My Top Ten List

My Top Ten List
1.Brian- The first on my list is Jeannette Walls younger brother, Brian Walls. As a kid, Jeanette hung out with her brother Brian the most. They were the two who always went out and explored all day. They never fought or anything. Brian is very laid back but still cares about his family and is a very important character in the book.
2. Battle Mountain, Nevada- Battle Mountain is a small, dumpy town where many miners work. This is one of the places the nomadic Walls family lives for a little while. A lot of important events happen here like when Jeanette learns to swim in the hot sulfur springs and when Jeannette explores the desert with Brian.
3. Gun Fight- In the book Jeannette at a younger age becomes friends with an abusive boy named Billy Deel. They got into a fight and within the next day or two he to their house when her parents were gone and started shooting his B-B gun at them. After have been hit a number of times Lori (her older sister) went upstairs and got her dads pistol and started shooting at him. Billy ran away scared to death unharmed.
4. Car Breakdown- One day they got tired of one place so they packed up all their stuff and to their crappy car they had recently purchased and head off on the road. Her dad asked if she though they could go faster so she challenged him until they reached speeds of somewhere around 120 miles per hour. The car gave out and broke down and they had to hitchhike back to where they had come from leaving their car behind them.
5. Rex Walls (Dad)- I think he is the most interesting character in the book. He didn’t go to college but he is still a very smart guy who just makes a lot of mistakes. He will do anything for his kids and tries to be a good father. An example would be when on Christmas, they could never afford any gifts so around 3 in the morning, he brought out each of the kids one by one by one and told them he would give them their own star they could choose. He knew a lot about astronomy. He is an alcoholic; he tried to quit but couldn’t get himself to do it. He dies at near the end of the book. He drank and smoked too much living an unhealthy lifestyle.
6. Rose Mary Walls (Mom)- Rose Mary is kind of a kooky person. She lets her children roam free where they want and explore and believes that’s what kids should be doing, people are to hard on their kids. She is an artist and has many dreams along with it. She is a very imaginative person and is a free thinker. She is very opinionative and is caring.
7. Hot Dog- At the age of 3, Jeannette would make hot dogs. After an accident she got severe burns and was in the hospital. Her parents both disapproved of this thinking that going to a hospital for some burns isn’t necessary. The doctors and nurses questioned her on how her parents treated her and she reacted positive towards everything. One day her dad came, picked her up and took her home and the family left that night.
8. NY- much happens in New York. Lori moves there to go to college following Jeannette, and then Brian, the youngest sister Maureen, and then their mom and dad. This is where the dad spends the rest of his life. Their parents are homeless in New York but they partially enjoy it.
9. The House in Welch- They got a house in a town called Welch after they left Battle Mountain. Throughout the time living there, the house starts falling apart. The floor starts breaking were the wood is rotting and then the stairs break to the point to where they have to use a window as a door. It eventually gets to the point to where part of the roof collapses. They never sell the house.
10. Jeannette Walls- She is the main character of the book and is the author of the memoir. She lives a life not many people do. She spends much of here time as a child exploring outside with Brian. She is very smart at a very young age despite the fact that she wasn’t always in school. She learned a lot from her dad. She and Rex had a special connection between each other that nobody else in the family had with him. She was the only one he could truly trust.

Blog Post A

Vocabulary:

Wherewithal–noun
1. that with which to do something; means or supplies for the purpose or need, esp. money: the wherewithal to pay my rent.
–adverb
2. by means of which; out of which.
3. Archaic. wherewith.
–pronoun

Loitering-intr.v. loi·tered, loi·ter·ing, loi·ters
To stand idly about; linger aimlessly.
To proceed slowly or with many stops: loitered all the way home.
To delay or dawdle: loiter over a task. (page 134)

An emerging theme of the book is racism. The main characters grandma is racist and is constantly referring to the N-word.

Blog Post A

Vocabulary:

Wherewithal–noun
1. that with which to do something; means or supplies for the purpose or need, esp. money: the wherewithal to pay my rent.
–adverb
2. by means of which; out of which.
3. Archaic. wherewith.
–pronoun

Loitering-intr.v. loi·tered, loi·ter·ing, loi·ters
To stand idly about; linger aimlessly.
To proceed slowly or with many stops: loitered all the way home.
To delay or dawdle: loiter over a task. (page 134)

An emerging theme of the book is racism. The main characters grandma is racist and is constantly referring to the N-word.

Week 5 post A

Tentative-adjective
1. of the nature of or made or done as a trial, experiment, or attempt; experimental: a tentative report on her findings.
2. unsure; uncertain; not definite or positive; hesitant: a tentative smile on his face. (118)

Delirium- 1. Pathology. a more or less temporary disorder of the mental faculties, as in fevers, disturbances of consciousness, or intoxication, characterized by restlessness, excitement, delusions, hallucinations, etc.
2. a state of violent excitement or emotion. (117)

One emerging theme of the book is protection. The dad believes that animals shouldn't be harmed and people should let them be.

W.4 Post A

Vocabulary:

Optometrist- n. A person who is professionally trained and licensed to examine the eyes for visual defects, diagnose problems or impairments, and prescribe corrective lenses or provide other types of treatment.(96)

Wringer- n. One that wrings, especially a device in which laundry is pressed between rollers to extract water.(100)

An emerging theme of the book is care, everyone in the family is caring.

W. 3 Post B

"After the hotel burned down, we lived for a few days on the beach. When we put down the backseat of the green caboose, there was room for everyone to sleep, though sometimes someone's feet would be sticking in my face. One night a policeman tapped on our window and said we had to leave; it was illegal to sleep on the beach."

The walls family are nomadic and once they get sick of one place, or have to go, they leave for new land. they don't always have alot of food and the kids aren't always in school but they enjoy there lives. One night, the hotel they were staying in caught on fire so they had to leave. they decided the best place to leave for would be the beach. after a couple of nights, a cop came telling them they had to go elsewere.

week 3 post A

Vocabulary:
Prospector- n. One who explores an area for mineral deposits or oil.(33)

Creosote- noun 1. an oily liquid having a burning taste and a penetrating odor, obtained by the distillation of coal and wood tar, used mainly as a preservative for wood and as an antiseptic.
2. coal-tar creosote.
–verb (used with object) 3. to treat with creosote.(35)

An emerging theme of the book would be safety, there are many moments where the main characters are in unsafe predicaments like when Jeanette falls out of the car.