Monthly Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire is the second science fiction novel of The Hunger Games Trilogy written by Suzanne Collins. This book continues the previous one, The Hunger Games, right after Katniss has won the annual event (the Hunger Game) alongside with Peeta. However, with the actions she took in saving both herself and Peeta in the game, she must now take responsibility for her actions. Only one contender could win in the game, but since Katniss and Peeta both made it through as winners, questions has spread throughout the Districts about their defiance toward the Capitol and a rebellion might rise against their oppressed ruler. Now, Katniss is back in the game alongside with Peeta, facing new and dangerous challenges that awaits them as punishment for her actions.
Catching Fire is intended for young adults, ranging from around the ages of ten through eighteen, but in my opinion, I think it doesn't matter as long as you understand and enjoy the book. However, ten through eighteen would be the best choice to introduce the book to yourself or kids, and for advanced readers you could start a bit earlier with not so many problems on the vocabulary. There could be some slow readers who are having some trouble with the vocabulary and would take a longer time to finish the book, or maybe the reader is just not that interested with it, therefore it depends on the reader's view toward it. This book mainly aims for people who are interested in science fiction, thriller/action, some philosophy, adventurous, and romance. This book is a first-person narrative story where you know exactly what the main character is thinking, feeling, and acting. For me, this book is great and I enjoy every moment of reading this, because of the great length the main character has to do in order to survive and support her family. I like the touch of survival instinct, trying to survive in a poor urban city and doing whatever you can in order to stay alive. I love the action and suspense the book brings into the story, and better yet a bit of romance to mix things up a bit. I could have never thought there will be romance into this story, because of the so many action it brings, but it's only a touch of it and not a serious romantic thing. So don't get your hopes up, for any people who are deeply into romance. The combination of suspense and adventure of this novel will definitely grab your attention as it did for me, and you'll be yearning for more. For that, I personally recommend anyone for this book if your a fan of these kinds of stuff.
The only other book that I had read from Suzanne Collins is the first trilogy, The Hunger Games. Compared with the other book, Catching Fire, I would say the first was more appealing to me, because there more things going on. Out of the whole book of Catching Fire, most of it didn't show much suspense or action until the second half of the book where the second game actually begins, unlike the first book where there were a lot. Instead it shows more about how Katniss's life has changed after her experiences in the Hunger Games and her feelings towards some of her close friends. It talks about how the games has changed her both physically and mentally even after she has won the game, having nightmares every night about her experiences in the games and remembering the bad moments that always appear in her mind. However, the second book is talking more of the main plot of the whole storyline in the trilogy, and it's only the beginning with the rise of rebellion. The first book was all about Katniss's experiences in the game and a little bit before everything all happen with her hardship of trying to survive with her family. The second book delves more about the history and politics between the Capitol and the Districts, and realizing the full length the Capitol will go through in order to crush any sign of rebellion that will start a revolution in Panem. I like how the author put in a before and after affect of the games changing the characters' views, but one of the characters that I thought haven't changed that much to me after the effect. Both of these books of the trilogy series are perfect and provide a good balance between them for the readers to still want more.
The characters I'm interested in are Beetee and Wiress nicknamed, Volts and Nuts, because of their extraordinary mind tinkering with mechanical parts and figuring out complicated things, like showing Katniss on how to spot the force field that the game makers set up. They both are older couples from District three (involving and making mechanics/technology) who won the Hunger Games earlier in their age, and now reenter the games once more alongside with other previous victors. My first impression when I read them were that they were going to be one of those people who won't last that long, mostly because of their age which has taken the fact that they cannot compete with other more young and agile people. However, with their exceptionally smart mind, it could even the odds out a bit and possibly win it for them. Wiress is extremely intelligent and skilled person in the tech arts. She proves her genius toward Katniss by revealing that the arena is arranged like a clock, occurring on a timed chart with new and dangerous disasters that awaits for them. Wiress is a very scatterbrained person and usually has a hard time getting her thoughts across to others, nicknamed "Nuts" because of the people who couldn't understand her. Beetee ends up having to finish her sentences for her and the only one who actually understands her. Beetee on the other hand, is also the same who is skilled with technology, able to invent deadly lightning rods with seemingly innocent materials out of scraps, but without the weirdness. For that reason, he is nicknamed "Volts" because of his expertise of his tech skills. Their both allies with Katniss and prove to be valuable players during the game, who figured out many things which helped their teammates in succeeding. If it weren't for them, Katniss or the others wouldn't have gotten as far as they would have without their help.

