The Landlady Analysis

In the short story "The Landlady" by Roalh Dahl we encounter a young man named Billy. He just got off the train from London and is looking for a place to sleep. He finds an attractive Bed and Breakfast and decides to stay there because of its low price. After the somewhat creepy landlady shows him his room, he proceeds to sign a book with all of his personal data. There he sees two names, Gregory Temple and Christopher Mulholand. After wondering for a couple of minutes, Billy realizes that those are the names of two men who went missing a couple of years ago. Then he is offered some tea, which he accepts but soon realizes that it has been poisoned. As Billy dies, we find out the landladies plan which is to conserve the body like Temples or Mulhollands.


Roalh Dahl writing is amazing, given his strong use of imagery which helps the reader visualize the story.

Billy Weaver had traveled down from London on the slow afternoon train, with a change at Reading on the way, and by the time he got to Bath, it was about nine o’clock in the evening, and the moon was coming up out of a clear starry sky over the houses opposite the station entrance. But the air was deadly cold and the wind was like a flat blade of ice on his cheeks. 

This short peace pulled from the story is one of many examples of imagery. By reading this we can have a much stronger image of the night in which Billy arrived .

Nevertheless, Dahls strongest suit is characterization. Dahl's has a characterization much stronger than other authors and this gives his story a bigger depth.

She seemed terribly nice. She looked exactly like the mother of one’s best school friend welcoming one into the house to stay for the Christmas holidays. Billy took off his hat and stepped over the threshold. 

This is how Dalh describes the Landlady in Billy's perspective. By reading this, we can understand very clearly the type of character Billy perceives her to be. This is so good because Dalh connects her to someone in our lifes and we can imagine her very clearly.

The message of the story is very important because it helps us protect ourselves by never trusting strangers. Dalh's writing is tested in his stories and he never dissapoints. This story is very good because it has a strong imagery and characterization, which gives the story a depth unlike any other.



                  Michael Buble Singing Christmas classic "Let It Snow"

Climax

In this weeks reading, a lot of new content about the story was revealed. First, we learned that the memories have had a very large effect on him. We can see this when in the books Jonas gets really emotional and afraid after seeing his friends play a game of warfare. This is due to Jonas memory of warfare. After this event transpire, Asher gets in a fight with Jonas because he had ruined the game for everyone. The next morning, Jonas finally asks the giver about the previous receiver whom name was Rosemary. We learned what had happened to Rosemary, this involved her applying for release due to her suffering as receiver. One of the most shocking discoveries was that we learned that release is death. We learned this when Jonas watched the video of the release of a little baby that father would be performing. This is when the story reaches its climax. After this, Jonas formulates a plan to stop sameness and bring back what once was. We are left with a lot of questions and I look forward to finishing the book.

"No. I have to stay here," The Giver said firmly. " I want to, Jonas. If I go with you, and together we take away all their protection from the memories, Jonas, the community will be left with no one to help them. They'll  be thrown into chaos. The´ll destroy themselves. I can't go."

In this quote we can see the book's theme is about the importance of memories. We can see this because here is shown what is the importance of memories, but specifically what is the importance of keeping them. Previously, we knew that it was an honorable job with a lot of importance, but now we know specifically what will happen if the community's protection would cease, chaos. There is also a very large importance of memories because the book explains us what knowledge can memories bring, and its big importance in our life. Later in the book, this theme is brought once again when the giver explains to Jonas that he will need every memory of courage and wisdom to complete his mission.

This book has been very interesting and have given us many information that is not fiction. For example, the importance of memory has a high importance in our world. This is significant because we need memories and experience too chose wisely in our life. The book has also taught us that we accept the reality which we are presented. This is a wise quote because it explains that this could really happen. I have greatly enjoyed this book and cant wait to finish it and discover if Jonas' plan works, and what will be the result.

