Fahrenheit 451 Part 3: Burning Bright Summary

It starts off with Beatty, Montag, and the rest of their company in front of Montag’s house. Mildred runs out of the house with a packed suitcase. Mildred ignores Montag and leaves in a cab. We find out that Mildred and her friends call the alarm. Beatty tells him to burn the house himself since it’s own house saying “your house, your clean-up.” He gives Montag a flame thrower which Montag uses to burn his house. As he does it, he finds himself in the original bliss that comes with burning things as he is finally able to get rid of the things he’s always wanted to (his bedroom, the parlor, etc.) Montag kills Beatty and a few firemen with the flamethrower. The Hound comes at him and is able to sink his tooth into his leg, injecting it with an anesthetic. He goes back and finds that Mildred missed a few books and sets off into the night with a strong sense of self-loathing.

 Montag reflects about how he is sure that Beatty had wanted him to kill him. That Beatty wanted to die. He puts in his Seashell to realize that he is wanted for murder and treason. He decides that he must go to a gas station to make himself look even semi-presentable and not suspicious. On his way there, he realizes that he is moving in the direction of Faber’s house. At the gas station, he hears that the war that has been looming over everyone’s head throughout the story has finally been declared. Montag decides to ignore it for the time being in exchange for worrying about the task at hand: making it to Faber’s house without being caught. He finds himself in an empty boulevard where he thinks the police are chasing him. He runs against the fast approaching, but stumbles and falls. He thinks he’s going to die, but the car comes to a stop before it could hit him. He hid the books in the house of a fireman’s house as he, Mr. Black was at work. He called in the alarm on them. He goes to Faber’s house to give him the 100 dollars. Faber tells him to follow the railroad tracks and to get in contact with him in St. Louis. Faber shows Montag that he has a small handheld tv instead of having a parlor. They hear that they brought in a new Mechanical Hound. Montag and Faber drank whiskey to try to assuage the scent of Montag being there. Montag also told Faber to put on the sprinklers, wash the furniture with alcohol, burn some things, and to get his dirtiest clothes to throw the scent off. Then Montag left towards the river.

As he is running, Montag stops for breath and sees someone watching the Hound on their parlor wall. Montag stops when he sees the Hound approaching Faber’s house with baited breath. He is finally able to keep going when he sees the Hound move away from Faber’s house. The police ask the people to open all their windows and back doors at the count of 10 but Montag can hear it because he has the Seashell (a communication device) in his ears. Montag is able to escape to the river before anyone sees him. When he is at the river, he douses himself in whiskey and wears Faber’s clothes to further throw off the scent. The Hound and a helicopter look around the river for a bit, but quickly leave, not spotting Montag. As he is floating in the river, Montag starts to feel at peace and reflects on his life. He starts to think about childhood. He’s thinking about the barn that he grew up in. He said that he will never burn again because the sun is constantly burning time. He realizes that all he was doing was speeding up the process, it was going to happen anyway. He wants to preserve rather than destroy. When he comes out on the other side of the river, he is faced with wilderness. He stumbles upon the rusty railroad tracks and thinks that Clarisse must have walked here as well.

Montag meets a bunch of people that used to work at colleges. He learns that the society caught a person that had been walking on the street and pretended like it was Montag in order to save face. The people that Montag meets have parts of books memorized in their heads. He learns that there is somewhat of a network that the people stumbled upon made up of people that memorized parts of books that slowly ended up meeting. Montag admits to Granger, the leader of the people Montag meets, that he doesn’t miss Mildred. Montag thinks about how Mildred didn’t do anything that made a lasting impact. The city that Montag lived in was bombed by jets. After thinking of Mildred dying from the bomb in her hotel room, he remembers that he and Mildred had met in Chicago. As he lay in shock in the aftershock of the bomb, Montag remembered part of the Book of Ecclesiastes and was able to perfectly recite it to himself. They wonder about how many people in the city knew there was going to be a bombing and how many people were surprised. They wonder how many other cities have just been bombed.

Resetting the Clock (Part 4, Finale)

This is my last chance to save my sister, I thought. Then I remembered that no matter how hard I try to save her she would eventually die at the end of the day because that was her fate and I had no power to change it. I got out of bed determined to make today the best day of my sister’s life.

