Ms. Watson. The Widow Douglas, a woman living in Missouri, takes on the job of being a guardant to Huckleberry Finn and teaching him to be a “civilized” human being. Miss Watson, the Widow Douglas’s sister, is a young maid who also tried to civilize and educate Tom. She lives with The Widow Douglas. Pap, the father of Huckleberry Finn, is a drunk who demands custody over Huckleberry in order to maintain to the treasure that Huckleberry Finn and his friend Tom Sawyer found that was previously described in Mark Twain’s novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

Plot Summary: The novel begins in the fictional town of St. Petersburg, Missouri. Huckleberry Finn has been placed in custody under The Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson. Huckleberry does not like the proper clothes he has to wear, the proper way he has to eat, and the overall civilized manner that he has to act under. After several stints of trying to act civilized, Huck notices that his father has come to St. Petersburg. Huck’s father “Pap” then proceeds to kidnap Huck and take him to a rural area in the mountains. Huckleberry then decides that he has to escape due to his father’s drunkenness and violent manner. He kills a pig in the place where he is locked in so his father will think that he has been murdered. He then cuts a whole in the little cabin to escape. While hiding from his father, Tom discovers that Jim, Miss Watson’s slave, has also runaway and is on the loose. They then steal a canoe and proceed to float down the Mississippi river into the free states. During their travels, Huck and Jim stop at an island and meets a family called the Grangerfords. They seem nice, but Huck and Jim decided they must leave because of the intense, violent battle between the Grangerford family and the Shepardson family.During their travels, they also encounter two men who claim to be a royal duke and King. They turn out to be liars and scammers who have put on a variety of hoaxes and fake shows. Huck and Jim then desert the two men but find out that the “King” has put up a poster that offers a reward to whoever finds Jim. Jim is then sold to a family called the Phelps’s who turn out to be Tom Sawyer’s Aunt and Uncle. Huck lies and says that he is Tom, and when Tom shows, he lies, and says that he is his brother, Sid. They then create a plan to break Jim out, ignoring the fact that this is illegal and considered blasphemous. When Aunt Polly (Tom’s Aunt and caregiver) shows up, she exposes the boys however Jim is not in trouble because he has saved Tom Sawyer from a gun shot wound. Jim is then declared a hero and is praised…

Questions:

1) What is the main reason why Jim wants to travel out of Missouri into the free states?
(He wants to be a free man and live a good life with his family.)

2) Why does Huck and Jim run away from the Grangerford family?
(Because they were in a huge, violent fight with the Sheparsons)

3) What is the main reason why does Huckleberry’s father want to take custody of Hucklberry?
(He wants to have the treasure that Huck and Tom Sawyer had previoulsy found)

4) Who, out of Tom, Huck, and Jim, was the one who got shot in the leg?
(Tom)

5) Who makes the sign stating that they will give a $200 reward to who ever finds the run away slave (Jim)
(The Dauphin makes the sign)

Title: A Tale of Two Cities
Author: Charles Dickens
Original language: Old English
Original publishing Date: 1859
Setting: 18th century Paris/London
Main Characters: Sydney Carton, a drunken lawyer that has had a tragic life and is in love with a married woman. Lucie is a woman married to a convicted aristocrat that has many suitors. Madame Defarge is the leader of the French Republic that is married to a Wine salesman. Monsieur Defarge is a liquor salesman that ultimately is afraid of his wife. Doctor Manette is the long lost father of Lucie and in the end brings a life sentence to the husband of Lucie. Mr. Lorry is a banker that is a dear friend to Dr. Manette and is very helpful at the end of the book.

