Marley and Me by John Grogan

May 2^nd, chapters 1-5, pages 1-37

Summary:

   John Grogan and his wife, Jenny, become conscious of the fact that their marriage is entering the stage of having babies. However, Jenny isn’t exactly the type of woman to nurture infants. To solve this problem, John decides to purchase a puppy in order to train himself and his wife for parenthood. Although the couple had agreed not to act impulsively in front of the dog breeder prior to browsing for puppies, they could not stand the utter cuteness of a particular male Labrador retriever and buy him right away. Following a sequence of disputes, John and Jenny finally decide on the name “Marley” for their new puppy because they both loved listening to Bob Marley when they first fell in love. Jenny goes on a trip to Disney World when Marley is brought home. John is thrilled because he believes that dogs can never obey more than one master. Marley is a very energetic and fun puppy. When Jenny returns, her interaction with the new member reveals that she has the heart of a great mother. Chapter five end on a pleasant note with the news of a baby for the couple.

Interaction:

   This novel is set in West Palm Beach, located in the Pennsylvania countryside. I think this setting is important because it gives us readers an image of a small, cozy house (with one loving couple and a dog) within a small community. I like this style of writing because it is similar to the tone of someone telling a story orally. I love the way the author describes Marley because his description provides a vivid images that make me feel that I have met Marley before. I can’t believe that this is non-fiction novel because it seems extremely interesting.

May 2^nd, chapters 6-10, pages 39-91

Summary:

   As time goes on, the cute tiny puppy Marley has grown into a large dog that intimidates people. This is an advantage for Jenny and John because they live in a seemingly calm area but with danger lurking. A cruel crime happened in their neighborhood a while before they settled in so that having Marley around gives the family the protection that they longed for. Bad news is delivered when the doctors and nurses inform the couple that they have had a miscarriage. Jenny and John are extremely upset about the ill-fated news. As Marley matures, he shows the first signs of obedience; however, when Jenny and John decide it is time for obedience classes, Marley turns out to be a disaster in the class and is kicked out by the instructor. During a thunderstorm when Marley is home alone, he completely destroys the garage; Dr. Jay, the veterinarian, delivers the news that Marley has thunder anxiety, which transforms him into a highly destructive creature. Dr. Jay suggests that Marley be neutered because of his age and this would also calm the puppy down.

Interaction:

   I think the relationship between John and Marley is interesting because they seem to have a special connection. Obviously Marley cannot comprehend everything that John is telling him and know John’s every emotion but I get the feeling that if Marley were a human being, he would be very similar to John. I like Jenny because, although she has to deal with great sadness, she understands that John feels the same pain and attempts to remain strong and brave. If I were John or Jenny at this point I would try very hard to train Marley because he seems overly energetic and destructive. I really liked their idea of taking a vacation because most people would think of their occupation as a priority and forget to stop, breathe, and enjoy life.

May 9^th, chapters 11-15, pages 93-147

Summary:

   Good news arrive in the beginning of chapter 11: Jenny is pregnant once again. This time, the couples know better and want to keep the news of their baby confidential for awhile. As time goes on, the doctors can see a clear picture of the baby’s heart. Marley grows more obedient as if he realizes that Jenny is expecting. John and Jenny’s new baby boy’s name is Patrick. Although Patrick’s grandma fears that Marley could harm Patrick, Patrick and Marley are actually good pals; Patrick always feeds Marley his Cheerios. At the end of chapter 12, John and Jenny are expecting another baby. A horrible event though, occurs when an unknown man attacks a teenage girl who lives on the couple’s block. John goes to assure the girl that the police will help her. This is when John realizes that Marley can be very protective because he stands in front of her house like a fierce guard. John and the victim, Lisa, become good friends.  Even though the baby is 21 weeks, the doctor fears he may be born prematurely. This is not very safe and the doctor does everything he can to keep him in the womb. Jenny has to stay in bed at all times unless she is going to the washroom. Marley is constantly ignored because John is very busy and Jenny cannot get out of bed. After a month or so, the baby boy, Connor, successfully comes into this world. John and Jenny are constantly exhausted because of the new family member. Connor is underweight he requires a specialist. Jenny starts to lose patience and takes her anger out on Marley who reacts negatively; she says that she doesn’t want him anymore. However, John isn’t a quitter so he takes Marley to obedience class; in the end, Jenny accepts Marley.

