Life Class 5 and 6

As the plot of the book keeps progressing there are many tenentions in the relationship of the characters. Teresa and Paul are now fully committed to each other as a couple and a few months wiz by with they are emaculated in love for one another. However, Paul continuasly begins to get sick of Terea talking about her abusive exhusband. He also begins to secretly fall for Terea's friend Elinor, but with mixed emotions decides that Tereasa is the right girl for him. One night Treasa's exhussband, Haliday, shows up drunk and raging at a spot where Paul his. Also quite tipsy himself the two begin to fight. Haliday is much stronger and physically tougher then Paul and Paul is severaly injured. The author states, "Huddled against the call he felt Haliday's boot smash into his ribs" (86). Paul ends up with severe cuts and broken ribs. This quote reveals how tough and menecing Haliday is, that he can beat up Paul who is a very strong and albe man. Not only does this fight injur Paul phyiscally but it also tears him and Tersea appart. She decides suddenly to leave town. She will not have him come with her, or let Paul have any say in the matter. Tereasa is to frightened for herself to be with Paul anymore. She also belives that Paul is truely in love with Elinor and when he states that he loves her she simlpy replies, "You don't love me, if you love anybody, you love Elinor, and you only love her because she won't have you" (96). Tereas's observant and truthful observation leads to major distance between the two. Even after long months of being together they don't even end up corresponding ever again.

The book moves ahead and show the deep love that Paul has been hiding for Elinor. Infact Elinor has been feeling that exact same way as well. They fall deeply into love and spend many months together in happiness. However, the war is approaching and Paul feels as though he is letting down, his family, and his country if he does not help. He inlistes in medical school and becomes a doctor. Eventually during the war he is moved to a hospital to help treat all the wounded and dieing soilders. The relationship between Paul and Elinor only seem to grow from this however. They frequently write letters to eachother. Paul rights about the war, and the vitiems he treats, and Elinor rights about Slade, the school they both use to attend and her troube with her family. The war continues to rage and there are many gory and unwanted things that our character's are exposed to. Twards the end of the book Elinor and Paul are writing less and less because of the tragities that have been occuring. Elinor writes to Paul saying, "Write soon, This war destroys so much, don't let it destroy us as well" (283). Elinor's ever lasting love for Paul gives us hope there can still happiness in the midst of sad times. It's seems as though she is willng to endure anything for thier love. A theme that seems ever persistant in the book. He comes back from the war and Elinor shows this love by asking him to marry her. She say's, "Darlin Paul, please say you'll be mine"(307). He reply's "I'm your's forever" (307). This yet again reveals the true love they have for eachother, and the many obsatcules they have endured to get to this love. The book ends vaugly with the un assurance that both will live together happily but it truley fallows the theme of true love can over come any obstacles.

Life Class Post 4

As the book progresses Tereasa and Neville's relationship becomes stronger. They begin dating but there is still always the fear of her husband coming back and hurting the both of them. Tereasa begins to recieve letters. She tells Neville of this and tells him that the letter's say, "He wants to kill me"(61). This is a very scary thought. A person who is suffering from an abusive relationship, is largely in danger and I fear for Tereasa's life. This quote reveals how Treseasa is not only a victem but also how she is, in a certain way, unattainable, because she will never fully be unattached by her old husband. This abusive husband is not only a danger to Tereasa and Neville but also seems to be an obstical in the way of furthing thier relationship. The narrorator states, "For the first time, she rebelled him"(67).  This reveal that the relationship between Tereasa and Neville is becoming strianed. Tereasa will never be fully reachable because of her dangerous attachment to her abusive husband. I hope that Teresea is able to get out of the realationship because I believe that Neville is a much kinder, and better fit. He will also not be an abusive pig!

