Defining "Success"

Eureka?

Colin, Lindsey, and Hassan start interviewing residents at Gutshot in order to put the history of the town together, and, Colin and Hassan agree to stay at Hollis`s house in order to complete the job. While working for Hollis, Colin realizes that his theorem doesn`t work but, with the help of Lindsey, he changes the theorem in order for it to work with all of his relationships with the Katherines. Later on, Lindsey, Colin, and Hassan interview people at a nursing home, and are surprised to find out that Hollis (Linsey`s mom) is selling two hundred acres of her property to a guy named Marcus. This shocks Lindsey because she doesn't know any reasons that could justify her mom's need to sell some property. Colin suggests that she might need the money but Lindsey says that they don't need more money since her great-grandpa was the one who funded Gutshot`s biggest factory.

My Thoughts On...

“`She died in 1997. Heart attack. She was nothing but good and I was nothing but bad, but then she died, and I didn`t.` ” (Green, 81)

This quote is said by Starnes, who is the first person that Hassan, Colin, and Lindsey interview to complete with the job that Hollis gave them. While I reread this quote, I kept thinking about the 2011 movie, Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which is based in the 2005 novel of the same name by  Jonathan Safran Foer. The movie is about Oskar Schell, a boy whose father dies in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Oskar was very close with his dad, closest than he was with his mom. You could argue that Oskar considered his dad to be good and his mom to be bad (or not as good), but then his dad died and his mom didn`t. Now, back to the book, I think that Starnes feels guilty of being the “bad” one in his relationship with his wife. I think that he wishes that he could've lived a little bit better, for her. The same happens in the movie (kind of), Oskar's mom understands that Oskar had a closer relationship with his dad, and that she is not as close to him as she would like. But, the difference with Starnes, is that, Oskar's mom actually tries to fix this in order to build a better relationship with her son.  

“And yes, again, that was it exactly. A retyper and not a writer. A prodigy and not a genius.” (Green, 91)

This quote is one of the many that explain Colin`s want to become some type of genius and matter to the rest of the world. But this single desire of Colin`s is very different from Lindsey`s. This is later part of a conversation between the two of them, but basically they discuss their opposite perspectives in becoming successful and mattering to the world. I learned from this conversation that Lindsey considers the idea of mattering to the world very absurd, and would much rather have an ordinary life in an ordinary town. This surprised me a lot, I guess I expected Lindsey to be Colin`s other half, which includes agreeing on their perspective of things. So, I guess, Lindsey and Colin would have very different definitions of the word “meaning”. But, this is what makes ultimately different and unique. While Lindsey is outside hanging out with people that she has known all her life in a town that she will probably live in all her life, Colin is inside working in a theorem that he hopes will change the lives of people he has never and will never meet.

"Because we are a cultural species. That

drive is what has made humanity so

powerful."

So, Then What?

The thing about books, is that they start to get really interesting around the middle. Like, just after the characters have been introduced but before they learn something valuable from their experiences. So, I'm currently in that part of the book. I guess that I was kind of waiting for it to happen but it still took me by surprise when it did. In the last few chapters, Colin finally had his “Eureka” moment, but later decided that it was absolute garbage and actually burnt down all of his formulas for his theorem. So, there's that. Also, Hollis is selling a part of her land to some dude no one's ever heard of and, although it shouldn't be that big of a deal, it kind of is (I just haven't figured out why exactly). I just hope that in the next few chapters Colin proves his intelligence to the rest of the world and Hollis stops being so mysterious (but I honestly doubt that will happen).

And Maybe When The Time`s Right

Eureka

John Green's 2006 young adult novel, “An Abundance of Katherines”, tells the story of Colin Singleton, who has just been dumped by his 19th girlfriend named Katherine and is trying to find a way to become a famous genius. Colin and his friend Hassan drive from Chicago to Gutshot, Tennessee, where they stop to visit the Archduke Franz Ferdinand`s (whose death started World War I) resting place. They befriend their tour guide, Lindsey Lee Wells, and meet her boyfriend, Colin, and her mom, Hollis. Colin seems to have his “Eureka” moment when he comes up with a theorem that explains the curve of any relationship based on several personality factors of each person. Later on, Hassan and Colin get hired by Hollis to interview residents of Gutshot in order to assemble an oral history of the town.