Interaction:

   I felt sad when Jenny said that she didn’t want Marley anymore. To me, Marley is a symbol of John and Jenny’s love because of his name and his presence when they were very happy with each other and also before the babies come. I was surprised that she is serious about kicking Marley out of the house because I thought that her love for Marley is bigger than her exhaustion. It seems as though John loves Marley more because he has not given up on him even in a difficult situation. I noticed that although Marley is obviously not a human being, he possesses many of the same emotions that we do; he feels happy when a new member arrives in the family and sad when Jenny does not want him anymore.

May 12^th, chapters 16-20, pages 149-206

Summary:

   In the beginning of chapter 16, Marley receives an invitation for an audition to act in the movie “The Last Home Run.” On the first day, Marley acts crazy so that the filmmaking is chaotic. However, the company wants Marley back for free. After the complications involved with the making of the film, another two murders take place in their neighborhood; John and Jenny finally decide their area wasn’t safe anymore and move to Boca Raton. Boca Raton is generally an area where wealthy people reside; John is scared of not being welcome because he has criticized about this area before in his news article. Although their new house was not as good as their old one, there is a pool and a park near their house. John and Jenny decide to buy a huge cage for Marley to live in, but in the end, he still breaks out. Their house is not “Marley-proofed”. Marley does not fit into this new community which has many small dogs. Although Marley is much more obedient now, when the couple takes their kids and Marley out to a gorgeous outdoor restaurant, Marley causes a great deal of trouble. With Patrick and Conor growing faster than Jenny and John desire, they decide to have just one more baby. Baby girl Colleen arrives as a new member of their family in 1997. Many people are scared of Marley hurting an innocent baby, but John and Jenny trust Marley with their whole hearts. The couples are getting busier everyday juggling work and children. Entering middle age, John matures with Marley at his side. John has a very relaxing job as a journalist. One day, he decided to take Marley to the infamous Dog Beach. At the beach, Marley met his best friend, a pit bull called Killer. However, Marley causes a commotion because he consumed a lot of seawater and barfed--this act ends in the banning of the Dog Beach many years later.

Interaction:

   I really liked the idea of Marley starring in the film “The Last Home Run” because this event just makes Marley more special and Jenny, John and their children will always have the memory of Marley. Marley reminds me of my own sister because they are both always cheerful and fun to be with. Marley and my sister both know when something is serious and appropriately; however, most of the time they are in good spirits and cheer up people around them and makes the atmosphere light and jolly. I began to think that Labrador Retrievers would always act fun and immature no matter what their age because although Marley is aging, he still shows same emotions and expressions as when he was a puppy. I wish that Marley would stay alive as long as possible and bring joy to this world.

May 24^th, chapters 21-25, pages 207-256

Summary:

   John and his family decide to move to the North when John finds a job as a journalist editing a gardening magazine. The couple, their kids, Marley, and other animals are moving to Allentown, Pennsylvania. The animals cause a lot of trouble on the plane. They settled into a house with a large backyard in the countryside beside hills and small mountains. Neighbors are cautious, different, and strange. Life is lonely but regardless of that, it is good. Life in the rural area suits Marley well but the children are not satisfied. When winter comes and the snow falls, Patrick, Connor, and Colleen finally realized one positive aspect of their new location. Slowly as time goes on, Marley gets older, quieter, and calmer but he is still fun and is always happy-go-lucky. Adapting to a countryside lifestyle, John buys a few chickens. Marley slowly sheds fur, deafens, develops bad eyesight and as well as arthritis. Missing the thrill of being a columnist, John returns to a new newsroom. Marley slowly becomes a lesson for John and makes him understand mortality; John is very afraid to lose Marley. Marley experiences a near death experience but he survives the odds. John and the family realize that time will soon be up for Marley.

Interaction:

   Seeing John’s agony when he receives the news of Marley’s emergency reminds me of a similar situation in my own life. What happened was that my best friend’s hamster died when we were in fourth or fifth grade. I was very close to this girl and went to her house almost every day after school. Her hamster always accompanied us and always brought joy to us. When he died, we were both very sad and felt like something was being taken away from us. This section also reminds me of the fragility of all living creatures in this world; I realize that we must embrace life with our biggest smiles and hope for the best. My favorite character is, of course, Marley because although he is getting old and sick, he always tries to bring laughter to the Grogan family. I felt sad when Marley fell ill and I wish that he could stay longer.

