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Josh Bernstein

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Josh Bernstein is currently reading

A Child Called "It" (Dave Pelzer, #1)

by Dave Pelzer (Goodreads Author)

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Josh Bernstein said: " Book Report Guidelines – Good Reads
Name of book: A Child Called It
Author: Dave Pelzer
Pages: 200
Genre: Non-Fiction
Reading Level of book: 5.9

Exposition (4-6 sentences)
Young Dave Pelzer is born to a family of three. His mother, and two brothers. From t Book Report Guidelines – Good Reads
Name of book: A Child Called It
Author: Dave Pelzer
Pages: 200
Genre: Non-Fiction
Reading Level of book: 5.9

Exposition (4-6 sentences)
Young Dave Pelzer is born to a family of three. His mother, and two brothers. From the day he is born, he comes into constant abuse with his mother. About 2 months after he was born the abuse started. His mother happens to be a raging alcoholic. His father cannot deal with her and evidently leaves when Dave is still a young boy. The father didn’t do much to protect him when he was around, so it really made no difference other than the psychological harm. The book goes through Dave’s stories of horrific abuse with his mother.
Conflict: (4-6 sentences)
The conflict is very simple, Dave Pelzer is treated like a slave to his family. His mother has no concept of him even being a person. Some of the abuse involves not feeding him for days at a time. Her sadistic behavior does not really even create a resentment from young Dave Pelzer. Another example of the abuse Is being locked in a bathroom with the bathtub filled with bleach. He chokes and his eyes run with water. A lot of the abuse due to Dave trying to eat frozen hot lunch meals, stolen from school because of the lack of basic nourishment at his house.
Climax: (4-6 sentences)
The climax is when Dave is faced with the option to leave his mother. His school finally looks into the abuse. They see the marks and start to take care of him. They feed him, and set him with CPS. Dave is faced with the problem of telling the retched stories of his mothers abuse, or sticking with his current opinion that she really isn’t that bad. He thinks that due to his innocent mind, and thinking just that she doesn’t feel well.
Resolution: (4-6 sentences)
The resolution is when he decides to go to the orphanage. He finally agrees. He chooses not to speak about the abuse though. I do not really understand this part because he should tell them. Dave finally takes a step closer to improving his awful life. The orphanage treats him well, but his vision of life is so askew from the norm that he believes it is just a dream.

Choose a theme in your book and compare to any piece of literature we have read in class. What is similar? What is different? What have you learned about the human experience? (7-10 sentences)
The theme I chose has to be innocence. This is displayed by the fact that Dave does not resent his mother after all the abuse. Because he still believes in loving his mother; that she will always be there for him and that she can change. He displays this several times throughout the book. He says “I love you,” and “I’m sorry” after the abuse has taken place, because his lack of life experiences does not provide an explanation for any of the occurrences in his life, or why they hate him so much. This can be related to “The Catcher in the Rye." It can be related because Dave struggles through life. He hates everything that is happening and all the bad things in his life, but he chooses/can't do anything about it. Both characters share a sort of innocence. Daves innocence is shown by not doing anything, and not knowing that what is happening is bad. That is all he knows, and doesn't realize there is something wrong with it. Holdens innocence is displayed by acting immature, like a child. They both show these signs of immaturity in the way they act, and in their daily lives. ...more "

Jan 07, 2013 08:32PM · see review

Josh Bernstein is currently reading

The Great Gatsby

by F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Josh Bernstein said: " Book Report Guidelines – Good Reads
Name of book: Great Gatbsy
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Pages: 205
Genre: Fiction
Reading Level of book: 7

Exposition (4-6 sentences)
The book opens into early nineteenth century New York. Nick Carraway moves from Minneso Book Report Guidelines – Good Reads
Name of book: Great Gatbsy
Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald
Pages: 205
Genre: Fiction
Reading Level of book: 7

Exposition (4-6 sentences)
The book opens into early nineteenth century New York. Nick Carraway moves from Minnesota to West Egg to learns bout the Bond Business he wants to get into. West Egg is full of newly rich people who inspire Nick. Nick meets up with Tom Buchanan who was an old friend of his at Yale. Nick learns that Tom is having an affair with a woman named Myrtle. After that Nick finds himself invited to one of Jay Gatsby’s parties. He brings Jordan (love interest) and towards the end they meet Jay Gatsby himself.
Conflict: (4-6 sentences)
Later in the book Gatsby tries to rekindle a sort of loved and lost relationship with Tom’s current wife. Jay and Daisy (Tom’s wife) start to hangout, and Daisy soon finds herself falling for Jay again. Gatsby admits his love for her and the fact that he moved to West Egg just for her. Nick set up a meeting for them to talk, which ended up being an all nighter. Tom Buchanan starts to hate Jay and act maliciously towards him. Tom, Daisy, Jay, Nick, and Jordan all decide to go to New York for lunch in two separate cars. Gatsby and Jay finally have a end all argument about Daisy, where she admits that she never loved Tom, and loves Jay.
Climax: (4-6 sentences)
On the way back from the whole fight scene in a New York hotel in their two cars. Gatsby and Daisy in one car and all the others in another. They drive through the area where Myrtle lives. Gatsby decides to let Daisy drive to calm her down. In a panic Daisy hits Myrtle and kills her. Gatsby decides to take the blame for this. They all panic and Tom is in shock. A few days later Jay is sitting by his pool when Myrtles husband comes with a gun and kills him, and them takes his own life.
Resolution: (4-6 sentences)
The resolution is more of a sad ending. Nick throws a small funeral for Jay. After that he retreats back to the Midwest to live a simpler life. He finds he cannot deal with the uppity life of New york and finds himself better suited somewhere where life is more lowkey. Everyone else is sad but they all learn to cope with what happened.

Choose a theme in your book and compare to any piece of literature we have read in class. What is similar? What is different? What have you learned about the human experience? (7-10 sentences)
I would say the theme of this book would have to be confidence. Jay shows confidence throughout the whole book. Even when he is fighting he keeps his cool. At parties he is so understated and confident that people are just amazed to see him and glad to be at one of his famed parties. This relates to Catcher in the Rye. Holden shows confidence when he is out with girls or even at school. He doesn’t take anybody’s stuff that they give out. He keeps himself strong and at least shows confidence on the outside. They are also different because they demonstrate different values. The Great Gatsby shows the tale of a man coping with an uppity lifestyle. Cather in the Rye tells the tale of an uppity man coping with a phony lifestyle and world around him. In that way they are very different. Holden has a very negative outlook on life and Jay has a very positive outlook. Phoebe in Catcher in the Rye is very confident, much like the traits of many of the characters in The Great Gatsby. Another thing is that they both live highly lavish lifestyles. The money contributes to their attitudes. ...more "

Jan 07, 2013 10:51PM · see review