Mosquito Coast and P.W.B. Differences and Similarities

Lately in English we've been reading the Poison Wood Bible, we've also watched the movie featureing Harrison Ford, the Mosquito Coast. The movie the Mosquito Coast if very similar to the Posion Wood Bible in many ways. The movie is about Harrison Ford plays an inventor in the 60's I think who is fed up with American life and American living and decides to go on an adventure and drag his whole family along for the ride. His family consists of his wife, two sons and young twin girls. They go to a small country in the Banana republic and settle down in a tropical rain forest village that they bought. The village is very much still primative in its appearance and ways of living of the people. Harrison's character is very optimistic about creating a new civilization from scratch. But things go terribly wrong and he takes it out on the people of the village and most of all on his family. He refuses to go back to real civilization, he'd rather stay in the jungle and tough it out, no matter what the costs.

Some similarities we as a class found in the two, Posion Wood Bible and Mosquito Coast, were the roles of the fathers in both stories. Both fathers are very independant, very determined and stubborn. They do not take to mind the health of their family when they do things. It seems always that they want to do thing their way and will have it no other way. The two characters are very proud of themselves and they will not allow others to persuade them away from their set beliefs. Both fathers neglect the reasoning of their wives and they show up to be very upright and just. Both families feel the same way towards the head of the family, the father. That feeling is not good at all, both set of children have a small degree of hate for the father, beyond the normal dislike that most adolecent children feel towards their fathers. The family set ups are similar as well. Both families in both stories have big families. The Price family consisting of 4 children, and the Mosquito Coast family consisting of 4 as well. Two other similar characters are the oldest boy in the Mosquito Coast family and Leah in the Price family. They both follow the same journey through the story, from following in the foot steps of their fathers and really admireing and revering their fathers. Then in some different stituations they lose trust in their fathers, they tend to stray away from the father's footsteps, and they finally they disobey and dislike their fathers all together. This is important to see in the Poison Wood Bible that Leah is very much like the oldest son in the family, even though she is not the oldest and is not a boy. More similar character's I've found are the wives in the stories. Both are very unwilling to go against their husbands. They both are very passive personalites. Its very clear that both are very alike. Another similarity that we've found in class was the comparison of the really big ice chest in the Mosquito Coast movie and the bible and christianity in the Poison Wood Bible. They are similar because they are both two advance things that the fathers in both stories try to bring and introduce to the new societies that they are in. They almost so far as force these things onto the people and the people seem to not need it but the two fathers are determined to bring whatever it is they want regardless.

Lit Circle "Bel and the Serpent"

Psycological Critic

Rachel Price

Rachel Price is changing alot over the time during this chapter. It is very interesting to see her mature and then de-mature all in the same chapter. She is not getting the attention she feels she deserves from her parents. She is very annoyed by Tata Kunduvu and is desperate to get rid of him. It is very prominent that she will go to any means to get away from Tata Kunduvu and from Kalinga all together. She hooks up with Axelroot of all people and they pretend to be engaged so that Tata Kunduvu will leave her alone. In this great scam she begins to find a liking for Axelroot, she enjoys the idea of Axelroot but not Axelroot himself. She likes the fact that he is an older man, he is independant, he takes care of her and most of all listens and gives her attention she does not get from her parents or from anyone in the family. This way she uses Axelroot as a sort of back route to all her problems. The two become very close and she suddenly does not seem so annoyed by him. Axelroot tells Rachel of the secret plan to assasinate Lumamba. She has changed from helpless Rachel to adventure seeking desperate do it herself Rachel. This is very important because she finds herself on the path to independance much like the Congo itself. She has also found a new appretiation for animals, this is a great change because Rachel is not the apreciative type at all. "As soon as Eeben Axelroot came back I was determined to use my feminine wilds to my own advantage. No matter what it took, I would get him to take me away from here in his airplane." p. 355

Leah Price

Now Leah is down right done with her changing stage. She is a new woman she has found her real self in the midst and shadow of her fathers ruly hand. I commend her for doing all that she feels is right in her eyes, but I think she falls short of the big picture that they must stick together as a family or they will all fall apart. And I think this also showed in the Death of Ruth May. Leah is now even more distant from the family than she was before. I think she is following more to what Anatole is giving to her as 'right'. The two of them have become more into eachother. But I think the most notable change in Leah Price is that now she is downright being disobediant to her father. This is much like the change in adolesent boys. They go from loving their fathers and wanting to be exactly like them to the rebel stage when the wander off to find themselves. It is pretty wierd but it makes sense that Leah, of all the girls, would take this journey. She decided to be an archer during the hunt, despite her fathers discourages. She turns her back away from father and does not get punished for it. Maybe Nathan is finding a new respect for his daughter? I think its just that he feels she's too under him to even try to bring her back to the path he so dictorialy put infront of her. "Leah slung her bow over her shoulder. "I'm going with the men and thats final."" Here is what Rachel says she saw when Leah downright disobeyed and disrespects her father.