Lit Circle, Part 3: Catching Fire

Reading the last section of the book, "Catching Fire," was very intense, because that's when the 75th Hunger Games actually begins, or as they called it the Quarter Quell. Katniss and Peeta enter the game again along with other previous winners of the Hunger Games. This time, Katniss is determined to protecting Peeta and making sure he wins the game, because the game makers won't make the same mistake as last time with two winners.
So far in the game, Katniss and Peeta joined up with two other victors, Finnick, a twenty-four year old man who is a skilled fighter with a trident, and Mags, an eighty year old woman, both winners from the past Hunger Games in District four. The team soon encountered some deadly traps set up by the game makers, and Mags was a victim to these traps sacrificing her life for the others to live. Soon afterward, the team joined forces with another group of victors that their familiar with. The total number of people in the team are now six including the three people who joined them, Johanna Mason, a winner from the previous games who fought her way through from district seven, and Beetee and Wiress, an older couple like Mags from district three who are extremely smart. Beetee and Wiress told Katniss about how to spot the force field that encircle the arena, and also about the arena's disaster like a clock occurring at a specific time.
After Wiress is killed by other victors, Beetee devised a plan that will electrified the remaining victors or at least kill their food source with just a copper wire. In the final chapter, the plan didn't go according to Beetee, and Katniss tie the wire with her arrow shooting it in the air causing a huge explosion which knocked everyone off conscious. Soon later, Katniss discovered that she, Finnick, Beetee, Gale, and Haymitch are on a plane being transported to District thirteen. She learned that there was a plan within the game to break out the remaining contenders and escape from the Capitol. After that the book ends at the part where Gale told Katniss that District twelve has been destroyed.

Schindler's List

Since most of us watched the movie, Schindler's List, this week why not talk about it
The images/scenes that stand out the most to me in “Schindler’s List” were the cruelty and inhuman treatment towards the Jews. In the movie, most of the Germans showed no mercy toward the Jews and didn’t give a care about them, just slaughtering them all because they think the Jews are inferior along with other non-Aryan (Poles, Slavs, Gypsies, communists, homosexuals, disabled people, and Jehovah’s Witnesses). The Nazis first actions leading to the stages of the Holocaust was classifying the Jews with a star strapped to their arm, passing laws to take away their rights, then transport them to the ghettos, and finally developed their “final solution” to exterminate all the Jews in death camps scattered all around of Germany and Poland. The starvation and diseases was bad enough for the Jews, but massacring many more in death camps was just plain horrible for absolutely no reason, just because their not worthy to the Nazis eyes. I was disgusted with the harsh treatment that the Jews had to experience through all of this and manage to survive the horrible ordeal.

The characters that stand out the most to me were Schindler and Anom throughout the whole movie. It wasn’t because Schindler was the main character, but how his attitude has changed towards the Jews and his experience with them. All he wanted was to make lots of money and saw the opportunity to do so by going to Poland to make his fortune, but his experience with the Jews has changed him and wanted to help them. Schindler did various things to help save many of the Jews as he possibly could, like pretending their “essential workers” and buying many Jews until he was broke. Anom on the other hand was pretty ruthless toward the Jews and killed some of them for absolutely no reason, like one part where he killed a Jew who was just waking by and minding her own business. He even snipes any Jews from a balcony if they just stand there to take a little break from work, and have a Jewish maid which he beats her up pretty badly. These characteristic of Anom mostly stand out in the movie because of his ruthless and vicious personality towards the Jews.

The things I learned from watching the film was how badly the Nazis were treating the Jews and the horrible conditions they faced. I was stunned on how some of the Nazis killed the Jews without even showing any emotion when they did it. I mean didn’t they feel at least a bit of guilty at what they were doing was wrong and cruel? Couldn’t they have possibly thought up of something else that wouldn’t resolve in killing, or better yet not to blame other people like the Nazis blaming the Jews for their problems? Another thing I learned, was that not all of the Germans in the Nazis party wanted to kill the Jews, like Schindler hiring Jews to protect them from the camps and the little boy, Adam, working with the Nazis searching for any Jews who was hiding, which actually helped saved some of them. People like Schindler and Adam were heroes to me who helped saved many Jews from death during those times, and I just wish that there could be more people like them who would risk their lives to save other people in need.

While watching the movie, I was a bit confused near the ending when Schindler wanted none of his workers to make artillery shells for Germany. I think he said to buy it from different businesses, but won’t that make a suspicion to the Nazis patrolling the factory and realizing the workers aren’t making the right stuff? That’s the only question I had during the film and nothing else I could think of.

I like the film because of the true historical event/facts that was taken place in WWII that shows a lot of details on what happened in Poland with the Jews. The movie showed the aspect of reality that these things actually happened in WWII and the unbelievable harsh conditions the Jews had to face. The acting and the music was superb, it felt very real to me when they spoke with emotion and their use of body movement around the film. The music was beautiful and gave it a nice touch to the film. All in all the film was amazing in its true story and the accurate facts about the treatment that the Jews had to face. I enjoyed the film and never got bored or lost of interest toward the movie; it is a true masterpiece in my opinion.

