Blog 7A

Book: Deception Point
Author: Dan Brown
Pages read this week: 314
Pages read this semester: 1254
Weekly Style: Quotation
Summary
After getting a tip about malfunctioning of software which detected the meteorite, Gabrielle Ashe meets Chris Harper, in charge of PODS at NASA, and cleverly makes him spill out the truth that it was NRO which informed NASA about the meteorite after catching a faint signal from Charles Brophy. Marjorie Tench and William Pickering set up a meeting outside FDR memorial at 2 a.m. after Tench expressed her concerns about Rachel and her behavior. The Delta Force (Assassins) receives orders from their chief to kill somebody outside the FDR memorial. The job is done and then they fly off to coast of New Jersey where Micheal’s boat Goya was anchored and the trio of Corky, Rachel and Michael was reaching there. While the trio tries to get more data about the bug, they are ambushed by the Delta Force. After a battle involving machine gun fire and smart maneuvers including Corky urinating on his injured leg to keep the sharks away, it is found out that the person behind whole deception was none other than William Pickering himself. Rachel had somehow managed to fax the GPR data to his father’s office. Pickering wanted all of them killed, but they escape unhurt as Goya and water current becomes the graveyard of Pickering and the Delta Force. The next morning, Senator Sexton arrived in time at the Washington Monument to reveal that the meteorite was fake. He wanted political gains, a last nail in coffin of campaign by Zach Herney. Rachel arrives at the scene and distracts him. He does not budge to her requests. He hands over the packets to the press. However, he is shocked to find out that the packets contained images of him and Gabrielle having sex. The packets were exchanged with original ones by Gabrielle while Senator was talking to his daughter. The President assumes full responsibility for the whole matter, but is more likely to get re-elected now. Michael and Rachel find out that they can’t live without each other and shed all barriers between them in Lincoln bedroom. The rock is thrown back into ocean.

“There is just no substitute for the truth.”
President Zach Herney says this to Gabrielle Ashe before assuming full responsibility for the whole meteorite deception in a press conference. I completely agree with this quotation. Truth is truth, no matter what. Like Ken Kesey wrote in One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest, “It is the truth, even if it didn’t happen.” I understand that sometimes it is hard and impossible to acknowledge the truth because it is so disturbing that it could upset others completely. Sometimes, its weight is too much to bear. Bill Clinton, at first, refused from having any sort of affair with Monica Lewinsky. However, when the truth came out, he was definitely ashamed, I guess. He apologized to the nation, but tried to blame everything on her in his autobiography.
One can never run away from the truth. It comes back to haunt one at some point in life. In recent years, my attitude has been to admit the reality. But, at times, I have found it very hard. There are some things from my past which I would like to bury. May be the world will never know them, but I know this happened. I have a huge load on my conscience. It seems an old, bad dream now, but I can never forget it. Because it was, is and will be the truth.

Blog 6A

Book: Deception Point
Author: Dan Brown
Pages read this week: 297
Pages read this semester: 940
Weekly Style: Fan Fiction

Summary
Corky Marlinson and Michael Tolland inform Rachel Sexton that the meteorite underneath the ice shaft has a fossil of a bug, which confirms the notion about Extra Terrestrial life. The other two civilian scientists present there are Dr. Norah Mongar and Dr. Ming. However, what nobody knows is that a secret team of special ops is keeping an eye at them. Their motive is secret. They have hi-tech equipment to watch the scientists at the discovery site. The rock was taken out using laser to melt the ice. In CNN debate, President Zach Herney’s top aide, Marjorie Tench appeared against Senator Sexton and the Senator promised to kill NASA as it was draining funds. Someone from inside the White House was providing details about NASA to Sexton’s aide Gabrielle Ashe. After the debate, the informer asked her to meet him outside the White House. Rachel was asked to debrief the White House staff about the discovery by the President. Wailee Ming found that something was wrong with the meteorite. While collecting the water sample, he was hit with microbot by the assassins (Secret Team) and fell into the extraction pit and died. Meanwhile, Gabrielle Ashe was shocked to find that her benefactor was Marjorie Tench. She asked Ashe to confess her affair with Senator Sexton because the White House did not want to do negative campaigning by revealing illegal campaign contributions by private Space companies to Senator. Ashe was given proofs of both the affair and the contributions. She did not answer one way or the other.
Norah Mangor decided to use Ground Penetrating Radar after Tolland reported the presence of plankton in meteorite. It confirmed that the rock was not a meteorite since the shaft continued all the way to the ocean. It seemed the rock was inserted there. Before they could report that to the President, they were attacked by the assassins. Norah died, but the high wind took Corky, Rachel and Michael to the ocean where they were saved by USS Charlotte before they succumbed to cold. Rachel tried to stop the press conference by the President but Marjorie Tench did not let her talk to him. Senator Sexton was shocked to learn about the discovery. His dreams came crashing to ground. NRO Director William Pickering ordered the three survivors to be picked up from the submarine. The NASA Director, Lawrence Ekstrom, was surprised when the NASA radar caught a submarine off coast.