I walked down stairs and found my sister in the living room on her tablet. I said good morning to my grandma and told her that I was going to go to the amusement park with my little sister. I got dressed and helped my sister get dressed into her favorite outfit and headed out the door. I looked down the street for signs of danger but did not see any. I told myself that I would accept whatever happened to my little sister, but deep down I knew I would be heartbroken. I wanted to give her the least painful death.

After a few minutes, we finally arrived at the amusement park. The look on my sister’s face when we walked into the park made me happy and proud. We went on all the rides and ate all the different foods. We had a blast.

The owner of the amusement park was a good friend of my parents and agreed to help me make this day a very special day for my sister. They had princes and princesses at the entrance waiting for my sister. She got to ride on horses and even got a princess makeover! It was fun watching her play and having fun. But there was a knot in my stomach and I couldn’t get rid of it no matter how hard I tried. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to see my sister again after today and didn’t want to have any regrets so I pretended like nothing was wrong and bought her all the things for her.

It was nearing the end of the day and the amusement park was closing for regular guests but we were allowed to stay and ride all the rides alone. my sister was filled with joy as the amusement park began to light up. We went on all the rides one more time before the firework show.

I set up our blanket and sat down with my sister in my arms sitting in my lap. She looked tired. “Did you have fun today?” I asked my sister, my eyes starting to water.

“Today was fun and I will never forget about it,” she replied.

“Yeah… I will never forget today too…” I sobbed, not able to hold back my tears. I let them fall down my cheeks and nuzzled my head into her.

“Why are you crying?” she asked.

“It’s… nothing…” I croaked, “Don’t worry… Look the fireworks are starting!”

We looked up and saw the “fairies” as my sister used to call them. It was a beautiful sight. They went on for a few minutes. As the fireworks were coming to a close my sister looked up at me and said, “I love you Er…” and then fell limp into my arms. I didn’t know what had just happened. I didn’t even get to tell her that I loved her. I felt like I had been punched in the face the moment I realized that my sister had passed even though I knew it was coming. I was expecting myself to be back in bed again with another chance to save my sister, but it didn’t happen and I had to accept what had just happened.

I don’t really remember what happened next because I had blacked out according to the amusement owner. I asked him what had happened to my sister, but he looked at me as if he had seen a ghost and asked, “What sister?”

“My little sister! Where is she!? She died yesterday! How could you not remember her!” I yelled with tears running down my face. I ran away and asked my grandma if I had a sister and she gave me the same look the amusement park owner gave me. She told me that I did not have a sister and told me maybe it was your imaginary friend you were with yesterday. I looked at my photo album and there was no sign of my sister in any of the photos. But I remembered her being in all of the photos. I thought I had lost my mind but then there was a flash of white light and there stood the hooded figure. A booming voice sounded, “You have broken one of the rules if our agreement. Because of this your sister has been erased from existence!”

“This can’t be I never told anyone about what was going to happen to my sister!”

“You have told the owner of the amusement park about what was going to happened to your sister! I will give you a chance to undo what you have done. All you have to do is give me your life and in exchange I will save your sister!”

“I WILL DO ANYTHING! TAKE MY LIFE!”

“You will not be remember by anyone! Are you sure you wish to give up your life?”‘

“YES!”

“Very well then. Maria, the sister of Eric, will be saved in exchange for her brother Eric’s life!” I felt myself disappearing and closed my eyes, I was not afraid of what was happening to me because I was able to save my sister in the end.

Remeniscing in Old Friendships

I remember when I was one year younger,

Life was more carefree,

I took for granted what i had,

I wonder where all that went?

 

I remember when I went over to my friends house,

We would play instruments and hike,

We would have fun together,

I wonder if they remember me?

 

I remember when we would laugh together at lunch,

Our table was by far the loudest,

It was like one big laughing seizure,

What if they already forgot me?

Aladdin

This live-action remake of a Disney classic was great in every way. The chemistry between Mena Massoud, who played Aladdin, and Naomi Scott, who played Princess Jasmine was great, as well as Mena Massoud’s chemistry with Will Smith, who played Genie. Every character was great in their role, especially Will Smith as Genie. Jafar, played by Marwan Kenzari, was evil and cunning. I hated him and his parrot the whole time. Nasim Pedrad, who played Princess Jasmine’s handmaiden, Dalia, is excellent in her role. I enjoyed every second that she was on screen.

