... Billie Letts Summary: The novel that I read is Where the Heart Is by Billie Letts. The main character of this book is a seventeen-year-old, seven-month pregnant girl named Novalee. The story begins with her and her boyfriend Willy Jack driving out to California for his big music career break. Willy Jack portrays a typical "abusive ... her baby alive with no food, no water, and no shelter. Novalee ends up spending night after night in Wal-Mart. She hides herself so that no one is able to see her. During her stay at Wal-mart, she begins a phase of taking pictures of everyone and everythin...

• Word Count: 541
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

Becoming Californian One of Gertrude Atherton's many novels, "The Californians", captured much about the lives of the privileged class of San Francisco during the late 1800's and early 1900's. In chapter six of her novel, Atherton tells the story of two young women named Magdalena Yorba and Helena Belmont who reside in a very nice part of northern San Francisco. They are the daughters of ... very wealthy and powerful men known as Don Roberto Yorba and Colonel Jack Belmont. The two daughters decide one evening to rebel against their parents ... 's your old New England conscience! if you were m...

• Word Count: 510
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... , uprooting the weakened corn, and the air became so filled with dust that the stars were not visible at night." (Chapter 1) Throughout the novel there are several symbols used to develop! the theme man verses a hostile environment. Each symbol used in the novel show examples of both extremes. Some represent man, that struggles against the environment, others paint a clear picture of the feelings ... to never use the words "I" and "ego," because in such a world, individual thinking could not exist. The main character, Equality 7-2521, recognizes this restriction and exclaims, "There is s...

• Word Count: 1049
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

Comparing White Fang and Call of the Wild When most people think of Jack London, they think of the wilderness, the cold, and his two most famous novels, Call of the Wild and White Fang. Every major novel or short story of London's is set in the wild and these two are no exception. In both novels, the main character is a dog (or ... ...

• Word Count: 493
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... never give up and to always move on no matter what. Her determination keeps the Joad family together. Ma's ultimate goal is to keep the family together as one. While being occupied by Grandma's sickness, Noah decides to stay back by the river and live on catching fish. Ma responds, "Family's fallin' apart I ... family because of an incident causing him as well as the Joad family at risk. Reluctantly, Ma lets Tom go but is in remorse. Throughout the novel, Ma struggles to hide her emotions from her family. Lovingly, she tries to avoid expressing herself. In conclusion, Ma is an intensely c...

• Word Count: 753
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... the Mexican War was over and Stevenson's regiment of New York Volunteers was disbanded in Los Angeles , three companies came to Monterey. Stevenson's company was one of them. Shortly after that, soldiers set up a theatre exhibition, which was a great success at that time. The managers of the companies were ... " NAN THE GOOD FOR NOTHING" and, at last , the balcony scene from " ROMEO AND JULIET" ( March, 2000).  UNDER THE GASLIGHT Although Mr. Jack Swan's building was not built to be a theatre, after all this performances it became the First Theater in California with the first paid pe...

• Word Count: 1202
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

The novel On The Road is based on one mans true stories about his craziest adventures through the United States and Mexico. This is one of the greatest novels of all time and nothing I have read so far seems so realistic. Jack Kerovac, who is the author of the book, places himself as the narrator. Sal paradise (jack Kervac) and his best companion dean Morioty start ... of in New York and travels ton California to live life to its fullest. While in California Sal and Dean encounter some people that they knew. The hopes and aspirations of these guys are to find the ultimate type of euphoria. Th...

• Word Count: 278
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

The novel The Grapes of Wrath, written by John Steinbeck, is a story that takes place in the 1930's, the time of the depression and the dust bowl. The Joad family is forced ... becomes short. Like most of the western farmers, they pack up and move to California. During the long, hard trip many members of the family begin to change. Ma is one of the first who changes. When the book began, she behaved like a traditional housewife, taking care of the children and cooking and keeping quiet while the men talked. However, on ... the road when the family wants to split up, she revolts. She takes ...

• Word Count: 554
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... and Men, a reader will understand more about the life of a migrant worker, the environment of their workplace, and the segregation of African Americans. The novel depicts the life of two migrant workers, George and Lennie. George is small, wiry, and sharp-featured while his companion, Lennie, is large and awkward ... find work and make money. The two are life long friends who dream of owning a farm with all of the money they save. The novel states that the two had to live outside in the wilderness during their unemployment. They wore denim and other farmhand attire. They could not ... s...

• Word Count: 497
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

John Steinbeck's classic novel, The Grapes of Wrath follows the trials and tribulations of Tom Joad and his family, along with a supporting cast of characters which includes members of Tom's family, ... He is now working to unite the migrant farmworkers into a solidified front commonly known as a union. They are discovered by the police and Jim is shot and killed by one of them. Tom retaliates by killing one of the policemen and goes into hiding at a nearby stream. In the interim, Tom's family moves to a cotton-picking job which is nearby. When ... milk for her dead child and takes everyone...

• Word Count: 700
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The Call of the Wild This book is called The Call of the Wild and is written by Jack London. First, the book takes place in California. However, for the majority of the book, it takes place in Alaska during the Alaskan gold rush. The main characters in this ... ...

• Word Count: 410
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... of humorous stories about Monterey paisanos(John Steinbeck). In 1936 Steinbeck wrote, "In Dubious Battle," this story dealt with the strikes of migratory fruit pickers on California plantations. Steinbeck's next novel, " Of Mice and Men," in 1937 became his first big success. Steinbeck followed " Of Mice and Men," with a series of short stories entitled " The Long Valley."(John Steinbeck) In 1939 ... Grapes of Wrath," was the story of tenate farmers who moved to California, because they was unable to live off the land in Oklahoma. To get the idea for this novel Steinbeck had traveled ar...

