so much depends

upon

a red wheel

barrow

glazed with rain

water

beside the white

chickens

I think what Williams sees as he captures the moment of a dripping wet, red wheel barrow next to white chickens is a memory. The poem is structured as if he is trying to describe what he physically sees while thinking of a memory simultaneously.  It’s similar to that of someone stopping in the middle of a sentence because something else has caught their attention. The memory may be positive, possibly a playful childhood moment, or it may be negatively associated with a bad day the poet experienced with the red wheel barrow and the chickens. So much of it depends on what Williams personally feels and thinks of while reading this poem, or seeing a wet, red wheel barrow, beside white chickens.

 

so much depends

upon

a dark blue soccer

bag

that wreaks of

sweat

and carries a pair of worn out

copas

which really smell of

victory

 

 

I’ve created a website based on book “A Mango Shaped Space”. The details of my artifact are on the home page of the website! Check it out!

http://leigle88.wix.com/mango-shaped-space

Hi Drew and Max!

Max- I just started reading Mango Shaped Space as well but I’m not as far as you are quite yet. Although I have read the book before there’s only certain parts I can recall upon. I do remember Mia tells her parents about what she sees compared to everyone else. If I were in a situation like Mia I would probably tell my parents as soon as I knew how differently my mind was compared to everyone else.

Drew- I’m glad you found a book to substitute Butter! My brother owns The Maze Runner so I’ll definitely have him ship his copy to me before the semester is over. It sounds like a fantastic read. If you haven’t already I have a feeling you would really enjoy the Divergent series.

I’m excited for you to start reading Butter once you’re finished with The Maze Runner series and Mango Shaped Space. Typically this kind of book wouldn’t appeal to me just because the thought of indulging in the story of a young adult drowning himself in food grosses me out. However, after the first chapter I was completely engaged. I already wrote to you and Max my first thoughts so I’ll spare you the repeat comments. After the first ninety pages the book becomes really interesting. The author does a great job of tuning readers into the psychological world of Butter just enough to leave room for questioning his next move, which made it exciting to read. In contrast to the “thrilling” side of the novel, there were also parts where I became angry at the students who were pushing him to continue with the binge fest. Some students saw it as a complete joke thinking he wouldn’t follow through with his plan so there was no need to intervene, while others egged him on and encouraged him to add certain items to his “last meal”. I understand how his “last meal” can come off as a joke, but in all seriousness I was frustrated how Butter’s cry for help turned into a game.

My favorite character is still the Professor, but Butter’s friend Tucker from FitFab also makes my list of favorite characters because of his noble act to help Butter at one point in the story. You’ll understand more when you read it. I just don’t want to spoil too much information!

Lastly, I’m perplexed about the ending of the story. I can’t tell if I like the way the author concluded it because it was so open ended. It’s one of those opportunities for readers to choose which path the main character takes. Usually I like to hear how the author wants the story to end, not of all the possibilities of what could happen because I don’t like not knowing. But then again there’s also a sense of beauty and wonder associated with the unknown of Butter’s future and how his life will change.

I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the ending and who your favorite characters are!

Leslie

Hey guys!

The book, “Butter”, that you both chose is incredibly interesting to me! I’m only 91 pages in and I almost missed class because I was reading in the library and lost track of time. I have a feeling this is one of those books I’m going to need to set a timer for every time I pick it up, just so I don’t get too lost in Butter’s world. It’s definitely different from the typical books I read, which is why I also like it so much I think, the topic is so out of the norm, but in a way it isn’t so. If you think about it, the author touches on a lot of important issues such as, child and young adult obesity, bullying, addiction, and parental neglect. These themes are certainly hot topics in this day and age.

 

So far, my favorite character is the Professor because he is the kind of teacher I would like to emulate. He never gives up on Butter and continues to offer opportunities for Butter to step outside of his sedentary lifestyle. No matter how many times Butter verbally denies the Professor or stands him up for jam sessions, the Professor always shows his interest in Butter’s future and will go great lengths in order to help Butter succeed. Who is your favorite character and why?

 

I think it’s extremely important to touch on the concept of Butter’s addiction to food. Although, he hasn’t directly said that he is addicted to food, he knows he has a problem yet continues to divulge in his gross habits. To be honest, there have been some parts where I felt my face contort into a disgusted expression because of how grossed out I was. I thought to myself, “How can someone do that to themselves?” But then when I read chapter six I understood that much of the time Butter ate, his mind became disconnected from his actions. Think of it as walking or brushing your teeth. It becomes a natural habit that you’re able to think and sometimes do other things while your current physical actions remain in your subconscious (if that makes sense). Psychologists typically call this, “disassociation”.

There is a lot of bullying that occurs in this story so far. I have confidence you guys can point out the obvious bullies in the story (Jeremy Strong), but who else would you consider to be a bully besides Jeremy and his possy? Also, I would like to know what you guys think is worse, a active bully or a passive bully. I would consider a passive bully to be Butter’s dad because of his neglect of attention and affection towards Butter. Think about it….

 

Leslie

P.S. Let me know where you guys are at in the story, what pages/chapters we should look forward to, or if you’re already on another book!