Essential Question

In my other essential question post, i sought to answer these questions, "How do we help the world? Are we focused on the right problem? Is giving money the solution?"

Is money the solution? We take so much pride as Americans in wealth, we are drowned by local media to keep getting more, spend more money, get more things, better yourself. We are brain washed into thinking what we have is not enough, what we buy is not enough, or that we are not enough. Reading the "Poisonwood Bible" Anatole tells us of the kikongo perspective on money and wealth. Which is totally opposite from ours. He says the people of the village give away what they do not need, alot like how the Singer Solution presented us, and Zel Kravinsky too. He used the example of one of the fisher men in the village who, when having an abundant catch, comes back to the village and gives away all his fish, and even to the people he doesn't like. In fact he gives the most fish to that man he hates. Leah shoots back with the fact that he has to give away the fish, because its impossible for him to eat it all, and it would spoil if he kept it. Anatole said this is the same way the congolese feel about money, if you keep it too long it will spoil. I thought this was a very weird way to think of money, like fish. Both are very important but as an American I guess I build up money to be worth alot more, because it can buy so much in America. Fish has the same power in Africa. I think this is a very key idea if we want to help the world. I like hearing it from Anatole's point of view in the book, I didn't really feel as obliged to give when I read it from Zel or the Singer Solution. I guess Anatole just sounds more sincere.

Essential Question

In my other essential question post, i sought to answer these questions, "How do we help the world? Are we focused on the right problem? Is giving money the solution?"

I first saw this video in english class, it was posted by Afton. The video was about these three highschool boys who went to Africa, specifically the Sudan, in order to get to the bottom of the genocide and problems going on in the contry. The boys did it on their own free time and with their own money and on their own motivation. They documented the whole trip and it was very moving. The focus of their documentary was on the children of the Sudan, whose parents died of Aids or of other things. These children walk around every night trying to find somewhere to stay. They are trying to get away from the government rebels. Which are a group of men lead by a terrorist and they look for young male children to abduct and brainwash into doing the work of the rebels. From killing, to stealing and abducting other children. It is pretty insane that these kids have to go through so much at such a young age. These American boys go on their own time and with their own money. They were motivated enough to want to go. At the end of the video it says that they need our TIME! This was the first thing they wanted. So here is one way we can help the world! GIVE some TIME! I feel this is very important! The last was money, money is very essential but I do not think it is as affective as giving your time. Alot of American rations, as shown in the video, were provided due to monitary donations, so indeed money is very vital to giving to the world. There is so many creative ways we can give back, like this video which helps to spread knowledge about this crisis in the Sudan with these invisible children. Creativity was the second thing we could give. We need to be more open minded, we need to give creatively. All in all I think its fair to say we need to do something!

Lit Circle Reflection #2 "Judges"

This week in English class we were reading "Judges". We discussed alot in class as a group. It was a very interesting chapter.

Judges

-Ants Attack!
-Ants are hungry
-Looking for food and water
-There is drought
-Ants=Congolese
-Pg. 308 quote. Congolese people = Congo ants
-nsongnsya=Ants

-Rachel
-Congo is sucking life out of Rachel
-Tata Ndu wants to marry her
-Releive price family by taking Rachel
-believes she will entertain other wives
-Rachel pretends to be married to Axelroot.
-Rachel takes to Axelroot
-Rachel enjoys his company
-Rachel's mirror breaks
-symbolize transformation
-Rachel is doing more around the house
-Rachel's 2nd missed birthday.

-Adah
-No prominent change in Adah
-She is talking alot more to Nelson
-We learn of Baza, twins = Bad
-Adah is attacked by ants, wants to die.
-Ants attack pg.306

-Ruth-May
-Sick
-Does not take Malaria Pills
-She is ghostly
-Nelson says that the Owl has taken her soul
-After she gets better she is still ghostly
-She is not lively
-She is given the charm from Nelson to make her disappear

-Leah
-Leah is losing her religion
-She loses faith in her father
-She teaches with Anatole
-She has fallen in love with Anatole
-The two are to marry
-Anatole gives her a bow
-The kikongo people think she is very manly

Vocab
-Bangala=Poisonwood
-Baza=Twins
-Baptiza=Baptize

Lit Circle

“All my life I’ve tried to set my shoes squarely into his footprints, believing if only I stayed close enough to hiim those same clean, simple laws would rule my life as well. That the Lord would see my goodness and fill me with light. Yet with each passing day I find myself farther away. There’s a great holy war going on in my father’s mind, in which we’re meant to duck and run and obey orders and fight for all the right things, but I can’t always make out the orders or even tell which side I am on exactly. I’m not even allowed to carry a gun. I’m a girl. He has no inkling.” p. 244

This quote is from Leah. I think this is a very important quote because it shows how Leah and the rest of the family are drifting away from Nathan. I think this is very prominent because Leah is like Nathan reencarnated into a young girl. Leah also says how she always wanted to be just like her father, but now she, along with the rest of the family, find themself astray from Nathan and his teachings and his orders.

