How did Jack's childhood affect his goal of wanting to go to college?
As a child, Jack's father always told him about all the bad people that were around. He would point to people on the street and tell Jack what crime they committed. This most likely contributed to him being afraid of being on his own. He also is very scared of commitment becuase he was always moving to different towns as a child and never stayed in a place for a long time.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
I believe his school and home life made him more likely to become a criminal becuase he was always surrounded by criminal activity. His father always made it very clear to him who was a criminal and what they did. His father was very blunt with him. Sometimes being surrounded by something you know is a bad thing can inevitibly control you to be the same thing you feared.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
I do not think that Jack's prison sentence was fair. I think he was in way over his head and he didn't know the full consequences of his actions. I'm not saying he shouldn't have been punished, but his sentence should have been shorter. The idea of the money brainwashed him so he couldn't think about how big of a crime he was committing.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
I think that if he didn't love to read and he didn't take any books to read, he might have gone insane. His reading habit was very good for him becuase it occupied him and gave him something to do. If he had nothing to do in prison but sleep and eat he would've gone insane. His love of reading out of prison also helped him in the same way. It drove him and gave him inspiration to be better than average. He was working to achieve something and that is what really matters.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
No i don't think he would've been as successful. If he was around other inmates he would get distracted and he could occupy himself with doing other things. When he was by himself there was nothing else to do but read and write.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
Yes they were becuase it gave the story more suspense and it kept me and many other readers interested. It also gave the story more emotion and it sent a stronger message. Because of the horrible descriptions of prison life, many teens and young adults might think twice before committing a crime.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
Jack uses foreshadowing with his chapter titles. The titles let us know what might be coming. For instance, the chapter title, "I Love New York" foreshadows that the boat reaches its destination in New York City in that chapter.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
I think that each part tells a seperate story of this memoir. They each lead to the ultimate climax and end of the novel. The first part deals with his childhood and growing up, the second deals with him bouncing around schools and jobs and trying to find money, and the third part is his time in jail. They each play their parts in this memoir.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
No i do not think mistake is the right work for the situation. I think a better word would be excitement (for the money) or greed. By him using the work mistake it makes me feel more confident that he is sorry becuase by him using the word "mistake," it shows that he realizes that he was wrong and that if he could do it again, he wouldn't.
Hole in my Life by Jack Gantos
To participate in this blog, select the Sign in link at the top right of this screen, then log in to Blogger. Once Blogger's Dashboard is displayed, select View Blog from the right side of the "Hole in My Life Discussion " box. Use the questions on the side bar as a guide and express yourself by selecting the New Post link at the top right of this screen, or comment on another's post by selecting the comments link at the bottom of the particular post.
This is a student-friendly place to discuss your summer reading assignment with your peers. Use this Blog only for matters related to the book – this is not a social networking outlet.
As you respond to the questions and postings related to the book you are reading, keep in mind that all blog postings will be monitored. If you use inappropriate language you will be reported.
This is for English class; therefore, you must write in full sentences and use correct punctuation and grammar. Please avoid texting or IM language, abbreviations, slang, emoticons, etc. In order to receive credit, blogs must be well thought out and at least three sentences in length.
This is a student-friendly place to discuss your summer reading assignment with your peers. Use this Blog only for matters related to the book – this is not a social networking outlet.
As you respond to the questions and postings related to the book you are reading, keep in mind that all blog postings will be monitored. If you use inappropriate language you will be reported.
This is for English class; therefore, you must write in full sentences and use correct punctuation and grammar. Please avoid texting or IM language, abbreviations, slang, emoticons, etc. In order to receive credit, blogs must be well thought out and at least three sentences in length.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
Hole In My Life Questions
How did Jack's childhood affect his goal of wanting to go to college?
