Chronicle of a Death Foretold P. 72-120

Summary:

Chapter 4-

Because the town's doctor wasn't available, the mayor ordered unexperienced people to do an autopsy on Santiago Nasar. It was done at a public school two assistants; a druggist and a first-year medical student. Santiago's wounds were far too major for them to actually save him, so they just removed many of his internal body parts, and buried him. After Santiago has been buried, his smell still lingers around. The narrator smelled like Santiago when he was over Maria's house and that's why she wouldn't sleep with him. The Vicario brothers also could smell Santiago in their jail cell, causing them to have three nights without sleeping. The entire Vicario family soon left the town, in shame. Pura wrapped Angela's face so that no one would see the abusive marks that she had left on her daughter's face. Their father, Poncio died shortly after the move to Manaure. After the Vicario brothers finished their time in jail; they both went separate ways. Prudencia Cotes eventually moved to Manaure to marry Pablo while Pedro reenlisted into the armed forces and was never heard of again. All of a sudden, the mayor recalled on Bayardo San Roman and decided to check up on him. They soon found him, in his house, lying on his bed, unconscious, almost dead with alcohol poisoning. Eventually, his family went to his house and brought him back to their home. Twenty-three years after Santiago's death, the narrator ran into Angela in a town called Guarija. He tried to ask her if it was really Santiago that took her virginity because Angela and Santiago weren't seen together, and she said yes, it was Santiago. The narrator also found out that ever since Bayardo brought Angela home, he's stuck in her mind forever. She then proceeded to write Bayardo letters continuously for seventeen years. Eventually, Bayardo came back into her life.

Chapter 5- 

After the death of Santiago Nasar, people couldn't stopped talking about it. Twelve days after the incident, the investigating magistrate decided to stop by. The only thing that sparked any interest to the magistrate is that there isn't any clue nor proof that Santiago Nasar took Angela Vicario's virginity (other than her telling his brothers that Santiago did.) The magistrate tried to ask her again as to whom took her virginity and still, she said that it was Santiago. The narrator believes that Santiago died without understanding his death. Cristo recalled walking with Santiago before he was killed; Since everyone knew that Santiago was going to be murdered, everyone couldn't help but stare at Santiago and Cristo as they was walking. No one stopped Santiago to warn him about his upcoming death except for Yamil Shaium. After he heard of the rumor that's been going around, he decided to stand outside of his shop so that when Santiago walks by, he could warn him. But instead, he told Cristo about the rumor while Santiago has left. After Cristo heard that the Vicario's brothers was planning to kill Santiago, he ran and tried to find Santiago! Cristo checked Santiago's home; nothing, he wasn't there. Next, he decided to run towards the dock to search for Santiago as soon as possible. He then ran into Colonel Lazaro Aponte and told him about the planned murder. But by the time Colonel left the club, the crime has already happened. Turns out, after Santiago left Cristo, he went to his fiance, Flora Miguel's house. But that didn't mattered, after he left Flora's house, that was when the Vicario's brothers spotted him and followed him. Clotilde wanted to help Santiago so she told to him to run because the Vicario's brothers was going to kill him! He ran all the way to the main door but it was closed. All that's left is for him to face the Vicario's brothers and let them stab him to death. After the Vicario's brothers left, Santiago's mother went to open the doors, only to see her son drenched in blood. He managed to walk around the house, one last time, and collapsed faced down in his kitchen.

Quote:

"Cristo Bedoya also remembered a strange attitude toward them. "They were looking at us as if we had our faces painted," he told me." (Marquez 102).

Reaction:

Everyone has had that one moment (or more) of having others view them as strange or odd. It could be how you dress, how you sound, or even how your hair looks; The list is just endless. When I read this line, I said to myself, "Hey, I can relate to how they felt :o." But aside the strange attitude that some might have towards you, I suggest you keep on walking and continue doing your thing :) I mean, Cristo and Santiago did, so can we..

Chronicle of a Death Foretold P. 3-71

Summary:

Chapter one-

The morning of when Santiago Nasar was going to be killed, he had a dream that he was going through a bunch of trees, feeling happy, then before he woke up from his dreams, he was spattered with bird poo. He woke up early that day to see the bishop. He even got dressed in his special occasion clothes, hoping to kiss the bishop's ring. Because of all the commotions going with the bishop's arrival, it woke up the narrator that happened to be lying on Maria Alejandrina Cervantes' lap. After Santiago got ready, he proceeded to stop by his mother's house to get some aspirin for his headache, and that was the last they both saw each other. While almost everyone in town is on their way to see the bishop, Pedro and Pablo Vicario are planning to kill Santiago. Finally, when the bishop arrived, he didn't even got off the boat to greet the citizens. When the narrator's sister named Margot saw Santiago, she invited him over for breakfast since he was still early in the morning. He then accepts her invite but he had to changed into his regular clothes so he must go home first. Almost everyone that was present at the dock knew that Santiago was going to be murdered but no one warned him. Margot then heard that Angela Vicario, who's wedding was yesterday, got returned to her parents' house because her husband found out that she wasn't a virgin anymore. She also found out that the Vicario's brothers are going to kill Santiago. Margot was the few ones that did NOT know that Santiago was going to be murdered. Another person is Margot's mother, Luisa Santiaga. After hearing what Margot have heard, she tried to warn Santiago's mother but it was too late. Santiago Nasar has been killed.

Chapter two-

When Bayardo San Roman, the man that returned his wife back to her parents' house, first arrived in Angela's town, he was around thirty years old, came from a wealthy family, and lastly, he needed someone to marry. Bayardo eventually "noticed" Angela Vicario because she was well-named, then they started seeing each other, and he wanted to marry her. Angela's family weren't rich as Bayardo's family and there's also some sort of tradition in Angela's family. The boys were supposed to grow up as working men while the girls are supposed to just grow up, get married, and learn how to do everyday chores. She didn't wanted to marry Bayardo at first because he didn't even tried to court her and plus, she didn't had much feelings for him to begin with but her family forced her to marry him. Their wedding was huge! It had tons of gifts, jewelries, dancing, bands, and so much more. The narrator had a fuzzy memory of what had happened that day but he did recalled some things; the bride and groom left the party earlier to go to their new house and when Santiago, Luis, Cristo, and himself went to drink at Maria's house along with the Vicario brothers. Before the wedding night has ended, Bayardo came back to Angela's parents' house to give their daughter back because she wasn't a virgin. Her mother was extremely angry that she was beating Angela to the point that Angela thought that she was going to die. Just as things aren't bad enough, her brothers came home, and demanded to tell them who took her virginity. She said, "Santiago Nasar."

Chapter three-

When the Vicario's brothers went on trial because they killed Santiago, they said that they would've done the killing again and again because it was the honorable thing to do for their sister and family name. So, let's rewind to when they planned to kill Santiago. Right after they found out that Santiago "stole" their sister's virginity, they took two knives and went to the market to have them sharpen. That was when people started to hear that they were going to kill Santiago. No one took them seriously because they both had such a good reputation and some thought that it was just drunk talking. But one person did took them seriously and went, reported to a policemen, and the policemen told his Colonel. When the Colonel saw the brothers, he took their knives, and just simply told them to go home but that didn't stopped them at all. The brothers went home, got two different knives, and have them sharpen again. The brothers decided to patiently waited at a milk store. Meanwhile Santiago, the narrator, and his brother was still partying until the narrator's brother invited them to get some breakfast. Santiago denied the invite because he had to get at least an hour's sleep before the bishop's arrival. He went home and that was the last time they had seen him. Everyone eventually went home, slept, and got awakened by the narrator's sister (the nun) screaming, "They've killed Santiago Nasar!"

Quote:

"He'd dreamed he was going through a grove of timber trees where a gentle drizzle was falling, and for an instant he was happy in his dream, but when he awoke he felt completely spattered with bird sh*t" (Marquez 3).

Reaction:

I chose this quote because I find it extremely relatable to many people, if not everyone, including myself. There are just times that one can feel so happy but can, also feel like sh*t afterwards. Sometimes it's inevitable, sometimes it can be stopped. It just all depends on the person. I also really like how the author included nature because for me, nature is really beautiful. I closed my eyes and imagined myself, walking through a bunch of large, tall tree with a little drizzle of rain, and I felt relaxed and happy. Ultimately, reality returned, and like every other human beings, problems may occur that makes me feel like poo. But that's how life is and guess what? It's going to continue because it's a continuous cycle.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses P. 223-265

Summary:

From Soda to Cola:

