Josh's English 11 Blog

Roxanna Crawlings is the big name in this section. Her impact on the family in this section was crazy. At first, I did not know what I thought about her. I wasn’t sure whether or not she would let the Land family in, because at first she seemed reluctant, it being Sunday, which is her off-day. I would’ve been reluctant too, honestly, and wouldn’t have let strangers come in and disrupt my rest. She obviously felt something in her heart that urged her to let them in, and it was most likely God’s doing, as it was exactly what Jeremiah was praying for. Roxanna started out in my mind as an almost scary woman, being that she lived by herself with a bunch of goats and had weird antiques everywhere. But my perspective, along with Reuben and Swede’s, totally changed as she shared her story, and did some things for them. She looks all tough on the outside, but it was really cool and sweet to see the ways that she generously gave to the Land family and showed crazy hospitality. It was crazy to see how quickly she started acting like a motherly figure to the kids, so I understand why it would be really hard for them to leave her now.

Her hospitality reminds me of people in my own life who love my family and give us things that we don’t even ask for. I have seen my parents do the same exact thing, for me and for others, and I want to be that type of person, especially as I get older.

“I crawled back in bed under the weight of the sun and joy and adventure happening outdoors, and I thought dangerous thoughts to myself. Back to mind came every hurt I’ve endured for my defect… It seemed I’d been left alone here by the callousness of my family… that this house was so empty even God was not inside it.” Wow. How’s that for a mood switch? Amid the blessings and happiness that have been going on for the Land family, Reuben has a very dark moment. His nightmare

the night before, with the man with the skin bag trying to steal his air, had left him bad enough. Even though he had been saved by his dad and Roxanna pounding on his back to clear his lungs, he awoke the next morning to everyone having a joyous time outside in the snow without him. It makes me ponder how often I’ve felt left out, especially when I was younger, and what thoughts went through my head in hard times of loneliness. The hardest-hitting quote by Reuben in this chunk is when he explains that if the man with the skin bag ever came back for him, he may not fight back so hard. That cut deep. The author really knows how to bring in strong emotions and hit the reader with tough things like this. I really hope that Reuben won’t have to go through anything worse than this.

The big idea of faith getting you where you need to go showed up big again in this section. God continues to perform miracles for the family, providing for them out of their means, even more than Roxanna. The fact that he let them get where they needed to go, even though they literally had no gas, is absolutely awesome. He then gave them exactly what they needed, which was more gas, a place to stay, and a person who provided for them. Although danger still looms around the family, with Andreeson not leaving them alone, and cops all around, it is clear that God has their backs. It reminds me of a verse from Romans 8:31 that says, “If God is for us, who then can be against us?” That’s a great rhetorical question

I have a couple of BIG questions that I’m wondering about in this section. First off is obviously: Are Jeremiah and Roxanna gonna get married? I really bet they will, because the kids love her, she loves the kids, and she and Jeremiah started getting closer throughout their time together. How will Davy react to her? How will they tell her about all that happened with Davy? How will faith start to play out in her life? My last question is completely unrelated to her: How the heck does Andreeson keep finding them? They’re literally in the middle of nowhere where and he just pulls up and starts talking trash. I really don’t like him, but it’s hard to say he’s not just doing his job; he’s just kinda being a punk to the rest of the family as a means to get closer to Davy. It will be interesting to see what lengths he continues to go to to accomplish his mission as the story continues.

 

 

The plot is slowing WAYYYY down. This chunk seemed like it took a long time, but out of all the sections, it definitely went the shortest distance for the plot. I’m not trying to say it was bad because it did, in fact, have a lot of redeeming qualities that I like, aside from how slowly the story is moving. There was a big chunk of this section that was spent at August and Birdie’s house, who had recently taken in and taken care of Davy before he got back on the road. I like how the author can at least take a simpler plot and provide a lot of information that helps me to understand what’s going on. I was getting bored with the little that was going on, but there was good development in Reuben as he went on the horse ride with August.

