#6 I have a lot of blog posts...

It turns out that Benjamin Nab was wanted for stealing the girl of a higher man. Or at least he got framed for it. Ben gets taken away and the small group breaks up. Ren goes to Ben's captor McGinty and tells a long tale. He has perfected the art of lying. It combines all the adventures he's had. But to no availe McGinty gets Nab up from his torture room, ready to kill him with the gun that killed Margaret, the woman they both loved. The woman who is also Ren's mother. The collar he kept from the beginning was the tie that he used to prove it to McGinty. With that chance Ben signals with his blue bandage from his head and a shot from outside kills McGinty. All hell breaks lose and the two end up running away.

Even after reading the book I can't decide on the purpose of the name. The only connection I see is catholicism. Ren is young, innocent, and catholic: Which I've posted were all recurring themes throughout the book. It seems to be the classic story of a lost past gained back. Ren is never truely bad, but gets by with plenty of sins. The books ends with a cliche life of happiness gained with Ben. The struggle is over.

I see a parallel between Ren and many kids today. Divorce rates are huge now. Kids are born, but then torn by their parents. It is our worlds that we are begining to have to run on our own. With the economy this is also really tough because we are limited financially. Those like me who are lucky enough to have a job, and add in a ton of hours make it ok. But, as with Ren, it has its drawbacks. Sure, I can do what I want, but how much do I really have?

Blog post #5

I will pick up on where I left off last week with the living, dead man. It's hard to pattern him right away because he is still under the effects of being burried for a few hours. He and Ren make few interactions, Ren has a gun leveled at the man, but he suckers the boy in anyway and sweeps him up into a great bear hug. It seemed to signify that the Man had power over the boy because nothing more came of it. The Man turns out to be named Dolly, and works as an assassin. He has a tattoo of a chain around his abdomin, every link represents a man he has killed. Bragging about how many he's killed! For the time, I suppose that's just an occupation, that's how it is. I think about now: What do we brag about? Dolly is very good at killing people, "I was made for killing" (190), so indeed, he brags about it in one way or another. I brag about my car because it is one of my strong-points. What do you brag about?

A recurring theme in the book is faith. Dolly openly kills a friar who prodded into someone else's business, someone else being Dolly. Ren just about faints as he walks outside to see the eyeless man with a crushed face on the pavement. Ren remembers, "Father John always said the Day of Judgement would come during this lifetime. Ren looked behind and saw no one following, and no judgement" (200). Ren is slowly but surely losing his faith. He's realizing it's ok to do these bad things because nothing bad is coming back to haunt him (take that as you will). Its a question I fight with quite often myself. What is the purpose of faith and is it really real? Between AP Euro and looking at the event around me I find it hard to believe in. People seem to turn on faith when their lives suck, they abandon faith when they realize there is nothing to fear. In the book we read, Night, Eliezer turned on his faith because of the terrible things happening. Of course there are many religious explanations for the lack of an active god. It's all opinion.

Post #4

Ren is now growing up and getting used to the scene. Being a theif doesn't bug him as it used. There is a kind of numbness that the reader gets with Ren, as though we're helping with the stealing and yet, we aren't really doing it. This week, the threesome, (Ren, Benjamin, and Tom) settle in an old mine town in the house of Mrs. Sands; who is the widow of one of the many miners buried in the mine on the edge of town due to a freak device explosion. She is described as, "A full head taller then Ben, with great broad shoulders and thick arms" (135). Classic. I'm finding this book to be just a little too cliche; I can see through a lot of it into metaphors and lead offs to other famous works I've read. Once settled in, the three meet with the doctor and arrange the next activitiesl; Grave Digging.

Grave Digging only phases Ren. He doesn't like the thought of it (who would), though Tom and Benjamin don't find it all that great either. To make things weirder, and this is where we're losing reality, one of the corpse bags turns out to contain a living man, wrongly buried, barely alive. They end up taking the man back to Mrs. Sands. This thoroughly freaks out Ren, as it would anyone. Tom kept his cynical grumpy look on it "What are we gonna do with him? (150). The effect on Ben is the expected; he doesn't like it, but he has to do it. There is something behind Ben I am waiting to catch. Why is he a theif? What happened that made him lead this life? What are his plans for Ren? So far Ren has merely got housing and a little money. The book is still lacking significance.

Post #3

This weeks reading set the full scene for what seems to be the rest of the book. Entertainment is minimal... It is Benjamin, Tom and Ren living in this old wrecked apartment building. It starts as winter is setting in. Ben and Tom bring back a bunch of jewelry and teeth; they went grave digging. They polish and sell the items. Right before this, The two pawned off "The Lives of the Saints" that Ren had been given at the orphanage. Ren stole another book, "Deerslayer" to get even. This surprised me because he is a devout catholic, it would seem he is letting that go? However, now at the table, Ben uncovers the book, "What else did you take?" (75), and Ren hands over the ring he had already stolen. Ben and Tom are overjoyed at the boy's skill and willingness to steal for this is how the two live. The lifestyle really doesn't lay a storyline that is worth my time to read but maybe this will get better.

