The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapters 35-36, Conclusion
Sid sneaks into the room that Tom and Huck are changing in. He reveals what the heck is going on: Widow Douglas is throwing a party for the old Welshman and his sons. He also reveals that the Welshman is going to tell Huck's part of the Widow's rescue, and that it won't be a surprise, since someone has rattled. Tom knows that the tattler is Sid, and kicks his younger brother out.
Thanks to Sid, the Welshman's surprise isn't so surprising anymore. But Tom manages to get a real shock out of the crowd. He reveals the treasure that he and Huck had dug up!
Things change quickly. All the nearby "haunted" houses are torn up for treasure, and the boys are considered like treasures themselves. They are each given an income from their 12-thousand dollar treasure depot.
Judge Thatcher is the one who is put in charge of Tom's money. He really likes Tom at this point. Things get even better after Becky tells her dad about how Tom saved her from a whipping in school.
Widow Douglas becomes Huck's guardian. Huck is made to live a civilized life... and he hates it. He even runs away, and starts living his old life again.
Tom fixes that. He and Huck have talked about making a robber gang before. He says that if Huck stops living a civilized life, he can't join the robber gang. Huck struggles, but decides to continue living the civilized life so he can be a robber.
The Conclusion could have been better. Mark Twain does a good job giving a good reason for stopping, but I would have liked to have known what happened to everyone. Mark Twain does say that they are happy and prosperous, but I would have liked more details. What did everyone grow up to be? Did any of them get married, and to whom?
I was really surprised about what happened to the treasure. I would have believed it if they had taken the treasure completely away from the boys. But instead, the adults took it and start giving it to the boys slowly.
Huck acted very realistically in this area. He suffered the civilized life as long as he could, and then ran away to live the life he liked. And yet, like a boy, he faltered in his decision and changed his mind so he could be a certain something he wanted to be.
I get that this book is considered one of the best ever. While I can see where Mark Twain could be considered a great author, I don't think this book is the best. The enjoyment level wasn't always very high. And there were some problems. To me, this was only an average book, and not really worth all the fuss.
Wild West Central
The Renoes
The Renoes were a famous outlaw brotherhood. They were famous for their train robberies. In fact, they were the "inventors" of train robberies in the West. They had been doing it since the Civil War. The robberies were so famous and successful, that other outlaws' train robberies seemed to follow the Renoes' pattern.
In fact, the Renoes became so big a problem for trains and train companies, that some of the big train companies got together and hired a big-time detective to stop the gang. The detective got to work by inflitrating (sp?) the gang's hometown. He got a saloon, and hired some other detectives to play different roles so that plans could be overheard. This team also got the first picture of a Reno gang member, and got it smuggled all the way to Chicago!
The Renoes were an outlaw brotherhood, but some of the members were also part of a real family. They were siblings whose last name was "Reno". The eldest of these siblings, Frank Reno, was a natural-born leader and crooked as well. He was the one who ended up leading the brotherhood which bore his last name.
Not all of the Renoes' crimes were train robberies. The train robberies were the famous thing, but they did other robberies as well. Once they had a robbery of a place with two safes. There was an older safe and a newer safe. They figured that the newer safe was probably the one with the money, since it was a better safe. After they spent hours popping the safe, they discovered that they were wrong. They had to open the other safe to find it stuffed with money.
Then they spent a rough little bit. They had to cross a river, and sleep during the day in a field. It wasn't comfortable, since they had ice on their clothing!
Then they had to get food that night, since they hadn't eaten in around 2 days. They managed to trick an old farmer and his wife into getting them dinner. But the leader thought that one of the members would have to get out his gun. The farmer kept insisting that his wife was sick, and she refused to get up. On the third try, she finally got up, and the leader reveals in what he has written down that she wasn't sick... she was lazy.
Then the gang had to take a ride on a freight train. They managed to trick a guy who owned a ton of cattle into thinking that they were drovers in need of work, and got hired. And then they had to move those cattle like real drovers!
Now, the train robberies were the big ones. One time, 7 of the gang, including Frank Reno, stole an actual train! They knocked and took out almost everyone of importance, and kicked off the passenger cars. They then took everything else, including the engine.
The dude with the keys to the safes refused to hand them over. So he was thrown off the train. Luckily he survived because of his landing spot.
Now, it turns out that it didn't matter that the Renoes didn't get the keys. The safes were older ones, and they could be pried open with crowbars. So the Renoes still got the government stuff and money that was inside the safes in the end.
The Renoes managed to make a getaway. They hopped out of the train at a certain place, where horses were waiting. It took a while for the people who had been knocked and taken out during the robbery to sound the alarm, since they had a bunch of stuff to do.
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
Literature and Wild West Central: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapter 34; Taking Care of the Baby
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapter 34
A ton of people head to the cave once they hear the news. But they discover that Injun Joe is dead... Tom is relieved, of course. Many people come to the funeral, and leave sastisfied (sp?).
Later on, Tom and Huck get together to discuss the still-missing treasure. Tom reveals that he has discovered the location of the treasure... the same cave he, Becky, and Injun Joe were trapped in!!! The boys pack up, and go to dig up the treasure.
It takes some time, smarts, and digging, but the boys eventually find the treasure. They put the treasure into bags to make it easier to carry, and head back to town. Tom grabs a wagon there, and they hide the treasure in the wagon, even covering it with old rags!
But as they pass the old Welshman's house, the dude runs out to get them. He rushes them to Widow Douglas' house, dragging the boys' wagon with them. All of them end up in a fancy-affair party, but the boys have no idea what's going on.
And neither do I! It's obviously a party of some sort, and the boys are important somehow. But other than that... I don't really have a clue what the heck is going on.
That's a nice part on Mark Twain. Plus, this "cliffhanger" is a good trick employed by Mr. Twain. It makes you want to stay, and figure out what the heck is going on.
