Sunday, December 23, 2007

Post B

I thought that this particular section was less active than the previous section. It was full of details and things of that nature, but didn’t have much action. It was basically the aftermath of the attack on Irene Kennedy’s convoy. These parts of books are very important though because, even though they are not necessarily exciting, they provide details and information which move the plot forward. In this section, there is a part where an American submarine is tracking an Iranian submarine and loses it. They pick it up again, but right after they pick it up, it fires a torpedo at another Iranian ship. The Americans are puzzled by this and do not know how to react. Another part of this section, takes place at the American military base in Mosul, Iraq. Mitch Rapp, the main character, is interrogating three prisoners. He needs to get information from them before the Iranians get information out of Irene Kennedy. He takes the fact that she was kidnapped very personally, and is putting all his effort into finding out where Irene is. His main obstacle is the fact that the United States government cannot use cruel and unusual punishment to obtain information from prisoners. Rapp believes that in this particular situation, he should be allowed to do whatever is necessary in order to get the information he needs. Rapp has this struggle but so far is winning. The President even talks to him. In the end though, he is allowed to do whatever he needs to find out where Irene is.

Post A

  • Din(pg 266) - A jumble of loud, usually discordant sounds. Roust(pg 277) - To rout, especially out of bed.
  • "Mr. President, I'm afraid he's out of control." This is a quote describing Mitch Rapp. This is the way that Mitch operates and is the reason he is so good at his job. He is out of control so he takes action and doesn't hesitate.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Post B

I am enjoying this book very much and think this book could be mistaken for non-fiction. The plot is very real and engaging. The characters are interesting and have many intricacies in their personality. For our outside reading memoir, I read a book that was about a journalist’s stay in the Green zone in Baghdad. There is a part of that book which describes an attack by insurgents on a convoy. That book was a memoir and therefore was non-fiction. There was also an attack on a convoy in this book. The resemblance between them is uncanny. The fact that an author of fiction can make it seem so real is amazing to me. There is a lot of action so far, but it is balanced by other, less exciting things. There are also times when they are just talking to each other. These slower paced dialogues almost perfectly combine with the action to create a sense of balance. With the world in the state it is in now, the possibility of Iran carrying out acts of war with us is very real. The plot is winding with unexpected twists and turns, although at the same time, you don’t feel an unnecessary flow from event to event. It’s a very natural progression that makes you want to keep reading to find out what will happen next. I enjoy this book very much and am happy that it is the book I chose for my outside reading. I am looking forward to finishing it.

Post A

  • Vying - (pg. 182) - To strive for victory or superiority; contend. Sectarian - (pg. 206) - Of, relating to, or characteristic of a sect.
  • An emerging theme of the book is, follow your instincts.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Post B

“Every time there is a catastrophe in Iran, the leadership trots out the stars and stripes and the Star of David to distract the people from the policies of their own government.” This quote reflects the current relationship between the U.S. and Iran. The Iranian president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has blamed the U.S. for problems which they have caused themselves. There has always been a hatred of the U.S. by the Iranian people and in this book, the hatred is present. There is however, a governmental connection between Iran and America. Personally, I don’t know if this connection truly exists, but it would not be all that hard to believe. The Iranians in this book, even with fake names are still identifiable. Take for example, President Amatullah, he is the short, easily angered president of Iran. Those traits are also shared by real life president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. There are also other people who very closely mirror their real life counterparts. There are also other parallels between this book and real life. The Iranians have a pure hatred for the Israelis. They say in this book that they want to wipe Israel off the map. The Iranian president has also said this and has offended Israelis even further by saying that the holocaust was a hoax. This book is written quite accurately concerning current issues. This book, even though it may be fiction, is based on a very real premise. The fact that the Israelis would attack the nuclear program of a country who has sworn to wipe them off the map is incredibly plausible.

Post A

  • Citizenry - (pg. 187) - Citizens considered as a group. Emanating - (pg. 173) - To come or send forth, as from a source.
  • "With the destruction of the Isfahan facility we have marked the beginning of the end of these tyrants, and the start of the fight for a true Islamic and democratic Iran."(pg. 180) This quote shows how even after taking part in the revolution, many Iranians are very unhappy with their new government.