The upcoming of America, and the controversy of war, politics, trading, and communications during the twentieth century happened because of the rise of Coca-Cola. Back then, it was known as the outline of America and its values. Coca-Cola too had people who approved of it, as well as disapproved. For example, some see it as the ability to state their choice and start a democracy while others may see it as a ruthless global capitalism. Coca-Cola and other artificially carbonated soft drinks was produced by Joseph Priestley around 1767 because he was amazed by some sort of gas that would bubbled from the fermentation vats next door to him. He decided to take his fascination of the odd, bubbled gas into his laboratory and experiment of the properties of the unknown gas. Through a couple of his experiment, he produced sparkling water! After he wrapped up his experiment with the sparkling water, he wrote his own book to acknowledge others about it. Not to long after, Thomas Henry started producing his own sparkling water and sold it to people because back then, it could've been used for medicine. He also mentioned that people could mix sparkling water with lemonade, thus starting the development of sweet, artificially fizzy drink. After Henry told people about it, in the 1790s, scientists and entrepreneurs started making artificial mineral waters for sale. Now, Coca-Cola, itself was invented by John Pemberton in May 1886. The invention of Coca-Cola was an accident because he was attempting to make a cure for headaches but the ingredients that he had mixed turned into a sweet, fizzy, drink called Coca-Cola. Pemberton was also known for producing copious patent medicines which had false claims about their effectiveness. He had a few successes with his business, but by 1872, he was declared bankrupt! That didn't stopped him from his hope of becoming rich again, so he started to incorporate coca into medicines for a stimulating effect. Pemberton then decided to mix coca and kola together into a beverage and called it Coca-Cola. They used an abundance of different ways of advertising for it to become popular and well known. But when Coca-Cola was bottled, that was when the expansion of Coca-Cola grew. Because it was bottled, it could be sold in more cities, markets, and even over the world!

Globalization in a Bottle:

Coca-Cola played a huge part in the rise of America. Numerous of situations that was going on during the late ninetieth and twentieth century, it was associated with Coca-Cola. When World War II started, troops from the U.S. was being send over to Japan one after another, including Coca-Cola. Coca-Cola was seen as a support for the soldiers and it was also supposed to remind the soldiers of their home and to keep their preserving. As a matter of fact, the soldiers really valued Coca-Cola, especially if it's bottled. Coca-Cola also created a few controversy between America and the Middle East because the U.S. wanted to put a settlement there but the Islamic government denied their idea. In fact, they even started to imitate Coca-Cola with an "Islamic" cola made in Iran instead of the U.S. Overall, though Coca-Cola, today is just soda, it will always carry some sort of history in it, whether it's: the rise of America, the big commotion of capitalism over communism, and the advance of globalization! 

Quote:

"Its drink is now the world's most widely known product, and "Coca-Cola" is said to be the second most commonly understood phrase in the world, after "OK."" (Standage 264).

Reaction:

When I first read this line, I laughed to myself and read it again. At first, I was a tad reluctant to actually believe that "Coca-Cola" was the second most commonly understood phrase in the world because it seems like it was too good to be true sort of thing. So, I did a quick little survey asking whether they know what Coca-Cola was, and almost everyone that I asked knew exactly what I was talking about. It didn't matter about age, race, nor sex! I believe why many people are familiar with Coca-Cola is because it's been in the U.S. for quite some time AND it also affected the U.S. and our history a whole lot. Before I even read this chapter, I never see soda as an importance in our history. I just thought it was a beverage that wasn't good for you, haha. But after reading this entire book, I see the beverages that we drink today in a different perspective. It makes me think about it's importance in our history and our lives. :)

A History of the World in 6 Glasses P.175-220

Summary:

Empires of Tea:

Not to long after the development of coffee, tea appeared and played quite a large part to the imperial and industrial expansions in Europe. Tea was actually the foundation of the European trade with the East. Since it was becoming quite popular due to how much profit people are making, tea became the beverage of the working man, especially those who works in factories because tea was considered their fuel to keep them working. The spread of tea was tremendous! It spread throughout the world and was the most consumed beverages after water, of course. According to Chinese traditions, tea was an important factor in their history and lives. Tea was actually used as medicine and food way before it was turned into a beverage. The expansion of tea and how tea became the national beverage of China during 618-907 CE was huge! Depending of how you prefer to look at it, it made China the largest, wealthiest, and more known empire in the world. It also increased their population by a triple amount from what they had before! A few reasons why tea was so popular and well-loved was because it was quick and easy to make, it didn't spoiled like beer, and it's good for our health due to the natural ingredients. Tea was a great impact in China, especially economically because at some point tea was considered a currency as well. Since tea made China seemed very superior and "top-knotch", other countries wanted tea as well. So China started importing tea to all over the world which allowed different people from different countries to try out tea.