Jack’s childhood greatly affected his goal of wanting to go to college. He moved around all the time and didn’t have a chance to settle down in one place or have a place to call home. He also couldn’t get comfortable at school or amongst peers because he knew he was eventually going to move again. Jack came from a family with no money so he had to work and wasn’t able to just focus on school.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Jack’s school and home life made him more likely to become a criminal. Jack’s school lacked the creative writing classes that would have helped Jack organize his writings and make him a better writer. Also, his home life wasn’t the greatest. He knew that his parents loved him but they were never there. He lived on his own a lot and they didn’t care if he was experimenting with alcohol and later drugs. He also never had parents there to set rules for him. He did what he wanted when he wanted and nobody could tell him what to do.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
If Jack wasn’t desperate to go to college I don’t think that he would have became a part of the hashish smuggling operation because he was finally home with his parents where he belonged and where he wanted to be. He would have been happy working with his father and trying to help his family get financially stable. Instead he saw an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up. He never hesitated to saying no to something illegal because he had the desire to go to college no matter the consequences.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
I think that Jack’s prison sentence was more than fair. If he was older and he wouldn’t have been let off the hook that easily. He is very lucky that his age was on his side and that he wasn’t punished that badly for the huge crime he committed.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Books are a huge part of Jack’s life and without them he wouldn’t be able to survive. In prison he would have gone crazy. He would have been bored and lonely if he didn’t have books. The books give him ideas about his own writing and they help him expand his vocabulary. Out of prison he relies on books so much. They are like a companion and a friend that is always there for him when no one else is.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
I do not think that Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his sentence in the general population. By Jack being in his private hospital cell it gave him the time to be alone with his thoughts and his books and to just relax. It gave him the opportunity to plan and organize his thoughts.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
Yes they are very necessary. They show what some people can only imagine and he shows what life is like for those people behind the bars. He shows the reader what happens in prison almost to warn them to stay out of prison and not make similar mistakes to his. The descriptions show what the result of committing a crime is.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The chapter titles give you a sense of what is going to happen. The titles are just topics and you find out what they mean as you read on. It tells you what to expect but does not give any information away.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
They are the 3 separate sections of his life. The first section was the part of his life where he was trying to find his way and mature. The second section was him dealing with having no money and wanting to go to college and him deciding to smuggle drugs. The last part was the time he spent in jail. I think he decided to divide the book into 3 sections because he wanted to describe each part of his life and the struggles and mistakes he made.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
I don’t think that mistake is the right word to use. He made a choice/decision to smuggle drugs when he knew it was against the law. The word mistake makes me less confident that he is sorry for what he did. I think that he is just sorry because he got caught and if he didn't get caught he would have thought that it was a great decision and that it pays off to do illegal things.
Jack’s childhood greatly affected his goal of wanting to go to college. He moved around all the time and didn’t have a chance to settle down in one place or have a place to call home. He also couldn’t get comfortable at school or amongst peers because he knew he was eventually going to move again. Jack came from a family with no money so he had to work and wasn’t able to just focus on school.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Jack’s school and home life made him more likely to become a criminal. Jack’s school lacked the creative writing classes that would have helped Jack organize his writings and make him a better writer. Also, his home life wasn’t the greatest. He knew that his parents loved him but they were never there. He lived on his own a lot and they didn’t care if he was experimenting with alcohol and later drugs. He also never had parents there to set rules for him. He did what he wanted when he wanted and nobody could tell him what to do.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
If Jack wasn’t desperate to go to college I don’t think that he would have became a part of the hashish smuggling operation because he was finally home with his parents where he belonged and where he wanted to be. He would have been happy working with his father and trying to help his family get financially stable. Instead he saw an opportunity that he couldn’t pass up. He never hesitated to saying no to something illegal because he had the desire to go to college no matter the consequences.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
I think that Jack’s prison sentence was more than fair. If he was older and he wouldn’t have been let off the hook that easily. He is very lucky that his age was on his side and that he wasn’t punished that badly for the huge crime he committed.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Books are a huge part of Jack’s life and without them he wouldn’t be able to survive. In prison he would have gone crazy. He would have been bored and lonely if he didn’t have books. The books give him ideas about his own writing and they help him expand his vocabulary. Out of prison he relies on books so much. They are like a companion and a friend that is always there for him when no one else is.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
I do not think that Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his sentence in the general population. By Jack being in his private hospital cell it gave him the time to be alone with his thoughts and his books and to just relax. It gave him the opportunity to plan and organize his thoughts.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
Yes they are very necessary. They show what some people can only imagine and he shows what life is like for those people behind the bars. He shows the reader what happens in prison almost to warn them to stay out of prison and not make similar mistakes to his. The descriptions show what the result of committing a crime is.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The chapter titles give you a sense of what is going to happen. The titles are just topics and you find out what they mean as you read on. It tells you what to expect but does not give any information away.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
They are the 3 separate sections of his life. The first section was the part of his life where he was trying to find his way and mature. The second section was him dealing with having no money and wanting to go to college and him deciding to smuggle drugs. The last part was the time he spent in jail. I think he decided to divide the book into 3 sections because he wanted to describe each part of his life and the struggles and mistakes he made.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
I don’t think that mistake is the right word to use. He made a choice/decision to smuggle drugs when he knew it was against the law. The word mistake makes me less confident that he is sorry for what he did. I think that he is just sorry because he got caught and if he didn't get caught he would have thought that it was a great decision and that it pays off to do illegal things.