We had another good scene. It was where Mark Twain was describing how the drop of water had been dropping for ages, and would for many more. He questions whether or not it had been dripping to be solely Injun Joe's water source, and whether or not it would have some other big purpose in ages to come. It was just a very good scene.
Wild West Central
Taking Care of the Baby
Once the gung-ho about the child's birth is done, it's time to actually take care of the child! There is much joy in this as well... but a lot of dread to boot. There was often a high death rate after birth.
There were also a lot of issues and fights. One was whether or not to breastfeed the child, or to use bottles. A mother's milk often proved to be the best, since cow's milk often had germs and poisonous stuff in it. But some women believed that breastfeeding made one look old, and they still cared about fashion. And sometimes a mother's milk had problems of its own.
Medicines was a big problem in the Wild West too. There were next to none there! So everything else was used... herbs, remedies, and other stuff. A good thing was that it helped build family bonds, but whether or not the "cures" and "medicines" would actually work was an iffy thing.
Being a Wild West mother was exhausting. The mom needed help constantly. And she got it everywhere... family, friends, and neighbors would team up to help the mom. But even then, the mother would have to think of ways to calm down the child... including ways which we now know is dangerous, like using opium!
There were concerns about the private areas in those days. Mothers would panic over their children masterubating (sp?), especially since it was looked down upon even in adulthood. Circumscioun (sp?) was a major question in those days, though not really for the Jewish folk. But even Jews would delay the tradition to make sure that the ritual was done properly.
A ton of people head to the cave once they hear the news. But they discover that Injun Joe is dead... Tom is relieved, of course. Many people come to the funeral, and leave sastisfied (sp?).
Later on, Tom and Huck get together to discuss the still-missing treasure. Tom reveals that he has discovered the location of the treasure... the same cave he, Becky, and Injun Joe were trapped in!!! The boys pack up, and go to dig up the treasure.
It takes some time, smarts, and digging, but the boys eventually find the treasure. They put the treasure into bags to make it easier to carry, and head back to town. Tom grabs a wagon there, and they hide the treasure in the wagon, even covering it with old rags!
But as they pass the old Welshman's house, the dude runs out to get them. He rushes them to Widow Douglas' house, dragging the boys' wagon with them. All of them end up in a fancy-affair party, but the boys have no idea what's going on.
And neither do I! It's obviously a party of some sort, and the boys are important somehow. But other than that... I don't really have a clue what the heck is going on.
That's a nice part on Mark Twain. Plus, this "cliffhanger" is a good trick employed by Mr. Twain. It makes you want to stay, and figure out what the heck is going on.
We had another good scene. It was where Mark Twain was describing how the drop of water had been dropping for ages, and would for many more. He questions whether or not it had been dripping to be solely Injun Joe's water source, and whether or not it would have some other big purpose in ages to come. It was just a very good scene.
Wild West Central
Taking Care of the Baby
Once the gung-ho about the child's birth is done, it's time to actually take care of the child! There is much joy in this as well... but a lot of dread to boot. There was often a high death rate after birth.
There were also a lot of issues and fights. One was whether or not to breastfeed the child, or to use bottles. A mother's milk often proved to be the best, since cow's milk often had germs and poisonous stuff in it. But some women believed that breastfeeding made one look old, and they still cared about fashion. And sometimes a mother's milk had problems of its own.
Medicines was a big problem in the Wild West too. There were next to none there! So everything else was used... herbs, remedies, and other stuff. A good thing was that it helped build family bonds, but whether or not the "cures" and "medicines" would actually work was an iffy thing.
Being a Wild West mother was exhausting. The mom needed help constantly. And she got it everywhere... family, friends, and neighbors would team up to help the mom. But even then, the mother would have to think of ways to calm down the child... including ways which we now know is dangerous, like using opium!
There were concerns about the private areas in those days. Mothers would panic over their children masterubating (sp?), especially since it was looked down upon even in adulthood. Circumscioun (sp?) was a major question in those days, though not really for the Jewish folk. But even Jews would delay the tradition to make sure that the ritual was done properly.
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Literature Central: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapters 30-33
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapters 30-33
Becky and her family return home. She gets the picnic she promised a while ago up and going. She tells her mom that she'll stay the night with the Harpers, and then everyone goes. On the way, Tom convinces Becky to change her plans, and stay at Widow Douglas' house instead.
Everyone has a good time at the picnic. They play in the woods, eat, and then go exploring a cave with vast mazes in it. And then all the kids go home tired.
Huck hears the ferry-boat carrying the kids come home. He spots Injun Joe and his companion moving off with a bundle a few hours later. Huck follows them until they aren't far from Widow Douglas' house. Then Huck hears Injun Joe's plan for revenge... he's going to hurt Widow Douglas to take revenge on her dead husband!
Huck quickly runs off to the closest home, which is of an old Welshman and his sons. He makes them promise not to reveal him as the news-teller, and then tells them how Widow Douglas is in danger. The family goes off to save her.
Huck follows for a bit, but stops before re-entering the woods. He hears gun-shot explosions and a cry. And then he runs off in fear.
He comes back to the old Welshman's place in the morning to hear the story. The family tried to sneak up on the bad guys, but the old Welshman sneezed. The family tried to capture Injun Joe & Companion, but they got away. The Welshman & Co. picked up the bundle, however... and it was only a bundle of burgular (sp?) tools.
The old Welshman's sons go to join the authorities in catching Injun Joe and his companion. While they are alone, Huck is given breakfast, and the two talk. Huck doesn't tell the old Welshman the whole truth, but the old Welshman manages to get that the Spaniard is really Injun Joe!
Then a bunch of crowds come to figure out what happened. The old Welshman keeps Huck's secret, but starts a curiousity of "who told him about the danger"? He tells the story over and over again to the people who show up.