Figure It Out 

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. What a dirty lie.” (Green, 37)

I think that this quote is able to show Colin`s feelings regarding his breakup with Katherine XIX. Once she breaks up with Colin, he shows that he is genuinely heartbroken about Katherine. I guess that I expected Colin to be extremely antisocial and to be someone who wasn't able to show his deepest emotions to other people. Honestly, that is the way that most prodigies are portrayed in movies and TV shows (Sheldon Cooper), so this gave a different perspective of Colin even before I read the book. Additionally, I totally agree with Colin`s statement about the pain that words can cause, but his thoughts have also taught me that, even those who are considered to be different, can get just as hurt or feel just as much as everyone else.

“And that one tripped him up. Why did Ovid live in Ancient Rome in 20 BCE and not Chicago in 2006 CE? Would Ovid still have been Ovid if he had lived in America? (...) So did Ovid matter because he was Ovid or because he lived in Ancient Rome?” (Green, 44)

Just like Colin wonders about time and space, I have also wondered about the reasons for history. Not only mine or from people I know, but also from people that are famous, and specially people who have made history and that I've learned about in school. Colin made me wonder about all of the situations and events that happen or that need to happen in order to make a person famous or successful. Colin`s thoughts about Ovid living in America in 2006 also made me wonder if whether or not people are recognized for making a big discoverment or leaving an important legacy because of who they truly are or because of when they were alive or where they lived during that time. Finally, if Colin becomes a genius, will he be remembered by who he IS, or because he lived in America in 2006?

This movie shows how small changes
can completely change people`s futures.

What`s Next?

So far, the book has been great. It is, surprisingly, very funny and relatable. I cannot begin to express how surprised I was when Colin had his supposed “Eureka” moment in the story, but I was also very excited about it. However, I do hope that the book shows more about Lindsey Lee Wells since I have honestly no idea of what type of person she is or what her role in the story will be. I also wonder about the purpose of the oral history Colin and Hassan have to assemble for Hollis. I don't know how could Hollis use this in her job or even in her life.T

Inteligence: It Is Not Only In Our Heads

The Nineteenth Katherine

John Green's young adult novel, “An Abundance of Katherines”, narrates the story of Colin Singleton, a child prodigy that hopes to become a genius in the future and whose past girlfriends have all been called Katherines. As Colin graduates high school and is dumped by his nineteenth girlfriend named Katherine, he starts longing for having his own “Eureka” moment and hopes to become a genius one day. His best, and only friend, Hassan Harbish convinces Colin to go on a road trip together so that he can take his mind off of Katherine XIX. As Colin drives with Hassan, his love for anagrams and stories from Colin`s childhood are explained. As a child prodigy, Colin was able to read at the young age of two years old, which made his education much easier as a kid but, nonetheless, he had trouble making friends in school and was bullied and made fun of as a young student.

Figure It Out...

“But mothers lie. It`s in the job description.” (Green, 2)

As a new found child prodigy, Colin Singleton asked his mom if he was ever going to have a “Eureka” moment, to which his mom, obviously, responded yes. But, Colin grows up and realizes that people lie (even moms). I think that this is something that every child will eventually discover to be, sadly, true. I was very upset when I first found out that neither Santa, the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy were real. To be honest, holidays have been increasingly easier since my parents do not have to sneak out to put presents under the tree or to hide chocolate eggs around the garden. It was not until recently that I realized that all the times my parents lied to me, they were always protecting me from how sad the truth can be. My mom especially encouraged me, with these stories, to believe in happiness and to believe in the impossible. She definitely made my childhood a little bit more magical by telling me these stories. I like to believe that she didn't want my sisters and I to know that magic does not come in the form of an old man in a red suit, who gives presents to all the children in the world in one night a year.

“Prodigies can very quickly learn what other people have already figured out; geniuses discover that which no one has ever previously discovered. Prodigies learn, geniuses do.” (Green, 8)

As the book continues, Colin`s wishes of becoming a genius when he is older are discovered. He explains that most prodigies don't become geniuses, and that relatively smart people can also become geniuses. This got me wondering about how many people have actually made it into making a big discovery and being called a genius. Additionally, this also got me thinking of how many people don't actually become geniuses but that were considered to be intellectually gifted as children. But these quote also got me thinking that Colin`s definition of a genius is not only linked to a genius`s discovery, but to his or her fame. In all honesty, there are probably thousands of people who have been able to make a big discoverment but are not wildly famous. Will Colin make a big discoverment and become a genius? Will he become a famous genius or not?