I liked August and Birdie. They remind me of a lot of folks around here in the country, who literally just open up their houses to any stranger and give food and whatever is needed out of the goodness of their heart. I love how they impacted Davy and tried to persuade him to turn himself in, but respected his final decision not to, even giving him a car. That was awesome to me, and really showed how much they care for him and his family. This instance of their kindness reminds me of a very similar experience in my life, after our car broke down in Kansas. It was a crazy miracle, like those that are seen in this book, because a random friend from our church told my dad that they had a van that they were going to gift us for free. I often forget about that story and the impact it had on me, but this story reminded me of that, which again attests to how good Leif Enger is at writing a meaningful story. A character I do not like is Mr. Andreeson. I’ll explain that more later.

A quote that made me think a little bit was on page 149, after Reuben explains how his dad let Swede bring her big typewriter along on the journey, as well as her saddle. Reuben literally asks the reader, “Would your father have gone along with all this?” This quote isn’t anything very deep or meaningful, but I love it because it makes the reader think. This whole time, I feel like the author is just trying to get the reader to see themselves in Reuben’s shoes, to inspire them and drive their imagination. It’s so interesting to me how this line, along with others, brings the reader into the story. As a matter of fact, my dad would not let me bring crap like that on a road trip, and frankly he’d probably be right. But our road trips don’t have quite as much purpose as the Land family, however.

It was harder to find the author’s main purpose in this part of the story. There are a couple of different things that he tries to show throughout these couple of chapters. At August’s house, the author shows the importance of generosity, and also how important it is to not let go of the past. He shows this on the horse ride, when the two riders see Jeremiah’s old house, which was much more broken than it was when Mr. Land lived there. He brings Andreeson back into the story, and now he’s

a hardcore stalker who’s following them, desperate to catch Davy through them. He positions police at all the gas stations on the route, which makes it impossible for the Land family to stop for gas. But none of the cops saw them drive by, which seems impossible. However, the author uses this new miracle to emphasize God’s protection of those who love him. It’s really cool to see how faith plays out in scary moments like this, when it seems the story could take a catastrophic turn. But God’s plan is bigger, and that’s what it’s all about.

I still wonder about a lot of things. As always, I wonder how exactly they’re going to find Davy. How are they going to get Andreeson off of their tale? What other characters are going to join the story and help/hinder their cause? I feel like a lot is about to go down soon, with maybe some crazy running and desperate calls upon God for help, because by the end of this section, all the odds seemed against the protagonists. All in all, not the best section, but I can tell things are heating up now!

 

This section of the story is all about the Land family struggling through sickness and hardship, as Jeremiah struggles to make ends meet while working different jobs. Each of the characters undergoes a lot of physical and mental strain, trying to help each other through the roller coaster of a time that they’re going through. The plot in this section is not as intense or important as that in the other section, but I still enjoyed it, as it brought a lot of character development and emotion.

Jeremiah Land undergoes the most change of any character in this section. At the beginning of the book, I saw him as a strong, humble, immovable figure who could never be shaken or discouraged by hardship and pain, and would always have good spirits and a good attitude toward his family. However, in this section, he undergoes more struggle and pain than anyone. While working tirelessly on a new job of cleaning chimneys, he catches a horrible case of pneumonia, leaving him stuck in his room, struggling to breathe and not able to do anything to support his family. I love the way that he grows through his sickness, and how he recognizes the pain that Reuben has had to go through. By the time he’d recovered, he was his old high-spirited self, even though he was more frail. The other characters in this section, Reuben and Swede, also undergo hardships and change. Reuben is asked by Dr. Nokes to leave Swede with their sick father and instead go and make money for the struggling family by tearing down a big corncrib at a friend’s house. Reuben reluctantly agrees and learns that even though his body is weaker than most, he can still be strong enough to help his family. Reuben also learns how hard it is for someone else in the family to suffer like he has with his lung problems, and sees his dad’s struggles as more painful than his own. Swede becomes a complete mother in this section, even though she’s like eight or something. She does a great job at taking care of Jeremiah and making food and doing all of the housework, even though it’s hard. She continues to make stories and poems that connect to her life.