Things soon get hectic. Tom and Becky are discovered missing! Everyone is thrown into a panic and upset states. Kids are questioned, but no one even remembers seeing them on the ferry-boat on the return home.
People go to the cave to search it. For days, there are no positive signs of the children. Hope begins to disappear, and people begin to stop searching.
What did happened to Tom and Becky? Chapter 32 covers this. The two went off exploring when a game of hide-and-seek stopped being fun to them. Tom discovered a natural staircase behind a waterfall, and the duo went down to explore.
They have fun for a while, even remembering to mark their paths. But they have a bad run-in with a bunch of bats. They soon reach a subterrainean (sp?) lake, and decide to get out. But they don't know the way out!
Soon, the kids become hopelessly lost. They find a place with a small stream which becomes their "headquarters" of sorts while they're stuck. Tom starts exploring side-tunnels off of this place.
Problems arise though. The kids' food and light runs out, and they loose hope. But that's not the worst problem... Tom spots Injun Joe in the cave!!!
Tom eventually finds a way out. The kids get out, and get picked up by some folks in a skiff. They sleep at the skiff-folks' place, and then are taken home in the middle of the night.
Tom and Becky take a couple of days to recover. And they aren't the only ones in need of recovery... Huck fell ill the day the kids were discovered missing. Tom goes to visit him very day after he finds out and is allowed to visit his friend.
One day, on the way to visit Huck, Tom stops to check on Becky first. He learns that Judge Thatcher had the cave's door triple-locked and covered with some sort of iron, and that the Judge keeps the keys. Tom freaks out, and when he can talk again, he reveals that Injun Joe is in that cave!!!
Finally! Tom finally tells a grown-up where Injun Joe is! That was a good and smart thing to do, though he should have done it sooner.
But why did he tell them now? Up to this point, he kept silent because of greed for that treasure. And yet, he just rattled when Judge Thatcher tells him that the cave's door has been locked up. The treasure, or desire for it, wasn't mentioned in this scene. So the reason for Tom's sudden rattling is unclear.
The cave sounded like an amazing place. The thought of a vast maze, with a second level of mazes, sounds cool and amazing. And there is the crystal pool which sounds pretty neat...
However, it sounds like an absolute terrifying place to get lost! Mark Twain did a good job in that sense. He relayed the kids' terror very well.
He also did a good job with relaying the hopelessness and desperation. I liked how Becky was even ready to risk the bats again, just as long as they got the right way out! That was so human and realistic!
Becky shouldn't have changed her mind about where she was staying. She told her mom she was staying at the Harpers, and that's where she should have stayed! While it didn't matter in the long run, if she hadn't gotten lost in the cave, she would have spared her mother some unneeded worry if she had!
Tom should have let Huck know he wasn't planning on spending the night at his house. After all, they had agreed to a plan. It would have been only fair to let Huck know that he wouldn't be keeping his part of the bargain, and that things would have to be different for that night.
Mark Twain did a wonderful job at the suspense and confusion in the panic-over-and-search-for-the-missing-children scenes. Even I didn't know where the children were! It made things perfectly confusing. Normally, I would condemn confusion in a book, but this was really the only set of scenes in this book where it worked for the book's advantages.
And Mark Twain then made a very reasonable explanation. The reason the kids couldn't be found was because they were in a lower level, and its entrance was hidden by a waterfall. And the cave was vast, and had a ton of tunnels and entrances as well.
But it is a little confusing. The men were searching the cave top to bottom. And it sounded very easy to reach the waterfall. So why didn't the men find the waterfall, or the stairs behind it? That was a little confusing.
Becky and her family return home. She gets the picnic she promised a while ago up and going. She tells her mom that she'll stay the night with the Harpers, and then everyone goes. On the way, Tom convinces Becky to change her plans, and stay at Widow Douglas' house instead.
Everyone has a good time at the picnic. They play in the woods, eat, and then go exploring a cave with vast mazes in it. And then all the kids go home tired.
Huck hears the ferry-boat carrying the kids come home. He spots Injun Joe and his companion moving off with a bundle a few hours later. Huck follows them until they aren't far from Widow Douglas' house. Then Huck hears Injun Joe's plan for revenge... he's going to hurt Widow Douglas to take revenge on her dead husband!
Huck quickly runs off to the closest home, which is of an old Welshman and his sons. He makes them promise not to reveal him as the news-teller, and then tells them how Widow Douglas is in danger. The family goes off to save her.
Huck follows for a bit, but stops before re-entering the woods. He hears gun-shot explosions and a cry. And then he runs off in fear.
He comes back to the old Welshman's place in the morning to hear the story. The family tried to sneak up on the bad guys, but the old Welshman sneezed. The family tried to capture Injun Joe & Companion, but they got away. The Welshman & Co. picked up the bundle, however... and it was only a bundle of burgular (sp?) tools.
The old Welshman's sons go to join the authorities in catching Injun Joe and his companion. While they are alone, Huck is given breakfast, and the two talk. Huck doesn't tell the old Welshman the whole truth, but the old Welshman manages to get that the Spaniard is really Injun Joe!
Then a bunch of crowds come to figure out what happened. The old Welshman keeps Huck's secret, but starts a curiousity of "who told him about the danger"? He tells the story over and over again to the people who show up.
Things soon get hectic. Tom and Becky are discovered missing! Everyone is thrown into a panic and upset states. Kids are questioned, but no one even remembers seeing them on the ferry-boat on the return home.
People go to the cave to search it. For days, there are no positive signs of the children. Hope begins to disappear, and people begin to stop searching.
What did happened to Tom and Becky? Chapter 32 covers this. The two went off exploring when a game of hide-and-seek stopped being fun to them. Tom discovered a natural staircase behind a waterfall, and the duo went down to explore.
They have fun for a while, even remembering to mark their paths. But they have a bad run-in with a bunch of bats. They soon reach a subterrainean (sp?) lake, and decide to get out. But they don't know the way out!
