Quote 2 particular lines or passages from within Chap 5-12: one that feels imp’t to the text and one that feels imp’t to you, and explain why they feel imp’t. End your post w/ a question. (Note page #s, and skip a line between paragraphs.)
Also, reply to at least one student's post.
(Page 95) "In front of each house was a tiny lawn planted with either morning glories or a hydrangea bush. The hydrangea bush-- or snowball bush, as we called it-- on our lawn glowed in the sunlight, and I stared at it. I had never really paid any attention to it before. Now it seemed suddenly luminous and alive." This quote feels important to me because it indicates that Reuven's experience in the hospital might have changed the way that he, as a person, sees the world and sees Danny. I also believe that we as human beings grow and change even if just slightly, every single day, every waking moment-- perhaps the world itself strives to change us, but we as human individuals have the power to change the world. Pain changes people. An experience has the power to change who we are.
ReplyDelete(Page 186) "Mr. Weinberg taught English. He was a short, bald man, with no sense of humor, and his motto was "'Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.'" This feels important to the text because, metaphorically, it can stand for differences in religion and culture, which Reuven and Danny have seemed to grow more comfortable with over the past few chapters. Though it was hard for Reuven to believe that President Roosevelt was in fact dead, the motto quoted may partially correlate with the rest of the text. Particularly cultural/religious differences and separations from the beginning of this book, to chapter twelve-- it seems almost too sensible for the author to have a metaphor such as this one corresponding to the rest of the text, and yet so plainly in sight.
Do you think it's possible the author was trying to create an even bigger metaphor than the one perceived through the text? Perhaps we were meant to wonder, if we feel we know someone's story and who they are, what they have seen that has made them their own person-- then we in itself, lose the priceless story and lesson entailed.
I really like this response and the ideas you had. The first part of your response stood out to me the most because of the way I perceived it similarly. I really like your idea about how "the world itself strives to change us." I thought that was a very interesting point that didn't occur to me. I like how in both of your responses you had a relation to the bigger picture, or the metaphorical meaning. Your question is also interesting. I am not quite sure, to be perfectly honest, whether there is a bigger metaphor than what we already know.
DeleteI think that you have really great quotes and responses, specifically the one for page 186. I like how you think that it is a metaphor relating to several factors in the book (culture and religion). Your question is very original and interesting. To answer it, I think that there might be and underlying metaphor, but have no idea what it could be.
Delete“If he were not a tzaddik he could make a great contribution to the world. But he lives only in his own world. It is a great pity. Danny will be the same way when he takes his father’s place. It is a shame that a mind such as Danny’s will be shut off from the world” (141). I find this to be very important to the text of the book because It shows Mr. Malters deep analysis of the effects of constraining your mind from what is occurring outside of the world. Mr. Saunders was given a gift of having such a brilliant mind but by occupying it only with the Talmud, he shows the effects it can have on those surrounding you to be a narrow minded individual. I think that in a way Mr. Saunders shows the danger of being fanatic about something and isolating yourself completely from secular ideas. I also find this important to the text because it shows how Mr. Saunders religious strictness has had emotional and internal effects on his son Danny even though he might not feel he is doing so. Danny is, like Mr. Malter says in page 106, “Reuven, Reb Saunders’ son has a mind like Solomon Maimon’s, perhaps even a greater mind.” Danny’s mind is restless and is filled with curiosity of the outside world but his father’s way of being has affected Danny from being able to explore profoundly all secular ideas.
ReplyDeleteA section that was meaningful to me is located in page (184-185) and it states, “Freud picture of man’s nature was anything but religious. It tore man from God, as Danny put it, and married him off to Satan….. Freud contradicted everything I had learned.” This text is meaningful to me because it shows the importance of being informed of what occurs in our world. Many aspects of politics, our system and so forth are hidden from us and discovering these issues can be painful to hear about. I guess I chose this text because I can make a connection with how frustrating it is to find out how dark the human race can be.
I wonder why Mr. Saunders reacted so angrily with reuven that night in the dinner table when Reuven said his comment that Palestine should become a Jewish homeland?