Life Class Post 3

The book is progressing along nicley and our charactor's Paul and Tereasa seem to be devopling at a rapid rate. Paul and Tereasa are left along by Elinor and Neville and decide to head to a cafe for dinner. They talk the night away and we learn about Terea's unfortunate past and abusive husband. She states, "You get cowed. You can't do anything. Always being told what an ugly, useless, slut you are"(30). Tereasa's past is filled with many bad memories, abuse, and torment. I like how with chapter really gives insight to her past because we are able to better understand what her actions are in the future and what kind of things might have motiviated these actions. Not only are we seeing a whole new side of Tereasa in this chapter but also the feelings between Tereasa and and paul seems to get more personal. Paul is very attracticted to Tereasa and she seems to be harboring simialr feelings for him as well. Thier relationpship is progressing and Pauls affection is demostrated whe he says, "It was exciting just to be walking down the street with her, to match his stride to hers, to feel her hand nesling in the crook of his elbow" (30).  This passage reveals how Paul is becoming enamored with Tereasa. I hope that thier relationship continues to blossum. She could really use a stable and loving man such as Paul seems to be.

Life Class Post 2

The post this week is going to focus on the character development of not only Paul but also of the new characters we are beginning to meet. Not only do we see how Paul is reavling his true colors but we are also introduced to some main, interesting characters. One of these character's is Elinor Brooke. She is an aulluring female student who Paul seems very interested in. He describes her ways as ""the treatment"-by which he meant the air of intamacy Elinor created between her self and any man she talked to"(Barker 15). This description of Elinor demonstrates the kind of person she is, and how Paul is infatuated with her. I'm really hoping that they get together because Paul seems very lonley and even though Elinor may seem like a very flirtatious woman there are signs that show she has a little something extra for Paul.

The develpement of Elinor will become more apperent as I continue reading however, we are not only introduced to Elinor but also to her friend Teresa Halliday. Barker describes her as, " She was dark, with short shiny hair, high cheekbones, and red, painted, pouting lips." (18). We can see that Paul is obviously attracted to her as well and it makes us wonder who he is more attracted to. Teresa is a very intersting charater who alsmost immediatly describes her life, how she is a modle for the arts school, and her crazy drunk of a husband who she plans to seperate from is stalking her. Furthermore, we are also introduced to Kit Neville who was kicked out of the art school but still hangs around and is begining to become famous. He has an intersting relationship with Tereasa and it makes me wonder if the two have past history. Hopefully as these charactor develop we are able to better understand thier actions and grow attatched to them as characters.

Life Class Post 1

So far in the book, Life Class, by Pat Barker we have met the interesting character of Paul. He is a young student at the art school of Slade during 1914. He seems to be a very opinionated and honest character, yet with a bit of temper. We see this temper when he storms out of his "Life Class" at Slade because he is frustrated with his work. Barker states, "He shouted, though he hadn't meant to. All around people were turning to stare at him. Without giving Tonks a chance to reply, he through down his pencil and walked out"(6). It is evident here that the character of Paul is one with a short fuse. This quote also gives further insight to how Paul is passionate because he cares so much for his work, and improving on what he has done, that when he feels it is insufficient it distresses him very much.  However, although our first impression of Paul is one of a tempered, perfectionist it is later revealed throughout the chapter that he is also kind an honest. When Paul sees a young girl, drunk, being persuaded by a strange man he stands up for her although he does not know her. Paul tells the man to back of and throws the man's silver headed cane into the lake. Barker describes this as, " In a final burst of exhileration, he sent the cane whirling in a broad arc over the lake, it's silver knob flashing in the sun"(11). This random act of kindness twards a unknown girl demonstrates to the reader that Paul is one of honesty and ingerity, not only anger. 

Chapter 6 Outside Post

Finally as the book comes to a conclusion we can see the transformation Jen makes. I honestly thought that Jen was NEVER going to rid herself caring about materialistic possessions. Although the wedding she has starts off as a way to scuffle in money Jen realizes that she really does love her boyfriend Fletch. She begins taking tempertary jobs and starting a blogging site. We are able to clearly see Jen's transformation from a snob to an every day person when she says in her blog post, " Did you--- heh, heh,heh, he, take the BUS? Yes. yes I did" (358). This clearly demonstrates how Jen is giving up her old life and turing into a person with scincre values. The whole reason she even took the bus was to go see her mother who suddleny became ill. The old Jen would have NEVER done this in a million years even for her mothers sake.