Soon, the kids become hopelessly lost. They find a place with a small stream which becomes their "headquarters" of sorts while they're stuck. Tom starts exploring side-tunnels off of this place.
Problems arise though. The kids' food and light runs out, and they loose hope. But that's not the worst problem... Tom spots Injun Joe in the cave!!!
Tom eventually finds a way out. The kids get out, and get picked up by some folks in a skiff. They sleep at the skiff-folks' place, and then are taken home in the middle of the night.
Tom and Becky take a couple of days to recover. And they aren't the only ones in need of recovery... Huck fell ill the day the kids were discovered missing. Tom goes to visit him very day after he finds out and is allowed to visit his friend.
One day, on the way to visit Huck, Tom stops to check on Becky first. He learns that Judge Thatcher had the cave's door triple-locked and covered with some sort of iron, and that the Judge keeps the keys. Tom freaks out, and when he can talk again, he reveals that Injun Joe is in that cave!!!
Finally! Tom finally tells a grown-up where Injun Joe is! That was a good and smart thing to do, though he should have done it sooner.
But why did he tell them now? Up to this point, he kept silent because of greed for that treasure. And yet, he just rattled when Judge Thatcher tells him that the cave's door has been locked up. The treasure, or desire for it, wasn't mentioned in this scene. So the reason for Tom's sudden rattling is unclear.
The cave sounded like an amazing place. The thought of a vast maze, with a second level of mazes, sounds cool and amazing. And there is the crystal pool which sounds pretty neat...
However, it sounds like an absolute terrifying place to get lost! Mark Twain did a good job in that sense. He relayed the kids' terror very well.
He also did a good job with relaying the hopelessness and desperation. I liked how Becky was even ready to risk the bats again, just as long as they got the right way out! That was so human and realistic!
Becky shouldn't have changed her mind about where she was staying. She told her mom she was staying at the Harpers, and that's where she should have stayed! While it didn't matter in the long run, if she hadn't gotten lost in the cave, she would have spared her mother some unneeded worry if she had!
Tom should have let Huck know he wasn't planning on spending the night at his house. After all, they had agreed to a plan. It would have been only fair to let Huck know that he wouldn't be keeping his part of the bargain, and that things would have to be different for that night.
Mark Twain did a wonderful job at the suspense and confusion in the panic-over-and-search-for-the-missing-children scenes. Even I didn't know where the children were! It made things perfectly confusing. Normally, I would condemn confusion in a book, but this was really the only set of scenes in this book where it worked for the book's advantages.
And Mark Twain then made a very reasonable explanation. The reason the kids couldn't be found was because they were in a lower level, and its entrance was hidden by a waterfall. And the cave was vast, and had a ton of tunnels and entrances as well.
But it is a little confusing. The men were searching the cave top to bottom. And it sounded very easy to reach the waterfall. So why didn't the men find the waterfall, or the stairs behind it? That was a little confusing.
Monday, March 11, 2013
Literature And Wild West Central: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapter 29; More On Pregnancy and Childbirth
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapter 29
The boys watch the target tavern for a few days, but never see someone looking like a Spaniard enter or leave the place. There is also no activity at the alley. The nights are also clear, so the boys can't break into the place.
Finally, a storm starts coming, making a dark night. Tom grabs an old latern (sp?) and a towel to mask it, and heads off to join Huck. Tom goes into the alley, and Huck waits. Tom takes a long time, and Huck becomes more and more afraid. Tom suddenly comes out and yells for Huck to run, and the boys take off.
Once they have taken shelter in a shed near an abandoned slaughterhouse, Tom then tells Huck that two of the keys didn't work, but made so much noise that he was afraid. Then Tom tried just turning the knob, and the door opened! And Injun Joe was sleeping right there! Tom grabbed his latern (sp?) and towel and ran away as fast as he could.
The boys then make a new plan. This time, Huck would watch the taverns at night until Injun Joe left. Then he would go get Tom, and the two would search the room while he was gone.
There was not a better opportunity to get Injun Joe caught than right in this chapter!!! The boys should have told the local authorities where Injun Joe was, and that he was drunk! Then the authorities would have caught Injun Joe, and the boys would never have had to worry about Injun Joe, or him trying to kill them (or just Tom), ever again!
This book showed something that I feel is very human indeed. Huck mentions a slave that he knows that likes Huck. Why? Because Huck doesn't act like this slave is lower than he is! That is a very natural thing.
But I don't like Huck's attitude. He doesn't want this fact getting out, because he does it only because he's hungry, and would not care to do it otherwise. I get that this was the memo back in the old days, but I still don't like it.
Wild West Central
More On Pregnancy and Childbirth
Pregnancy could be a very scary thing. But things were extremely worse because of the lack of knowledge in those days. There were plenty of times when the symptoms of pregnancy hit... but the women wouldn't know that it was due to pregnancy! And they weren't always so eager to talk to other women about their problems, so they didn't always find out right away that their problems were due to pregnancy.
Pregnancy hit women in different ways back in those days. Some women were hit hard, and had a lot of trouble. Some women were not hit so hard, and were able to go along their daily lives.
The attitudes going right up to delivery were different too. Some women dreaded the moment of childbirth, and were sure that they were going to die. But some women were able to have some fun right before their child was born.
Childbirth happened in many different places. In fact, it happened in most of the places in the Wild West, including crowded, cold, and not-so-nice places! This is not because of cleanliness or preference at all... childbirth just happened, and it just happened wherever the pregnant woman happened to be at the time.
Midwives were important back in those days. But midwives often came to their trade by accident, and there were quite a few unofficial midwives in those days. And the midwives often didn't want to get paid for their services.
With the lack of doctors, help was grabbed whenever it could. And help came from many different sources... neighbors would often come to help the women, and not just in childbirth! The children would be cleaned, and all the women's duties would be covered by the neighbors.