Tea Power:

During the Industrial Revolution, the workers in factories loved drinking tea to keep them energized for work rather than coffee. Drinking tea was quite an advantage for the workers because due to their occupations, they don't have much break time so they all have to be healthy and ready to work. Not only does tea helps you feel more calm and energized, it also help prevents diseases. But soon the policies from tea impacted the establishment of American independence. In order to get cheaper tea, tea had to be smuggled into Britain illegally. Because of smuggled tea, it decrease sales of legalized tea which then led to debts and that soon resulted in the Tea Act of 1773. But alas, American colonists refused to pay taxes so they began to boycott against British goods. Not too long after their boycotts, the Boston Tea Party happened. The British Parliament then declared a series of acts or the Coercive Act to show that they have more power than the colonists. Colonists was outraged and had rancor against the British, which eventually started the Revolutionary War in 1775. Tea also made an impact on the Opium War of 1839-42. Because the Chinese wanted to isolate themselves from other places, they had to pay for tea, mainly with silver. That was when the creation and importation of opium began. China then produced as much opium as they could to exchange for silver, so that it would pay for their tea supplies. Eventually emperor Lin Tze-su wanted to stop opium trading but they didn't followed his command so he started arresting those who were caught trading opium. At last, the emperor expelled the British from Canto (where the opium trading was located) and that really angered the British thus a war was declared between Britain and China. China lost because their weapons were no match for the Britain's. So the downfall of China and also the independence of America all began with tea!

Quote:

"In prehistoric times, people noticed the invigorating effect of chewing its leaves, and the healing effect of rubbing them on wounds, practices that survived for thousands of years." (Standage 178).

Reaction:

I really liked this quote because it made me stop reading and relate to my life. I've seen my family offer natural leaves that's supposed to make you feel more energized and sometimes leaves were used to prevent people from sickness. I had my own personal experience with having a leave rubbed onto a cut. I can recall it as if it was yesterday because it was just different to what I'm used to. I was running around with my cousins then I tripped and I got a cut on my knee. It didn't bled much but there was definitely some pain feeling. My cousin then ran to a tree, ripped off a leaf, and wrapped it around my cut. I don't know how but the pain gradually decreased. I was literally stunned because in America, whenever I get a cut, I always use a band-aid to cover my wounds. The whole leaf concept was totally new to me :P As the quote stated, people have used leaves for these main reasons during the prehistoric times, and I'd like to say that there are people who still uses leaves for medical reasons, including my family and myself.

A History of the World in 6 Glasses P.133-197

Summary:

The Great Soberer:

The beginning of a new drink called coffee actually played a huge part in the diffusion of this whole new rationalism that was going on in Europe. Since coffee was being promoted as a drink that has sharpness and clarity of thought, many intellectuals workers would preferred coffee. The spread of coffee is fairly noticeable in Europe because before coffee was introduced, many people drank small portion of beer and or wine in the morning! Coffee was far off a better choice of beverage compared to beer/wine because it makes you feel energized, relaxed, and you're still sober when you drink coffee, which is good. Coffee even has the ability those whom had consumed some alcohol to become more sober faster. After copious people started to consumed coffee, controversy also began to stir up. Different religious groups sees coffee in different ways. For example, Muslims sees coffee as a punished beverage since they can't drink wine, which is the Christians' holy drink. Some others also weren't fond of coffee because they didn't believed that coffee was better than beer or wine. But none of that stopped the development of coffee and coffee shops all over the places. Arabia was the supplier of coffee to the world! But unfortunately, the Dutch invaded Arab and stole their coffee trees and brought it home to their country and started making coffee. What the Dutch did to Arab made others countries to do the same. In the end, due to the Dutch's first step, coffee plants that was originally from Arab spread all over the world. 

The Coffeehouse Internet:

During the 17th century, coffee buyers had the advantage of hearing the latest news just by buying a cup of coffee. Many coffeehouses in Europe was known for that. There, people could have intellectual discussions with others. That is why copious people uses coffeehouses to state their mind, listen to others, learn new things, and just relax. During the Age of Reason, coffeehouses, mainly in Europe, were known as the "Internet." Since coffee's popularity is increasing, so are coffeehouses and that affected school and universities. People are just going in coffeehouses to learn and talk about educational things instead of going to school. There are just an abundance of things that happens in coffeehouses. They are business men discussing about stock profits, they are designers deciding how to build things, they are even men that planned a mini protest in coffeehouses, the list is just endless. 

Quote:

"Coffee remains the drink over which people meet to discuss, develop, and exchange ideas and information." (Standage 171).

Reaction:

When I was younger, history was probably my least favorite subject because everything happened in the past, so why should we waste our time learning about it. I felt like we should be learning about our present. But as I grow older and read more of this book, history is becoming like an interest to me. This quote from the book shows how coffee was being "used" back in the 17th century and here we are, in the 21th century, still "using" coffee for the same reason. I don't know many people that would invite anyone to have a can of beer to exchange ideas and discuss about important information. But I do know numerous of people, including myself that would invite someone to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks to have a cup of coffee and just talk. As I continue reading this book about something that  is so valuable to all human beings, it makes me realize how important the history of anything is. Also, it amazes me how our everyday lives incorporates some sort of history and it's really cool :) Now, I realize why so many adults have said "If you don't know about your past, you won't have a future."