May 30^th, chapters 26-29, pages 257-289

Summary:

   John slowly understands the concept of letting go. He realizes that it might be better for Marley because Marley is very old. In chapter 26, Marley falls from the stairs but surprisingly and thankfully, does not get hurt. In chapter 27, Marley grows ill again with a bloated stomach; the doctors say that putting him to sleep might be the best decision. Marley passes away in chapter 27. John brings Marley home and buries him between some cherry trees in a hill near their house. The children are crying very much and leave things at Marley’s grave. Everyone is weeping and the atmosphere is extremely gloomy. Marley teaches an important lesson to everyone in the family and that is to live everyday in joy. John writes a column about his beloved dog and receives as many as 800 responses. Marley no longer sounds like a bad and naughty dog compared to some other people’s dogs as they describes. Although John slowly thinks less about Marley as time goes on, little reminders of Marley still make him very sad. In a newspaper, the Grogan family sees a dog that looks exactly like Marley with similar traits--as if he had returned from the dead! The family decide to check the dog out.

Interaction:

   I felt extremely sad when Marley passes away. The author always puts very detailed descriptions when he is talking about Marley. It feels as though Marley has been my dog and he is a part of me. It makes me realize that life is really too short and we need to embrace life with open arms. I wish that Marley would always be a buddy and a lesson to the Grogans about happiness. I was surprised and also sad when the suggestion of a replacement comes up; I do not think Marley can or should be replaced simply by a new dog. However, I love the way the author finishes the book with the question hanging around in the readers’ heads.

Presentation:

   John and Jenny decide to buy a puppy to train for parenthood and their lives were changed forever by a crazy dog, Marley. Marley, an extremely hyper Labrador retriever, was a troublemaker. Although Marley made John very frustrated sometimes, he brought many joys to the couple’s and their children’s lives. Marley took part in a film, vomited in the ocean, swallowed a gold necklace and was at John and Jenny’s side during their miscarriage. Marley taught the family that happiness comes in many forms.

By: Anna Zhan, BLK 1-1

Something Girl written by Beth Goobie

CH 1-3, pages 1-25, February 22th

Summary:

   The beginning of this book paints a violent picture of the protagonist, Sophie, getting beaten by the antagonist whom is also her father. Sophie gets dumped by her boyfriend Larry earlier that night after a high school dance and returns home way past her curfew. She gets beaten by her father every time she does something wrong in his opinion. Sophie is scared but she keeps quiet about her horrible situation. Her self esteem is extremely low because she thinks of herself as a stupid person.  Sophie tries the best to be obedient towards her father because her mother seems to not care about her. When Sophie gets beaten, she goes to a fort near the river that she and her friend, 12 year old Jujube, had built. Sophie used to babysit Jujube. When they bike to Jujube’s house, Sophie gets nervous because Jujube’s curious mother always questions Sophie’s mysterious injuries. Sophie tries to hide her scars because she thinks that social workers will just bring more pain to her in the end.

Interaction:

   I strongly dislike the fact that Sophie’s father cannot find make a reasonable attempts to discipline his daughter. Sophie is still young and learning; her life should not be scarred because of a violent father. He has no reason to hit her when all she did was come home late. If I were Sophie at this point, I would go ahead and notify Jujube’s mother or social workers because if I were situated in a house like that of Sophie’s, I would feel unloved and extremely scared. I can’t believe the fact that Sophie wants to hide her situation because social workers can change her situation and punish her father. Also, I want to know more about Sophie’s personality. Her character seems very timid, but I’m sure she is a sweet girl; what possibly could be the reason that her own father abuses her and that her boyfriend doesn’t want her?