Plot summary: A Tale of Two Cities is a thrilling book by Charles Dickens. Set in the blood stained streets of Paris, and the safe haven of London, Dickens puts together an incredible historical account of the French Revolution. The Story starts out with the famous words, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”. The story starts with three men in a mail cart at night. You know nothing about the three people but they exchange a few words but no information is shared. Then the story moves to a cafe probably set in Paris. Jarvis Lorry, a successful banker that is meeting with Lucie at the French cafe. Jarvis Lorry tells Lucie that he knows where her long lost father is living. This coming as a shock to Lucie (now Lucie Manette) demands to meet her father. When she does she is stunned that she had never met her father. This scene concludes the first book Recalled to Life. At the beginning of the Second book The Golden Thread we go five years into the future to Tellson’s Bank. Dickens describes the bank and sets it as a major land mark in the story. Then the story moves to a court room where Mr. Lorry is trying to defend a person from being executed by testifying for the defense of a trial. Surprisingly the defense won and the next scene is where Charles Darnay, the captive is released. Then Sydney Carton walks over and obviously drunk and exchanges words with Charles Darnay than walks away. Later we see how a “Great Lord” is dealing with the uprising Republic of the people. We enter the view of the Monsieur the Marquis’ view of life in this time period. He is living in glory despite all tries by the Republic to make the aristocrats of France dead. Monsieur the Marquis seems to be pitiless for all people that do not have as much money as he. For one instance his carriage runs over a young boy that was poor and without changing his expression has his cart man get out of his seat to toss the Father of the boy one coin. After the exchange of a coin the cart man drives away without a word with the Father yelling at them both. After this incident, the next major thing that happens in the book is the marriage of Charles Darnay and Lucie Manette. A little while after the marriage, Darnay starts to travel to his Uncle in the country side when he is arrested once again by the uprising Republic. He stays in jail for a couple of months but they let him go on account that they do not have enough evidence to prosecute Darnay of being tied to the aristocrats of France. The next night, the Republic soldiers come to the apartment of the Doctor, Lucie, Darnay, and Lucie and Darnay’s little girl. They take Darnay away after tears were shed by Lucie and their daughter. In court the evidence for the prosecution was a letter written by Doctor Manette himself explaining exactly how Darnay was tied to the aristocrats. With this much information they convict Darnay to the guillotine the next day. After the trial, Sydney Carton starts walking around Paris and makes sure that he is seen by many people both the night before and the day of the hanging. Then he pays a visit to the cell of Darnay with a person named Barsad. With a Poisson that he
bought, he knocks out Darnay and switches cloths with him. Then he hangs himself but right before he hangs himself he makes a brilliant speech. After that, the Darnay family flees France. A Tale of Two Cities had the best ending I have ever read in my life and I would recommend this book to any person that enjoys a challenging read with the reward of reading a great book.

What was The Setting of A Tale Two Cities?

The French Revolution in London and Paris (18th century)

What are the Famous opening lines?

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

Who made the ultimate sacrifice?

Sydney Carton

Who was the biggest Revolutionist out of the main characters?

Madame Defarge

How many times did Charles Darnay go to jail?

Three

Title: Call of the Wild
Author: Jack London
Original Language: English
Setting: Santa Clara Valley, Yukon, Northern Canada and Alaska. Takes place during the gold rush of the Yukon

Characters: Buck, the main character and the only one who is consistent throughout the book; Judge Miller, Buck’s original owner; The man in the red sweater, a character with a small part who is incredibly important because he brings Buck into the reality of vicious life; Perrault, a Canadian government worker who buys buck for a dog sled team; Francois, his helper; Buck also passes through the hands o many other owners until he gets to John Thornton; John Thornton is a benevolent dog owner who owns Buck for a long time and is wonderful until his death.

Plot summary: Buck is a dog living the good life in the Santa Clara Valley at Judge Miller’s house when he is kidnapped by one of his master’s gardeners. The man sells him to another man who brings him to the man in the red sweater. The man in the red sweater gives Buck a violent beating that puts him in his place and teaches him that no matter what he will always be beaten by man. Buck is then sold to a man named Perrault who recognizes him as an incredible dog and treats him well. Buck joins several other dogs on the team and then they go on to take government dispatches around Canada. Buck strikes up a rivalry with a vicious dog named Spitz whom he eventually fights, with Buck emerging as the winner. Buck Travels for months passing through the hands of several owners who treat him fine until he is sold to a group of 3. This group consisting of a woman named Mercedes, her brother, and her husband are entirely incompetent and know nothing of how to treat dogs. To make matters worse, the team has just set a record and is entirely exhausted. The group entirely overloads the sled, makes it top-heavy and fails to give the dogs rest. When they finally make it on the trail, they over-feed the dogs, which means that they end up under-feeding them later. The dogs start dieing from exhaustion and starvation until only a few are left. They get to the camp of a man named John Thornton who is a g