White Mountains Blog Post #4

Freedom

"The bitter thing was all the spirit, all the gallantry, was wasted. For even more than inferiors, they accepted and looked forward to being Capped. It was a part of becoming a knight, or of turning from a girl to lady. Thinking of this, I saw how good things could be meaningless in isolation. What value did courage have, without a free and challenging mind to direct it?" This quote and the rest of the chapter relates to freedoms in many perspectives and in many ways. Here are two ways they relate.

In this chapter and quote, the author (in Will's perspective) is trying to tell the reader that even thought a person who is capped thinks they are strong, beautiful, kind, etc, they will never be as free as a person untouched by the tripods. That person has been wasted because of the tripods capture of his/her brain. Even though your happy there is nothing worth living for because you are capped, all your natural thoughts have been taken away from you. Being capped is similar to the government trying to hypnotize you into doing whatever they want. If you do follow the government around like a little puppy, you are not free. It is like being capped by a tripod. If you do not have freedom you don't have anything worth living for, because all those reasons have been taken away by the tripods or governments. Will saw all those people at the castle having a wonderful time at these festivals and dinners, but now Will is thinking these people can't have proper thoughts. What is the point of having all these happiness's in your life but you can't enjoy them? That's the horror you would have to face if you were to be in his time.

The capping takes away all these enjoyments in their lives. They can still enjoy themselves, although they do not feel the feelings that would naturally come out when they do. They feel a fake feeling that comes when the tripods cap you. Imagine living in a world where all thoughts and real feelings have been taken away and replaced with fake ones. If I were in the castle, or even near that uncapped, I would've started a uprising against the tripods and try to break the capped feelings out of the people who are capped. I would bring the tripods down. If you don't have anything worth living for, why live at all?

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Blog Post # 15

How were the tripods able to control the people?

The tripods were able to control the people through capping. The cap is a small metal plate that is stuck on your head so it is part of it, its a technological device that allows the tripod to control thoughts the tripods do not wish you thought of. Whenever a child would turn to a certain age (I think 14) people would gather for capping day, in some ways it is kind of like a funeral from turning from child to adult. Even though all the adults say it is a wonderful thing cause you're transforming into an adult, it is actually the end of your freedom. Although in some ways it is like a celebration from child to adult it is actually a machine that controls the thoughts you would normally produce. It is a funeral for your independent thoughts that the tripods control after capping. A perfect example is Jack. Before he was capped, he and Will would talk about capping day, they both agreed there was something fishy about it. After he was capped he just told Will that capping was a great thing, and that the tripods actually very good. You can tell the difference in Jacks actions and behaviour.

Is Will frustrated about the Comte, Comtesse and Eloise being capped?

For girls, as I have said, Capping was a part of the process of becoming a lady. When she had recovered herself, and wound the turban back on, Eloise explained something of this, speaking in English so that I would be sure to understand her fully. This brings Will back to reality from his mesmerizing state. He was beginning to go over board with his liking for Eloise. This was like a reminder not to get to caught up with her. It brings back all the knowledge that Eloise has been capped. Before Will had stuffed the knowledge back in his brain somewhere refusing to let it come out from its cage. This part forces that knowledge out automatically, bringing Will back to from his trance where he has been parked for a long time.

What were Wills feeling about being capped?

In the beginning of the book before Jack was capped, Will and Jack had a conversation about capping, they both agreed that it was in some ways scary. He didn't have fond feelings for capping. Then later, after Jack was capped, they had a new conversation. "Why should the Tripods take people away, and Cap them? What right have they?" "They do it for our good." Jack responded. You can tell that Jacks mind has changed after the capping and he now agrees with all the people who have been capped. "Jack," I said, "I've been thinking." He waited, without much interest. "Of what you said-about the wonderful things that men made, before the Tripods." "That was nonsense," he said.. This new conversation clearly shows Jacks mind has changed after the capping. Will's mind is still scared about capping, like every child's before their capping day. Although, I think he saw that after Jack was capped he didn't think the same way that he used to. I think Will is afraid his mind will change the same way Jacks did. When Ozymandias told him the truth about the capping he believed that, because all the clues pointed towards what Ozymandias said. Will thought the same as Ozymandias. If all the children in that village found someone like Ozymandias they, too would be on their way to the White Mountains by now.

Blog Post #14

How will Beanpole help Will and Henry on their journey to the white mountains?