The story is similar with medicines. Real medicines didn't really get out into the Wild West in those days. So the people living there used other stuff.
Childbirth and pregnancy were a big source of gossip, especially in small towns. Every day, every detail of the pregnancy was shared. When the child was born, every detail was shared among the folks of the town. When the women was actually delivering, sometimes the neighbors and folks went over to the house and made a big feast!
The boys watch the target tavern for a few days, but never see someone looking like a Spaniard enter or leave the place. There is also no activity at the alley. The nights are also clear, so the boys can't break into the place.
Finally, a storm starts coming, making a dark night. Tom grabs an old latern (sp?) and a towel to mask it, and heads off to join Huck. Tom goes into the alley, and Huck waits. Tom takes a long time, and Huck becomes more and more afraid. Tom suddenly comes out and yells for Huck to run, and the boys take off.
Once they have taken shelter in a shed near an abandoned slaughterhouse, Tom then tells Huck that two of the keys didn't work, but made so much noise that he was afraid. Then Tom tried just turning the knob, and the door opened! And Injun Joe was sleeping right there! Tom grabbed his latern (sp?) and towel and ran away as fast as he could.
The boys then make a new plan. This time, Huck would watch the taverns at night until Injun Joe left. Then he would go get Tom, and the two would search the room while he was gone.
There was not a better opportunity to get Injun Joe caught than right in this chapter!!! The boys should have told the local authorities where Injun Joe was, and that he was drunk! Then the authorities would have caught Injun Joe, and the boys would never have had to worry about Injun Joe, or him trying to kill them (or just Tom), ever again!
This book showed something that I feel is very human indeed. Huck mentions a slave that he knows that likes Huck. Why? Because Huck doesn't act like this slave is lower than he is! That is a very natural thing.
But I don't like Huck's attitude. He doesn't want this fact getting out, because he does it only because he's hungry, and would not care to do it otherwise. I get that this was the memo back in the old days, but I still don't like it.
Wild West Central
More On Pregnancy and Childbirth
Pregnancy could be a very scary thing. But things were extremely worse because of the lack of knowledge in those days. There were plenty of times when the symptoms of pregnancy hit... but the women wouldn't know that it was due to pregnancy! And they weren't always so eager to talk to other women about their problems, so they didn't always find out right away that their problems were due to pregnancy.
Pregnancy hit women in different ways back in those days. Some women were hit hard, and had a lot of trouble. Some women were not hit so hard, and were able to go along their daily lives.
The attitudes going right up to delivery were different too. Some women dreaded the moment of childbirth, and were sure that they were going to die. But some women were able to have some fun right before their child was born.
Childbirth happened in many different places. In fact, it happened in most of the places in the Wild West, including crowded, cold, and not-so-nice places! This is not because of cleanliness or preference at all... childbirth just happened, and it just happened wherever the pregnant woman happened to be at the time.
Midwives were important back in those days. But midwives often came to their trade by accident, and there were quite a few unofficial midwives in those days. And the midwives often didn't want to get paid for their services.
With the lack of doctors, help was grabbed whenever it could. And help came from many different sources... neighbors would often come to help the women, and not just in childbirth! The children would be cleaned, and all the women's duties would be covered by the neighbors.
The story is similar with medicines. Real medicines didn't really get out into the Wild West in those days. So the people living there used other stuff.
Childbirth and pregnancy were a big source of gossip, especially in small towns. Every day, every detail of the pregnancy was shared. When the child was born, every detail was shared among the folks of the town. When the women was actually delivering, sometimes the neighbors and folks went over to the house and made a big feast!
Monday, March 4, 2013
Literature Central: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapters 25-28
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapters 25-28
These chapters begin after the trial. Tom is once again a hero of the town. His days are extremely happy, and spent in joy. But his nights are filled with terror and nightmares, because of his fear of Injun Joe. Huck is going through this same problem.
Soon, Tom gets a desire many boys experience... the desire to go and dig up treasure! Tom looks for companions, but a good deal of his friends and chosen playmates aren't around. Tom manages to "recruit" Huckleberry for the job. Tom has to explain a few things to Huck, but Huck's up and raring to go.
They first do some digging under a dead tree with a limb sticking out. They even go back to their chosen spot at night so they can see where the limb's shadow lands at midnight so they can dig there. But they have no luck.
Their next target is a local house that's supposedly haunted. But the next day, they remember it's Friday, which is considered a bad-luck day to do major things. And Huck had a dream which supposedly predicts that trouble is around. These things make the boys decide to put off their expedition off until the next day. Instead, Tom teaches Huck how to play Robin Hood, and the duo play for the rest of the day.
The next day, the boys approach the haunted house, and go inside. They're scared at first, but eventually warm up to the place. They even go upstairs to explore!
Then trouble brews. Two men come to the house. One of them is supposedly a deaf Spaniard who's stupid too, who's been hanging around the town lately. However, it turns out to be Injun Joe!!!
The boys are terrified. They hear the men talk about their next job, and how about they're heading for Texas afterwards. They see through their peepholes in knots in the floor's wood Injun Joe's companion take out a bag with a ton of money. Then they watch as Injun Joe digs up a box full of a lot of money!
The men stay pretty most of the day at the haunted house, mostly sleeping. Tom tries to use this advantage for escape. But the floor gives off a loud creak when he steps, so he goes back to laying on the floor. He can't get back up, due to fear.
Then the men awake while the sun descends. Injun Joe remembers that some of the tools used to dig up the box were found in the house, and had fresh dirt on them (these tools were the boys'). He tries to go upstairs to investigate, but instead falls through the old and messed-up staircase.
The men then leave. Soon afterwards, the boys soon leave as well. They think about following the men, but decide that they've had enough. So they just go on home.
Tom has a rough night. When he wakes the next morning, he's unsure whether or not the whole adventure is a dream. But his conversation with Huck kills that hope.
