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This is how I pictured the Aurora when it docks while Lo is escaping. It’s a small yacht that represents the claustrophobia that Lo suffers, and the purple lights signify the Aurora to which the boat was named. It’s the type of boat where it looks cute on the outside, but it’s suffocating on the inside.
He is extraordinarily thin and his dress-coat hangs on a skeleton frame. His eyes are so deep that you can hardly see the fixed pupils. You just see two big black holes, as in a dead man's skull. His skin, which is stretched across his bones like a drumhead, is not white, but a nasty 17 yellow. His nose is so little worth talking about that you can't see it side-face; and THE ABSENCE of that nose is a horrible thing TO LOOK AT. All the hair he has is three or four long dark locks on his forehead and behind his ears.
Unlike Twilight, where the monster (Edward) is perceived as beautiful and perfect, the Phantom is described in a repulsive way. The important thing to identify is that although he appears as a corpse, he still resembles a man. In the beginning of the reading, we learn of his mysterious appearances that frighten the girls. However, despite their fear, they are intrigued by him and he is a topic of discussion throughout the opera house.
Best known for her Twilight series, Stephenie Meyer’s four-book collection has sold over 100 million copies globally in over 50 countries, with translations in 37 different languages.
After doing a little research, I discovered this post from Stephenie Meyer about an unfinished accompaniment novel to the first Twilight book. This article describes her vision to write the story of Twilight from Edward’s perspective. After our discussion in class about Edward and his character I was intrigued to see how the author saw him. I haven’t yet read the short piece that she links in this article but I would be really interested to do so and see if I read Edward in a completely different light. This additional piece along with the movie adaption and the original book offer so many different viewpoints for the characters, especially Edward. His behaviors and reactions in Twilight seem so abusive and demeaning that I can’t imagine I would feel much different after reading some pieces from his point of view but I thought that it was interesting that Meyer believed his story was worth telling. I can’t help but think it was maybe her attempt to defend his character after criticisms of the novel surfaced.
"The next day was better... And worse." Pg.29
This sentence is the first sentence of chapter two in Twilight, drawing attention from the reader as every letter is capitalized. Bella goes on to list the reasons why the day is better and worse than the first day. It is better because it wasn't raining. Then, it was worse because she was tired and Edward Cullen wasn't in school.
I choose this quote because it depicts the headspace that Bella is in, illustraiting her curiosity in Edward. It demonstrates how she is instantly mesmerized with Edward as in the book is only the second day and he already floods her thoughts, helping determine what a good day and a bad day is for her in Forks. Additionally, it is particularly interesting, as most of us know, Edward is a monster, yet Bella is undeniably allured by Edward since day one. This leads to the question, "How can someone be so attracted to someone that has the potential to be destructive?"
Twilight (noun)
1. the period of the evening when twilight takes place, between daylight and darkness.
2. a period or state of obscurity, ambiguity, or gradual decline.
“To me, it was like you were some kind of demon, summoned straight from my own personal hell to ruin me. The fragrance coming off your skin. . . I thought it would make me deranged that fist day. In that one hour, I thought of a hundred different ways to lure you from the room with me, to get you alone. I had to run out, to get away before I could speak the words that would make you follow. . . .”
-page 269-270
-For me this was an important quote because this was a pivotal point in the very beginning of their story. Also to show that he was willing to show a more vulnerable side of him to the readers. He was willing to explain to her the reason why he had acted the way that he did when she had first gone to the school. That the reason he was trying so hard not to hurt her and to hurt his family at the same time. By suppressing the thoughts that he had at the very beginning he was able to keep his family as well as make a bound with Bella that will later form into a relationship but the fact that this had started off as he had wanted to harm her. To it turning into him wanting to always keep her safe even if that meant from him. So that is why it is such an important quote for me because it was a pivotal point in the beginning of their story as well as gave us as the readers an in site on why he acted the way that he did when they had fist meet.
WIC10 1-3
My worst fear is being trapped anywhere and to read those last lines I got goosebumps. I was impressed with the way she got out, I honestly don’t know what I would have done. I wish some of the things she was thinking in her head she would say out loud like, “despite my ovaries I can remember a simple two-digit number.” Like show him who is boss! The words weren’t reassuring because the locksmith guy was being a macho dick. WHY IS EVERYONE TAKING THE ROBBERY AS A JOKE. It is so frustrating because if it was a man this happened to then it would be deemed “serious.” All these jokes have Lo thinking that she should bring it up lightly when it is a serious matter.
Jude dropping that job was not even remotely close to Lo’s fault, he never talked it over with her!! Men being men put the blame on her because she emotionally could not handle the relationship anymore. Surprise, surprise.
One of my favorite lines “They did that sort of manly half-hug thing, where you’re too metrosexual for a handshake and not hip enough for a fist bump”But then men in this book SUCK. That Ben guy saying you cant blame a guy for trying is total BS because she just said she was unavailable so piss off??
Basically what I’m picking up is men are trash in this novel.
The Lottery
Ok this text had me really confused. Why do they do this to the people? And why did they have to do the drawing twice? Was it like the first drawing is to choose which family it is and then the second drawing is to choose who in the family it is? When they started doing the second drawing, I was so scared that it was going to be little Davy. But, it’s not really much better that it was Tessie. I was surprised that the people were so quick to throw stones at her. Also, I am wondering how often they do this? Like once a year? A couple times a year? I am not really sure how to feel about this text, it was definitely different.
Woman in Cabin 10 Part III: When I talk about how poorly constructed the text is.
We talked a little about how the text is trying to be both a mystery and a psychological thriller (and how it kind of fails at being both because of that), but there are some other issues that bothered me in the closing sections.
I found the whole relationship between Lo and Carrie really unbelievable. The “making a friend of my enemy” story has been told and there’s nothing wrong with it, but it feels forced and rushed here. I can understand why Carrie would start to feel some compassion for Lo, but not the other way around. Lo spends the first 2/3 of the novel being suspicious of and anxious around everyone. She is then trapped in a closed space, cut off from communicating with anyone, is barely fed, and cut off from her medication and boozing. After this, she develops a bond for her captor? This especially bothers me because it becomes the book’s final reveal. I know there were attempts in the text to make us empathize with Carrie, but it falls flat because we don’t learn anything about her aside from that she “loves” (gag) Bullmer.
The ending sequence is also really convenient, which is my favorite thing to complain about in storytelling. Here’s a brief list: Despite having plenty of time to establish is influence, the book tells us right before it becomes important that Bullmer has a wide influence in Norway business, law enforcement, and the like. Lo stumbles into a hotel and is sold out by the owner as she returns to consciousness. She runs away from the hotel away from civilization, somehow not noticing she’s running up a mountainside. She injures her ankle, but this doesn’t stop her from running through the woods for miles before stumbling on a barn. This barn is owned and actively used, but not only does she sleep soundly for ~36 hours straight, the barn owner (who should have been caring for his two horses) didn’t notice her inside at all. This owner also is completely okay with helping Lo, and doesn’t recognize her or even have a clue it might be the missing woman/connected to the Aurora case which would have been all over the news.
Overall, it’s an okay read, but the ending took a lot away for me.
