Post B

"And, as sometimes happens with such acquired personality traits, each successive year saw a deepening of the quality in him.."(55) I think it is amazing how some people will seem like a particular way in their personality. Like annoying, or impatient, or even determined. Over time these qualities in one's personality can develop and shine even further ontu one's personality, or it can fade. Either way expierence will be the cause of these changes. That is why when people get older they start to change. They have had the chance to change. People learn really do learn from expierence. It is the ones who use that expierence to change for the better, that creates a brighter glow of one's personality traits. They learn what are attractive qualities, and what qualities that create alienment. If people learn that when they are more willing to do things, they will be invited to more, and various kinds of outings. Or if they complain, and demand to have thier way, one could possibly learn how this creates tension among relationships, and will eventually be ignored. If one chooses to ignore this lesson, it will continue to worsen as they get older. So I think that it is an amazing thing when people learn from their past mistakes, and are able to grow/transform in a positive way because of them. All it takes is that one expierence , and people will become more aware of thier personality. I hope that I will be able to realize when I make a mistake, and be able to change my behavior, at least before I get too old.

Post A

frisson-a sudden, passing sensation of excitement
banns-notice of an intended marriage

a silent laughing breeze- this is personification. Gives wind the ability to laugh.

And so it was, as John's sun rose, mine went into a slight slope of decline.- This is imagery, paints the idea of how opposite these two people were.

eyes glued to the stage- This is imagery, shows how attentive people were.

"It was good to know, whatever passed between us, there was no one for him to tell; there was no one who would ever know"(51) this is an important qoute because it gives the reader a strong sense of spooky foreshadowing.

A theme continuing to emerge is foreshadowing, as described in qoutes like the one above.

Post B

"When was the last time you moved to meet a hand..?" This was one of the brief, and harsh reponses that Chance wood sent Emma Smith. As harsh as it may sound, it is a question that we could all find time to reflect upon. There are many outgoing people in the world, but there are also a lot of shy people as well. I think that when we finally move to meet the hand first, that is what separates the shy from the outgoing. Why do some take the risk, while others stand back and wait for the hand to meet them? How is it that some dive right in, while the rest of us are content with only our toes dipped in the water? I think that it takes the right motivation. Maybe one's friend will do something, and it will work out in their favor, so that gives one the confidence to reach out and take the first step. But what if one doesn't have friends to provide one with that kind of motivation? Is friends and the support of one's family contribute to being shy or outgoing? Having self-confidence definately contributes to this factor. Friends have a big impact on self-confidence. So then this means that depending oh how well one gets treated by family and friends affects the shy versus active factor. Or the fact that if one has any friends at all. So then this also means that if one is offered a hand by an outgoing person, one is likely reach out and take it. Or at least when they are young. The younger people are, the more they tend not to judge others, or jump to conclusions. She looks fun, why don't I ask her to be my friend, whether than why is she talking to me? I don't like her. If only the world could stay young.

Post A

insidious-intended to entrap
avert-to turn away

"I had begun to feel as unsettled by it as a bug realizing a two-legged creature.... staring it down nonetheless"-simile because it uses the word as to compare.

"when my own meager project was a mere dwarf next to the giant of his career"-This is personification, giving projects the ability to have height.

"As I tried to strike the right note in my response...loud in my ear were John's words..."-This is a metaphor. It compares music to words without using like or as.

"..But for a wife to hide from her husband seemed incorrect to me somehow."(45) I thought this quote was significant because I think that in a way it describes how some beliefs, old and new, never change as years pass.

A theme that is apparent in this book, is a theme of husband and wife being seen as one in society.

Post B

(37)"'And, of course, his words did carry great weight: the victim's brother sympathizing with her killer."'Emma's husband John, is talking about the reason her pen pal Chance wood was put into jail. He was said to have killed his wife. At the trial the victim's brother was not at all anfry towards his sister's killer. It didn't seem like she was a very well liked person. If her own flesh and blood wasn't mournful about her death, and her life partner was her killer, she was probably hated by society in general. I know that some families will disown/alienate other family members if they commit a heinous crime. However, I get the feeling that this woman was more of an annoyance, than a criminal. I know I have people who drive me crazy, but I wouldn't ever take a knife to them. I also believe that maybe Chance should have taken the time to get to know his wife better. If she was really that annoying couldn't he have just divorced her, so maybe Chance had a secret and she must have found out? I also think that if you have a life partner, shouldn't one know about secrets this big then? In that case, Maybe Mrs. Wood should have taken the time to get to know her husband a little bit better. I know we all have secrets we keep from one another, but this type of secret sounds too big, not to include one's spouse in it, or at least let them know about it. This also sounds like an act of stupidity on both Mr. and Mrs. Wood's part. They shouldn't have rushed things. Who knows? Maybe she would have been able to be alive in the book.