Story
Michael Tolland, 16, lost his family in Hurricane Katrina. He was left alone in the world. He decided to move with his aunt, Rachel Sexton, to California. Michael had nothing left. Rachel had been a very nice aunt. Every time she visited her sister in New Orleans, she brought many gifts for Michael. Michael hoped that his grief will be halved if he stayed with his aunt and pursued his studies there. However, things took a sharp turn when he soon realized that his aunt was not what he had imagined. His aunt imposed severe restrictions on him. Michael was allowed to use computer for not more than an hour. Her son, Zach, was friendly with him as always, but he could feel the heat of his mother also. Rachel always kept a strict eye on both of them. Michael was not allowed to go out for community service because nobody could drive him. He was new, but soon found a trustworthy and close friend in Norah Mangor. As Michael opened up slowly, Norah realized he needed help. Norah decided to give him a ride wherever the duo went together. Soon, they became very close friends. They would always make fun of each other. Their bonding prompted talks and rumors about them being together, but Norah would always call it rubbish. Actually, Norah did not want to get between Michael and his Louisiana sweetheart, Gabrielle Ashe. They had limits, which were unspoken. When Michael neglected Norah for some time to put a full stop on the rumors, it hurt Norah a lot. She accepted Michael’s clarifications that he was just trying to stop those talks. They decided that they will continue being friends, but there will be again unsaid limits. It was a sense of belief and trust which kept them together. And they decided to continue like that, no matter what happens.

Blog 5A

Book: The Deception Point
Author: Dan Brown
Pages read this week: 125
Pages read this semester: 643
Weekly style: Questions

Summary
Geologist Charles Brophy was murdered by unknown assassins in Arctic. Rachel Sexton, daughter of likely Republican Party Presidential nominee, Senator Sedgewick Sexton, works in National Reconnaissance Organization. She manages intelligence reports for the President Zach Herney who is running for reelection, but has been out of public life for a week. She refuses her father’s offer to work for his campaign. She is summoned by the President for some unknown and secret reason. The NRO director William Pickering sends her to him hesitatingly. Rachel is sent to Arctic by President Herney, asking her to verify a recent NASA discovery which will kill Senator Sexton’s criticism of overspending on NASA. President’s main advisor, Marjorie Tench, decides to face Senator Sexton in a CNN debate. At Arctic, Rachel is thrilled to find out that NASA is planning to announce this discovery on a grand scale. And two of the four civilian scientists present there to authenticate the discovery are celebrated Oceanographer and documentarian Michael Tolland, and award winning astrophysicist, Corky Marlinson.

Que. 1: Write down a line or quote from the book that interest you. Tell what you like about the quote and what it says. What does it make you think about?
“Never trust a politician.” (Chapter 12, Page 74)
Ans.: One day, my AP Government teacher, Mr. Marr, asked us, “How can you tell a politician is lying?” We gave all sorts of answers, like, his eyes have a dirty look, he looks unconfident, he could not find right words, he avoids questions on a topic etc. Mr. Marr, after rejecting all sorts of answers, gave a reply which established that the question was basically a joke. He answered, “His lips are moving.”
Well, I have grown up in the biggest democracy of the world, India. Politics is a daily part of one’s life. I was attracted to it as a child. When I was 8-9 years old, I had more interest in newspapers and political news on TV than Aladdin or Winnie the Pooh. That is why I have political convictions and ambitions too. I like how this quote depicts public hatred of elected officials, and this is indeed the lesson I have learned from my experiences. Politicians are most untrustworthy persons in the world. Not all, but most of them. However, what really interests me is then why do we believe them. They are the policymakers, and we have made them what they are today. We say that they need to change. Oh really! I think we need to change even more. I know that in this country, there are not a lot of choices. The question is who created choices. Ultimately, it is us, the citizens. We don’t want to change. We wish to stick with old guns. May be it’s right too. Still, out attitudes need to change. We cannot say that ‘government is a problem” as long as we don’t participate in it and don’t wish to change it. [An interesting fact: India is going for general elections in April-May. Some organizations have asked for an option for the voters which will say,” I don’t want to vote for any of the candidates listed. I am not satisfied with them.”]