Next Up...

This book has honestly been so much better than I thought it would be when I first decided to read it. I assumed that it would be a weird love story between Colin and some girl named Katherine. But, so far, I have really enjoyed the book and I am actually really excited to continue reading it. I seriously can't guess or predict what will happen in the next few chapters since the author continues to introduce the characters of the story. I have really enjoyed the way the author incorporates stories from the characters` childhoods within the plot of the story. I hope that the story of Colin and Hassan`s friendship is further explained in since I have only read about how they met. I also hope that Colin has his “Eureka” moment somewhere later in the book.

He Will Be Loved

The Holocaust Was Complete

The superbly written novel by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and published in 1925, narrates the story of man's greed, magnificent parties, and an impossible love. Told through the eyes of Nick Carraway, a young World War I veteran from the midwest that moves into New York's West Egg, who hopes of getting a job and making a name for himself. He is surprised when he finds out that his neighbor, Jay Gatsby, throws incredible parties just next door. Gatsby is very respected but is a victim of gossip among those who attend his parties, Nick soon finds out that Gatsby is in fact in love with his (Nick's) second cousin, Daisy. As the novel progresses, Gatsby becomes closer to Daisy, her husband Tom,and Nick, which would sadly lead to a bloody car accident whose victim´s revenge would end in the death of the great Gatsby.

Thinking About... 

 “ -I wouldn't ask too much of her,- I ventured. -You can't repeat the past. -Can't repeat the past?- he cried incredulously. -Why of course you can!-” (Fitzgerald, 110)

I agree with Nick in this statement, I don't think that the past should repeat it self nor do I want it to. I find the fact that there will always be stuff that will stay in the past forever, awkwardly endearing and fantastic. I like to think that there are things that existed, but that do not exist nor will they exist. Nick is realistic, he says things to Gatsby as they are. Nick doesn't lie to his friend and is still honest to him, even if the truth hurts him sometimes. Gatsby, on the other hand, dreams of the time when he was in love with Daisy and Daisy was in love with him. He dreams of a time that is now irretrievable, when his love for Daisy was the same as her love for him. But, Gatsby can't move on. He does not realize that Daisy is now a wife and mother, and that he isn't as young as he once was.

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.” (Fitzgerald, 180)

This is how Fitzgerald ended the book. A great book ending with some great words. But apart from being extraordinarily lyrical and deep, this shows Nick´s change of beliefs from the beginning of the book, towards the end. He went from correcting Gatsby and telling him that the past cannot be repeated, to metaphorically going back to it himself. But, grief changes a person. So it is not hard for me to believe that Gatsby´s death made Nick go crazy or something like that. But, either way, his personality and beliefs change from the beginning of the novel, to the end of it. I was not expecting this to happen since I thought the only character that would develop and move on would be Gatsby but, I guess he'll just live in his own world of fake love and fake friends.

It All Comes Down To This...

So, I haven't done a blogpost in a while. It doesn't mean it is any less fun, it is just  harder for me to get started typing, that is all. So, for this book, I'm doing something different since I will only post one blogpost instead of five. But anyway, I really enjoyed the book I read for this blogpost, I thought it was amazing and different to anything I had ever read before. Gatsby's undying love for Daisy gave me a bit more hope for love in this planet, but nevertheless got me pretty upset since Daisy did not love Gatsby half as much as he loved her and, all of these conclusions and opinions came to me at the very ending of the book. After Daisy kills Tom's mistress in Gatsby's car, Gatsby is on a dangerous position that, would inevitably end with his death. But, the absolute saddest part, the worst part, is that no one came to Gatsby´s funeral. Not his “friends”, not Daisy, no one but Nick and Gatsby's dad. This made me realize that it doesn't matter how much money we have, or how big the parties we throw are, we'll never truly know what people think of us, until we are dead. This got me thinking, who will show up to my funeral?

But, anyways, the book was fantastic and I would definitely recommend it to other people. I think this book is for hopeless romantics, for the imaginative, and for the dreamers. People who enjoy history and knowledge, would definitely enjoy this book and could easily identify with the main character of the story. This book has taught me about love and unlove, about joy and misery, and about loyalty and changes. I hope that I can apply these things I learned to my life so that I can live to the fullest, loving unconditionally and loving my past.

"Why do you say goodbye goodbye, oh no?