“I knew when I went down. Someone’s bare foot wsa on my calf and then my back, I was being trampled. A crush of feet on my chest. I rolled over again and again, covering my head with my arms. I found a my way to my elbows and raised myself up, grabbing with my strong left hand at legs that dragged me forward. Ants on my earlobes, my tongue, my eyelids. I heard myself crying out loud -- such a strange noise, as if it came from my hair and fingernails, and again and again I came up. Once I looked for my mother and saw her, far ahead. I followed, bent on my own rhythm. Curved into the permanentsong of my body: left...behind.” p.306

This quote is from Adah, she thoroughly describes her experience of the ant attack on her, her sisters and her mother. I think this maybe a symbol or foreshadow of things to come. It is a very good picture when we see all the ants all over her body and pulling her down.

Congo History

Congo History 1955-1966

Patrice Lumumba started being teh regional head of the Cercles of Stanleyville and helped to educate some of the people of the congo in 1955. He was arrested that year for ebezzlement of post office funds. He was released in July 1956 where after he founded teh non-tribal Mouvement National Congolais in 1958, which was a peaceful organization for people in the congo to protest. He was president. He also formed the All-African People's Conference that year as well.Congolese independence was established on June 30, 1960. The Belgians finally gave into the Congolese idea of independence. In 1960 Ptrice Lumumba gave his famous speech in front of the Congo, important Beligians, and King Baudouin. Patrice was elected to be prime minister, and his president would be a man named Kasavubu. Soon after in July Congolese soldiers mutinied and, along with civilian mobs, began raising hell, raping white foreiners, and destroying property. The UN's task force restored peace. Lumumba's reign was short lived as teh province of Katanga took independance from the congo with Belgian support. They were headed by a man named Moise Tshombe. In September, Lumumba was taken out of office by his fellow president Kasavubu. Lumumba tried to get back and take away Kasavubu's presidency. Kasavubu had Lumumba arrested, with help from a man named Joseph Mobutu who would later become dictator Mobutu. Lumuba was arrested in December of 1960 by Mobutu's troops. Mobutu's reasoning was that Lumumba would be tried for trying to lead an army to rebellion. Supposedly the U.N. try to tell Kasavubu to tread Lumumba according to due process of law. The U.N. and the Soviet Union fight over the release of Lumumba. In an attempt to apeal to local UN troops he was flown to Leopoldville and appeared beaten and humilliated infront of journalists and diplomats. The UN did not accquiest to his plea due to orders from New York. Lumumba was beaten again during a flight to Elizabethville on January 17, 1961. It was there that Lumumba was executed by command of Katangan authorities, in the presense of Belgian officials and president Tshombe. In 1964, UN announces that they are going to leave in the Congo that June but are annoyed by tribal rivalries revolting against government. In November of that year, armed government forces launced an offensive against the People's Republic of the Congo on the reasoning that they were being supported by communists, in particualr China. They threatened the rebel capital of Stanleyville. The rebel learder announced he had taken 60 americans and 800 Belgians as hostages. UN forces started a rescue force task and saved 2000 American and Belgian hostages. Some unlucky hostages were killed before aid could reach them.

Congo Events 2000-2007

Patrice Lumumba is still a very prominent figure in Congolese government. He is praised for his acheivements in gaining Congo's independence. He is immortalized on the 1 franc bill.

Essential Question

"Be ever mindful of your right to speak your mother tounge. Be ever mindful of your right to life and education. Be ever mindful of the lives once slain for your gain. Be ever mindful! Let them not have died in vain."

Tears, sweat, blood, flesh, stained the streets. Premature lives offered in the name of freedom dated June 16, 1976. On this day thousands of students self led a peaceful march against the white goverment and a passed law that they shall only speak english tounge in their schools. 10 Highschools in Soweto, South Africa, led a march to peacefully protest. They had enough of the white boundaries they were taught in school. They had enough of the restrictions they were forced to live with every day. So they decided to do something. Thousands of students marched. Thousands of them angry. Thousands of them were masacred. The black and white picture of the young man holding a little boy was printed all over the papers of the world. That little boy was Hector Peterson. He was 13 years old. He was the first of the children to be shot. No one knew Hector, but they planned on avenging his death. "And a child shall lead them."