CH 4-6, pages 26-49, February 22th

   Sophie isn’t too successful in class because she often does not do homework or skips. Many people in her school think that she is a loser. Sophie desperately wishes to be pretty, funny, smart, and liked by others. Teachers in Sophie’s school are getting suspicious about her injuries but she tries her best not to make them ask questions because she wants to avoid the interference of social workers. In chapter five, we discover that Sophie has a probation officer assigned to her; this is because she used to steal. Sophie did not steal for the things she could get but out of her anger. Sophie’s probation officer’s name is Ms.Lee. Ms.Lee gets very suspicious about Sophie’s arm and asks to see Sophie again. Jujube wants to help Sophie and convinces her to move into a group home. Sophie thinks that this is a sign that Jujube doesn’t want her anymore and gets mad. We find out in chapter six that Sophie’s mother also gets beaten by her father.

Interaction

   I really don’t understand the part where Sophie wants to make her dad love her. It is apparent that a man who hits his own wife and daughter has a problem. She is trying to set something right that has gone off track too long ago. I’m not sure why Sophie thinks that when she communicates with someone, she has to think if the other person wants to listen to her or not. I felt sad when Sophie thinks that all dads hit their children and that sometimes the child deserves it; in my opinion, no one should be abused for making mistakes. I began to think that the reason Sophie’s dad consistently hits Sophie and her mother is that they don’t object to his beating, I think things could really be changed if either Sophie or her mother speaks up. My favourite character would be Jujube because she is innocent, carefree, and completely honest. I think Sophie having her as a friend is very valuable to her, although their personalities contrast.

CH7-9, pages 50-76, February 22nd

Summary:

   We discover in chapter seven that one of the main reasons that Sophie’s dad is violent is that he gets angry when his business does not go in a successful direction. Sophie tries methods of dealing with pain, for example, she thinks of the pain as heat from a fireplace. Sophie starts to realize that she cannot make her father love her. After Sophie’s dad’s unsuccessful business meeting, he beats her up again and she passes out in the fort. Jujube comes to rescue Sophie and calls the ambulance. Jujube suggests that it’s time for Sophie to open up to Ms.Lee. However, Sophie thinks this would make her father very mad and he would hit her mother to get back at Sophie. When Ms.Lee invites Sophie’s parents in to the hospital room and starts to ask questions, Sophie is doing a good job of covering her secrets when Jujube explodes in the room and tells Ms.Lee Sophie’s situation.

Interaction:

   Jujube reminds me of a friend of mine because of their similar personalities. Jujube is very young, innocent, smart, and honest. Although Jujube is only 12, she knows what’s right and what’s wrong better than Sophie. She also has a genuine heart because she does what’s right for her friend. I think the relationship between Sophie’s mother and Sophie is very interesting because disregarding the differences in age, they’re very similar. They both have a family member who does not love them and abuses them, so why can’t they team up and conquer the situation? I like Beth Goobie’s writing style because it is very clear and understandable. I think all Sophie’s problems will be solved after Jujube’s notifies for Ms.Lee.

CH10-12, pages 77-105, February 22nd

Summary:

   Although Jujube has just burst out the truth, Sophie is still denying it because she can feel her dad sending her a message about keeping the abuse a secret. However, Ms.Lee sends her dad out of the room and finally, Sophie and her mother admit to being hit. Ms.Lee talks about taking out a restraining order against Sophie’s dad. Jujube is scared that Sophie might be mad at her; however, Sophie is glad about what Jujube did and is happy to have Jujube as a friend. Sophie’s mother is sent to a women’s shelter and Sophie notifies the police of the assault. For the first time in years, Sophie feels safe. However, when the police are talking to her, Sophie gets a scared feeling that maybe the police think she’s stupid too, but she puts away the thought of that and her brutal father. Sophie gets mad when she discovers that her mom will be going into a treatment program for four months and she will be going to live in a group home; however, everything gets better when Jujube and Rick, a guy from school, assures her that everything will be alright. At the group house, everything is peaceful and normal; Sophie can finally start a new life.

Interaction:

   The part where Sophie was notified that she will be going to a group home is very realistic; because if a social worker were to send me to a group home, no matter the situation I have at home, I will object and feel very homesick. I think the relationship between Jujube and Sophie is interesting because they have two opposite personalities but get along perfectly. Jujube is a very loud, fun, and expressive person, however, Sophie is very timid and shy; I think it’s a great combination and they could really help each other out during tough times. I want to know more about Sophie’s near future to see how her situation shaped her as an individual. I love the way the book ended because it made me very happy and optimistic.

 By: Anna Zhan

English 10, BLK 1-1