You say goodbye and I say hello"

Since We´re Running Out Of Time

He Loved Big Brother

Winston is tortured in the Ministry of Love and is almost “cured” when he cries out about loving Julia, which causes O'Brien to threaten Winston with having rats eat his face (but Winston betrays Julia when he pleads to O'Brien that the torture should be done to her and not to him). Winston is later reintegrated into the life of a normal Oceania citizen, he believes in everything the telescreens say and is disgusted by any idea of change in his society. He also runs into Julia, who confesses to Winston that she betrayed him, too. After hearing about Oceania´s victory against Eurasia, Winston imagines himself confessing to all of his crimes, being shot dead, ultimately understanding that Big Brother's mysterious smile was one of love, supposedly winning the victory over himself, and (astonishingly), admitting to loving Big Brother.

The book contains an appendix, called The Principles of Newspeak, which talks about how Newspeak will abolish as much terms of English as possible in order to decrease the range of free thought of citizens (Newspeak is predicted to be adapted completely by 2050).

I´ve Figured It Out...

“ -Power is not a means; it is an end. One does not establish a dictatorship in order to safeguard a revolution; one makes the revolution in order to establish the dictatorship. The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power.- ” (Orwell, 263)

I think that this quote, said by O'Brien towards Winston, highlights the depths of human nature. I thought about this a lot and, although it makes me sad to admit it, I think that this is true. Throughout history, humanity has shown that power is usually uncontrollable and can sometimes lead to disaster. I also believe that most of the social problems in society are caused by the need of power. Either one gender wants to have power over the other or one country over the other. I guess power has also caused a lot of wars then. This quote also made me feel very helpless in humanity because it made me realize that the world is not as wonderful as it seems.

“The long-hoped-for bullet was entering his brain. He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark mustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother.” (Orwell, 297-298)

I think that this was an excellent way to end the book. I think this signifies defeat. Even though Winston describes this as a “victory”, his love for Big Brother goes against everything that Winston had ever dreamed of and believed in at the beginning of the book. On one side, the Winston Smith that was introduced at the beginning of the book was free, intelligent, and self-sufficient. But on the other side, the Winston Smith that came out of the Ministry of Love is the Party´s robot, dependent on the telescreens, and simple-minded. I think that this shows Winston's negative character development since he has become everything that he feared he would become. I remember that Winston once mentioned that true freedom is to die hating them while talking about the Party, I believe that the Winston Smith introduced at the beginning of the book would be disappointed at the Winston Smith described at the end of the book.

Happily Ever After?

So, I'm done with the book (YAY!) I am extremely surprised with the ending of it since it is not similar to other dystopian novels I've read. When I was kind of in the middle of the book, I genuinely thought that Winston would be able to change his society in the future, but I now realize that is not the case. The book has taught me about the importance of memories and history and about the dangers of an excess of power. 1984 is also a vivid example of how an individual's opinion and decisions can affect a whole society, but most of all, I think that 1984 is a warning. When George Orwell died in 1950 (just a year after this book was published), he did not live to see his success, and he did not live to see what the world became after 1949 (or how it was actually in the year 1984). He wrote this book with the fear of becoming a society with no past or future but, have we become a society with no past or future? This book has also taught me about love and how it's present even in the darkest of times, but most importantly, this book has taught me that the hero, does not always win.

"Pools of sorrow, waves of joy are drifting through my opened mind
Possessing and caressing me
Jai Guru Deva OM

Nothing's gonna change my world

 Nothing's gonna change my world"

 

But Then Again, No

Room 101

Winston gets a hold Emmanuel Goldstein's book and begins reading it aloud for Julia to hear. The book discusses most of Ingsoc´s believes and slogans (War is Peace, Ignorance is Strength, Freedom is Slavery) but it does not teach Winston anything since the book says things he already knows. Then, Winston and Julia are arrested by the Thought Police, but are surprised when they find out that Mr.Charrington (the prole who owned the store whose room Winston and Julia were renting) is a member of the Thought Police. They are separated and Winston is taken to a prison with other Party members and normal outlaws and then to a cell in the Ministry of Love. He is then beaten by workers of the Ministry of Love (and is then taken to Room 101) and tortured by O'Brien (who had been arrested a long time ago), who confesses to Winston that the pain he is going through is necessary in order for him to be supposedly “sane”.

What Do You Mean?