Que. 2: Why did you choose this story? Has it met your expectations so far? Why or why not?
Ans.: The main reason behind me choosing the story is my illness. Over the spring break and the following week after that, I was sick very badly. I needed something to kill my time. So, I decided to go with Dan Brown again.
I had been interested by the idea of the story. And since it involved bits and pieces of politics and conspiracy, I decided to go for it. So far, it has met my expectations almost completely. The story is sophisticated, fast paced and many sub-plots run simultaneously. However, I am looking for more political stuff.

Blog 4A

Book: Great Expectations
Pages read this week: 115
Pages read this semester: 518
Writing style: Quotation

Summary
Pip is waiting for Wemmick’s signal to ship back Magwitch, but he refuses to use any more of his money and his debts keep piling up. When he goes to theatre, after the show, Mr. Wopsle tells him that one of the convicts from the marsh was sitting behind Pip during the show. Pip is worried that Compeyson might be following him. At Jaggers’ house for a dinner, Pip learns about Estella and Drummle’s marriage. He also notices Jaggers’ servant Molly whose movements resemble those of Estella. Some more details make him certain that Molly is Estella’s daughter. Pip goes to see Miss Havisham where she begs his forgiveness. He acts with kindness and saves her from fire, but she becomes an invalid. He is wounded too. Jaggers confirms that Molly and Estella are related, but he has no knowledge about Magwitch’s role. Pip escapes an attack from an angry Orlick who accuses Pip of coming between him and Biddy. The plan to send Magwitch away fails as the police calls for him to surrender on the boat. He sees Compeyson in the other boat and dives on him. Both of them go under the surface of water, but only Magwitch comes back and is arrested. Pip still remains loyal to Magwitch even though he knows he will be found guilty. Herbert gets married to Clara. Wemmick has a weird and funny wedding with Miss Skiffins. Magwitch is sentenced to death. Pip reveals to him about Estella and he dies in peace. Pip falls sick very badly and is nursed back to health by Joe. Joe tells Pip about Miss Havisham’s death and how she distributed her money among the Pockets. Orlick was arrested for robbing Pumblechook. Before leaving suddenly, Joe pays off Pip’s debts. Pip decided to reconcile and reunite with him and marry Biddy. When Pip goes back there, he is disappointed to find that Biddy and Joe are getting married, but he expresses delight on this. He goes out of England and takes up a job with Herbert. He returns eleven years later. He visits Joe and Biddy and convinces them he is content with his bachelor life. He goes to the ruined Satis House. He had learned about Estella and Drummle’s troubled marriage and Drummle’s death. There, he finds Estella wandering n the ruined garden. They leave the garden holding hands and Pip hopes they will never part again. (This was a revised ending. In the original ending, Pip meets Estella in London while moving around with Joe and Biddy’s son. They do not discuss past, but do shake hands. Pip had known about Drummle’s death and Estella’s remarriage to a country doctor. He said that he could see her suffering and hopefully she understood how he felt before when he was the one to suffer.)

“To me, parting is a painful thing.” (515)
Estella says this to Pip when they meet again at Satis House. Parting, indeed, is a very painful thing to everybody. I have parted from a lot of people and have been away from them, and it is indeed not soothing. Before I write some of my views, I would like to mention a historical incident. When the tenth prophet of Sikhism, Guru Gobind Singh ji, asked Bhai Gurdas Singh, one of the poets in his court, to explain pain in one word, the latter replied that the most appropriate word is “Parting.” I learned about this from my father, who wrote a speech for me to deliver on the farewell party of my class in 2007.
When I left India, I had to bid goodbye to a lot of people whom I have known for the whole of my life. Some of them have died recently, including my grandmother and my neighbor. And since they are gone forever, it pinches me even more that I would never be able to see them again. I had studied with some of my classmates for the entire student life over there, 12 years in same school. And I was unable to see most of them before I left because the school was off due to summer break. I may see them again in my life, but perhaps not together at one place.
A lot of literary works that have focused on partition of lovers are considered masterpieces. ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is one example. It is said that literature dotted with pain and partition is more liked by the readers. Some people even say that the bird Cuckoo owes its sweet voice to the pain it suffers due to loneliness and partition. Overall the conclusion is that sad stories are more emotional and thus closer to the reader’s heart.