"It was a kind of wild, soaring experience to be able to hold a pen again and look into a book or at a piece of paper with writing on it. I took my exams and enjoyed them immensely" (171). In this passage, Rueven is enjoying his ability to once again use his eyesight to read and write—so much, in fact, that he was more than happy to take his exams. This passage is important to me because I find it extremely relatable. Last year, I had a cast on my dominant hand for two months after a bike accident. It was frustrating because I couldn't draw or play the piano, not to mention that school was made twice as hard because of the fact that I could barely write. When I finally got the cast off, I was so happy to be able to use my hand again that I would take extra notes in class just because I could. You really can't fully appreciate something until you have t go without it for a significant period of time.
ReplyDelete"My father believes in silence... We just don't talk, Rueven" (168). This quote is spoken by Danny as he tries to explain to Rueven how his relationship with his father works. Rueven struggles to understand why Danny and his father don't talk, because his relationship with his father is so wildly different. Later, Rueven tells his father what Danny said to him, and his father explains that Reb Saunders talks to Danny through Rueven.
Why do you think that Rueven must act as a buffer between Danny and his father? Do you think that raising Danny in silence will have repercussions?
I really enjoyed reading this and really liked your second quote that you explained how it shows importance throughout these chapters. Especially when you said that they are so "wildly different." What I thought when I read your question was that Reuven acts like a buffer between Danny and his father was that he is their to show support. Because Danny does so much for Reuven he is like a distraction and just another person to be around when together.
DeleteThis was a really interesting response. I especially like the point you made about breaking your arm and how you didn't realize how lucky you were until after your arm healed. I think this is a really important thing to understand. This is a very interesting question. I think that Reuven definitely acts as a buffer between Danny and his father. Throughout the chapters, I noticed how Danny's father had much more of a role when Reuven was present. I definitely think that this is not a healthy way to raise your child, and that it will lead in a weak relationship between Danny and his father in the future.
DeleteFirst of all I really like how the quote you chose, connects with a recent event that occurred to you that was similar to that of Reuvens. Something I wonder like you do, is why Reb decides to raise his son in silence. I mean it could be because maybe they taught him through silence when he was little but what are the benefits of not having any conversations with your son that are not related to the Talmud? I found it really dazzling to see how Reb had to use Reuven to inform Danny that he knew that he was going to the library after school. I definitely look forward to hopefully finding out why Reb decided to raise his son through silence. And your question about repercussions, I am honestly not sure if it will affect Danny in the long run.
Delete"You really can't fully appreciate something until you have to go without it for a significant period of time." Could not agree more. Truly enlightening, thank you for sharing!! I do think Reuven appreciates what he has more now because he has almost lost something he often took for granted. It makes me think about how lucky we are to have the advantages in modern-life that we do today, such as advanced medicines and treatment etc!
ReplyDeleteThe quote that I thought was most important to the text was in chapter 10. It was about Reuven playing baseball throughout the time that he needed to be studying with Danny. "He was quiet as he walked me part of the way home that night, and when we got to the synagogue where my father and I prayed he muttered something about seeing em in the library the next day, then turned and went quickly back" (179). I found this section important to the text because it represented how Reuven had more than one important thing that he had to work at in his life. It also showed importance to the text by how it shows how Reuven felt about his work and his love of baseball. In this whole chapter it represented the text and how one's needs can get overridden by more important tasks.
ReplyDeleteThroughout these chapters I think that the quote that was most important to me was in chapter 8. "What was I supposed to tell him? That his father now knew he was reading forbidden books and was not going to try to stop him?" (167). These 2 sentences stood out to me because of how it showed their struggle to tell the truth, and fearing their consequences. I feel that they did this to protect themselves, yet also to protect each other. So the importance and connection it reminded me of was how if you are scared of the consequences than your actions will change.
I am wondering if they way Reuven acts, and feels towards baseball will change. Why is he tentative about playing baseball instead of studying if his father finds out.
“...I managed to get to Danny’s house twice a week and we fought our customary Talmud battles together with his father…” I think this quote is important to the text for multiple reasons. This shows that Reb Saunders approves of Reuven and Danny’s friendship and that he even wants to be a part of it. For Reuven, this is a big deal considering how stubborn Reb Saunders claims to be about Danny’s friendships. I think that this also shows a connection between Reuven and Danny’s relationships with their fathers. Reuven had always studied Talmud with his father, and ever since his formal introduction to Reb Saunders, he has joined Danny and his father in Talmud discussions. I think it will be interesting to see how this connection progresses throughout the end of the book.