I think everyone you meet teaches you a lesson or helps you in some kind of way. Many people have helped me through difficult times and in thanks I have helped them. This time Beanpole will help Will and Henry through their mission as well. This is good for both Beanpole, Will and Henry. If Beanpole continues running along with Will and Henry like he is now, he will make it to the White Mountains and be free from ever becoming a capped zombie. In this blog I will show you a few ways Beanpole had/will help Will and Henry through their mission.

One way Beanpole will help Will and Henry is through his knowledge. He is a very smart kid, and has knowledge about his surroundings. With that knowledge he can help Will, Henry and himself move faster. I would have taken the road south, but he chose west. "Because of the..." What he said sounded like "Shmand-Fair"... Here is one good example of a time Beanpole helped Will and Henry. Will and Henry would've probably taken the harder route if they would have gone south, but because of Beanpole's good knowledge they all probably saved a lot of time on their journey. Also, because of Beanpole's idea of traveling on top of the Shmand-Fair I think they also saved a lot of time, too. Beanpole also probably knows the way to the White Mountains because he was leading the way there. Beanpole knows short cuts that brings them having a much bigger advantage that others. Beanpole is an important part of the story/book. He leads Will and Henry to better route's throughout the journey. Beanpole is now part of the journey to the White Mountains.

Another way I think Beanpole helps Will and Henry on their mission is being himself. By being Beanpole, he is a cover for Will and Henry in a people way. People would suspect Will and Henry more than when Beanpole is around. Beanpole is a cover for Will and Henry in people's minds way as well as the tripods minds way. They trust Beanpole and think he is on their side, they are wrong. Beanpole is on Will and Henry's side. But so far I can still suspect him as a trader, no one knows what lies in the future. He is also a cover for them in a way that he can speak other people's language. He can eavesdrop on the people's conversation and then transform that into something useful. So far he hasn't done that in the story, but again you never know what lie's in the future. That could come in handy some time later in the story.

Those are some reasons I think Beanpole will help Will and Henry.

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Blog Post #13

How is Will just like you?

Connections are about connecting yourself to the/a story, finding something that is similar about the story and something you have experienced. After you have read a book have you ever thought of any connections to link you and the book? If you haven't try it, it's actually worth while. If you have, what type of connections have you made? Try to think of a variety of them. In this blog I will try to connect myself with the main character, Will, in a few different ways.

One connection I found similar with Will is his cousin Henry. Henry is like my little brother to me, annoying, mean, hurting and so many more words I can't describe. But somewhere deep down I love him, it's hard to admit it but I do. I'm pretty sure Will loves his cousin Henry somewhere deep down at the bottom of his heart, as well. My little brother always tries to hurt me whenever he doesn't like what I'm doing, and when he is mad (even when it's a reason I am not responsible for) he blames and gives all his anger to me. That's the same with Will and Henry. They fight a lot, when they do I think a lot of the time one of them ends up getting hurt, that's exactly the same with my little brother and me. When Will was running around with the watch, it reminded me of my little brother, when he stole one of my possessions. He was running around with it. I guess he thought I was at school because the next thing I knew he was in my room. I took one look at him and he took one look at me, the next thing I knew I was running right after the screaming little kid that was trapped in his mind. This part connects to when Henry was running after Will. Me being Henry and Sam-little brother-being Will. In the end just like Henry and Will, Sam and I were tumbling over each other, struggling to keep my possession. That is one way we are alike.

Another way we are alike is curiosity. We are both largely curious about things. For will it the watch and Ozymandias for me it was my new neighbor. The day the new neighbor moved in I was filled with three emotions: curiosity, happiness and jealousy. Curiosity because well, who wouldn't be curious when a new neighbor moves in, it's just like a new student in your class or school. happiness because I was pretty sure I was going to find new friends. Jealousy because I'm usually the new person and for my whole life no one has really taken over being new, except for this time. It was after school when the first event happened with these new neighbors. I was playing with my next door neighbors in our usual routine after school. I noticed two girls crossing the road. I had never seen before they looked about my age one was a little younger though, I decided they were the new neighbors and trotted over. I asked if they would like to join us in our game of kick ball. They agreed immediately, I spent the rest of the day (until the moon rose)playing outside with them. Soon enough our playing outside went on to hanging out at school and going to each others houses. I think Will and I were the same in that way, my neighbors being Ozymandias.

Those are some reasons I think I am similar to Will.