Lit Circle Part 1 / 2: Catching Fire

After finishing the first book, I immediately went straight to the second book of the Hunger Game series. Everything about the storyline is very interesting so far with all the drama of Peeta and Katniss returning to their own district as victors, and the intensity within some districts rebelling against the Capitol. I wonder if Katniss will really love Peeta, and what will happen next when Gale, Katniss best/close friend, enters the picture? Will something be going between Katniss and Gale under the noses of the Capitol? And also about Peeta's feeling about this relationship.

So far in the story, Katniss and Peeta live in luxury after they won the game, and the people are celebrating their victory for the 74th Hunger Games. Their lives have changed and nothing is back to their old lives. Katniss doesn't have to hunt anymore to support her family from starvation, since she won the game and can buy mostly anything that will enrich their lifestyle. Katniss have a problem with Peeta about her feelings toward him, and while Peeta sincerely love Katniss which he will do anything for her, even sacrificing his life for her. Another problem is with Gale, which they both kiss one time and aren't suppose to because of the fake love she suppose to show to the Capitol with Peeta. However President Snow of the Capitol caught Katniss and told her that he knows the kiss with Gale. He is enraged at Katniss with the threat to commit suicide with Peeta at the end of the Hunger Game that permitted them both to win. Also about the "berry incident" that gave them the tools to commit suicide, has spark some rebellion though out Panem. Some of the districts are already rebelling against their ruthless and evil ruler in the Capitol. President Snow threatens to kill her best friend, Gale, if she couldn't prove to everyone in Panem that her act was not of defiance, but instead was her undying love and devotion toward Peeta which made her did these actions.

Katniss and Peeta went on a victory tour, which was mandatory to visit all the 12 districts of Panem where festivals and celebrations are held for them. Through these tours, they experience the hardship that all the districts had to face from the ruthless people of the Capitol. This made some of the people in all the distracts wanting to rebel against the Capitol, and Katniss gave them hope which ignited the flames to grow bigger with her act of defiance toward the Capitol. Even though she tried to convince the people that it was her intense love that made her do these actions and not an act of defiance, it didn't work. Instead Katniss has made it worse than before and couldn't convince the people.

After the victory tour and a few days past, an announcement came up with news about the 75th Hunger Games called the Quarter Quell, which occur every 25th year of the Games. The creator of the games stated that all the previous victors of the Hunger Games must pick one male and female victor in each district to reenter the game and battle each other to the death again. Of course Katniss and Peeta were the only suitable one to be chosen from their district other than Haymitch who was old, addicted to alcohol, and out of shape. This news devastated them the most that they will have to do this all over again and this time more experience people whom already won the Hunger Games.

I'm pretty surprised at this and never predicted that this will happen, just hope that they will survive the ordeal again or something unexpected that will stop the games from continuing.

Statement of Purpose 4th Quarter

With a fresh start and finally our LAST quarter of this school year (^_^); possibly some new or old goals I will still have in this quarter. Which means staring off with my new statement of purpose blog again, but this time part three. What are my current goals as a writer? hmm I haven't really gave that much thought about it as time past by. I mostly just feel like typing anything that seem interesting to me and get it over with. Of course the same old goals that I said in the past still implies to this day. Those goals are still typing something that will grab your attention instead of blogging about my life, trying not to procrastinate at the last minute, and last but not least improving my vocabulary and writing.

Well I have been typing other things instead of my life after my last statement of purpose blog that seem to be useful to some people. I mostly just want to blog about any stuff that will be interesting or useful, mainly for the readers. I don't want my blog to be about my life and what I do all the time when people are reading this. I want the readers to actually learn something or at least find it interesting, instead of saying "Oh another thing about his day." So far I have been doing this which I'm feeling proud of, so check that one off.

Procrastinating didn't change for me, I still do my blog at the last minute and I think I got worse. I usually do my blog on Saturday or Sunday, but now... it went to Monday, Tuesday, then Wednesday, and so on to Friday. Haha don't know how that happened, guessing I got to lazy to do it I suppose. Maybe I was too busy with other homework, friends, or even video games to think about doing the blog. It's not much a problem for me since I remember to actually do it at the last minute, but just that I might not have enough time. It's better to just do the blog and get it over with as soon as possible, so you don't have to worry about it.

For my vocabulary and writing, well I'm not so sure if I did improve on it. All my blogs seem the same to me when I read it, and the only person who knows the difference is probably the reader who isn't me I guess. This is one of my important goals I should always remember to keep in mind. I should improve on my writing and hope not to get a "writers block" where I will sit there thinking the whole time trying to write a decent sentence. I do have those sometimes where I ran out of ideas to write and couldn't think of anything else. This got me distracted a few time while thinking of something to write. Later I doze off to doing something else and soon losing precious time forgetting what I was originally doing. Well I'm going to try my best to fulfill these goals for this quarter and hopefully make some progress.