The biggest idea that is shown in this section is how faith in God will get people through any and every hardship and will help those in need. This is shown by God healing Jeremiah from his sickness, and providing for them out of their means as Christmas came about. The Land family went from being broke before Christmas to suddenly having everything they needed,

including a brand new camper van that could get them on the road in search of Davy. A newly spirited Jeremiah Land brought an important quote in by exclaming, “Faith brought this about.” God’s blessings upon the family renewed their strength that had been lost, and the family couldn’t help but give him the glory. Reuben asked the perfect question by wondering, “How could we not believe the Lord would guide us?”

My biggest question in this section is this: How on earth are they gonna find Davy and know where to go? Now, as I know, the answer is clearly God and faith. But I guess that I’m wondering what God will do to make this impossible journey possible. How will God get them where they need to go and build them within the journey? Is the family gonna undergo even more struggle and doubt before they get to Davy? Does Davy even want to be found? There are a lot of uncertain things that are happening that I’m anxious to know about, but I guess we’ll get there when we get there.

This whole plot that is starting to happen with the family leaving their home reminds me a lot about my own life. They are going into the unknown of the world because they felt called by God to do so. In the exact same way, my family left our home and friends in Missouri because God called us to ministry in Wisconsin. This move was hard for all of us, but it turned out to be a wonderful, miraculous journey. I want to finish this section with another quote from Jeremiah that stood out, which actually alludes to a Bible verse that I love. While Dr. Nokes sees Jeremiah as a madman for leaving home, Mr. Land explains his purpose by stating, “I have the substance of things hoped for. I have the anticipation of things unseen.”

 

After ending on a crazy cliffhanger, with Davy Land killing the two bullies, Israel Finch and Tommy Basca, the mood with the family took a serious turn. Davy wanted no comfort from his family, fully realizing and accepting what he had done. After being thrown in prison before the court trial, I wondered a lot about how things would go for the family, and asked questions like:

Will Davy ever reconcile for what he has done? Was there more behind the intention of the murder besides what has been told from Reuben’s perspective? What does this mean for Davy’s faith and his relationship with God?

The final question is what I wondered the most, and a memorable quote from later on in the section reveals a bit about what Reuben sees Davy’s faith as. Reuben explains that “Davy wanted life to be something you did on your own; the whole idea of a protective, fatherly God annoyed him.” (Enger 56) This quote shows a big contrast between Davy and the rest of the family, especially his father. Davy wanted to call his own shots. This didn’t mean that he didn’t believe in God or even that he didn’t love him, but it did reveal how Davy was not giving his life to or leaning on Jesus for help. His father, on the other hand, is the opposite, leaning on God’s aid for everything, praying continuously, and striving to be an example like Jesus was.

A new character, Mr. Holgren, was introduced, and he was the principal of Reuben’s school, where Reuben’s dad was also the janitor. I did not like this character because, as an excuse to get rid of Mr. Land after his son had committed murder, the principal started making up stuff that was a good reason for firing him. Mr. Holgren also thought it would be cool to fire him in front of Reuben and all the other kids, which was really uncool.

This instance only gave me more respect for Mr. Land, however, as in reaction to being fired, he tapped the principal’s face softly, healing his facial problems by the power of the Holy Spirit. Time and time again, Mr. Land keeps his composure in the midst of hardship, teaching me in some ways how I should react in the face of tribulation.

Throughout all of this, Reuben and Swede have been who I have seen the most growth in. They have both had to learn how to control their emotions and look for meaning in all of the hard things that are happening. This reminds me of how in my life, when I was going through hard stages or moving from place to place, I had to think about why it was happening, and how I could grow and trust God with it all. I hope that in the story, the author brings in the hope of Jesus, which can transform the kid’s life for the better.