This version of the movie stayed pretty similar to the original version but also added its own flare, including new music! All of the musical performances were incredible to watch and hard not to sing and dance along to! Naomi Scott’s voice was exquisite, especially in her solo, “Speechless.” I also love that the whole movie is a story being told from Genie’s perspective.

I also was not expecting it to be as funny as it was and I think part of the reason it is funny is because it is being told from his perspective. Most of the funny lines and scenes came from Will Smith’s character and Nasim Pedrad’s character, who actually get together in the end. The movie has feminist tones in it. At the end, Princess Jasmine becomes the Sultan of Agrabah, a role in which a woman has never held. This can be a very empowering for young women to see. I just loved the movie so much! The 3D was not necessary.

Swords: Part 3

Teron reached for the steel underneath his long, brown leather coat to reveal a slightly rusted iron blade, with a handle of the same nature. The differences between their two swords were like equating a mountain to a valley. Even with the rust, the sun reflected off the blade as he removed it from his receptacle. The blade was slightly dull but just sharp enough to cut through the flesh of his enemies.

Rangor II laughed richly with enthusiasm, “You see these marks boy,” he queried rhetorically, “There are three hundred seventy-seven scores on my flesh, three hundred seventy-seven victories, three-hundred seventy-seven men. Now, you will join them.”

“Who taught you to count?” Teron grinned as he took his fighting position; he knew there was no turning back now.
Rangor II rushed him with a warlike cry and jumped high into the air with his sword ready to strike. With incredible speed, Teron slid across the dusty ground and Rangor landed with such force that made the ground quake. A cloud of dust surrounded him; he became even more frustrated.

This is the problem with barbarians, thought Teron, the angrier they get, the more impatience they show.

“You missed me,” Teron teased.

Once again Rangor charged the swordsman, but this time, electing for a head-on approach. He raised his sword once again and slashed towards the chest of Teron. He swiftly parried the attack and help his sword horizontal to the ground. Sweat dripped down his head as Teron forcefully pushed his sword closer and closer to Teron’s neck. In chess, this is known as a stalemate.

Cool Photographers 5

Sara Byrnes

Sara Byrnes is an American-based, female photographer. She specializes in portraits of people, especially portraits of couples and wedding photos. She also creates beautiful double exposures, combining man and nature together, to make the viewer think. Double exposure combines two images, one of a portrait and one of nature. She likes to create images combing the beauty of people and nature.

I appreciate her work because she creates magical, story like images. Her works look like something you can see in a book. Each image shows love or tells a story of some sort of nature beings, her work looks really cool.

Dorothea Lange

Dorothea was an American photographer in the early to mid 1900s. Her photos specialized in social/political commentary, or “Photography as a Witness”, taking pictures of what was going on in the country at that time. Her most famous photo is Migrant Mother (seen to the right),  an image depicting a distressed mother and her children in their natural setting, at the border facing poverty. Lange found her best shot by taking multiple and setting up different compositions and layouts. 

Dorothea was an American photographer in the early to mid 1900s. Her photos specialized in social/political commentary, or “Photography as a Witness”, taking pictures of what was going on in the country at that time. Her most famous photo is Migrant Mother (seen to the right),  an image depicting a distressed mother and her children in their natural setting, at the border facing poverty. Lange found her best shot by taking multiple and setting up different compositions and layouts. 

Undivided by Neal Shusterman

This is the 4th book in the Unwind dystology. I finished this book a few days ago and it has to be my favorite in the series. It introduces new characters and also brings back old characters. It follows the 3 main characters, Risa, Connor and Lev. It now also follows other main characters, who have been introduced throughout the series.

          This book shows a real turn-around with the government and the opinions in society. The viewpoints are still switching around through different characters. You’re able to view people and get a better grasp on what their actions are and why they choose to do certain things. It also allows you to see people’s thought-processes and how they view their peers. Some of the main characters may seem very bland or dumb when viewed by another character. But when you see their actual viewpoint, you can see how intelligent these characters actually are, and how cunning they might be, while appearing uninterested on the outside.