The duo want the treasure box. They heard a little talk of where Injun Joe took it, but it's mostly just some clues. Tom investigates the town a little, and discovers a possible room at a tavern that might be the spot.
Then the duo make a plan to steal as many keys as possible, and meet at the room's back door. The plan is to try and use those keys to open the door, and Huck is to keep watch for Injun Joe. However, if Huck was to see Injun Joe at night, before the duo met up at the room's back door, he was to follow Injun Joe to the spot the men were talking about.
Once again, the boys made a dumb move. They should have told someone about seeing Injun Joe and his companion, and about the plot of Injun Joe's next move! And since they feared it was Tom who was the next possible victim, that would have been a super-wise move!
The boys' fear made a lot of sense. Injun Joe was a scary man, and they had seen him murder a man. It was totally reasonable that he haunted their dreams, and that they were terrified that Tom may be the next target.
I kind of like one twist that Mark Twain put in. I don't like the level of superstition that existed in those days. But it worked to the boys' advantage this time... Mark Twain puts in clearly that the boys would have been killed if they had indeed gone to the haunted house on Friday! That twist is a clever and cool one on the part of the author.
Tom was clever and smart in this chapter. He didn't need a map or a piece of paper with clues on it to know the best places to look for treasure. He realized that there were certain places that treasure was hidden every time, and figured that they would be the best places to dig.
However, he didn't think of something. There were a ton of places, in his theory, where the treasure could be hidden. If he had a map, piece of paper with clues, a story, or something to help him, he would have dug up a treasure quickly, and not only save time, but also spare him and Huck a lot of work.
There is a big blank, however. Why hasn't been Aunt Polly been showing up? From the rest of the book, I would think she would be upset with Tom being away all day. But there's no sure explanation for her sudden "disappearance" for this little bit.
These chapters begin after the trial. Tom is once again a hero of the town. His days are extremely happy, and spent in joy. But his nights are filled with terror and nightmares, because of his fear of Injun Joe. Huck is going through this same problem.
Soon, Tom gets a desire many boys experience... the desire to go and dig up treasure! Tom looks for companions, but a good deal of his friends and chosen playmates aren't around. Tom manages to "recruit" Huckleberry for the job. Tom has to explain a few things to Huck, but Huck's up and raring to go.
They first do some digging under a dead tree with a limb sticking out. They even go back to their chosen spot at night so they can see where the limb's shadow lands at midnight so they can dig there. But they have no luck.
Their next target is a local house that's supposedly haunted. But the next day, they remember it's Friday, which is considered a bad-luck day to do major things. And Huck had a dream which supposedly predicts that trouble is around. These things make the boys decide to put off their expedition off until the next day. Instead, Tom teaches Huck how to play Robin Hood, and the duo play for the rest of the day.
The next day, the boys approach the haunted house, and go inside. They're scared at first, but eventually warm up to the place. They even go upstairs to explore!
Then trouble brews. Two men come to the house. One of them is supposedly a deaf Spaniard who's stupid too, who's been hanging around the town lately. However, it turns out to be Injun Joe!!!
The boys are terrified. They hear the men talk about their next job, and how about they're heading for Texas afterwards. They see through their peepholes in knots in the floor's wood Injun Joe's companion take out a bag with a ton of money. Then they watch as Injun Joe digs up a box full of a lot of money!
The men stay pretty most of the day at the haunted house, mostly sleeping. Tom tries to use this advantage for escape. But the floor gives off a loud creak when he steps, so he goes back to laying on the floor. He can't get back up, due to fear.
Then the men awake while the sun descends. Injun Joe remembers that some of the tools used to dig up the box were found in the house, and had fresh dirt on them (these tools were the boys'). He tries to go upstairs to investigate, but instead falls through the old and messed-up staircase.
The men then leave. Soon afterwards, the boys soon leave as well. They think about following the men, but decide that they've had enough. So they just go on home.
Tom has a rough night. When he wakes the next morning, he's unsure whether or not the whole adventure is a dream. But his conversation with Huck kills that hope.
The duo want the treasure box. They heard a little talk of where Injun Joe took it, but it's mostly just some clues. Tom investigates the town a little, and discovers a possible room at a tavern that might be the spot.
Then the duo make a plan to steal as many keys as possible, and meet at the room's back door. The plan is to try and use those keys to open the door, and Huck is to keep watch for Injun Joe. However, if Huck was to see Injun Joe at night, before the duo met up at the room's back door, he was to follow Injun Joe to the spot the men were talking about.
Once again, the boys made a dumb move. They should have told someone about seeing Injun Joe and his companion, and about the plot of Injun Joe's next move! And since they feared it was Tom who was the next possible victim, that would have been a super-wise move!
The boys' fear made a lot of sense. Injun Joe was a scary man, and they had seen him murder a man. It was totally reasonable that he haunted their dreams, and that they were terrified that Tom may be the next target.
I kind of like one twist that Mark Twain put in. I don't like the level of superstition that existed in those days. But it worked to the boys' advantage this time... Mark Twain puts in clearly that the boys would have been killed if they had indeed gone to the haunted house on Friday! That twist is a clever and cool one on the part of the author.
Tom was clever and smart in this chapter. He didn't need a map or a piece of paper with clues on it to know the best places to look for treasure. He realized that there were certain places that treasure was hidden every time, and figured that they would be the best places to dig.
However, he didn't think of something. There were a ton of places, in his theory, where the treasure could be hidden. If he had a map, piece of paper with clues, a story, or something to help him, he would have dug up a treasure quickly, and not only save time, but also spare him and Huck a lot of work.
There is a big blank, however. Why hasn't been Aunt Polly been showing up? From the rest of the book, I would think she would be upset with Tom being away all day. But there's no sure explanation for her sudden "disappearance" for this little bit.