I love the author’s style in this section of the book, especially as it came to Davy and his family in court. The Author makes it very easy to understand the emotion that everyone is going through in the court. He makes us feel like we are Reuben Land himself, seeing everything that is going on, and explaining the emotions within himself and the emotions he recognizes in everyone else in the moment. A cool moment occurs as Reuben is brought up to testify, and throughout the time he is being asked questions, you can see how his emotions are changing. He starts out confident, answering questions and acting cool, but as soon as he loses ground, he starts letting the wrong tones and answers slip. The author makes you feel the emotions that he is feeling in crazy detail.

In this section, the author is emphasizing how one should never let pride get the best of them, and should respond to evil with good, and God will be with you even if no one else is. This is shown through the hate messages that Davy and the family are receiving, and how they are not responded to with hate, but instead with love. This is also shown by the dad’s reaction to being fired. God also teaches Reuben this lesson when he feels hatred toward the principal, and God takes Reuben’s breath away and sends him to the nurse. I look forward to seeing how all of the characters grow and how God displays himself through miracles in the rest of the book.

“Peace Like a River” by Leif Enger is the first-person account of Reuben Land, who is the middle child between little Sweede and his older brother Davy. Reuben’s mother died at a young age, and his father led the family through his humble, Christ-following example. Reuben’s family has to work through a difficult situation, which was brought about after Davy shot and killed two bullies for molesting both his girlfriend and his sister in a short period of time.

The plot at the start of the story was full of miracles, mainly given from God through Reuben’s dad. Reuben’s dad was a very faithful man, and it showed by the way that he talked and treated people, as well as through the miracles that happened around him because of his faith. One scene that really stuck out to me happened after Tommy Basca and Israel Finch originally molested Davy’s girlfriend, Dolly. God had told Reuben’s dad to go to where they were and stop the boys, which led to the bullies threatening him and his family. The anxiety that this put on the father of the family caused him to go into immense prayer and put all of his faith in God to get them safely through the dilemma. The memorable scene in my head happens when the father is praying with his eyes closed, not knowing he was being quietly watched by his son, Reuben. Reuben witnesses his father pacing back and forth on a truck bed while talking to God, and then walks straight off the truck, levitating in the air as if the hand of God were holding him up.

These scenes have made me like Reuben’s dad as a character, and dislike the bullies as characters. Another very interesting and intriguing character, in my opinion, is Davy. Davy is not as compassionate as the father of the house, but he is all about justice, especially when it comes to his family. Davy had shown his skill with a gun in a crazy moment while hunting, when he miraculously shot a bird that seemed to be too far to even think about. Later on, he used this skill for a far more evil intent, as told before.

Davy’s rash move of killing the boys who were a threat made me ask the question of “Is Davy really a Christian like his father, or has he rejected God and chosen his own path?” another question that I have at this point in the story is “How will Sweede recover and grow through the horrible experiences she had to go through in the past couple of days.”

The characters and the plot of this story remind me a bit of my own life, and how faith has brought me and my family to where we are today in life. My father reminds me of Reuben’s dad, both of them being the leaders and examples in the lives of their kids. The relationships of the children remind me of my own relationships with mine, with all of us being very close, and doing so much together while growing up.

The author of this story takes on the style and mindset of whom he has placed as the narrator. The narrator, being Reuben Land, is only a boy of 11, but his maturity and thinking are much more advanced, as are those of both of his siblings. The writing of Reuben is a very relatable one to that of a teenager, with a lot of present emotion and questioning of life that I have had many times. Reuben is undergoing a lot of change in his life, so his narration takes a lot of different turns in how he is feeling at any given moment, which makes us as readers feel a lot of what he is going through. I enjoy the author’s writing style through Reuben, but there are slow points in the story that aren’t as exciting as other moments, which only makes the story more relatable and realistic, only not as fun to read.