The pain of memories

This week I read chapters 13 through 16 and it contained plenty of important and interesting development in the plot. First, we see that Jonas was starting to control its powers and started to see color. This was very interesting because we see what Jonas was thinking and what he was feeling. Later, we see the Giver in pain and Jonas helps him by taking some of the pain away. This memory is very painful and is a memory of war. After seeing this, Jonas changes his mind and wants everything to be as it once was. Because of all of this pain, the Giver counteracts it with the memory of Christmas and the emotion of love. And finally, we learn that people do not know love.

Jonas did not want to go back. He didn't want the memories, didn´t want the honor, didn't want the wisdom, didn´t want the pain.

In this quote I can see what Jonas feels. He finally understood the pain that the Giver had been feeling and it was something horrible. I was very surprised. I did not expect Jonas to be weak. I personally thought that he had been chosen because of his tolerance to pain and because of his bravery. I expected Jonas to be the strongest being in the whole community. Although, I kind of expected it to happen at some point. After seeing this, I was eager to know what would happen next. Although I do not think war will be the worst memory.

In the end of the chapter I was troubled with the fact that Jonas´s community did not have love. In the end of chapter 16 we learned that Jonas' relatives don't know love and Jonas is troubled by that. In my opinion this is really sad because they have never told Jonas that they love him like a normal father in our
community would do. I have really liked this book and can't wait to continue reading to find out what happens next.

summary chapters 9-12

In chapters 9-12 in my reading of the book the giver many interesting things happened. First we were introduced to Jonas assignment as the new receiver. For this to happened we found out what his instruction folder said about his assignment. In this folder we saw few instructions and rules like "you may not discuss your training with anyone" and " you are prohibited from dream telling" and finally and the most shocking one "you may lie" this caused a lot of confusion on Jonas. Next Jonas is properly introduced with the current receiver or The Giver. In his first day at his assignment Jonas is shown how the transplant of memories is conducted and he is given a memory of him riding in a sled.This then leads to more memories including a painful one involving sunburn. This causes Jonas to ask many questions as we are left with a desire to keep reading.

This quote that says "you may lie" and is situated in Jonas's folder containing the descriptions of the assignment, really causes me confusion and many thoughts rush through my mind. In this quote I am interested in Jonas's reaction and on the previous receiver also known as the giver. First Jonas is amazed by this sentence because it had never occurred to him that lying was a possibility and in that instance he was sure he would not take advantage of the privilege. Also right on top of it was another weird privilege like " you may be rude" and Jonas thought of not taking advantage of it as well. This interested me because the lying part is a bit understandable because he may not participate on dream telling nor tell anybody about his assignment as receiver. But allowing someone to be rude does not seem as a understandable privilege. His assignment does not have anything to do with being rude so I do not understand it. I hope this will be explained in the future because it sound like a really interesting idea.

All of this weeks reading has left me with a lot of question and information that we do not understand at the moment. For example, I am not sure about what kind of pain will Jonas suffer and if his pain will be too much for him. In this chapters Jonas felt a strong pain involving sunburn but in the book hints were dropped about that just being a insignificant pain compared to whats ahead. Although we did not read about it this week, I am still very interested in the previous receiver and what happened to her. Did she die? Did she run away? Also, I am still wondering, when will Jonas find out about the true meaning of his assignment? I have really enjoyed the book and I am anxious to know how the story will develop.

Chapters 5-8

In  this past week I have read chapters 5-8 of the book The Giver by Lois Lowry. Reading this chapters have helped me understand more about the book, the characters and the plot. In this chapters, we learned more about Jonas and his crush Fiona. Jonas is aging, meaning that he is changing and this is causing some confusion. To prevent Jonas from having any kind of pleasure, the community requests them to take a pill to prevent feeling that his mom describes as stirrings. Later on the chapter, we finally encounter the ceremony of twelve. In this ceremony, we learned Ashers new assignment as assistant director of the recreation center and Jonas new assingnment as the next receiver in the community which is the most honored job. We also learned about some of Jonas´s qualities, like the ability to see beyond and we learned that because of fathers' request, Gabriel is given an additional year of nurturing.

"But when he looked across the crowd, the sea of faces, the thing happened again. The thing that had happened with the apple."