Friday, March 1, 2013
Literature and Wild West Central: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapters 23-24; and: Childbirth--Both Wonderful and Terrible
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Chapters 23-24
Chapter 23 starts off when Tom tries to join a club with a cool uniform. But he has to make a promise not to do certain bad things (like smoking and drinking) while he's a member. But the temptation and want of doing those things becomes next to unbearable. Only the hope of wearing his uniform keeps him from resigning. However, the Fourth of the July is too far away.
Tom's only hope is a super-sick justice of the peace, who may die soon. When he does, Tom can wear his uniform at the funeral. But the judge gets better, and Tom resigns. And then the judge dies on the night of Tom's resignation! The club makes Tom envious, and Tom is upset at the judge. He promises not to trust any male so much again.
Chapter 23 then describes the vacation as one big failure. There are a few fun things, mainly parties, but the stretches in-between are boring and painful! Even Fourth of July is a failure, since it rains very hard, and the visiting Senator is not what everyone thinks he is.
Tom gets the measles. He is very sick for two weeks, and does notice the happenings of the world around him. When he's finally ready to get up and walk about, he discovers that everyone but him has had a religious re-awakening, even the kids! Everyone is doing religious stuff, even Huckleberry!
There's a terrible storm that night. Tom is sure that he made someone up high so frustrated and tired that he's sent a storm to take care of him. Tom is terrified. Luckily, the storm passes, and Tom's still safe. He thinks about repenting and reforming, but then decides to wait.
When Tom is given the okay by the doctors, he goes out. But he is scared and miserable, thinking he has no friends. He soon finds Joe and Huckleberry eating stolen melons, however. Turns out that the reform didn't last too long for them!
Chapter 24 returns to the murder plot. There is finally going to be a court. It's the talk of the town, and everyone is set and sure that the murderer is Muff Potter. They are also saying that he has been a villain for a long time, and that he should be hanged.
Tom can't bear to hear the talk, since it causes major guilt attacks. But it's everywhere, and he can't escape it. He eventually goes to talk to Huckleberry Finn, and finds out that he's been going through the same problem.
Both of them want to help Muff Potter, but they know they can't. If they tell, they're sure Injun Joe would kill them. And helping Muff Potter escape is out of the question... he'll only get caught again, and Tom heard that he'll be lynched if that happens!
The two make a visit to the jail, and slip Muff Potter some tobacco and matches. Usually, this helps this consciences. But not this time... Muff Potter talks to them, and it makes them only feel guilty.
The duo stick around the courthouse. Neither of them want to be there, but they are drawn to it. They avoid each other, and fight the impulse to go inside.
The day of the trail comes. The witnesses are called to the stand, but none are questioned by Muff Potter's lawyer. Things look hopeless for Muff Potter.
And then Tom Sawyer is called to the stand. He needs a little encouragement, but he tells what really happened out at the graveyard. The only detail ommitted (sp?) is that Huckleberry Finn was with him, but the lawyer says that he will be revealed at the right time.
Injun Joe has been at that trial, and he sticks around for Tom's story. He gives a start when Tom reveals that he and his then-unnamed companion were very close, but it's a very slight jump, and barely noticeable. He gives no major signs that prove he did it for a lot of the story. However, when Tom reaches the part about Muff Potter being knocked out and Injun Joe jumping while holding the knife, Injun Joe jumps through the window and escapes.
I'm glad that Tom finally spoke up. But there are quite a few unanswered questions that could have been cleared up in this part of the book. For example, why did Tom pick now to tell everyone? I'm guessing that guilt, and the fact that Muff Potter's blood would be on his hands if he didn't were major players, but Mark Twain doesn't make it very clear yet.
And then there's the question of the lawyer. Was he just being heartless when he denied the chance to ask any witnesses any questions? Or was Tom's story his plan pretty much the whole time? That much wasn't made clear either.
And then there's the question of when Tom came saying he knew the story. It wasn't at the very beginning, because the lawyer mentions that he had told the judge that he had told him that he was going to do a different plan. But we never know that Tom even tells the lawyer or whoever he told until near the end of the chapter, when the lawyer calls him up to the stand. So the question of when he came up is a big one.
The religious revival scenes did not make great sense in one part. It's the fact that Huckleberry, local thief and all-around trouble-maker, was being religious. The rest of the town made sense, because that's what happens in a religious revival. But the rest of the book makes pretty clear that Huckleberry is a thief and a bad boy, so why was he being religious?
Wild West Central
Childbirth--Both Wonderful and Terrible
In the Wild West, there were a lot of children born. Women sometimes started giving birth as early as being 15 years old, and they kept on going. So many children were born in so short a time, that there were groups of uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews that would be playmates, and a women might take care of both her own child and a grandchild at the same time!!!
Childbirth was always a moment of great joy. There was often so much joy at a childbirth that all other troubles seemed to just disappear. Even the already-born kids caught the joy, and were very happy to have a new member of the family to come along.
However, childbirth was also dangerous in those days... as well as pregnancy. Illnesses were the culprit. Germs ran rampant in the Wild West in general, but they caused a lot of deaths of both children and mothers. In fact, there were so many deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth, that women were actually afraid when they were pregnant!
"What about the doctors?", you might ask. There were not many official doctors back in those days. Most of the help came from different small-time people that weren't official doctors. In fact, a lot of their help were silly superstitious "cures".
People were very superstitious in those days in many ways, including during pregnancy and childbirth. They feared defects, and there were supposedly many ways that a mother could "make sure" that her child had a defect or mark of some kind, or even lead to their deaths! A lot were silly things things, like looking at a beggar who can't walk, or riding a wagon or automobile. But these silly beliefs were believed in readily in those days, and many women panicked and were afraid.
There were some beliefs that weren't so panicky. For example, there were supposedly ways that one could change the incoming baby's gender. But this belief wasn't acted on very much. Children were an asset back in those days, no matter the gender, so no one truly cared if the baby was a boy or girl.
