Student

June 16, 2020


OLIVIA XU

First off, to put it out there, Miss Bianca is a very special mouse, physically and socially.

The resourceful and independent Miss Bianca

She has ermine white fur, which is unusual, and something even more special is that she has big brown eyes, while other white mice have pink or black eyes.

I am surprised that she is not snotty and self-entitled: instead, Miss Bianca is a polite little lady, and very empathetic. Most people or mice, after living in a fancy pagoda (especially the Porcelain Pagoda) without any worries except to help their master with his arithmetic problems (the boy), would get at least a little bit spoiled! Miss Bianca though, is as deferential and courteous than the other mice, and definitely even more!

Even so, shifting from the Porcelain Pagoda to the Mouse Prisoners’ Aid Society is tremendous. It’s similar to royalty mixing with common people, from riches to rags. However, Miss Bianca handled this change a lot better than a queen would handle it. I can just imagine the queen staring in disbelief at the servants mooching around the unwashed dishes in the sink and throwing a furious tantrum.

After reading the beginning of The Turret, I think that this point in life is probably very confusing and crushing for Miss Bianca.

First, she didn’t really want to resign, so she was hesitant to sign the resignation letter, but after thinking about helping the boy and writing her volume of poetry, she decided that she was obligated to stay in private life. Following this, at her retirement party she discovers someone who is being held prisoner in the old turret. Because of her nature, of course Miss Bianca wants to rescue this prisoner. After that, she realizes that this prisoner is Mandrake, an evil man who was cruel and pitiless to the poor Patience, so Miss Bianca is conflicted about whether to rescue him or not. Finally, she decides that it is her duty to rescue prisoners, even if they are vile, even though she knows that Mandrake was “completely odious.” So she announces it to the Society, but everybody hates Mandrake, so not a single mouse wants to rescue him and some hissed at Miss Bianca. This probably humiliated her and damaged her ego, because there is no doubt that she had never had this type of social problem in her life.

Miss Bianca might also be annoyed at Bernard. They have been great friends with each other for a length of time already, but when Miss Bianca wants to rescue a prisoner, Bernard turns his back on her, leaving her to do everything by herself.

She is getting her character tested differently now, in working alone. In the first two books, she had to be brave, quick, and cunning, working with other mice to rescue the prisoners. Now, she hasn’t gotten to rescue the prisoner, but is trying to be able to rescue him. Miss Bianca has already gotten put down horribly. Her determination to rescue is tested, and so is her inner strength. Also her independence. Miss Bianca must think to herself: Well, since they won’t help me, then I won’t use their help. I can do this!

And as we all know, she can.

April 1, 2020


CHLOE ZOU

The picture takes place in the Porcelain Pagoda, and more accurately in Miss Bianca’s bed with its pink silk sheets. She is worrying over her plan of rescuing Mandrake, which is the reason she is sitting up with a look of worry on her face, with her sheets crumpling down to the ground, to which she is taking no notice.

The Turret is the third book in the Rescuers series, but it is a little different than the two books before it. For one thing, this time the prisoner, unfortunately, is not innocent: in fact he is far from innocent. Also, Miss Bianca is acting by herself, unlike before, when she always acted with the Prisoners Aid Society. And to make it worse, she is not supported by anyone, including her very close friend Bernard.  Although she does get help from the Boy Scouts who are very eager, even they do not know her full plan (at least in the beginning), so it is impossible to say that the Boy Scouts really do support her. This book kind of twists everything up a little bit. But it is still based around the same idea (rescuing a prisoner) even if this prisoner might not deserve to be rescued.

Even though Miss Bianca is kind of on her own island where only the Boy Scouts help her (and they don’t know the whole plan either) she has that determination to do it and doesn’t give up. All the other mice are against her, including Bernard, who means the most to her out of all mice. Though I think that if Bernard was on her side, it wouldn’t really matter what all the other mice think. Unfortunately right now Bernard is against her, so maybe a little part of her still hurts to think that her very close friend is not on her side. All the other mice think that “setting Mandrake at liberty would be to loose a monster on the world.”

