A Recap of Chapters 1 & 2 of A Tale of Two Cities

Chapter 1: The novel takes place in England and France in 1775.  The English, at the time, are worried that the American colonies might try to decolonize themselves, as well as over the religious prophecies foretold in their day.  In France, extreme violence is a regular occurrence, in anticipation of the French Revolution.

Chapter 2:  Three travelers are making their way to Dover in late November, but the dangerous journey forces them to hike alongside their carriage.  One of the travelers, Mr. Lorry, is met by a messenger by the name of Jerry Cruncher while on the road.  The meaning and purpose of their exchange is unknown at this time.

All the Pretty Horses

1.  Struggling with the death of his grandfather, John Grady Cole runs away from home after his mother reveals her plans of selling their ranch and moving away from Texas.  Making this journey with young boys by the names of Rawlins and Jimmy Blevins, they soon make their way to Mexico.  During the chaos of a lightning storm, Blevins loses his horse, the main method of travel of the boys, and it is soon claimed by another in town.  While plotting to steal back the horse, the other two boys become separated from Blevins, but are soon able to escape their pursuers, eventually finding work as cowboys down south.   While working on the ranch, John Grady falls in love with the ranch owner's daughter, and upon finding out about this love affair,  John Grady and Rawlins are turned over to the police.  Blevins had returned to town during their separation to retrieve his gun, and killing multiple townspeople, was imprisoned, along with this "accomplices."  Blevins is executed, while John Grady and Rawlins remain imprisoned until the great-aunt of John's lover bails them out of prison.  Upon getting released, Rawlins returns to Texas, but John Grady returns to be with Alejandra.  Alejandra soon decides she cannot leave her family to be with John Grady, leaving him heartbroken.  Determined to reclaim his horse before returning to Texas, John Grady risks his life, but is over to overcome the opposition, riding into the setting sun at the end of the novel.

2. All the Pretty Horses is largely a coming-of-age novel.  The boys rebel against their families, running away from home.  John Grady unexpectedly finds love, and is immediately infatuated with Alejandra.  The characters are unsure of who the are and what their course in life will be.  However, by the end of the novel John Grady appears to be a hero, taking on the role of being a father to Blevins, understanding how to love Alejandra, and becoming a true friend to Rawlins.

3.  The tone of the novel is almost somber, as the reality of the West is truly revealed.  John Grady ran away hoping to find freedom in Mexico.  However, once there, he is repeatedly faced with tragedy upon tragedy.

The Meaning of A Tale of Two Cities

This novel takes place during the French Revolution.  In it a comparative study takes place.  A Tale of Two Cities contrasts the reactions in both England and France to this revolution.

A Poem Worth Loving

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

There is a place where the sidewalk ends
And before the street begins,
And there the grass grows soft and white,
And there the sun burns crimson bright,
And there the moon-bird rests from his flight
To cool in the peppermint wind.

Let us leave this place where the smoke blows black
And the dark street winds and bends.
Past the pits where the asphalt flowers grow
We shall walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And watch where the chalk-white arrows go
To the place where the sidewalk ends.

Yes we'll walk with a walk that is measured and slow,
And we'll go where the chalk-white arrows go,
For the children, they mark, and the children, they know
The place where the sidewalk ends.

As a little girl, I loved when my mom would read me poems by Shel Silverstein. This poem happened to be one of my favorites.

AP Practice Exam #1: The Open Question

"By their deeds shall ye know them." We often judge people by what they do; therefore, we consider people who commit cruel or reprehensible acts corrupt, base or amoral. In literature, however, authors often introduce us to characters whom we learn to like or even respect, despite their deeds.
Write an essay about one such character for whom you developed admiration or compassion. Briefly explain why you felt his or her behavior to be condemnable or contemptible, and how the author's techniques influenced you to admire that person. Do not summarize the plot. 


Holden Caulfield is one of the most judgmental characters one might come across.  In The Catcher in the Rye, his narration is both cynical and apathetic.  Some may believe that there is nothing admirable in Holden, but I beg to differ.  Through analyzing the wall that he has put up, one can come to understand that he is a troubled soul, calling out for help.
In high school alone, Holden is expelled from four schools.  This is due to his lack of caring as well as his inability to get along well with others.  The latter issue is due to the wall that Holden has put up to keep others away.  His red hunting cap is a symbol of isolationism.  He does not let anyone in to see what he is thinking, but he is unaware what it would be like if he did because he has never before tried.  A lack of caring leads him to flunk out of school upon school, repeatedly disappointing his parents and leading to his further isolation from the people who care about him.
Criticizing and philosophizing about society and those around him causes others to not want to deal with him.  Holden repeatedly refers to people as "phony."  I believe that the qualities of others Holden chooses to critique are the qualities he does not like in himself.  He is often the "phony" when dealing with others, using people for their material possessions.  His views of others are extremely superficial, and this is what causes him conflicts in dealing with others.
As analyzed above, Holden does not hold many admirable qualities.  Although his deeds are despise-able, I have grown to feel compassion toward this character.  He is merely a teenage boy unsure of how to go through life, so he isolates himself in an effort to not succumb to pain.  His parents are unsure of how to deal with him, as this is their oldest child.  I believe that if Holden had received psychological help when he first began blocking others out, he would not have ended up in a mental institution at the end of the novel.

Big Question Abstract

The struggle in defining who we are haunts our everyday lives.  Some define a "good" person as someone who treats others how they want to be treated.  However, what if that person doesn't care how others treat them, they're just in it for their own personal benefit.  A good person is someone who truly cares about others, and although that is an impossible status to measure, it is clearly evident who in life is striving to do their best, and who just doesn't care at all.  There is also the struggle of defining what is considered to be an unfortunate event.  For research purposed, that will be defined as something that causes pain or hardship to others.  As each person reacts to hardships differently, there will have to be different examples defining how bad things effect various types of people.