They all marched and planned to meet in a designated spot. They did not make it there. They were stopped by white police officers who, unprovoked and without reason, open fire on the students. The students ran away. Angry, they came back, and they rose hell. The video tells of the mayhem that occured on that June 16. The mayhem caused by Highschool students who wanted to make a difference. Highschool students who learned the hard way that nothing is for free. Many of them were unarmed. They took up bricks and threw them. They burned government buildings, schools, police cars, everything. They wanted to be heard. Many of them died. Many as young as 8 years old. The movie "Sarafina", is about one of these Highschools whose students marched on that day. The movie shows you alot about what happened that day. What fueled the movement, and how they changed South Africa. I remember a part in the movie where they show the white police officers gathering hundreds of Highschool students into their prison for investigation. They wanted to know who started and who was leading the march. They tourchered and killed most of those kids. The walls of the prisons were covered in blood, bodies piled high. Broken promises of freedom, life and education.

We've talked alot in class about giving. It's quite evident that these deprived kids don't need whats in our hands, but our hands themselves. They needed our care, they needed our help. Money is good, but help is better. These Highschool students changed a their education system. Together they helped free South Africa. I am a Highschool student, we are Highschool students. What is our Potential? What can we change?

Essential Question

I have a new Essential Question,
"How do we help the world? Are we focused on the right problem? Is giving money the solution?"

There is more wrong with the world than poverty. There are things worse than poor people. Things worse than starvation. Things that have been prominent from the dawning of time. As old as Can and Able. Hate. War. Power. Greed. Why can't we give help? Why can't we as Americans share democracy with other countries? Why can't we share our freedoms with other countries of the world? Most don't want it. We'd just be forcing our way of life on other people. Just like Nathan Price. Plus who says we even want to give. Govenments don't want countries to have the same freedoms as we do. Why? Its makes for cheaper goods. More gold, diamonds, cheaper oil. Life is easier for us, we are richer. We could give money to those people in Africa, we could give money to people all over the world. But it seems to be a pattern that money flows to those with power. Those with power only want more power. Power in the form of weapons means death to those who don't have power. Thats most of the people in the world. I am against giving money away blindly. I, unlike singer, would much rather take myself to the problem and help myself. That takes alot more heart. That fills the heart. You have a human interaction. Give money to a corporation, thats all it is, you give money to the corporation. You give money to the kids you see on T.V., who are mostlikely dead when the money gets to them. If indeed the money even gets there. Helping the people in Rwanda, remember that? Or did everyone forget? How many died? Men, women, children. Hate is worse than poverty. We can give all the money in the world, but that didn't erase the age old rivalry and hating of two African tribes, won't help wars.

Here's a youtube video I found. I can't post it because it is very graphic and explicit. But thus is the world. Thus is America.
I don't recomend you watch this if you have a weak stomach. Or if vulgar language offends you.


http://youtube.com/watch?v=0P26mFohLzc

Imagine children younger than you who have to go through life this way everyday. Imagine a 12 year old African kid taken from his family, given an AK-47 and direction to kill anyone that he does not recognize. Imagine the psycological affect that would have on him. Imagine a whole tribe of these kids 20 years after the fact. Where is he now if he's not dead? Hate, and all the things that stem from hate will always be present in the world. Prejudice, Greed, Jealousy. Since the days of Jesus, and before. How do get rid of it. Take a good look at this video. How long ago do you think these tapes were. Obviously not that long ago, the video's in color. I'm guessing in the past 20 years. Imagine the atrocities that are occuring now. Wait until someone posts that on youtube, you can watch it in High Def. Open your eyes to the vast problems in the World and ask yourself. Is charity the answer? Or are we just running around in circles? I agree with Landon's post. The Deliver Me post, I the world doesn't need charity and sympathy, they need help.

Lit. Circle Reflection

During our Lit. circle my group have discussed a number of different things about the current chapter we've been reading about the Poison Wood Bible.

Our first main point was about Nathan Price.
Nathan Price
-selfish
-only wants things done his way
-is very stubborn
-will not listen to others
-believes his way of life is best
-wants others to live life the way he says
-he in a way creates his own bible in his house hold without knowing it
-he physically and emotionally beats his family
-he is inconciderate of his family, especially his wife

The second biggest point we talked about was Orleanna Price.
Orleanna Price
-very submissive, passive
-cannot stand up for herself
-coward
-is very obedient to Nathan
-she has her own ideas she is not able to share
-she is very scared
-she is very unstable
-she is not a good role model for her daughters

These are the two main things we talked about in our first Lit. Circle.