Blog 3A

Book: Great Expectations
Pages read this week: 175
Pages read this semester: 403
Weekly Style: Fan Fiction

Joe meets Pip in London and tells him that Estella is back. When Pip goes to meet her, he finds Orlick in Satis House. He gets Orlick kicked out by expressing his fears to Jaggers. Estella treats Pip with indifference and he is upset. Coming back to London, Pip and Herbert go to the theater, where Wopsle plays a ridiculous Hamlet. Pip receives a note from Estella notifying him about her arrival in London. She treats him with arrogance, but could not remember who she resembles with. He believes that they are destined to be married, and even Miss Havisham desires this. Pip feels sad about his treatment of Joe and Biddy. Debts are rising on both Pip and Herbert. Pip’s sister, Mrs. Joe dies and Pip is astonished at the intensity of his sadness. He decides to visit the Joe and Biddy more often. Pip’s 21st birthday arrives and he begins to receive 500 pounds a year. However, Jaggers reveals nothing about Pip’s benefactor. Pip decides to help out Herbert anonymously in his business. Estella’s cold behavior towards Pip continues as time passes on. Pip turns 23 and one night, the old convict, whom Pip had served in marshes years ago, comes to him and tells him that he was his benefactor. The convict is running from law and Pip allows him to stay with him until Herbert is back. Pip’s dreams of marrying Estella are razed. The name of convict is Abel Magwitch, but Pip calls him Uncle Provis. Herbert comes back and they plan to send Magwitch abroad. Magwitch tells his story which comes out to be related to Miss Havisham. Pip decides to leave Estella, and she tells him that he is going to marry Drummle, one of Pip’s ex-fellow students at Pockets’. When he comes back, he gets a note from Wemmick, asking him not to go home. He spends night at an inn. The next morning, Wemmick tells him that Magwtich’s old foe, Compeyson, who had stood up Miss Havisham on her wedding day, is pursuing Magwitch. Magwitch is hidden at Herbert’s fiancée, Clara’s house. Herbert and Pip discuss a plan to sneak Magwitch away on the river, and Pip begins to consider staying with his benefactor even after their escape.

Fan Fic

Pip was a 17 year old young boy and a high school student. He never had a girl friend. He was, actually, shy of girls, and tried to stay away from them. He did not mix up easily with fellow students. His main focus was his studies and nothing else. Unusually, he developed a strong bond of relationship with Estella, a fellow classmate. They shared many interests even though she was a year older than him. They got along together pretty well, and were always teasing each other. Pip began to feel something for Estella. Before he could decide what, Estella told him that she already had somebody else in her life. Pip found out that it was some guy almost 10 years older than Estella. She wanted to marry him and apparently, her family had no objection. Discreetly, Pip decided to question her more about that guy, Herbert. Pip was worried because of the age factor. He thought Herbert might dump her. Somehow, coincidentally, Estella invited both Herbert and Pip to a dinner. By talking to Herbert, Pip became sure that he was a nice guy. For the first time in his life, he had been so much concerned about somebody else. Partially, because he liked Estella; but he was not really sure about it. Some days later, when asked Pip asked Estella when she planned to marry Herbert; she shocked him by telling him that they had broken up a couple of days ago. Pip felt a mixed feeling of joy and sorrow. It was his good conscience that took over him, and he persuaded Estella to try for a patch up. After some initial hesitation, both sides agreed to Pip’s proposal. This time Pip really felt overwhelmed by joy as he thought that he had done some good deed. However, he was left wondering if he could be the same old Pip again.

Blog 2A

Book: Great Expectations
Pages Read this week: 125
Pages read this semester: 228
Weekly style: Questions
Summary
Pip is apprenticed to Joe and Miss Havisham pays them some money. Pip does not like this turn around in his life. Time passes as Pip begins working in Joe's forge; the boy slowly becomes an adolescent. He hates working as Joe's apprentice, but out of consideration for Joe's goodness, he keeps his feelings to himself. As he works, he thinks he sees Estella's face mocking him in the forge, and he longs for Satis House. Mrs. Joe is attacked by somebody after she had a verbal face off with Orlick, the other worker at the forge. Her brain is severely damaged and she becomes ‘invalid.’ Pip suspects its Orlick behind this, but Mrs. Joe shows no contempt for him. Biddy moves into Joe’s house to help them with household tasks. Pip is saddened when he comes to know that Estella has been sent abroad. He is attracted towards Biddy, but tells her about his love for Estella. Biddy warns him about her. Pip comes to know that he is soon going to inherit large sum of money through some unknown benefactor. He thinks it is Miss Havisham. He has to go to London where he will be tutored by Matthew Pocket, Havisham’s cousin. Pip leaves Joe’s house regretting his snobbish behavior towards people who had loved him. Pip does not like London at first. He meets Mr. Jaggers, the lawyer of his benefactor. He befriends Herbert Pocket who helps him in becoming a gentleman; and Wemmick, the clerk at Jaggers’ office. Pip does not like his fellow students. However, he tries to become good at table manners and observes everything he thinks is important for him.
Basically, Pip is learning things about his surroundings and himself in this part. We see him going through various developmental phases of life. And the changes in hi behavior and thinking become apparent as he enters adolescence.