Hole in My Life Questions
How did Jack's childhood affect his goal of wanting to go to college?
Jack’s childhood was affected greatly by constantly having to move due to his father’s job and was never able to get settled down and put priorities in order. Jack’s family also had a hard time raising enough money to support the entire family so Jack was forced to begin working at a relatively young age. All of this led to Jack not being able to focus on his studies and continue to a higher education.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Unfortunately, no matter how much Jack wanted to or tried to become a writer his life just wasn’t on that pathway. He was never able to really concentrate on becoming a writer and following his dreams. Instead he had to work and try to support himself throughout the years and he was willing to do what ever it takes, even if it includes breaking the law and going against his morals and ethics. He was able to do this because he never truly had parental guidance and was able to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
Jack’s plan was never to get incorporated with the harmful and wrong business of smuggling. He became incorporated with this operation because of his drive to go to college and follow his dream of becoming a writer and this was a quick fix to his money issue. Jack had a decent life without this operation and was making ends meat. He did not need this, but because of him wanting to go to college so much he seized the opportunity.Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Jack’s sentence wasn’t as much fair, as it was lucky. Had Jack been older and not applied to a college he could have easily gotten an extremely long prison sentence. Especially considering the circumstances of how large the drug bust was and his part of it, his sentence was more than fair.How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out ofprison?
Books were very important in Jack’s life. In prison, Jack was able to escape his harsh reality and get lost in the authors thoughts. He was also able to use them as journals by jotting down his ideas and thoughts between lines and in the margins. Out side of prison, Jack was able to depict the script of the books and learn many life lessons that would be helpful to him.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
I do not believe that Jack would have achieved the great feat of becoming a successful writer in the general population. In his private cell he was able to really concentrate and focus upon his readings. This led him to teach himself how to become a better writer by comparing and studying different authors styles. In a public cell there would have been many distractions and his cellmate may not have taken kindly to Jack reading a lot.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
The descriptions Jack was able to give the reader were very necessary and an important part to the story. Without these descriptions the reader would not be able to really get into the story and get locked into it. I believe it is also his way of telling the readers not to be like him, and take the same path that he did because prison is no joke and horrible things do in fact happen behind those bars.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The chapter titles are very little clues that give a small hints on what may happen in the following chapter. Generally, these clues are where something maybe take place or an object that is in the chapter.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
The book is divided into three sections to symbolize three sections of his life. The first is his childhood and before the smuggling operation. The second is about his experience during the smuggling operation. The third is about his trial and his life during and after the prison sentence.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
I do not believe “mistake” is the right word to use for this situation. Jack’s entrance and involvement in the smuggling ring seems to have really changed his life and he does not seem like he is truly sorry and really regrets the decision he made. This does not make me have much confidence in his sorrow.