ReplyDelete“I felt I had crossed into another world, that little pieces of my old self had been left behind on the black asphalt floor of the school yard alongside the shattered lens of my glasses.” This quote is important to me because of the way I perceive its message. What I think this means is that as a result of an event, whether it be a tragedy or a fortune, things can be let go and everything can change. In Reuven’s case, I think that there is a bigger message or meaning here that may not have been intentional, but was something I noticed. I think that through his injury and his time spent in the hospital, Reuven will have left behind his anger and hate for Danny and has continued to move beyond it and build his friendship with Reuven.
Do you think that Reb Saunders’ outburst at Reuven will have a negative impact on the increasingly strong friendship that Reuven has created with Danny? If so, in what way?
I love the points you made in your response. As for your question, I don't think that Reb Saunders's outburst will much affect Rueven and Danny's relationship. The friendship that they've built is iron-clad, and for the time being, Danny's father has acted a though the shouting incident never happened. I would, however, be interested to see if the outburst affects their relationship in the long run. Maybe tension will mount as the book progresses, and as Danny prepares to tell his father that he wishes for his little brother to take Reb Saunders's position instead of himself.
DeleteYes, I think that it will pull them closer together. Danny already disliked his father and now the tensions between him and his father will increase because of his outburst at Malter. This will make Danny lean toward Malter more than ever.
Delete"A spider had spun a web across the corner of the upper rail, and there was a housefly trapped in it now, it's wings spreadeagled, glued to the strands of the web, its legs flaying the air frantically." (174) This is Reuven's description of a fly trapped in a spider's web that he saw just after receiving the news that Billy's surgery was not a success, and he is still blind. This is important to me because it seems like a metaphor for Billy, being trapped in blindness, as well as Danny, trapped in a destiny which he does not want. This quote shows that life does not always go how we want it to, and how hard that is to accept.
ReplyDelete"It was a kind of wild, soaring experience to be able to hold a pen again and look over a book or at a piece of paper with writing on it." (171) This quote is important to me because it shows Reuven's gratefulness for something that before his accident, he very much took for granted- his sight. How often do you think about your sight? The fact that any day, the ability to read even a sentence could not be yours is incredibly terrifying, and unlikely, so it often slips our mind. Reuven will never take this for granted again, and so this quote is very powerful for me.
Why do you think that Danny and his father have such a difficult time communicating? Do you think it is because Reb Saunder's had a son that he lost?
That is a very interesting way of looking at that quote. At first when I read it, I didn’t really know why it was included with such detail. I thought that maybe it was a reflection on how Reuven was sad or upset, but I definitely didn’t think of the connection you made upon my initial reading of it. I think however that you absolutely right about it though, and I loved the comparison that you made, I think it fits really well into what is going on in the book at that time.
DeleteA line that I think sums up a major point or even obstacle in the book is, “Silence? What do you mean, Danny is being brought up in silence?’ His eyes were wide.
ReplyDelete‘They never talk, abba. Except when they study Talmud.”(169). I think that it is a rude awakening for Reuven’s father to know that Danny doesn’t talk to his father, because of the great relationship he has with his son (Reuven). I don’t know why Danny and his dad do not talk much, and I can only imagine that it has something to do with the position Reb Saunders holds. I think it is very hard on Danny and even Reb Saunders at time to not talk to his son. Clearly he loves him and thinks the highest of him so in no way is he punishing him, so there must be some reason that Danny, and us the readers don’t understand yet.
One thing that I do not particularly understand is why Reb Saunders keeps saying “The world kills us,” (190). As well as “How the world drinks our blood” (190). Obviously I know that is referring to Nazis and the terrible things that they did, but I do not understand why he feels like the whole world is after them. I share a similar feeling when Reuven was talking about why Reb Saunders thinks the world is against Jews when most at least half of it was fighting against the Nazis.
I wonder if we’ll find out the reason that Reb Saunders doesn’t talk to Danny? I wonder what the reason for doing so, as well, will be?
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ReplyDeleteA quote that I felt is important to the text is on page 88, "Nurse, this young man can go home. I want to see him in my office in ten days." This quote is important to the text because it means that he wasn't blind in that eye. This is very important to the text because it means he can see through that eye and can see better then he would have through the rest of the book.
ReplyDeleteA quote that feels important to me is on page 89, "We hope for the best young man. We always hope for the best." This quote is important to me because it's what I base myself upon. Hope is a very powerful thing in life and can influence our decisions, as it does for me. If your down in life hope may be the only thing thats supporting them.'
Do you think Malter will continue to play baseball?