UbD & F. Scott Fitzgerald

After reading the UbD/Big Picture Overview for The Great Gatsby & the short bio on F. Scott Fitzgerald, I think that we will see themes about love causing pain. Fitzgerald had many problems in his love life which were very traumatic. His wife once left him because he wasnt making enough money, then once he became famous married him again. after his wife came back to him, she had a breakdown and died in the hospital. We might also see themes about the effect of war on people. The story takes place during WWI, so we will probably see how war affects his life. In the end, Fitzgerald died an alcoholic believing that he was a failure because his works were not appreciated until after his death. Fitzgerald had many adversities and obstacles in his life which many cause him to have depressing themes. A discussion topic could be how did his relationship with women affect his writing. He may have been very sexist in his themes.

Independent Reading- MP 1

Murder on the Orient Express
Agatha Christie
Pages/Chapters Due...
9.30:Part 1
10.18:Part 2
10.28 (project due today as well):Part 3

- Setting(s)

The story has taken place on two trains so far. Both of them located in Istanbul. The train where most of the story has taken place was on the Orient Express. It is the 1920's.
- Plot/Topic (the basic plot so far, or the topic your book is about)

Poirot is a detective who is riding the Orient Express. While waiting for the train in the hotel, he meets several English couples. One of which, Ratchet, knows of Poirot's detective work and would like for Poirot to protect him while on the train because he thinks someone is after him. He offers 20,000 dollars but Poirot denies him. While he is on the train, he hears noises which causes him to stay awake though out the night. While awake he feels the train stop and he walks outside of his room. The conductor tell Poirot that Ratchet is dead with 10-15 stab wounds and asks Poirot if he will accept the case. He does and begins searching the room for clues and interviewing his "friends".

- Characters/People (any main characters/people you have met so far and what they are like--you could include direct/indirect characterization if you'd like)

Poirot-A detective and the protagonist of the story.
Ratchet-the man who is murdered.
Mr. and Mrs. McQueen- A couple who met Samuel Ratchet and was interviewed by Poirot after the Murder.

- Theme/Message/Main Point (what you think the message this books is trying to convey may be)

So far, Agatha Christie has made the point that social classes are very rigid and important. In the story Poirot is denied first class seating on the express because it was crowded which was a very big deal.

- Anything else that you feel is important to share about the IR book

There are a lot of small characters that may end up playing a larger role. For now, there is not enough information about them to tell if they are important.

Hills Like White Elephants

In the story, there are two tourists who are waiting in a train station. The man is telling the girl to do something, but it is left unsaid. Because it is not stated, it is probably something mysterious or different. The girl mentions that the hills look like white elephants. Because this is also the title of the story, it must have some symbolism. She mentions the line of hills in the distance. Hills in other stories are things that need to be overcome. These hills could represent some obstacles in the distance. At the end of the story the man moves their bags and looks down the tracks for the train. He sees nothing coming and drinks alone. This could show that he doesn't think their relationship is going anywhere which explains why he has a drink by himself.

What is your Flavor?

Mystery:
I enjoy mysteries because they keep me interested. They keep me thinking and analyzing the story because I am always searching for clues and details about the story. Foreshadowing and tone are very important in this genre. In the book, And Then Their Were None an enticing mystery was formed about who was killing off members of the party. Reading to find clues caused me to read deeply into the characters emotions.

Underdog:
I love to watch underdog stories because they are very inspiring. Most of these types of stories are unique and based off of a true story. As a sports fan, I love underdog stories because many of them involve sports teams. In the movie Miracle, the USA hockey team took down the Soviets. They had to work hard and come together as a team in order to win.

Big Twist:
Stories with big twist endings are always confusing at first, but then they seem to make sense. At the end of some stories, thoughts about the ending are provoked. These stories invoke certain messages. In Shutter Island, the twist had me thinking about the movie for hours.