Jack’s childhood was affected greatly by constantly having to move due to his father’s job and was never able to get settled down and put priorities in order. Jack’s family also had a hard time raising enough money to support the entire family so Jack was forced to begin working at a relatively young age. All of this led to Jack not being able to focus on his studies and continue to a higher education.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Unfortunately, no matter how much Jack wanted to or tried to become a writer his life just wasn’t on that pathway. He was never able to really concentrate on becoming a writer and following his dreams. Instead he had to work and try to support himself throughout the years and he was willing to do what ever it takes, even if it includes breaking the law and going against his morals and ethics. He was able to do this because he never truly had parental guidance and was able to do whatever he wanted whenever he wanted.If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
Jack’s plan was never to get incorporated with the harmful and wrong business of smuggling. He became incorporated with this operation because of his drive to go to college and follow his dream of becoming a writer and this was a quick fix to his money issue. Jack had a decent life without this operation and was making ends meat. He did not need this, but because of him wanting to go to college so much he seized the opportunity.Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Jack’s sentence wasn’t as much fair, as it was lucky. Had Jack been older and not applied to a college he could have easily gotten an extremely long prison sentence. Especially considering the circumstances of how large the drug bust was and his part of it, his sentence was more than fair.How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out ofprison?
Books were very important in Jack’s life. In prison, Jack was able to escape his harsh reality and get lost in the authors thoughts. He was also able to use them as journals by jotting down his ideas and thoughts between lines and in the margins. Out side of prison, Jack was able to depict the script of the books and learn many life lessons that would be helpful to him.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
I do not believe that Jack would have achieved the great feat of becoming a successful writer in the general population. In his private cell he was able to really concentrate and focus upon his readings. This led him to teach himself how to become a better writer by comparing and studying different authors styles. In a public cell there would have been many distractions and his cellmate may not have taken kindly to Jack reading a lot.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
The descriptions Jack was able to give the reader were very necessary and an important part to the story. Without these descriptions the reader would not be able to really get into the story and get locked into it. I believe it is also his way of telling the readers not to be like him, and take the same path that he did because prison is no joke and horrible things do in fact happen behind those bars.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The chapter titles are very little clues that give a small hints on what may happen in the following chapter. Generally, these clues are where something maybe take place or an object that is in the chapter.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
The book is divided into three sections to symbolize three sections of his life. The first is his childhood and before the smuggling operation. The second is about his experience during the smuggling operation. The third is about his trial and his life during and after the prison sentence.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
I do not believe “mistake” is the right word to use for this situation. Jack’s entrance and involvement in the smuggling ring seems to have really changed his life and he does not seem like he is truly sorry and really regrets the decision he made. This does not make me have much confidence in his sorrow.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Hole In My Life Discussion
How did Jack's childhood affect his goal of wanting to go to college?
Jack was always constantly moving and never had a chance to adapt to his surroundings. He could never get used to one school because sooner or later he would move. Also with money being very tight for his family he was forced to have work come first, then school, therefore he was never able to concentrate on his studies.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
As much as Jack wanted to become a writer his school and home life steered him towards a criminal life. He didn't grow up in the greatest of homes as money was always tight and they were constantly moving. He could never concentrate on his writing because he was too busy working. When the opportunity came up of earning ten thousand dollars, even if it did mean breaking the law Jack pounced on it.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
No, Jack was living a fine life at Davy's up in till then and was planning on going to St. Croix to work with his father. He only did the operation because he wanted to go to college so badly, otherwise he could have just worked with his dad and not worried about college.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Yes, Jack's sentence was extremely fair. If anything he got off lucky with his sentence. They said many times that his drug bust was one of the biggest in a long time. He was lucky to be young and get off easy.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Jack's love of books helps him through prison because he reads them to help give him writing ideas. He would then jot down his experiences inside the books as if it were a journal. Outside of prison books have a similar effect as they help give him ideas to write about.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
No, because Jack would never be able to relax and just write like he was able to do in his hospital cell. He would have to always worry about a fellow prisoner bothering him or taking away his books. He was able to have peace and quiet in his hospital cell.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
Yes, they show what really happens behind those bars. That people are really out to get you if you are not careful. He is basically warning you, that if you make the same mistake he did, you will suffer in prison, that it is no walk in the park.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
Each chapter title show the reader of what kind of challenge will be facing in the upcoming chapter. The titles give you enough clues so you can figure out what kind of challenge that may be.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
Each of the three sections were a different part of his life/struggle. The struggle of childhood, the struggle of the smuggling and the struggle of prison. He did this to show how each affected what he is today.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
A mistake is when you disobey a parents order, something small, but a mistake is not smuggling a ton of hash into New York. He makes it sound like it wasn't that big of a deal. If he were not to be caught, would it have even mattered? He probably would have thought of it has a great choice of his if he weren't caught. Phrasing it as a "mistake" just doesn't look like it matters enough to him as if could or should. It just makes me wonder whether he really regrets it or not.