• Word Count: 402
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... their heads every day especially on the trip west. They did not know whether they had enough money to actually arrive in California. The Grapes of Wrath is realist fiction novel. The author has gone to great lengths in his thick description and inventive but realistic dialogue. This included with the very realistic themes makes good reading. John Steinback shows his ... disapproval of the bankrupt socio-political and economic system that led to the Great Depression of the 1930's that is so well depicted in this book. This novel is as much an insight into the harsh conditions endured by ...

• Word Count: 626
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

The true novel Go Ask Alice is an in-depth story of the life of a girl who gets herself deep into the dark world of hard drugs. This book demonstrates the impact that ... that she wants to become some sort of a counselor or a doctor. The person that she discovered inside was a person that wants to help other people. By the end of the novel, she had plans to go to college to study what she wanted to do. A reader can learn a lot from this book. This book portrays the excellent message that you do ... ...

• Word Count: 569
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School

... 's. Some of the reasons for the decline were lead poisoning, poison, shooting and pesticides. The condor would get lead poisoning from eating the carcasses of animals shot with lead bullets and left to rot. Condors were shot by farmers who thought they were killing their cattle and hunters for their prized skins and eggs. In the 1940's a new enemy for the condor ... on the bottom of its wings. Then came the pioneers who used the condor as target practice. Farmers had the biggest impact on the condor. They shot the condor, used DDT and poisoned coyotes. Hunters shot the condor for its ski...

• Word Count: 888
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

... career. However he was unsuccessful in getting his work published so he returned to California. After publishing some novels and short stories John Steinbeck first became well known after the novel "Tortilla Flat" (1935). This was a turning point in Steinbeck's writing career. In WW2 he served as a correspondent for the New York Tribune. Steinbeck's later writings were combined with entertainment, journalism ... to match the setting and time era, including giving the characters accents and poor literature skills and using slang from the 1930's when the book was written. This gives the n...

• Word Count: 297
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

... would think a watermelon juggler; sumo wrestler, porn and movie star would be good candidates for the election of California's governor. To my surprise, Arnold Schwarzenegger, a movie star, won by a long shot. As crazy as it sounds, he might not let California down. We can only hope that he can do a better job then what Grey Davis has done....

• Word Count: 979
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... will lead to higher dropout rates and do not ensure that students have an opportunity to learn the material being tested (Hicks 1-2). Graduation decisions should be based on many factors; one test should not be the sole determinant of any major decision. Proponents argue that high school exit exams are a crucial key to educational reform. A statewide exam will set uniform ... but don't really understand"" (2). Furthermore, not all students test well, especially learning disabled and special needs students. And, standardized tests are not effective measurement of a child's knowledge or ...

• Word Count: 1088
• Approx Pages: 4
• Has Bibliography

... apart, and several enemies evolved. The Joad family traveled thousands of miles together and their bonds strengthened as a result. The family had to work as one in order to survive the journey, but by the end of the book the team was diminished to only a small number of members. Granma and ... strength. The Joads helped all that they could, while they were helped by all that could help them. The Joads formed an especially close relationship with one family, the Wilsons, whom they traveled with for quite a while until the Wilsons could no longer go on due to sickness in the family. In ... ...

• Word Count: 787
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Road Rage What is causing people to act out in violence towards one another when poor judgment is used on the nation's highways? Drivers of today experience a daily lesson in defensive driving while trying to maintain a polite reserved attitude. When careless drivers cut ... good Samaritan becomes violent and proceeds to pound on the truck hood, then pulls a knife and kills the driver of the truck." In the same report, an incident involving golfer Jack Nicholson states, "Nicholson became enraged after being cut off by a guy driving a Mercedes, jumps out of his car and smashes the Mercedes wi...

• Word Count: 972
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

... the world Dream. I often equate California to fantasy myself and I suppose that is what caused me to leave but also prompted me to return. My experience in California has been one of love and hate, being a native Californian I must say that I love the weather and the beach but at the same time I hate the general climate and the inability to escape ... it all. At times I want to do it all but I know that it is not practical to, I struggle with this a lot and there never seems to be a clear answer. In Jack Lopez's "Of Cholos & Surfers" he details his life growing up amid cultural confusio...

• Word Count: 955
• Approx Pages: 4

... survive when she searched for food and obstacles she came across when she faced another animals and man. White Fang was one out of a litter of five pups. His mother, she-wolf, was a dog and his father, One Eye, a true wolf. White Fang was a gray cub taking after his father and looked nothing like his brothers and ... to watch because he knew what kind of strength his mother had living with her in the wild. White Fang's mother had lived with the Indians at one time but ran away when there was no meat for the dogs and survived living with the wolves in the wild. At this point White Fang was...

• Word Count: 661
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

... family who migrates to California in search of a better life during the Great Depression. John Steinbeck used the Great Depression as a basis for his novel The Grapes of Wrath. He effectively portrays how the struggle of the Joads reflects the hardships of the entire nation. The Great Depression was the longest ... in half the next day, and the Joads decide to leave and find a place where they can pick cotton. (Ditski 12-16) As the novel continues, Steinbeck proceeds in representing the Great Depression within his work. John Steinbeck begins to portray the struggles of the Joads right f...

• Word Count: 1234
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

... not intend to cause harm. Is this inline with what should be expected from Norris" work? Maybe. It is important to remember how young he was when he wrote this novel. Having apparently grown up privileged, he may have been very curious and amused by how the lower classes lived. McTeague is somewhat typical low class in that he has a fancy ... ...

• Word Count: 322
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School

The movie title "Grapes of Wrath", based on the novel by John Steinbeck, holds much meaning. Grapes are known to be bitter yet plentiful and sweet. Wrath is well known for fury and passion. "The Grapes of Wrath" represent the ... ...

• Word Count: 620
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: High School