Leif Enger wants the audience to feel for those in the story, and learn from their mistakes and achievements. He brings the big idea of faith and its effect on life into the story to convict and poke at the hearts of the readers. He puts in hard situations, and difficult ideas into the story to contrast the grace and love that God gives to those who follow him. Enger uses very relatable instances that people have as kids with the hopes of reaching other people and kids to bring them to the knowledge that there is something greater in life than just going about the day, but there is a maker who orchestrates everything together.

 

I have chosen the book “Peace Like a River”  by Leif Enger to read. I chose this book because it is a personal favorite of my mom, who has wanted me to read it for years because of the impact that it had on her. I love to try new things, as I myself have not read many books as classic and faith-based as this, and I trust my mom’s judgement on how good books are for the most part. My partner is Ace, who is stepping a bit more out of his comfort zone for this book, so it will be interesting to see how we work together and get as much as we can from the story. I am looking forward to how many allusions and metaphors we can find, and the opportunity to work with a friend. I’m a little apprehensive about whether either of us is going to like it, with it not having as much action and thrill as most of the books we read, and it’s a little longer. To ensure that I have success with this project, Ace will keep me accountable and I will do so to him as well. We will also develop a good schedule, with advice from my mom on how we should split up the book into seven chunks.

I put a picture that I feel shows the reliance that people have on a higher power, that is God, and rely on him to keep them safe and alive.

Shame:

John Proctor feels shame throughout the play due to the adulterous acts he committed with Abigail. His shame caused him to keep his secret hidden from everyone, even his wife and he denied he had done anything wrong (Pg. 54-55). However, when it came down to saving his wife and the wives of his friends, Proctor summoned up the courage to admit to his wrongdoings, even though He felt a lot of shame at that moment (Pg. 110)

The documents and speeches from De las Casas, Columbus, and Red Cloud most certainly would have an effect on the mindset of the audience that they were speaking to. Although Columbus’ documents did not have as much of a target audience as the other two did, his words would have made the people back in his homeland think a lot about this new land that he was exploring. Because of the way that he was speaking of the people, all who read his work would form their own opinions that they would potentially act on if they were to see these Natives in person. De Las Casas and Red Cloud’s target audiences were a little more clear, with one being the Christians back in their homeland, and the latter being a U.S. college and the government of America. These two spoke hard truths on the way that the Natives were treated, and those who would have open ears to hear would definitely be changed by their words. De Las Casas spoke on the brutal actions that were committed against the Native Americans by the Spaniards, and these horrible sites would change the outlook that the other Christians would have on these people, and many would be brought to a better way of living with the Natives. Red Cloud, as well, spoke on injustice against his tribe. Those who would have ears to hear and hearts to act would most certainly change and help his cause, as he had asked of them. These two of the three were especially honest and sincere, and there is not much else that they could have done to plead a better case that would more impact their audiences.

The article “The Very Brief Relation of the Devastation of the Indies” fits into the topic of “Cultural Encounters and Frontiers” due to the facts shown on how the Spaniards interacted with and treated the Native people as they started to expand into their territory. In the midst of all the violence and injustice, the text stated stated, “And they committed other acts of force and violence and oppression which made the Indians realize that these men had not come from Heaven.” (De Las Casas 89.) There are many instances throughout the writing that show the gruesome behavior that the Natives were shown by the Spaniards, expanding on what this quote has shown to the readers. “Cultural Encounters and Frontiers” is all about how different cultures meet and interact with each each other and what different groups do as they find new territories and opportunities. This text expands on the story of the Spaniards interacting with the Natives, who had originally seen them as coming from up above and being divine beings. Through the rough attacks and inhuman acts that the Spaniards show them, however, readers get to understand just how tragic and unjust encounters between different groups can be, with evil and malicious intents being done in instances that they ought not to be done.

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