Chris Formisano
Jack was always constantly moving and never had a chance to adapt to his surroundings. He could never get used to one school because sooner or later he would move. Also with money being very tight for his family he was forced to have work come first, then school, therefore he was never able to concentrate on his studies.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
As much as Jack wanted to become a writer his school and home life steered him towards a criminal life. He didn't grow up in the greatest of homes as money was always tight and they were constantly moving. He could never concentrate on his writing because he was too busy working. When the opportunity came up of earning ten thousand dollars, even if it did mean breaking the law Jack pounced on it.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
No, Jack was living a fine life at Davy's up in till then and was planning on going to St. Croix to work with his father. He only did the operation because he wanted to go to college so badly, otherwise he could have just worked with his dad and not worried about college.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Yes, Jack's sentence was extremely fair. If anything he got off lucky with his sentence. They said many times that his drug bust was one of the biggest in a long time. He was lucky to be young and get off easy.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Jack's love of books helps him through prison because he reads them to help give him writing ideas. He would then jot down his experiences inside the books as if it were a journal. Outside of prison books have a similar effect as they help give him ideas to write about.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
No, because Jack would never be able to relax and just write like he was able to do in his hospital cell. He would have to always worry about a fellow prisoner bothering him or taking away his books. He was able to have peace and quiet in his hospital cell.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
Yes, they show what really happens behind those bars. That people are really out to get you if you are not careful. He is basically warning you, that if you make the same mistake he did, you will suffer in prison, that it is no walk in the park.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
Each chapter title show the reader of what kind of challenge will be facing in the upcoming chapter. The titles give you enough clues so you can figure out what kind of challenge that may be.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
Each of the three sections were a different part of his life/struggle. The struggle of childhood, the struggle of the smuggling and the struggle of prison. He did this to show how each affected what he is today.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
A mistake is when you disobey a parents order, something small, but a mistake is not smuggling a ton of hash into New York. He makes it sound like it wasn't that big of a deal. If he were not to be caught, would it have even mattered? He probably would have thought of it has a great choice of his if he weren't caught. Phrasing it as a "mistake" just doesn't look like it matters enough to him as if could or should. It just makes me wonder whether he really regrets it or not.
Chris Formisano
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Questions
How did Jack's childhood affect his goal of wanting to go to college?
Because Jack was always moving and switching schools, he could never get a grip on his studies. He had to get used to new curriculums and never got situated. Besides moving, he was also working so he rarely had time to study and sometimes didn't attend school. With all this in the way, he had a bad education. This makes it very hard for him to get into college since his school record is bad. Once he realized that he liked writing, though, it built an interest into him which would be the driving force to go to college for writing.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Jack's school and home life made him more likely to become a writer. Although his education was not very good, he had an interest in writing. His home life was very good. His parents took great care of him and had hopes for him. They also showed him criminals to make sure that he would not become one. This quote proves that that technique worked. Although he may not have gotten a good education, most of the places he went to school were not bad, they were clean and offered decent education.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
Jack would still have taken part in the operation. He needed the money and wanted to get off of St. Croix. He even wanted to visit the U.S. This was the perfect chance for him to do so and the money would have been extremely beneficial to his life.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Jack's sentence was very fair. The huge crime he commited would have been a life sentence but because he was young his sentence was shorter. The sentence was also beneficial to him. It gave him time to set himself straight. If the sentence was short, he might have taken the risk again for that money.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
In prison, Jack would be miserable and bored. With his books, he was able to read and forget his troubles. He would really get into them and enter a whole new world. After reading a lot, it set him on his path to becoming a writer. Once out of prison, all the writing inspired him and also taught him valuable life lessons.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
Jack would probably not have become a successful writer because in the general population, he would have been influenced by the other prisoners. It could have changed him or he could have been abused by the prisoners and lost care for his life. The hospital gave him privacy and time to think and it was easy to concentrate there.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
The descriptions were very necessary to the story. He provides the reader with this horrendous image of prison. The reader can understand how unbearable the jail was and gives him or her no interest in being there. The book is about Jack's mistakes and the purpose of it is certainly so you never repeat his actions. These descriptions tell you the consequences.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The chapter titles are very brief phrases but long enough for one to understand the upcoming events. They either name an important object or place such as "St. Croix", or an action such as "marking time".
