Week 5 Post B

“I’m afraid if I accuse somebody, that the accusation will backfire. Lawyers could make it look like my fault, the guys could get off and-” Sophie then proceeds to say, “If I accuse somebody, they’ll say that I wasn’t wearing any clothes, they say it was my fault. And I’d had some beer, so that too.” Her words came in huge sobs (p. 184). Sophie expresses her feelings to her mother right before she is about to board her plane. Sophie had decided to fly back to Montana and stay with her friend Grace for the summer. At first her mother, Rita, didn’t want her to go. But then Rita went to speak with Dr. Brooks, Sophie’s therapist. He felt Sophie going away might clear her head. Dr. Brooks thought that maybe by chance Sophie will be able to remember the perpetrators who bestowed horrible physical and mental pain onto her. After speaking with Dr. Brooks, Rita understood that getting away was the best thing for Sophie. She also understood why Sophie liked this man so much, because even when things seemed so bad, he made it seem like everything will be okay. But as Sophie and Rita sat there, Rita knew she had to do something to make Sophie know everything would be okay and that she needed to tell her who the people were that raped her as soon as she could remember. Rita needed to comfort Sophie and help her daughter get their lives back in order. Sophie finally left for Montana, leaving the pain, darkness, lies, and fear behind.

Week 5 Post A

Vocab:
1) Rancor (p. 196) n. Bitter, long-lasting resentment; deep-seated ill will
2) Illicit (p. 211) adj. Not sanctioned by custom or law; unlawful

Quote:
“I remember some of it,” Sophie said. “But not a face. I remember things like somebody’s hair, and a smell, and a watch ticking. I remember a watch next to my ear.” She began to cry again (p. 185).

This quote is very significant to the book because Sophie finally started to open up to her mother and tell her what she could remember. Even though it wasn’t much, it gave them both hope.

Week 4 Post B

Reflective thoughts of week 4 reading:

This part in the book is important for many reasons. Number one, Crow is found not guilty by the jury and now people know it was not him. Yet still lingering in everyone’s minds, including mine, is who committed this unbelievably horrific crime? Was it one of there very own? Was it there son whom committed this crime they despise? Was it there neighbor; the kid down the street? If not Crow, who? It is mind boggling when you think about it, because for the people that live in this down, the very ones they love could have committed this very crime that everyone wants to solve. But besides this case there are other mischief’s happening. Bobby has a gun now and is telling everyone it is to work on his aim to impress his father he did not even know was still alive. Bobby is going through a lot right now; receiving the letter from his father, finding out that his mother knew all along and just never told him, the controversial thoughts over Sophie and the fact that Crow is his best friend. So that gets me thinking; what is Bobby aiming at? There are a few options I feel he is considering. First, kill himself to kill the pain and confusion he is dealing with. Second, kill Crow for stealing his girl. Third, kill Sophie to save his hide. Fourth thought, kill everyone. I think Bobby is deeply depressed and just confused about a lot and needs some help. I feel Crow is the one to help Bobby find his way back onto the right path.

Week 4 Post A

Vocab:

1) Incoherent (pg. 149) adj. 1. Lacking cohesion, connection, or harmony; not coherent
2. Unable to think or express one's thoughts in a clear or orderly manner
2) Acquitted (pg. 168) adj. declared not guilty of a specific offense or crime; legally blameless


Quote:

“When the jury acquitted Crow…” (pg. 168).

This quote is extremely significant, because it tells us that Crow is found not guilty of the crime committed against Sophie and now can try to help Sophie figure out who is the true culprit.

Week 3 Post B

In these chapters I start to figure out who I think possibly committed the crime and raped Sophie. First it gives us information on Sophie’s life and how she moved from Montana to Tennessee. Her father died back in Montana and she was worried that if she moved she would leave behind the memories of her father. Sophie’s father, Ben, was a forest ranger in Glacier Park. (Ironic how he worked in the forest and Sophie was raped in a forest.) She begged her mother, Rita, not to move and asked her if she no longer loved Montana. Her mother told her that if she didn’t like Montana then they wouldn’t stay there. When they arrived they were greeted by their new neighbor, the town judge, Aurelia Bailey. She invited them to have dinner that night and when they arrived at the Bailey’s house they were greeted at the door by Bobby. Bobby took extreme interest in Sophie right away. Bobby showed up at Sophie’s house everyday the following week asking her to join him to go anywhere and do anything. She finally said yes when he asked her to join him at his band rehearsal at the end of the week. That evening he asked her to go with him down by the river. When they were down there he expressed to Sophie his feelings for her and tried to kiss her. Sophie felt flattered, scared and uncomfortable around him. She told him no and asked to leave. Then you have Lester. Lester first saw Sophie at school. He figured out her class schedule and watched for her in the halls. He finally got up enough courage to ask her to the dance. When Sophie said yes all he could think about is what he was going to do with her that night and how much he fantasized about touching Sophie. When that night rolled around, Sophie was dancing with neither Lester nor Bobby; Sophie was dancing with Crow and couldn’t stop talking about him after. That is where the jealousy of both friends of Crow’s came about. Crow came between the girl both his best friends like and this is where the entire story seems to start to unravel.

Week 3 Post A

vocab:

1. Azimuth (pg. 96) noun- The horizontal angular distance from a reference direction, usually the northern point of the horizon, to the point where a vertical circle through a celestial body intersects the horizon, usually measured clockwise. Sometimes the southern point is used as the reference direction, and the measurement is made clockwise through 360°

2. Appallingly (pg. 130) adverb- 1. To an appalling extent 2. Used as intensifiers 3. In a terrible manner

quote:

"I think about you all the time...Let me kiss you one time," (pg. 121). Bobby said this to Sophie.

This quote is significant because it shows the feelings that Bobby has towards Sophie and makes the reads think that possibly he could be the one who committed the crime.

Debates

Political Debate: These debates occur on TV. The purpose is to get their ideas out, gain more followers and to get more votes to win an election. It helps arrive at a better decision, because we then can decide who we agree or disagree and who we feel will do their job to its full potential. The debate is structured, which allows the candidates to get the same amount of time making it unbiased or it is set up in a way that makes it an equal chance for the candidates.

School Debate: These obviously occur in school. The purpose of these is to allow people to get out their opinions and to make an impact on others. It allows both sides to be productive, yet it can be either structured or unstructured. When it is structured everyone gets a say in and if it’s unstructured the teacher or one student would probably take over the debate.

Family Debates: These may occur anywhere, but most likely at home. There are many purposes for these debates, such as: what will happen on a vacation, what will we spend any extra money on, how to give each person an equal amount of time with the car, how much free time can you have before doing homework, and so on. This helps arrive a better decision for the family as a whole, and what will make life a bit less stressful. These debates are sometimes structured and sometimes unstructured. When it’s structured it makes the decision making process extremely nice, but when it’s unstructured it may just be our mom taking over in the end.