Response to “Manners of Dying”

 It is an epistolary story. There are several stories in this big story. And these several stories have different ways to describe Kevin Barlow. In the “Happy Ending”, we see how the content of stories are different. But in the “Manners of Dying” tells the same thing —— Kevin died and how he died. In nine letters, Kevin had different food and went to death. At the end of the nine letters, there is the same sentence “The trap was released and your son Kevin Barlow died painlessly.”  The writer tries his best to tell Kevin’s mother the details about her son’s death and comfortable her.

Each letter stands for different versions. Kevin had different last supper and different attitudes towards Father Preston. It suggests different personal personalities. In nice letter, the writer shapes nine different characters. It makes me to think about the expression of the word can change audience’s feeling.

First group leader meeting about "The Lying cotton"

     We had a small meeting with group leaders yesterday. All the group leaders and editors attended the meeting. We talked about the future of  The Lying Cotton. It is easy to say that we would have a journal, but when we begin to do this, we find it is hard. There are a lot of problems for example the web site, the select of paper, the style of design. 

     The Art group and design group are making a poster now. I discussed the style of the poster with them. I think they can give us a nice poster with blue sky and soft cotton candy next week. And next Wednesday, we would decide the target reader so we can find suitable papers.

     Although there are many problems waiting for us, I have confidence that we will make a perfect journal.  

Respond to “Happy Endings” by Margaret Atwood

It is an interesting but strange story. There are six stories A to F, and they all have different endings. 
Story A tells a peaceful, happy but boring ending. Two people fall in love and get married. They work hard for their future and create a nice environment for their children. They bring up and educate their children well. After retiring, they have hobbies. They love each other very much until death. It seems that it is a happy ending. But I think it is a little boring, for there is no wave in their peaceful life. They just spend their whole life without accident. It is a happy ending absolutely, but it makes people find bored. 

As for Story B, Mary falls in love with a really bad man. He is selfish and mean. He cheats with others. Mary gets hurt a lot. However, she meets the one who destined to her life. And she lives a good life like Story A. Other stories are likely to the Story B. They have different experience, but they all have a apply ending like Story A. 

In Chinese, there is a word "Shu Tu Tong Gui", which means tread different paths that lead to the sam destination. Story B to F, people all experience different things: they fall in love with bad and selfish people; they live a hard life. However, they all have the happy ending. When we read the story A, we would find it is a sweet and happy life which everyone dreams. However, it is boring for they have no difficult in their whole life; there is no wave in their peaceful life river. There are accidents and fortuities in other stories, which make the life vivid. I think the writer may want to tell us that the unfortunates and accidents make life vivid and colorful. No matter how hard the life is, we should face the life bravely, and the happy ending would become true in our life. 

Art Editor

For me, I would like to choose art editor. I can use computer and art softwares well. And I like visual art. It is a challenging but interesting work for me to make ideas into visual art, which is more impressive and attractive than traditional way. What's more, since I was young, I've been dreamt working something related to art. So I want to be an art editor. 

From no one is here except all of us

The terrible war makes people homeless. They go to a lot of places: ocean, desert, city... They can't find a good and peaceful place to live. After many times, they become doubtful about the world. Separated from the world, they feel lonely and helpless. Later, after some years, they feel that it is hard to join the society. 

However, there are some goodness in the fiction. The writer mentions:" There are no such things as dead children. No such thing as burned up." The writer wants to tell us that there is still hope in the world. 

The title "From no one is here except all of us" is important. Although the fiction is about Jewish isolation, the writer does not mention Jewish, race or religion. "From no one is here except all of us" makes people to think about the discrimination phenomenon in today's society.

The Diary

The Diary

“Day15 Sunny Dry

It has been 15 days that I leave my homeland. Today I am sooo tired. I just walk and walk and walk towards south. Sands and dusts are everywhere. I wonder if it is because I haven’t been abled to see plants for so long that I’ve been so crazy about everything related to green. I hate sick yellow. The only good news is that our group still have some liquid.”

“Day 21 Sunny Dry

Today we arrive Xiamen. The last time I went to Xiamen is about 15 years ago. I was 24 and I came with Dad and Mom. At that time, there were beautiful sea and vivid plants… but now, there are only sands like everywhere in earth. Last night, I dreamed about Dad and Mom. In the dream, their bodies are not covered with yellow sands. They send me to the college and take baggage for me. It is in summer, we eat juicy and sweet watermelon and laugh together… Then I wake up, and I sadly find that there is no watermelon but yellow and hot sands. at that moment, I really want to cry…but I find that I have no tear… Keep walking…”

“Day 29 Cloudy Dry

Today is cloudy. I never feel the dark cloud is so near to the ground. Our group is so happy. However, we’ve been waiting for a whole day, it does not rain. Disappointed. Keep walking… I wish there is sea in the south.”

“Day 40 Sunny Dry

The number of people in our group is decreasing… Maybe there is no sea and river in the world. Today I meet a young mother named Lucy with her one-year-old son. For dry mouth, we don’t say too much. Her son begins to cry… Lucy bits her finger and gives her son to suck her blood… It makes me to remember mom. I miss you so much.”

“Day 52 Sunny Dry

I find that I don’t care the others death anymore for I’ve seen too much people dead. There is no sea and river in the world. Death is human’s destiny. We deserve it. Jesus Buddha God whatever, please just make me die.”

“Day 59 Sunny Dry

Last night I dream that I was a little baby in mom’s uterus. I am in mom’s body and I am surrounded with liquid. That is so sweet. I am so tired that I cant write…”

“Day 65

Despair. ”

We find him and his diary on one morning. His face is covered with dusts, and his cracked lips raises… I have no face to pray to the god for human did so many bad things to nature, but I still hope he went to heaven.