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
The author divided the book into three important parts of his life: Childhood, smuggling, and prison life. He did this to show how each part impacted his life.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
I do not think that "mistake" is the right word. People make mistakes and he is just saying that it's not a big deal using that word. It does not make me feel confident that he regrets it much. He is showing that he does not regret it because if didn't get caught, one can tell that he would have thought that that was a great choice for himself.
Because Jack was always moving and switching schools, he could never get a grip on his studies. He had to get used to new curriculums and never got situated. Besides moving, he was also working so he rarely had time to study and sometimes didn't attend school. With all this in the way, he had a bad education. This makes it very hard for him to get into college since his school record is bad. Once he realized that he liked writing, though, it built an interest into him which would be the driving force to go to college for writing.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Jack's school and home life made him more likely to become a writer. Although his education was not very good, he had an interest in writing. His home life was very good. His parents took great care of him and had hopes for him. They also showed him criminals to make sure that he would not become one. This quote proves that that technique worked. Although he may not have gotten a good education, most of the places he went to school were not bad, they were clean and offered decent education.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
Jack would still have taken part in the operation. He needed the money and wanted to get off of St. Croix. He even wanted to visit the U.S. This was the perfect chance for him to do so and the money would have been extremely beneficial to his life.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Jack's sentence was very fair. The huge crime he commited would have been a life sentence but because he was young his sentence was shorter. The sentence was also beneficial to him. It gave him time to set himself straight. If the sentence was short, he might have taken the risk again for that money.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
In prison, Jack would be miserable and bored. With his books, he was able to read and forget his troubles. He would really get into them and enter a whole new world. After reading a lot, it set him on his path to becoming a writer. Once out of prison, all the writing inspired him and also taught him valuable life lessons.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
Jack would probably not have become a successful writer because in the general population, he would have been influenced by the other prisoners. It could have changed him or he could have been abused by the prisoners and lost care for his life. The hospital gave him privacy and time to think and it was easy to concentrate there.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
The descriptions were very necessary to the story. He provides the reader with this horrendous image of prison. The reader can understand how unbearable the jail was and gives him or her no interest in being there. The book is about Jack's mistakes and the purpose of it is certainly so you never repeat his actions. These descriptions tell you the consequences.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The chapter titles are very brief phrases but long enough for one to understand the upcoming events. They either name an important object or place such as "St. Croix", or an action such as "marking time".
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
The author divided the book into three important parts of his life: Childhood, smuggling, and prison life. He did this to show how each part impacted his life.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
I do not think that "mistake" is the right word. People make mistakes and he is just saying that it's not a big deal using that word. It does not make me feel confident that he regrets it much. He is showing that he does not regret it because if didn't get caught, one can tell that he would have thought that that was a great choice for himself.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Questions
How did Jack's childhood affect his goal of wanting to go to college?