Chapter 23 starts off when Tom tries to join a club with a cool uniform. But he has to make a promise not to do certain bad things (like smoking and drinking) while he's a member. But the temptation and want of doing those things becomes next to unbearable. Only the hope of wearing his uniform keeps him from resigning. However, the Fourth of the July is too far away.
Tom's only hope is a super-sick justice of the peace, who may die soon. When he does, Tom can wear his uniform at the funeral. But the judge gets better, and Tom resigns. And then the judge dies on the night of Tom's resignation! The club makes Tom envious, and Tom is upset at the judge. He promises not to trust any male so much again.
Chapter 23 then describes the vacation as one big failure. There are a few fun things, mainly parties, but the stretches in-between are boring and painful! Even Fourth of July is a failure, since it rains very hard, and the visiting Senator is not what everyone thinks he is.
Tom gets the measles. He is very sick for two weeks, and does notice the happenings of the world around him. When he's finally ready to get up and walk about, he discovers that everyone but him has had a religious re-awakening, even the kids! Everyone is doing religious stuff, even Huckleberry!
There's a terrible storm that night. Tom is sure that he made someone up high so frustrated and tired that he's sent a storm to take care of him. Tom is terrified. Luckily, the storm passes, and Tom's still safe. He thinks about repenting and reforming, but then decides to wait.
When Tom is given the okay by the doctors, he goes out. But he is scared and miserable, thinking he has no friends. He soon finds Joe and Huckleberry eating stolen melons, however. Turns out that the reform didn't last too long for them!
Chapter 24 returns to the murder plot. There is finally going to be a court. It's the talk of the town, and everyone is set and sure that the murderer is Muff Potter. They are also saying that he has been a villain for a long time, and that he should be hanged.
Tom can't bear to hear the talk, since it causes major guilt attacks. But it's everywhere, and he can't escape it. He eventually goes to talk to Huckleberry Finn, and finds out that he's been going through the same problem.
Both of them want to help Muff Potter, but they know they can't. If they tell, they're sure Injun Joe would kill them. And helping Muff Potter escape is out of the question... he'll only get caught again, and Tom heard that he'll be lynched if that happens!
The two make a visit to the jail, and slip Muff Potter some tobacco and matches. Usually, this helps this consciences. But not this time... Muff Potter talks to them, and it makes them only feel guilty.
The duo stick around the courthouse. Neither of them want to be there, but they are drawn to it. They avoid each other, and fight the impulse to go inside.
The day of the trail comes. The witnesses are called to the stand, but none are questioned by Muff Potter's lawyer. Things look hopeless for Muff Potter.
And then Tom Sawyer is called to the stand. He needs a little encouragement, but he tells what really happened out at the graveyard. The only detail ommitted (sp?) is that Huckleberry Finn was with him, but the lawyer says that he will be revealed at the right time.
Injun Joe has been at that trial, and he sticks around for Tom's story. He gives a start when Tom reveals that he and his then-unnamed companion were very close, but it's a very slight jump, and barely noticeable. He gives no major signs that prove he did it for a lot of the story. However, when Tom reaches the part about Muff Potter being knocked out and Injun Joe jumping while holding the knife, Injun Joe jumps through the window and escapes.
I'm glad that Tom finally spoke up. But there are quite a few unanswered questions that could have been cleared up in this part of the book. For example, why did Tom pick now to tell everyone? I'm guessing that guilt, and the fact that Muff Potter's blood would be on his hands if he didn't were major players, but Mark Twain doesn't make it very clear yet.
And then there's the question of the lawyer. Was he just being heartless when he denied the chance to ask any witnesses any questions? Or was Tom's story his plan pretty much the whole time? That much wasn't made clear either.
And then there's the question of when Tom came saying he knew the story. It wasn't at the very beginning, because the lawyer mentions that he had told the judge that he had told him that he was going to do a different plan. But we never know that Tom even tells the lawyer or whoever he told until near the end of the chapter, when the lawyer calls him up to the stand. So the question of when he came up is a big one.
The religious revival scenes did not make great sense in one part. It's the fact that Huckleberry, local thief and all-around trouble-maker, was being religious. The rest of the town made sense, because that's what happens in a religious revival. But the rest of the book makes pretty clear that Huckleberry is a thief and a bad boy, so why was he being religious?
Wild West Central
Childbirth--Both Wonderful and Terrible
In the Wild West, there were a lot of children born. Women sometimes started giving birth as early as being 15 years old, and they kept on going. So many children were born in so short a time, that there were groups of uncles, aunts, nieces, and nephews that would be playmates, and a women might take care of both her own child and a grandchild at the same time!!!
Childbirth was always a moment of great joy. There was often so much joy at a childbirth that all other troubles seemed to just disappear. Even the already-born kids caught the joy, and were very happy to have a new member of the family to come along.
However, childbirth was also dangerous in those days... as well as pregnancy. Illnesses were the culprit. Germs ran rampant in the Wild West in general, but they caused a lot of deaths of both children and mothers. In fact, there were so many deaths due to pregnancy and childbirth, that women were actually afraid when they were pregnant!
"What about the doctors?", you might ask. There were not many official doctors back in those days. Most of the help came from different small-time people that weren't official doctors. In fact, a lot of their help were silly superstitious "cures".
People were very superstitious in those days in many ways, including during pregnancy and childbirth. They feared defects, and there were supposedly many ways that a mother could "make sure" that her child had a defect or mark of some kind, or even lead to their deaths! A lot were silly things things, like looking at a beggar who can't walk, or riding a wagon or automobile. But these silly beliefs were believed in readily in those days, and many women panicked and were afraid.
There were some beliefs that weren't so panicky. For example, there were supposedly ways that one could change the incoming baby's gender. But this belief wasn't acted on very much. Children were an asset back in those days, no matter the gender, so no one truly cared if the baby was a boy or girl.
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