Jen yet again demonstrates this switch from an egotistiacal, hauty, mean, women to a empathetic, and understanding friend when she talks about a reaction to a nasty e-mail she got from a friend about her blog. Jen states:
The seventeen year old Jen would have been crushed if she'd recived a condecending notefrom Cal-the Magnificent, even if it was just ment to tease her. But what about the thirty-five-year old Jen? The one with the big butt? Who lives in the 'hood and has a pitbull and acually LIKES polo shirts from Target? Who doesn't have a job is married to a regular guy from Indiana? She just laughed and Laughed. (367) Jen's transformation has obviously finally occured in this passage. She has begun exepting herself for what she truley is not what she has, looks like, or wears. Jen Lanchaser has finally made the change we were all hoping she would.

Outside Reading 5

As the book begins to start wrapping up we are still unable to really see the wonderful qualities in Jen. Her debt is beginging to overwhelm her and she thinks of no other options then to, "GET MARRIED" (200). Jen seems to really like her boyfriend of around five years but I'm not entirley sure it's because of his charm. He has lots of money and in her scheame to get cash Jen decides she is going to marry him. Personally I find this a very shallow and self-centered thing to do. Marry someone only becasue of thier money?? To me that is possibly one of the lowest things a person can do. By Jen deciding she is going to marry her boyfriend for his money again reveals to us how she is still stuck in that "money loving" phase that hopefully she will able to over come.

Jen time and time again gives insite to how materialisc she is. Though we are creeping closer and closer to the end of the memoir she is still showing this embarassing quality. When talking about the perfect things she wants for her wedding (which she is only having to get money, and paying for none of it) she states, "I hate stupid dresses. Hate stupid bridal shops. Hate stupid empolyees at bridal shops....Hate stupid weddings" (223). This quote reveals how although Jen has lost her money, and job, she is still materialisc which seems like a quatlity that I am hopelessly rooting for to change.

Outside Reading 4

Jen's life of luxury, money, and superficial needs are beginning to crumble around her. Just when all seems to be going right, Jen is fired from her job. A classy and respectful staff member would leave with as much dignity as possible but not Jen. When she finds out about her situation Jen rants to her boss telling her, "At some point , Corp. Com. will discover exactly how worthless you are" (91). This act of complete disrespect reveals Jen's true colors once again, also allowing the reader to understand how important Jen's job was to her (i.e how important her money was) that she would feel like she was so above her boss too go and yell like that.
Jen again show this unreal "superiority" to everyone when looking for a new job. She believes she will be hired in a blink of an eye, and that she is so great that the new salary must be up to her standereds. When at an interview with a new boss they discuss salary, and Jen turns down a much needed job, "I wasn't trying to be argumentative. I honestly didn't understand becasue surly in America you can't pay an experienced professional with a college degree $16,000. I figured I was missing something"(102). Jen reveals her true love of self and desire for money through this confrontation. I hope that through losing her job she will really be able to find out that money and things are not so important.

Outside Reading 3

In this weeks reading Jen's undeniable, selfish, egotistical, character continues to not only bring down others but also rely on materialistic possessions. When Jen finds a couch that is, "A magnificent piece of craftsmanship covered in creamy taupe leather and shaped like twin mattresses standing on glossy cherry wood legs"(70). She HAS to have it although she can not afford it ($7000). The argument that follow with her boyfriend ( about buying the couch) shows how superficial and immature she really is. If someone basis their life around what others think about them and their money they can never be truly happy. Jen again shows this view when she decides to enact, "Operation Make More Money"(79). Her shallow view on the world pulls through time and time again as she bullies people and only focuses on the amount of money she makes. Personally I believe that when someone is so materialistic they will end up getting nothing out of life in the end.