Que. 1: What do you think will happen next and why?
Ans.: I am almost half way through the book, but with every page I read, I think more and more about what will be the ending of the story. I cannot find out where the story is headed towards. Indeed it is very sophisticated novel. Still, I have a general feeling that like most stories, this novel will also have a happy ending. I believe that Pip and Estella will marry. May be the story can go even farther from their marriage. It seems to me that some complexities will arise in their relationship, because Pip does not really know how to express his feelings in the most appropriate way. And since he is not very sure about Estella, may be somebody else will enter his life too. Pip’s past may come to haunt him again. Perhaps there will be something about Joe or somebody else that will again drag him bag to his slippery past of marshes. I think so because this usually happens in novels.

Que. 2: What/how does what you read make you feel? Why?

Ans.: To be honest, I have experienced all sorts of emotions by reading this ‘magnum opus’ of Charles Dickens. I smiled at young Pip’s innocence, and I felt hatred towards the type of life the opulent people lead. Sometimes I often wondered what the significance of this event is because it seemed to slow down the momentum of the story for me. I am pondering why money means so much for people. And definitely, why some people like to brag about some act of goodness they did for somebody. Since this is very complicated novel, I often feel lost trying to figure out the ages

Blog 1A

Book: Great Expectations
Pages read this week: 103
Pages read this semester: 103
Weekly Style: Quotation

The story starts with Pip (Philip Pirrip), a young little boy, paying homage to his parents and his five deceased siblings in the graveyard. He is being brought by Joe Gargery, a village blacksmith who is married to Pip’s sister. A runaway convict catches him and asks him to bring a file (“a long, narrow tool of steel or other metal having a series of ridges or points on its surfaces for reducing or smoothing surfaces of metal, wood, etc. Source: www.dictionary.com), and some food. He steals some food and brandy from his house. The next night is Christmas night and some relatives pay a visit to the blacksmith’s house. The thought of stealing keeps haunting Pip, and he is terrified when some soldiers arrive at their house late in the night. He is a bit relieved to know that they had something which needed repairs from Joe. After that is done, Joe, Pip and Mr. Wopsole accompany the band of soldiers who are out to catch two convicts. Both are caught, with one being the same culprit Pip had fed. However the culprit says that he himself stole food from the blacksmith’s house. This leads to the awakening in Pip’s mind. A year later, he is summoned to show up at Miss Havisham’s house up town. She is a rich lady and wants to see somebody play. Pip gets really acquainted to that house and has sweet and bitter experiences with Estella who works at Havisham’s house. By the end of chapter 12, Miss Havisham summons Joe, to whom Pip will be apprenticed to.

“In the little world in which children have their existence, whosoever brings them up, there is nothing so finely perceived and finely felt as injustice.”

Pip is commenting about how he felt after he was ill treated, well not ill treated, but given harsh comments on his appearance by Estella. He also felt that “all that glitters is not gold.” Miss Havisham’s house was big but lonely and had nothing for him. It was in a bad shape. So he really felt weird and sad at the shattering of his hopes of a lavish rich household and availability of everything including love.
Whenever children feel hurt, they feel that they had been subject to partiality. I was a kid once and there is still a kid hidden somewhere in my mind. When I was younger, I used to feel that at certain moments, I was biased at school or home, although now I understand at most occasions I was not, well never at home. However, the matter of concern is that increasingly more and more young kids are starting to feel this way. And one of the biggest, perhaps the biggest and most important reason is the parental lack of care towards them in this rapidly transforming world of technology. Having lived in two nations and in two separate cultures and societies, I have observed it a lot. Parents, especially the rich and the working class are very busy in their scheduled lives. If the children protest, they are hushed up by the parents saying that they are living hard lives just for them. Some kids are contented with this argument, but some are not. The latter group wants love and affection.
I remember that in December 2007, there was an Indian Bollywood movie about a seven year old child who is neglected by his parents. That movie was highly acclaimed by both eastern and western critics, but could not reach the final five in Oscars this year. I have not watched the movie but the music, reviews and reports give me a feeling that it directly deals with this problem of the “neglected” generation. Not all parents are like that, but such negligence can lead to bigger psychological and social problems. That is what my father says who is often pointed out by some of his relative here who feel dejected with the way how my parents (over) care about us.