Blog Post Assignment 7

1. What caused Kien to begin writing about war rapidly?

2. On page 87, the author states "His lost youth, before the sorrow of war". Are the words "sorrow of war" being used the same way as in the title of the book? Explain how or how not.

3. Page 89 gives very descriptive details throughout the section. How do the descriptions help set the mood for that section of the book?

4. What type of stories did the MIA team tell about former soldiers? Give an example.

5. What unusual event did Kien and his platoon witness in the Mo Rai valley?

6. What was the memory that haunted Phan?

7. How do you think the sorrow of war is similar to the sorrow of love?

8. Why did Quang kill himself with a grenade?

9. What did the soldiers believe caused Tung to go crazy?

10. What do you believe the hairy figures were? Why?

Blog Post Assignment 6

1. Parents tend to pressure their children because they want them to have a good future.  Most parents expect their children to have a better life than they did, and because of this they end up putting a lot of pressure on their children without realizing the true effect of it. Parents believe that by applying pressure on their children, their children will put in more effort.
2. Parents and children have conflicts that mostly relate to the child's life or opinions. Many children disagree with what their parents want out of them which causes a lot of anger and disagreements. Conflicts such as the child's grades, curfew, and friends can be an example.
3. People can be anything they want to be as long as they are focused and believe that it is possible. There are many possibilities and ways for a person to do whatever they want to do or become the person they want to be.  However, their are some characteristics that could prevent people from doing what they want, such as peer pressure, self doubt, and lack of necessities.
4. There is no winner in conflicts because everyone involved either got angry or hurt. Conflicts always start from anger and disagreements and end with someone's feelings getting hurt. For example, if two people who care about each other end up having a conflict there is no winner in the situation because both people most likely got hurt in some type of form because they care about each other.
5. My parents expect a lot out of me and expect me to be someone important in the future just like many Chinese cultured parents expect their children to be. They also believe in strict parenting and punishment as well. However, even though Chinese parents are strict they tend to have a close relationship with their children. In my household we are close to an extent. Chinese cultured families have parents that are just as strict as mine yet more engaged with them.

Blog Post Assignment 5: Quotations Assignment

Chapter 16 Quotation 1: " I no longer had the feeling that I was perched above looking down on everything, and it felt odd not to be able to see across the terrain."
3. Does the quotation indicate a conflict? If so what conflict?
- The quotation indicates the changes Cheryl experienced while being on the trial. The different climates, environments, surroundings, and weather. It was difficult for Cheryl to alter her needs and functions that much.
4. Does the quotation provide detail about the setting? If so, what detail does it provide? How does the setting description classify the time period?
- The quotation explains how Cheryl felt about her environment when she began hiking in Ashland. She began to mostly hike in forests that had obscured views. She described the setting as a "green tunnel". Hiking in Ashland resulted in her gaining back her close-up vision. They setting classifies the time period because it shows how much closer is she to The Bridge of Gods.

Chapter 16 Quotation 2: " The music made it feel like my mother was right there with me, standing in the room- only she wasn't and would never be again."
1. Does the quotation relate to a theme? If so, which theme and how does it relate?
- The quotation relates to the theme of acceptance. Cheryl realizes that her mom will never be there to celebrate a birthday again. This causes Cheryl to become angry and hateful towards her mother. Once she calms down, she learns to accept that fact that her mother is dead and there was nothing she could do about that.
3. Does the quotation indicate a conflict? If so what conflict?
- This quotation shows the fued Cheryl has with herself in her mind. She wants to let her mother rest in peace, but she cannot do that because she has not learned how to cope with her not being there. Cheryl wanted her mother to still be alive and able to turn 50, however that was no longer possible and that caused Cheryl to over think it to the point where she became angry at her mom and then herself.

Blog Post Assignment 4: Quotations Assignment

Chapter 8, Quotation 1:
"I was as searching as I was skeptical. I didn't know where to put my faith, or if there was such a place, or even precisely what the word faith meant, in all of its complexity."

1. Does the quotation relate to a theme? If so, which theme and how does it relate?
   One of the themes of the story is to never give up, to believe in yourself. This quotation shows how Cheryl doubts her beliefs and decisions. She wants to have faith in things, yet she stops herself from doing so.

2. Does the quotation characterize Cheryl, Paul, her mother, or another character?
   This quotation characterizes Cheryl as insecure or cautious. It shows that she sometimes doesn't believe in herself or her own ideas. It shows that you're rarely has faith in herself.