This quote causes me confusion because I am not sure of what exactly is Jonas seeing. I am not sure if it is just a change of color or if it is a light. And furthermore, I am not sure if him seeing this "thing" is a quality for being the receiver in the community.  If this is it,  I am not sure what is that quality. The ability to see beyond should be in your mind and your thoughts, not depending if you see a strange thing or not. If this is a quality that a receiver must have I would be surprised and I would be in need of further explanations. In conclusion, to know what is this strange thing that Jonas encounters, we will need to continue reading the book the giver, but for the time being we will need to draw our own predictions.

Jonas's new assignment will prove to be a little difficult and a little exhausting. I wonder how will Jonas and the older receiver of memories will get along and how will Jonas like his assignment. I predict that Jonas will not like his assignment and all the hard work that it involves, but later when he truly understands it, he won't have much of a choice. To be the receiver of memories will be a very hard job, they'll need someone with a strong will, and that is something that I think that Jonas has. In the end, because of all of his visions and memories he will leave the community. Right now, we don't totally understand the role that baby Gabriel is playing but soon we will. Gabriel has
to be connected to the story in some way. This is all
speculation but at the end, time will tell.

Meaningful Life

1st paragraph: summary of the previous week's chapters

In the chapters I have read this past week, I have learned a lot about Jonas's life and about his community. First, I was introduced to Jonas's community and to Jonas himself. In the following chapters, I learned about Jonas's emotions and his responses to everything around him. His whole world is about to change because he will soon be twelve years old and he will receive an assignment for the rest of his life. I have also learned about his friends, Asher and Fiona and his family, his mom, dad and little sister Lily. These chapter have also given me an inside look about Jonas's life and what his personality is. In conclusion, reading these chapters have been a wonderful experience and I can not wait to find out what happens next.

2nd paragraph: text response

"Well, they tried to make her life sound meaningful. And of course," she added primly, "all lives are meaningful, I don't mean that they aren't. But Edna. My goodness. She was a birth mother, and then she worked in Food Production for years, until she came here. She never even had a family unit." 
My reaction to this text was somewhat frustrated. I was frustrated because I was surprised that Larissa called Edna "just a birth mother". To me a birth mother is one of the noblest and most important jobs that someone can have. She is sacrificing her body to bring a new life into the world and that is something really important. I also felt a bit of irony given that Edna's Job was probably a lot more important than Larissas because for the community to survive, they need birth mothers to bring in new life. 



3rd paragraph: Final thoughts and comments

Jonas's community has a lifestyle and certain life rules that we can't fully understand yet. Nevertheless, they are really interesting and I feel really eager to find out what will happen next. Jonas's community does not understand many things that we do. For example, freedom of speech, freedom to choose basically how to live our lives.  This confuses me, and I try to figure out how it would be to live like that. Could we ever know if there is another way to live? This leads me to predict that there will be a change in their community and that Jonas will find a different lifestyle similar to the one we live in. This book has really helped me to developed my thoughts and I believe that it is worth reading.

Pre-Reading

4.    

1. After my interview with the book "The Giver" I came to a series of conclusions. The book will be a Dystopia, meaning that there will seem like a bright and promising future but in reality it is not what it seems and it carries a lot of lies. The plot I believe that will be about a kid named Jonas who will be     commissioned with a the job of the receiver of memories. This job I believe will be about him knowing true memories of pain, joy and pleasure. From that point the plot will be based on the givers teachings to Jonas and his reactions to his new job.

2. When the author Lois Lowry says "For all the children to whom we entrust the future" in her dedication page I believe she means that this book is dedicated to the children given that they are the future. The book is about Jonas who is commissioned with this huge role and the whole society rest on his shoulders. Given that the author created the books main character in a kid with big responsibilities she believes that kids are the future of the world.

3. As the book advance sand evolves into new ideas and problems one of my predictions is that Jonas will be overwhelmed by so many memories and will start doubting his capacity to do the job and will be temped to quit.