A History of the World in 6 Glasses P. 69-129

Summary:

The Imperial Vine:

Conflicts between Greek and Rome are arising and it's all leading to the vines that makes wine. The Romans are gaining popularity by simply copying the Greeks' culture, techniques, and business. Then the Romans wanted the vines that's located in Greek islands to be transported and transplanted to Italy. The Romans pretty much duplicated how the Greek made their wines. Ever since Rome started making more and more wines, people stopped caring about beers and only wanted wine. Just like beer, wine was consumed and enjoyed by all sorts of different people, ranging from age to class. Another thing that the Romans copied from the Greek is how to drink their wine in a civilized manner, meaning having water mixed in with their wine. Lastly, wine played a crucial role as to why Christian do drink wine and Muslims do not. Bread and wine symbolizes Christ's body and blood that he sacrificed for everyone so it would be an honorable thing to actually drink the wine as well as eat the bread. As for Muslims, they believed that Satan is sending them wine and gambling to disrupt their innocent minds and that they should abstain from drinking and gambling at all times. 

High Spirits, High Seas:

Near the first millennium AD, Cordoba of Arab Andalusia was considered the most cultured city in western Europe because of all the developments they had during that time. They offered parks, palaces, paved rads, mosques, libraries, and so much more. They also looked back on the knowledge of the Greek to invent and brainstorm further items and ideas. Arab chemists developed how to distill wine to use specific items for other researches. Thanks to distilled drinks, it may it a whole lot easier for people to store and transport it to other places. Distilled water plus a little bit of fire always helped a lot in the medical field because it was very strong, strong enough to cure sicknesses and relieves pain. Distilled water can also be known as aqua vitae, and introducing it to the medical field was a success. Since beer and wine is getting a tad expensive to ship to places, Ligon decided to create a drink that won't spoil as fast and be made in large quantities; He called it kill-devil, rumbullion, or rum (for short). Slaves take advantage of rum because it actually helped them to stay on task and dealt with any hardship/labor. So, the creation of rum helped make those who consumed it more energetic and way more affordable than beer and wine.

The Drinks That Built America:

Almost anyone could afford rum back in the days because it was so darn cheap. But not enough molasses was being produced to support how much rum is being made so, distillers were forced to decrease making rum but they didn't listened. They kept their extremely cheap prices and used smuggled molasses to make it. That all led to the Molasses Act, which then led to a few more acts during the French and Indian War. Unfortunately, many supplies of molasses was ruined so distillers had a difficult time producing rum. So, whiskey took the placement of rum because it only needed staple products to make and even cheaper than rum.  

Quote:

"Many great events have proceeded from much smaller causes." (Standage 121).

Reaction:

I agree with this quote because all of the proof is in the text, itself. During the years of learning history, I haven't learned nor talked much about the Molasses Act. But I've read a lot about French and Indian War, and how there were many acts that came after one another. For example, the Boston Massacre which led to the Boston Tea Party and that led to the Sugar Act and so forth. After reading this specific passage, it all began because of a beverage, rum. Because of the Molasses Act, many people have fought and stood up for what they believe in by facing the multiple acts that were trying to bring them down. YEAH, FIGHT THE POWER!... :)

A History of the World in 6 Glasses P. 9-68

Summary:

A Stone-Age Brew:

50,000 years ago, human beings had to travel in small groups and lived in caves, huts, and if they're lucky, tents. To provide food supply, humans had to hunt and fish for anything they can get their hands on. But as time progresses, humans' lifestyle began to changed. Instead of hunting for food, people started to learn how to farm and grow crops. An advantage of be able to farm is that it's stable. Humans didn't have to move from one river to another forest. Since farming were spreading, this helped them to settle down into small villages which then grew into the world's very first cities. After having a stable place to live in, humans starts to invent and develop copious new useful items. Another genius "invention" was made during the change of their lifestyle. Instead of regular, good ol' water, humans realized that from barley and wheat, a new beverage can be made. Ever since this drink was made, it was essential and staple to social, religious, and economic life. Around 10,000 BCE, beer was discovered by humans. So, as the years passes by, humans created more beer flavors and even meanings of different kinds of beers for specific occasions.