          These various characters fit extremely well into the plot. You can see lots of character arcs being completed. You get to view these characters becoming really interesting and amazing people, who make stunning life-or-death decisions. They create public outcry and rage, turning it towards a government that has been creating inhumane practices, while also fueling darker forces, pushing their goal ever farther.

          You learn many new things from this book. Neal Shusterman is excellent at his world and society building, you can really see why society is like this, and what they have done to get to that point. You see some of these practices in action, seeing them from the minds of both the public, and characters setting these actions into motion.

          This book is full of unexpected events, along with twists and turns. I haven’t seen this many surprising things in many books, and I really enjoyed it. It shows you just how good of an author Shusterman is, along with how good his book is. The clashing of characters’ personalities, along with the mix and romance of other characters creates a unique balance of good and evil.

          This last book also gives a nice wrap-up to the events that have happened so far, giving a really pleasant ending. You can read the last page and then close the book, knowing you have got to read such a good book.

          This book is a really interesting read and I would definitely recommend reading it.

I’d rate this book 10/10.

Laughing in the Rain

I stood in front of the house,

The thunder roaring out like a lion,

My ears filled with water,

As the rain poured down,

I splashed in the puddles,

Which were like shining mirrors,

With my smiling face staring back at me,

I laughed like a lunatic,

But i didn’t care about what my appearance is,

Only enjoying such bliss.

Late August Blues

It’s around the time of year when kids are going back to school and college. Many are busy with fall sports tryouts and events, as well as getting schedules and supplies ready for school in these last few weeks of summer vacation. It’s a busy time. Some people, like me, tend to get anxious about this time of year. It can make you feel sad knowing that the warm weather and green of nature will soon fade away.

But recently, I have decided to not let myself feel down about the times. After all, it’s not all that bad. Seasons change same as everything else. So why not just go with the flow and not worry about it? I have decided for myself that school is a good thing, it surrounds you with all different kinds of people and activities that help you grow. It allows you to be social and connect with people. Sure there is work to do, but why worry about it? It is what it is.

Same with the season. I am definitely a warm weather person. I am not a big fan of the cold, short, gray days that come with fall and winter. But, this time comes and goes. So, I am trying to be more positive about it. In the coming time are many holidays and fun events. The fall colors are beautiful. When the air is cooler, it brings people closer together- literally -for warmth. Plus, you can’t forget about pumpkin spice everything and cozy nights by a fireplace.

While summertime is gradually nearing an end, whose to say we can’t enjoy the rest of the year? After all, what’s the point of life if you don’t enjoy it?

Once Upon A Time In Hollywood

The ninth film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino follows multiple people in Hollywood in 1969 whose storylines intertwine in the end. The interesting thing about this movie is that it has both fictional and nonfictional characters. The main two fictional characters are an actor named Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio), who aspires to make it big in Hollywood, and his stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt). Both of them transformed into their characters phenomenally.

As for the nonfictional characters, this movie is surprisingly accurate, leading up to a big twist at the end. The nonfictional characters include Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Charles Manson, Tex Watson, Lynette “Squeaky” Fromme, George Spahn, and Bruce Lee to name a few. The final scenes include Tex Watson (Austin Butler) and a few others from the Manson Family arriving in the neighborhood of Rick Dalton and Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie) to murder Sharon Tate and her friends. Their plans soon change and they decide instead to murder Rick Dalton. Upon arriving in the house, they come across Cliff Booth, who is on acid, and his well-trained pit bull. They fight the murderers off and Rock Dalton is then invited to Sharon Tate’s house and that is where the movie ends. Obviously the movie has a much happier ending than what actually happened.

Some historical accuracies in the movie were that Sharon Tate hates wearing shoes, her nursery was finished on the day of the murders, and many of the occupants of Spahn Ranch were based off of real members of the Manson Family. This movie includes some other big names including Dakota Fanning, Al Pacino, and Luke Perry in his last movie role. The actress that stood out the most was Margot Robbie, even getting praise from the Tate family herself. While this movie was great, it did include a lot of boring scenes that mostly just showed Rick Dalton acting or on set of a show. These scenes didn’t contribute to the main story and could’ve easily been removed. Also, I wish they had gone into more detail about Cliff Booth’s wife’s death.