Despite what they think, she thinks differently; she believes that there is a chance for Mandrake to reform if she rescues him from the Turret, which is what makes her keep going. Before, in the previous two books, you only get a glimpse at her determined personality, but now you can see it really coming through, when her drive is what makes her continue her plan to rescue Mandrake, because if she didn’t believe Mandrake had the chance to reform in the first place, I doubt she would have kept going, or even started at all. Not everything that happens is all serious and about her determination.

It is quite funny when she asks Bernard,  “Do you perform easy rhythmic movements too, Bernard?” and he then replies with a growl, “No, I don’t.” Miss Bianca is definitely a unique mouse, and not just in the way she looks (with her white ermine fur and her sparkling silver chain), but her determined personality. But even with her great personality she is stumped about how to rescue Mandrake from the Turret – it only has one small barred window, and a staircase guarded by George and Jack. Fortunately Shuan, the Boy Scouts leader, already has a plan in the works, and Miss Bianca’s plan to rescue Mandrake is hatched. But what I think is most exciting is the sudden change near the end of the book, having to do with romance, keeping you in suspense. Margery Sharp is able to include romance, while still making this series a delightful read for children, and it is not the type that is too sappy and makes children want to throw it in the trash. In fact I think the romance adds a nice second plot that is quite enjoyable to read. 

March 28, 2020


JASON YANG

Spoiler Alert – if you have not read “An African Story” do not read the below.

Roald Dahl was not only an author but also a pilot for the Royal Air Force. His short story, “An African Story”, is profound. Dahl writes this story as if it is a manuscript that he found, as if it was not written by him. Though the story has all the trademark Dahlian wit and pacing, it is presented as having been written by a different pilot, who died three weeks after he wrote it. Additionally, it is narrated in third-person omniscient, which lends the story further proof of Dahl’s own authorship. The story is about a man named Judson who was mentally unstable and had misophonia, which is the hatred of certain sounds. In the story, we are shown a series of events that eventually end with Judson’s death. 

            After Judson is killed by the black mamba, the Old Man says “You can have his share… We don’t mind you having his share” to the snake. The reader can infer that he was grateful to the snake for ending Judson’s life as, if he continued to live, Judson would only lose more of his sanity and pose an even larger threat to the Old Man. The Old Man felt that the cow’s milk was a small price to pay for Judson’s removal and showed his gratitude by allowing the mamba to drink the milk.

            As the snake drank the cow’s milk, one can interpret that the Old Man sees its appetite as a replacement for Judson’s, for even if the snake could not be told what to do, it still is able to defend itself, and, as the cow doesn’t seem to mind, that was enough for the Old Man. However, it can also be said that the Old Man simply saw a necessity to remove Judson. Judson killed the Old Man’s dog without a legitimate reason other than it was making a repetitive sound, making comments on not only the cow’s sounds but the Old Man’s sucking of his tea as well which could foreshadow Judson attempting to kill him. The Old Man set up a trap, therefore, leading to Judson’s death.

            Another reason could be the Old Man simply feared for his own life and decided the “slobbering madman” needed to go, as it was evidently shown he was not in the right state of mind and would eventually take even wilder actions.

            The Old Man’s story teaches the moral of, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend,” by portraying Judson as an imminent threat towards his safety and that of his animals. Though the black mamba was dangerous, for “when one is bitten by a Black Mamba, and almost at once the poison began to work,” the Old Man treated the snake with gratitude and said; “Yes… We don’t mind your having his share” and allowed it to drink the cow’s milk.

March 20, 2020


ANNA QIN

Though I’ve only read about 100 pages in A Long Way from Home, I have noticed that Claude McKay thinks very deeply about what others say to him, but doesn’t always take their words into action. McKay is a like this when both Frank Harris and Max Eastman want his set of poems, and Harris specifically wants to publish a fiery poem called “If We Must Die”. He gave a set to Max Eastman who accepted them all, including “If We Must Die”. Frank Harris asks him why he would give that poem to The Liberator instead of Pearson’s magazine, as he had wanted it! McKay really wanted “If We Must Die” to be published in Pearson’s, too, but it was maybe too late.