Civilized Beer:

You can officially become a human after you consume bread and beer! Well, at least that's how it was back in 3400 BCE. Actually, the Mesopotamians believed that consuming bread and beer makes it easier for others to differentiate between humans and savages. Beer also played an important part in ancient Egyptian culture and time period which was in 2650 BCE. The Egyptians thought that beer had deep, spiritual, and mythological origins which is why they mentioned and/or have beer present during prayers, death ceremonies, and so forth. Both in Mesopotamia and Egypt, beer was consumed and liked by pretty much everyone, whether they're old or young, rich or poor, and male or female. Not only was beer used for drinking, it was also used for specific medical reasons. It was more safer to use beer than actual water because beer was less likely to be contaminated with any bacteria. Overall, having beers present during special occasions have brought many people altogether :]

The Delight in Wine:

Wine was really known and introduced during 870 BCE, to be more specific, King Ashurnasirpal II of Assyria's feast. He had roughly 69, 574 people that attended his feast. He provided copious food, plenty for everyone to eat. But the most astounding thing there was his choice of drink. He, himself had a bowl of wine instead of a cup of beer to show how much wealth he had. Wine was fairly expensive and difficult for an abundance of people to have, so them trying wine at the feast was the first for many. After trying wine for the first time, wine productions started to increase and wine was being transporting to more areas. Wine slowly made its way into human's life by making it more accessible. The Greek then added their own little touch to wine, by adding water to it. Because of the newly Greek way to drink wine, the water actually made the wine safer to drink, and vice versa. Even Greek philosophers thought that wine was a fabulous beverage and a good way to test a man's character.

Quote:

""Wine reveals what is hidden"" (Standage 62).

Reaction:

I chuckled when I saw this quote from a Greek philosopher in this chapter. :P I can relate to this quote because numerous of people have told stories about how they would get drunk and started spilling the truth about everything! I even witnessed an adult go on and on about something when he was drunk. It was quite entertaining to watch, haha. It seriously amazes me how someone that lived in the third century BCE made this statement and even in the modern times, it's still happening. I wonder what in particularly that's in wine, beer, and/or alcohol, in general, that makes a lot of people spit out the truth...hm :P

It's Kind of a Funny Story Movie Review (My reaction)

     The first thing that pops in my mind when I see the word metal institution, I think of a place filled with a bunch of crazy and loud people. But that's not that image that I had in my mind during the movie. Mr. Scott did mentioned that, "It is overseen not by a tyrannical Nurse Ratched, but by the wise and patient Dr. Minerva, played with a benevolent glow by Viola Davis." (Scott A. O). I wasn't a big fan of the nurse because she just totally ignored Craig during a crucial moment. That made me think to myself real quick, if they're going to place Craig in a place where it's going to be hectic. But when Dr. Minerva appeared, I was reassured that everything is going to be fine. I also strongly agree with the the critic when he stated, "Temperamentally disinclined to be melodramatic, Craig is bothered by some of the usual stressed of modern adolescence." (Scott A. O). I agree with his statement because there are copious of teenagers that stresses over similar things as Craig did. School, relationships, family, all plays a huge role in everyone's life. It is also why there are many teenagers become so easily stressed about it, which leads to depression, which could also lead to suicide. What Craig did was a fantastic thing and people who shares similar problems with him could really see this movie as a message. Instead of committing suicide, he signed up to stay in a program that could help him feel better about himself. I would also agree with Mr. Scott that Craig's stay at the hospital can be used as a positive message to anyone out there, that's having a tough time. He wrote that, "His trip is partly a vacation and partly a coming-of-age quest, during which he meets some interesting people and learns a thing or two about why life is worth living." (Scott A. O). Lastly, I would have to say that this movie can be categorized as a coming-of-age movie but it's a different version of it. Even if it's not the average coming-of-age movie, it's still a pleasant movie and I would highly recommend anyone that's 13+ to watch it.

Scott, A. O. "A Coming-of-Age Tale, Set Among the Sad." The New York Times Company: 2011. 7 Oct. 2010.

http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/movies/08funny.html

It's Kind of a Funny Story Movie Review (My version)