“A peace that was truly permanent would be the same as a permanent war.” (Orwell, 199)

Emmanuel Goldstein, in his book, talks about everything that conforms Ingsoc and its members and explains it to members of the Inner Party. I think that Goldstein is a very smart and honest man, he is the hope for everyone who wants to destroy the Party and Big Brother. Through messages like the one above, he is able to abolish any doubts of the readers of his book regarding the stupidity of the Party and Big Brother.He is able to understand the Party and its ways yet he doesn't follow them, but instead uses them to terminate Big Brother. Due to this fact, he is widely wanted in Oceania and is now an outlaw. I wonder how Emmanuel Goldstein became the fugitive he is depicted as, but most importantly, why did he get there?

" - We are the dead, - he said. - We are the dead,- echoed Julia dutifully. - You are the dead,- said an iron voice behind them.” (Orwell, 221)

This shows Julia´s and Winston´s character development throughout the book. At the beginning of the book, Julia did not admit to “being the dead” when she was seeing Winston, but he did. Ironically, she did not admit to this statement until only moments before her arrest. I think Julia has learned from Winston, he has taught her about the Party´s strategies and about how cruel they can truly get. Nevertheless, Winston still believes that going against the Party will end with him dead while Julia has just began realizing it, even if it is too late.

To Be Continued...

I think that I've just reached the most interesting part of the book. I honestly did not think that Winston and Julia would be arrested, and I definitely didn't think that the Thought Policeman that would spy on them was actually a prole. I'm strangely disappointed by the fact that the book did not give me any more information about Emmanuel Goldstein even though I would've liked it. I apprehensive about what will happen next in the book since I really don't want Winston to be tortured any further. Julia disappeared so that is someone else I would like to come back, but I guess I won't find out until I keep reading the book.

"In the clearing stands a boxer,
And a fighter by his trade
And he carries the reminders
Of ev'ry glove that laid him down
And cut him till he cried out
In his anger and his shame,
"I am leaving, I am leaving."
But the fighter still remains"

How We Plan To Take Over The Planet

Welcome To The Inner Party

Julia (the girl who gave Winston the note) and Winston are able to contact each other and eventually start meeting in secret places in order to discuss their hatred for the Party. Then, Winston rents a room above a store owned by a prole and begins meeting Julia there. They both consider the possible existence of an Inner Party that wants to destroy Big Brother and are not surprised when O'Brien makes both of them a part of it. O'Brien clarifies that, by being a part of this conspiracy, their lives could end. Winston is later sent a copy of a book written by Emmanuel Goldstein (the Inner Party´s leader) and is ordered to read it to become an official member of the Inner Party.

Figure It Out

"She did not understand that there was no such thing as happiness, that the only victory lay in the far future, long after you were dead, that from the moment of declaring war on the Party it was better to think of yourself as a corpse. 'We are the dead,' he said. ´We're not dead yet,' said Julia prosaically." (Orwell, 135-136)

This conversation between Winston and Julia reflects the difference in their personalities. On one side, Winston considers himself to  be realistic regarding his situation with the Party while Julia wants to stay optimistic while fighting Big Brother and the Party. Winston accepts death and, in fact, welcomes it. Julia ignores it and, unlike Winston, values being alive while it lasts. On the other side, they both, essentially, think the same about the Party and are trying their best to destroy it.

“To hang on from day to day and from week to week, spinning out a present that had no future, seemed an unconquerable instinct, just as one's lungs will always draw the next breath so long as there is air available.” (Orwell, 152)

This is an excellent example of Winston´s capability to destroy the Party´s ideas and laws and instead follow his natural human instinct. Throughout the book, human emotions and necessities seem to have been vaporized from citizens´ lives, but Winston still holds on to them. I find it admirable that, even though love is almost obsolete and prohibited, Winston is still able to remember it and is capable of loving Julia. Will Winston, later in the book, be able to awaken more instincts or actions that were supposed to be abolished by the Party?

To Be Continued...

This part of the book has answered a lot of questions I had from my previous reading, and I'm glad for that. It clarified my questions about the letter sent to Winston, the room above the prole´s store, and about O'Brien´s role in the story. I still wonder about what happened to the diary Winston had been writing since it hasn't been mentioned (lately) in the book. I have developed a better understanding of Winston´s society and Winston´s need of having a past he can't change and that he can look back to, even if that means looking back at his mistakes.

"Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away.
Now it looks as though they're here to stay."