Jack's childhood affected his goal of wanting to go to college in a couple of ways. One was how he kept moving from school to school when his father was changing his jobs. Also as a child he started to learn that he had a liking for writing and he knew he needed to go to college to become a writer.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Jack's school and home life made him more likely a criminal. This is because how he would drink and do drugs and not really care about anything else and he wasn't working towards his goal of becoming a writer.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
I think he would have became a part of the hashish smuggling operation even if he wasn't desperate to go to college. I think this because he would have done the operation just for the money. He would not be able to say no to that kind of money.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Jack's prison sentence was fair. He was trying to smuggle in illegal narcotics into the country. The only problem I had with his sentence was that it did not give him an exact amount of time he was serving.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Jack's love of books help save him in prison because it gave him a place to get away from the place he was living in and gave him a place to escape. Out of prison, books helped him become a writer and complete his goal.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
I think that Jack would not have become a successful writer if he had served his term in the general population. He wouldn't have had his privacy like he had in the hospital cell. He also would have not fared well with all of the other prison mates in the prison.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
I feel that Jack's descriptions of prison life were necessary to the story. They were necessary because it gives you a visual of what he was going through in the prison and how uneasy it is to be there.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The clues of the chapter titles provide what is going to happen in the chapter or where the chapter is taking place. He signals the reader ahead of time by telling clues about what will happen.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
I think the author decided to separate parts of the story because he wanted to show the different parts of his life. The first section was his life before the smuggling operation. The second section is his life during the smuggling operation. The third section is his life in prison and getting out of prison.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
Jack makes me feel less confident that he is sorry for what he did. If he was not caught for his crime he would have probably left this whole event behind him. Also before he agreed to the smuggling operation he should have known the consequences and knew it was wrong.
Jack's childhood affected his goal of wanting to go to college in a couple of ways. One was how he kept moving from school to school when his father was changing his jobs. Also as a child he started to learn that he had a liking for writing and he knew he needed to go to college to become a writer.
On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Jack's school and home life made him more likely a criminal. This is because how he would drink and do drugs and not really care about anything else and he wasn't working towards his goal of becoming a writer.
If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
I think he would have became a part of the hashish smuggling operation even if he wasn't desperate to go to college. I think this because he would have done the operation just for the money. He would not be able to say no to that kind of money.
Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Jack's prison sentence was fair. He was trying to smuggle in illegal narcotics into the country. The only problem I had with his sentence was that it did not give him an exact amount of time he was serving.
How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Jack's love of books help save him in prison because it gave him a place to get away from the place he was living in and gave him a place to escape. Out of prison, books helped him become a writer and complete his goal.
Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
I think that Jack would not have become a successful writer if he had served his term in the general population. He wouldn't have had his privacy like he had in the hospital cell. He also would have not fared well with all of the other prison mates in the prison.
Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
I feel that Jack's descriptions of prison life were necessary to the story. They were necessary because it gives you a visual of what he was going through in the prison and how uneasy it is to be there.
What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The clues of the chapter titles provide what is going to happen in the chapter or where the chapter is taking place. He signals the reader ahead of time by telling clues about what will happen.
The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
I think the author decided to separate parts of the story because he wanted to show the different parts of his life. The first section was his life before the smuggling operation. The second section is his life during the smuggling operation. The third section is his life in prison and getting out of prison.
Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
Jack makes me feel less confident that he is sorry for what he did. If he was not caught for his crime he would have probably left this whole event behind him. Also before he agreed to the smuggling operation he should have known the consequences and knew it was wrong.
Hole in My Life Questions
1. How did Jack's childhood affect his goal of wanting to go to college?
Jacks childhood affected his goal of wanting to go to college because he was always changing schools and moving. since he was switching schools it was tough for him to be able to get comfortable and do good in his new school. He also had to work on top of school so that made it even more difficult for him to get into college and obtain his goal.
2. On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Jacks school and home life made him more likely to become a writer because even though he moved constantly he still was reading and writing, he was just not getting a great education. His parents cared about him and gave him work. They would even show him the criminals so he wouldnt become one down the road.
3. If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
If he wasnt so desperate to go to college i think he would have avoided the whole opperation. He was to nervous about it to do it but he did do it because he wanted to go to college that bad. Yeah he wanted to get off St. Croix but he could of tried to get another way off with another ship.
4. Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Yeah Jacks sentence was very fair. He did something that could get you in jail for live but he was lucky enough to get nothing near a life sentence. He got a short sentence because he was young but if he was older it would have been a different story.
5. How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Jacks love for books were what helped carry him though prision. He would read his books and forget about what was around him and just play the part of the character. From the books when he eventually got out of prision he leared alot of lessons from them.
6. Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
If Jack served his term in general population it could have went two ways. He could have seen alot more and become even a better writer. Or he could have been abused by the men in there and maybe not even make it out of prision wanting to become a writer. He probably would have become even better though because he would have seen way more then he saw in his hospital cell.
7. Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
Jacks descriptions of the story were necessary. It gave us a feel of what prision life is like and how terrible it is. He was trying to show us that we should have no desire to go to prision so we would not commit any crimes. If he left out all this description this book might not be half as good and people would just think prision is an easy place to be.
8. What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The chapter titles provide a clue to whats gonna be in the chapter. They would mostly hint as to somewhere he went or and object in the chapter. He would title them "getting out"which ment he got out of jail or "St. Croix" which was where he ended up.
9. The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
The book is divided in three because they represent diffent parts of his life. One is his youth. The second section is him living on St. Croix and his agreement to the drug smuggling. The third is him going to court and prison and his life in prison.
10. Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
"Mistake" is not the word that should have been used. He did it for a reason and he knows that. He did it to get money for college and get off the island. By him saying "mistake" you can tell he is not very sorry for what he did. He doesnt really regret it he just wishes they never got caught.
Jacks childhood affected his goal of wanting to go to college because he was always changing schools and moving. since he was switching schools it was tough for him to be able to get comfortable and do good in his new school. He also had to work on top of school so that made it even more difficult for him to get into college and obtain his goal.
2. On page 28, Jack says, "And if not a writer, I wasn't sure what I might do, but I certainly had no interest in becoming a criminal." Did Jack's school and home life make him more likely to become a criminal or a writer? Why?
Jacks school and home life made him more likely to become a writer because even though he moved constantly he still was reading and writing, he was just not getting a great education. His parents cared about him and gave him work. They would even show him the criminals so he wouldnt become one down the road.
3. If Jack wasn't desperate to go to college, do you think he would have become a part of the hashish smuggling operation?
If he wasnt so desperate to go to college i think he would have avoided the whole opperation. He was to nervous about it to do it but he did do it because he wanted to go to college that bad. Yeah he wanted to get off St. Croix but he could of tried to get another way off with another ship.
4. Was Jack's prison sentence fair?
Yeah Jacks sentence was very fair. He did something that could get you in jail for live but he was lucky enough to get nothing near a life sentence. He got a short sentence because he was young but if he was older it would have been a different story.
5. How does Jack's love of books help save him in prison? What about out of prison?
Jacks love for books were what helped carry him though prision. He would read his books and forget about what was around him and just play the part of the character. From the books when he eventually got out of prision he leared alot of lessons from them.
6. Do you think Jack would have become a successful writer if he had served his prison term in the general population rather than in his private hospital cell?
If Jack served his term in general population it could have went two ways. He could have seen alot more and become even a better writer. Or he could have been abused by the men in there and maybe not even make it out of prision wanting to become a writer. He probably would have become even better though because he would have seen way more then he saw in his hospital cell.
7. Were Jack's unflinching descriptions of prison life necessary to the story? Why or why not?
Jacks descriptions of the story were necessary. It gave us a feel of what prision life is like and how terrible it is. He was trying to show us that we should have no desire to go to prision so we would not commit any crimes. If he left out all this description this book might not be half as good and people would just think prision is an easy place to be.
8. What kinds of clues do the chapter titles provide? How does Jack signal the reader ahead of time about what will occur in the chapter?
The chapter titles provide a clue to whats gonna be in the chapter. They would mostly hint as to somewhere he went or and object in the chapter. He would title them "getting out"which ment he got out of jail or "St. Croix" which was where he ended up.
9. The book is divided into three sections. Why do you think the author decided to separate parts of the story?
The book is divided in three because they represent diffent parts of his life. One is his youth. The second section is him living on St. Croix and his agreement to the drug smuggling. The third is him going to court and prison and his life in prison.
10. Jack claims that his becoming involved in the smuggling ring was "a mistake." Do you think "mistake" is the right word for the situation? By using the word "mistake," does Jack make you feel more or less confident that he is sorry for what he did?
"Mistake" is not the word that should have been used. He did it for a reason and he knows that. He did it to get money for college and get off the island. By him saying "mistake" you can tell he is not very sorry for what he did. He doesnt really regret it he just wishes they never got caught.