     I really enjoyed reading the book but watching the movie was pretty amusing as well. I really liked the movie but it was a tad unusual at first. I wasn't expecting Craig to check himself in the hospital that quickly in the movie, so that was definitely a surprise in the beginning. In my opinion, the director could have added a few scenes before to give the viewers (mainly those who haven't read the book yet) a better understanding on why Craig wanted to commit suicide in the first place. But I have to admit, the beginning of the movie really had some suspension which isn't bad. I really appreciate the usage of a long shot when Craig was riding his to the bridge to almost commit suicide AND to the hospital to check himself in. By using a long shot, it really made me focus on the location that Craig is in and I think it's quite important because it shows that from the beginning, Craig is strong enough to not kill himself and do the right thing. There were also a few medium shots when Craig and Bobby spend time together because I could recognized their interaction between each other. Another relationship would be Craig and Noelle and the very first time they talked to each other was when they sat down and played a question game. That scene was an over the shoulder shot because they were communicating face-to-face, so the camera switches from Craig's to Noelle's point of view. That way, we could pay attention to one actor/actress at a time. There were a close-up shot of Craig when he was talking to Dr. Minerva (a.k.a. her therapist) because I could see that he's thinking of a whole bunch of things but he's holding it all back. Sometimes, he would even sweat, just like in the story. Lastly, I think it's nice that the director cut out some of the not as necessary parts of the story and just put all of the crucial (and funny) parts into the movie. Overall, I enjoyed watching the movie and I would definitely recommend anyone ages 13+ to watch this because it talks about a serious medical problem that many of us can relate to but it has a twist to it. Comedy was involved and I really, really liked that about the movie and the book, itself.

It's Kind of a Funny Story P. 297-444 (End)

Summary: 

Part 7: Six North, Monday

Monday came and all Craig thought about was school. Craig decided to listen to his phone messages and returned a few. But then his principle called him, Craig quickly hanged out because he panicked. He was worried that just because he was depressed and is currently in a hospital, that the principle was going to expel him. After he hanged up on his principle, Dr. Minerva came by to talk to Craig. Craig just told her what happened, how he ended up there and how he's doing better in there then in the outside world. After their talk, Dr. Minerva made Craig call back his principle and turns out, he wasn't going to get expel or anything. His principle just wanted to let Craig know that the school supports him and is waiting for his return. 

Part 8: Six North, Tuesday

Craig is drawing more and more maps of different things to pass by time and to help himself feel better. A copious amount of people there really enjoyed his paintings as well. Even a guitarist liked his painting and was willing to buy some of it, after he gets out of the hospital. Craig was speechless but not as speechless when he saw that he had a visitor. It was Nia. Nia came to talk to Craig about her situation with Aaron, break-ups, and depression. Not too long after their talk, Craig and Nia went to his room to make out. But Muqtada (Craig's roommate) barged in and told Nia to leave. Noelle witnessed it all, yet she still went to their "second date". There, Craig finally expressed how he felt about Noelle and turns out, she likes him too.

Part 9: Six North, Wednesday

Dr. Minerva visited Craig for another talking session. This specific session really opened Craig's eyes. It made him realize that school was the main reason why his life went down-hill. His life was perfectly normal but it all changed once he entered high school. After all of his tentacles (his problems), he finally found an anchor (a solution), and that's his artwork. He loved drawing maps ever since he was four years old. Right there and then was when Craig decided that he's going to transfer out of the Executive Pre-Professional High School and into a different school, a school for art. A few last things that Craig had to do before he left was draw maps for everyone, help Muqtada, and make out with Noelle. After doing everything of his list, he felt the happiest he has ever been.

Part 10: Six North, Thursday

Last day at the hospital. Everyone had their own farewell for Craig and the very last person to say good-bye was actually Muqtada. Muqtada has really appreciate all the help from Craig and Craig wishes him tons of luck in the future. Just as when Craig's parents' about to leave, Craig stopped and told them to go home first, he'll walk. During his walk, he thought about how his actual problems hasn't gone yet, it's still there. But instead of it being an option, it is now a possibility, an unlikely possibility. He doesn't want to die nor think anymore. All he wants is to do and live.

Quote: 

"So now live for real, Craig. Live. Live. Live. Live. Live." (Vizzini 444).

Reaction: 

Perfect way to end the story. I really like this quote because it's an excellent advice that no matter what problems you might face during your lifetime, all you just have to do is hope for the best and continue to live your life. Craig has changed since the beginning of the story but there's still thoughts that the old Craig had deep inside of him. He just changed his perspective of life. No more worries, no more pressures, no more tentacles. All he wants to do is to live, hence the repetition of "Live." in the last few sentences of the book. After reading this book (and the very last page again), it really help me not think so much about all the negatives things. In fact, it made me think about the positive things that could happen, and it gives me hope. :)

It's Kind of a Funny Story P. 125-294

Summary: 

Part 3: Badoom
     After the cycle returned, Craig decided that he wanted to kill him. He wanted to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge. But he stopped himself and called a Suicide Hotline to help him. A lady named Maritisa convinced him to go to the nearest hospital to check it for some help. Craig followed her advice.

Part 4: Hospital

When he got to the hospital, he filled out a few forms and told the nurse that the 1-800-SUICIDE actually requested that he should go to the hospital. Craig then called his mom and told her what happened and where he was. When she got to the hospital, Craig decided that he would like to be admitted even if he had to be admitted along adults. Everyone agreed that he has made the right decision.

