Alexander Solhenitsyn " One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich"

The title of this book says it all. I was not thinking it would be about just one day but a 139 pages later the day ended. I actually really enjoyed this book. I did not realize how hard the Russians prisoners had it in these prison camps. This whole book was about a really good day Shukhov had, but in any other story it would of been bad. Not only did they have to put up with the guards, but they also had to put up with some messed up prisoners. They were under fed and over worked. Kinda makes you glad you live in the United States. It makes you think how lucky we have it here in our country and they can only dream about it.

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery

This seemed very familiar to me when i read this. I had seen the hunger games movie which has a similiar plot but different scenario. They foreshadow the picking up of the stones by the children. I guess i did not catch that when i was reading it. The ending kinda threw me for a loop. I did not understand why they had to stone to death someone. I wish there was more back round into whty they did the lottery.

Ernest Hemingway's A Clean, Well-Lighted Place

This story is about an old deaf man who comes to a cafe everynight who is lonely and tries to feel wanted while drowning his worthless life away. there is a younger waiter who wonders why he tries to commit suicide with all the money he has. Then the older waiter knows exactly how he feels because he feels the same way like his life means nada. This story i think tries to reference to what life really means and what we can do to change it.

Raymond Carver's Cathedral

I thought this reading was interesting and kinda weird at the same time. It about a blind man the narrators wife use to work for whos wife died and is coming for a visit after 10 years. Robert never calls him by his name, but always by Bub. You could tell his was uncomfortable talking with him right away. Then it gets a little weird with all the drinks they had before and after dinner. Then on top of that they smoked a joint. I think at this point this is where he is getting comfortable talking with the blind man and at the end with drawing for him finally understands the bllind mans situation.

John Updike's A&P

I really liked this story it was pretty easy to read. I liked how he compared the cashiers as Sammy the young clerk with nothing to lose and stokesie a little older married with children. It was all about the girls for sammy and he was offended by lengel for telling the girls they needed to be better dressed. In the end Sammy tries to be the hero by quiting his job to get the girl, but in the end they are already gone. Now he has to explain to his parents why he quit.

Alexander Solzhenitsyn's Nobel Lecture

This being my first read i was having difficulty getting into and understanding the first part of it. I think he tries to explain how the rest of the world does not see how people lived in Russia and how they are treated. He warns us not to do what Russia has be doing for years. We living in the United States do not have a clue on how hard they really had it, because we have it so good hear.