The sheep shaving festival is being held in town. Benjamin is a wanted man and is afraid he'll be recognized. Tom and Ben use Ren to sell their product; by changing the label it is now a behavior medicine. Ren decks a little kid and gets beat up. Tom scoops him up and rants about how terrible Ren is. Benjamin pops out and sells Tom a bottle of the behavior medicine for 5 bucks, which is rediculous for the time. Ben then sells the whole case, however, he gets recognized. They're chased out of town by gunshots. Ren, is left laying in the back of the wagon where Tom threw him, "He's high as a kite" (85). The medicine is a fake, it makes one high, but they change the name so they can sell it. This is just one of the many plots to make money that dominates this book. I still don't see any relevence of the title; "Good Theif..?" How is he good? I guess one must read to know...

Blog Post # 2

The story finally gets going this week. A strange man in a long sweeping coat and glasses comes to the orphanage. "His hands were thin and white. Definitly not a farmer" (35). This strange man is looking for something as he looks through the boys. He comes to Ren. The stump of Ren's arm is what he was looking for! He sweeps Ren up, who then vomits all over. Benjamin Nab is the man's name; Ren's new "father." He sweeps the Father with tales of a terrible murder by Indians that took their parents life. Nab poses as Ren's brother for this tale. Ren, and us readers, are swept up and believe the tale. What else have we to go on?

Next on the walk down the road away from place of Ren's life, the orphanage, to where ever it is they're going; which is no particular place. Ren learns of his parents real death. His mothers brother was overprotective and killed her and her lover (Ren's dad) when he found her child; Ren. That's also why Ren's arm is cut off at the wrist. Once again we believe this tale. This takes place in the barn of an old farming couple, the very couple that adopted William last week. Nab had tricked them into letting them stay in the barn.

The next morning Ren wakes up to Nab steeling the horse and wagon! "This deserved at least 3 or 4 times as many Hell Maries as steeling food" (51). He preys to god that he will be spared the incoming wrath. Nab lets his opinions of the worthlessness of religion be known and Ren doesn't know what to think. "We are borrowing, with good intent" (49). We have met the good theif.

Think I'll label these so I can keep track- #1

For third quarter (OMG ITS THRID QUARTER) I chose to read "The Good Theif" by Hannah Tinti. So far the book is to my liking; very vivid description but not overdone. The beginning 10 pages are mostly backround as one might think a book should start. The story begins in an orphanage. The place is run by catholics who own an old but profitable vineyard. The orphanage is classic; dirty and discusting, harsh punishment, and discusting crap for meals. Only boys take their places here. "About every month nurses from the hospital a long ways away come and take the girls" (4). The children get left in terrible ways. They're all, obviously, complete rejects, "the second was left in a bucket by the well, the third was left in a basket by the outhouse" (6). Adopters come once in a while. A man shows up at the orphanage. He sets his elegant horse and leaves the boys in wonder. His face is hidden thus far. The ritual takes place and the boys line up in front of the Saint Anthony statue in the middle of the yard. The man then walks up and down the line of boys and choses his pick.

Already the book has surprised me a number of times. In the book, when twins are born, the second is drowned because it is unlucky. I'm wondering what time period this is exactly because that is pretty cruel punishment for any day even close to now. Also, the main character Ren has only one hand. For being the main character, thats quite the set back. Ren ends up unadopted by the first man who shows up. What of the unadopted boys? "What happens to the ones who stay? They get conscripted into the army. Not an easy life. We do not question the will of god." The man readies to leave, "I do..." Riding off I can't help but wonder what this is foreshadowing. Surely something will happen with that man.

Finished the book. A reflection.

As popular as "This Boys Life" by Tobias Wolff is, I didn't find it to be all that special. It was pretty much a kids life growing up. The writing style was a bit sharp for me, lacked elegance, but perhaps thats not a bad thing. Diversity must be cherished. I find that everyone has their big events in theirs lives that would make their respective stories just as interesting to read. That's the word I'm looking for, this book was interesting, but that was about it. It started with a road trip as an 8 year old going across the country and ended up with him becoming a young adult. There were many struggles along the way, some self inflicted, some that couldn't be helped. Toby was only 10 and he acheived the title of notorious vandel. Throwing eggs at firebirds and running around crazy with his friends. He then moved with his mother to a small town with Dwight. This turned out to be pure torture for Toby. Dwight was anything but a loving father. After living there for a few years Toby looked into college with his brother and left the home.

I found reflecting back on the book to be more entertaining then actually reading it. I compared myself to Toby and found few similarities but few differences. Social struggles and family struggles are apparent in many of our teenage lives. We're all looking ahead to college (most of us anyway) and are letting go of the family. It was a great surprise to me when I recently purchased my car. The independence is almost scary. Mom and Dad play a very small role in my life at this point. Toby was on his own too. My home may be a bit better then his ended up being but it brought to my eyes exactly how fast we're all growing up. Its simester point next week, finals and all, and I can still remember day one like it were yesterday. This year has been by far the fastest of any year of my life. If highschool keeps going like this, it'll be gone in an instant. Most say thats how it goes, I hope to savor it as much as I can. I think we all should savor it.