“I figured that if Max Eastman overlooked [“If We Must Die”s’] absence I could conscientiously give it to Frank Harris.” He thinks about it but Eastman demands it back (sending him a telegram) for his paper. In another case, McKay was asked by George Bernard Shaw why he had become a poet instead of a boxer. Shaw, the great playwright and essayist, thought that boxing would suit him better. I’m glad that McKay decided not to listen to Shaw and become a boxer because people like me would not have gotten to read his poems.

My favorite poem by him is December, 1919:

Last night I heard your voice, mother,

The words you sang to me

When I, a little boy,

Knelt down against your knee.

And tears gushed from my heart, mother,

And passed beyond its wall,

But though the fountain reached my throat

The drops refused to fall.

‘Tis ten years since you died, mother,

Just ten dark years of pain, 

And oh, I only wish that I

Could weep just once again.

This poem really stands out to me because as in a lot of his other poems, he seems very emotional and it makes me think of him as the guy who likes to cry. For example, in the poem The Tropics of New York, his last sentence is, “I turned aside and bowed my head and wept.” In this poem, he is able to cry. However, in December, 1919, I imagine how sad it is for a parent to die and would think it would be the opposite of what McKay did. Instead of not being able to cry, I would not stop crying. With McKay, perhaps, it was either be strong, or live the rest of his life crying. On the other hand, his relationship might have been so strong with his mother that he could not bring himself to accept that she was really gone. McKay knew she was gone, but he wouldn’t allow himself to cry over it because he perhaps had felt that if he did weep… well I don’t know. In the beginning, he talks about how he felt very comfortable with his mother, especially when she sang to him. His strong bond and relationship with his mother continues. Not face to face but heart to heart because he knows that she is still with him. Is this part of what makes McKay such a conscientious and relatable poet?

March 6, 2020


JONAH HUR

Claude McKay has changed a lot so far in A Long Way From Home. I have read around 100 pages of it and have noticed that Claude isn’t the same person that traveled from Jamaica. He is now more curious than ever to learn about the rest of the world, like the US, London, and Europe. He is finally starting to expand his writing beyond poems, with writing reviews of plays and publishing his second book of poems, Spring in New Hampshire. He is excited about the US, and on page 6 it says, “My mind was full of the rendezvous with that editor in New York. And as I couldn’t talk to any of the fellows about it, it was better to find elsewhere excitement that would keep me from thinking too much.” Claude is curious and seeks adventure whenever he can.

His interest about the world translates to his writing of poems and books, but despite his time in the US he never forgets his Jamaican roots:

 “So much I have forgotten in ten years, /So much in ten brief years! I have forgot /What time the purple apples come to juice, /And what month brings the shy forget-me-not. /I have forgot the special, startling season /Of the pimento’s flowering and fruiting; /What time of year the ground doves brown the fields /And fill the noonday with their curious fluting- /I have forgotten much, but still remember /The poinsettia’s red, blood-red in warm December.”

This is Claude remembering Jamaica and shows why he is a poet. Claude is not just curious and brilliant, but he is also kind, and we see that despite the racism that is evident in the US he is able to be kind to those who don’t treat him well. Relating to Inaya’s post below, in the question of friendship testing the law, when McKay is alone at a restaurant a pickpocket comes by and tells McKay that the police are chasing him. McKay now has to make a decision on whether to help this man who is a criminal, or ignore. The logical part in McKay’s brain tells him to not run the risk of getting in trouble with the police for helping a criminal, but the other part in McKay’s brain is curious to see a relationship he could have with him. McKay’s curiosity gets the best of him and he gives the pickpocket his hat to hide him from the police. “Would you weigh the chances of getting caught…” This is from Inaya’s controlling idea, and it is a fair question. This is exactly the same scenario McKay is in. McKay weighs his options of choosing the law or a possible relationship, and he chooses a relationship. Like Inaya says in her controlling idea, “I think you would be surprised what you would be tempted to do.”