Blog Response #3

Similar to my last blog entry, I am currently reading The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. I just now finished book four, entitled, The Swan. It's a story about a smart boy who gets cornered by two out of control pre-teens. The older boys, named Ernie and Raymond, torture little Peter by threatening him with a gun and making him retrieve hunted birds. At one point, the boys tie Peter vertically to a railroad, unsure as to whether or not he would be killed. Peter pushes his head into the gravel and the train goes over him.
While I was reading about Peter and the train, I started wondering about the consciences of Ernie and Raymond. Would they have been able to be as carefree as they are if Peter had actually been killed? Granted, they seemed disappointed when they saw that Peter had survived. So maybe that means that certain people don't have as high natural morals. Ernie was raised in a careless home but Raymond had a pretty decent life. Was it just Ernie's influence that led him to not caring who was dead and who, alive? Niccolo Machievelli was a famous philosopher who believed that everyone was born evil, and then some stayed evil while others were taught to be good. A bit later on, Thomas Hobbes, another philosopher, wrote a book called The Leviathan, which agreed with Machievelli's theory.
I don't agree with this theory because there are some people who grow up in terrible situations but still manage to have a positive outlook on life. I don't believe that one's upbringing is an excuse for brutish behavior.

Dahl, Roald. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. New York City: Puffin Books, 1988.

Blog #2

Recently, between reading school texts, I've been re-reading my favorite childhood book. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More, by Roald Dahl. Although a children's book, re-reading can lead to some interesting conclusions. One of the stories is called The Hitchhiker. It concerns a man who can steal anything from a persons hand without said person noticing. He refers to his fingers as "magical." In the story, the magical hitchiker gets a ride with the protaganist and urges him to break the speed limit. When they do, the hitchhiker steals the informational pad away from the police man who pulls them over, leaving them in the clear.
This caught my attention because even though the hitchiker steals all throughout the story, the reader is enthralled and charmed by his character. The idea of someone possessing a supernatural power that sets them above others is enticing. It let's the person who possesses the power have complete control. They can break the social 'norm' and live how they please. However, if they are smart about it, like the hitchhiker, they would stay out of radar and be subtle about it. Everyone has had dreams of having a superpower, but if they actually recieved one, very few would know what to do with it.
The hitchhiker from the story steals winnings away from the rich. However, he's no Robin Hood. He keeps the money for his own gain and although this is a treat of great selfishness and greed, the reader is forced to side with him. Anyway that we can get close to the idea of being greater than others instantly attracts us subconsciously. One hint at an extraordinary person and it'll have a full grown adult thinking, "I wanna be a superhero."


Dahl, Roald. The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More. New York City: Puffin Books, 1988.

BLOG #1

For this blog response, I read a news article entitled, "The New Pranksters" (see citation). This article is about a large group of young people who are stirring up the 'norm' by creating intricate pranks. My personal favorite prank that they've pulled is getting about five hundred people of all ages to freeze simultaneously in a public subway station. A video of the prank was posted online and after five minutes of puzzled onlookers, everyone unfroze and continued as if nothing odd had happened.
I believe that the reason behind these random pranks are to get people to stop and think instead of going about their daily routine. It's more of a series of social experiments that are eventually going to end up defining our generations. Ari Lerner comments in the article, "We're finding ourselves more and more disconnected [...] We all sit at our computers and we forget that there's a sun outside." She points out that the group is trying to shake away the monotony of the everyday life.
I love watching these people, no performers, go out and confuse people.

Gamerman, Ellen. "The New Pranksters." Editorial. Weekend Journal 12 Sep. 2007: w1+.

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