Part 5: Six North, Saturday

Being admitted meant that Craig was going to stay in a short-term facility for adult psychiatric since there's some renovations that's going on in the hospital. Craig felt really weird there and he wanted to go back home but he couldn't. Minimum is five days there. Anywho, that was where he met Bobby, who gave him a tour around the place. During his tour, he spotted a teenaged girl named Noelle, met his roommate named Muqtada and the "President" Armelio. It was like a crazy place for Craig to be in but with the help and support of his family, he's slowly getting used to the environment.

Part 6: Six North, Sunday

Nurse Monica did a little check-up on Craig to see how he's adjusting to everything. After his talk with Nurse Monica, Craig sat down with Noelle and played a questioning game. He seems to really enjoy her company and talking with her because they have a lot of things in common. They also had Arts & Crafts class together. Craig was offered pencils, pens, markers, crayons, and paints to draw anything but he refused, saying that he couldn't draw. Noelle then gave him an idea: to draw something from his childhood. Before anyone could say anything, Craig was already working on his drawing. He drew a map/brain. He has always loved maps whether it was studying it, drawing it, or simply looking at it.

Quote: 

"I want my heart but my brain is acting up. I want to live but I want to die." (Vizzini 140).

Reaction: 

This quote makes me feel more assured that Craig would be alright. His heart is telling him to live but his brain is wanting him to die due to all the stress. Craig almost committed suicide but he didn't and I feel like that's a sign. He's beginning to listen more of his heart instead of his brain. Dying is something Craig always mention and wants to do but deep down, he can't. Under all of the stress and depression, I think that Craig is a strong adolescent that'll follow his heart. I also really like this quote because it's so relatable. I'm sure a lot of people have had this moment where you want to live but then again, you don't. Maybe some might not be as dramatic as Craig's but it's still similar.

It's Kind of a Funny Story P. 3-122

Summary: 

Part 1: Where I'm at
     It all started when the main character, Craig Gilner told us how hard it is to talk when you want to kill yourself. He was currently over Aaron's (Craig's best friend) house. It was a normal day over at Aaron's house. Someone's playing video games, Aaron and his girlfriend is doing their business, and Craig is in the bathroom, peeing. Now, Craig has a serious depression condition and he has to see his shrinks every now and then.

Part 2: How I got there
     Craig has always had this specific plan. He has to attend a good high school, which will lead to a good college, which will lead to a good job, which will lead him to a happy life. Beginning in only seventh grade, Craig studied day and night for the exam to attend the Executive Pre-Professional High School (One of the best high schools in Manhattan.) After many pre-exams and studying, he made it in the school! He was extremely excited and then he called Aaron. When Craig called Aaron to deliver the good news, he found out that Aaron, too had gotten in the school, and that he's throwing a party to celebrate. The party was an eye opener for Craig. That night was when he smoked pot, drank alcohol, almost made out with some girl, and almost killed himself when he was standing on the Brooklyn Bridge.  But oh, that's not the last of it. Ever since that night, Craig's personality changed. He was always studying and doing extremely well in school. On the first day of school, he received a seventy on his test because he choose not to read the required books. The Executive Pre-Professional High School was becoming so difficult to manage that only after three months he's been there, he had stress vomiting. That was when he told his parents that he was depressed. His family is very loving and supportive. When he first told them that he's depressed, they immediately send him to a psychopharmacologist and a shrink. Even his fourth grade little sister is trying to make him feel better. That's some family love right there. Craig had to take Zoloft to help his condition and it did. It helped to him to eat and feel better about himself. After he finished his bottle of Zoloft, he stopped taking any Zoloft. Two months later, the cycle came back.

Quote:
     "You can come out of Executive Pre-Professional High School and go right to Wall Street, although that's not what you should do; what you should do is come out and go to Harvard and then law school.That's how you end up being, like, President." (Vizzini 49-50).

Reaction:
     Craig's plan to do well in high school, college and succeed in life is a very good plan but he is pushing himself way too far to achieve his plan. He wants to perfect everything so he can have a perfect life when he's older. But nothing and no one is ever perfect so that's when Craig started to become depressed. I'm not trying to say that having high hopes is a bad thing but sometimes having too much of high hopes isn't so good. In my case, it usually leads to disappointment and that isn't fun to experience. Yes, Craig has a depression condition right now but he still always has his mind set to achieve his plan for the future. So, because of that, I'm hoping that Craig would do whatever he can to overcome his depression and strive for the best. :)