Kit's Wilderness: 4th Post pgs 140-189

"The Snow Queen" in which Allie is staring is coming along well. Most of the hard work is done, and now the company is simply refining the entire show. Allie is quite excited and Kit is proud of her. Unfortunately, like a polar opposite, Kit's grandfather's health is steadly going down. He is now confined to a bed, and the family visits him often. However, half the time his grandfather is asleep, seemingly dreaming about the past, Silky, and the mines. Whenever he awakes, he doesn't really seem able to make sense of what's around him and he speaks very little. On a lighter side, Kit's story of Lak, the ice-age boy trying to find his family again is progressing quite steadily. Lak was able to find some food for himself and is still surviving, traking his own family. Allie has read the story and thinks that it's similar to what she does with acting. She's very impressed with it. Askew is still missing, and his family is getting desprate to find him. Kit is the only one who knows how to find him, but he still hasn't said anything because he feels that he has to change Askew back to the light before he comes back. Finally, openning night for the Snow Queen comes and during the show, Kit meets Bobby who says that Askew wants Kit to come meet him. By the end of the play (which was a big hit) Kit decides that he must go and see Askew, which he does. The next night, Kit finds Askew in another cave, deep into the woods. There, Askew keeps trying to see the darkness, and to find the lost souls from thousands of years ago, but Kit argues with him, saying that he (Askew) must come back into the light. Finally, Askew asks "Are you my friend?" to which Kit responds yes.

If I were Kit, I would be doing almost exactly what Kit is doing. I'd be impressed with Allie's part in "The Snow Queen", I'd be visiting my grandfather, I'd continue writing the story about Lak, and I'd keep trying to bring Askew back into the light. The difference would be my opinions, reactions and emotions associated with every action. In respects to the play, I would be impressed and proud of Allie's performance and I'd congratulate her and be happy for her. However, I would be much more preoccupied with my grandfather's failing health. It would have me worried sick, questioning everything and distracting me from my normal life. That, coupled with Askew's problem would have me constantly on edge. My writing of Lak's story might plummit in quality. Perhaps I would stop writing it altogether. However, I would had definitely gone to find Askew in the cave in the woods. I would have thought "If I can get Askew to come back, I'll be rid of one of the things that's troubling me". I therefore would have done my best to get Askew to come back into the light, not sink into his weird darkness. I would also be pitying him a bit. I would have done the same things that Kit did, but how and why would have been completly different.

Kit's Wilderness: 3rd Post pgs 94-139

Kit’s grandfather strength has taken a bad turn. He collapsed in Kit’s house and had to be moved to a hospital. It is now fully wintertime and the fact that Allie is starring in the winter play, “The Snow Queen” is causing a great sensation. Even the weather seems to be effected; more snow has fallen this year then for many years before. Kit finds Askew in the wilderness and tries to get him to come back into the light, but Askew refuses. In English class, Kit has begun to write another story, which is also effected by the theme of winter. It is the story of Lak, who survives with his family during the time of the ice age. However, Lak and his baby sister are separated from his family after they are attacked by a bear and he and his sister are left for dead. Meanwhile, Allie prepares for her role by learning a magic trick in which she makes small objects disappear and reappear again. Kit then begins to have dreams about his grandfather being made to reappear again, completely healthy and Lak’s family reappearing to Lak when his mother pays a magician to “bring him back”. During all this time, Kit’s grandfather is still ill and Askew remains hidden from the rest of Stoneygate.

In Kit’s shoes, I’d have been very alarmed if my grandfather had callapsed all of a sudden. I would have been even further distressed to realized that he had to be moved for an indefinite amount of time into a hospital, meaning he’d be separated from us, his family. I think that, more then anything else, family can help someone to recover better then any medication because it gives the suffering person a reason to keep fighting for better health. Of course, I’d have been quite proud of Allie for being able to become the star of the winter show at our school too, but I’d still be quite preoccupied with my grandfather. I might have even begun to get distanced from her. Not that I would want that, this sort of thing has happened to me before and that’s what happened. If I were writing the story about Lak, I’d be strongly influenced by what’s happening in my life. Perhaps I’d make the entire story a metaphor for what was happening in my real life. Lak would represent Grandpa, Lak’s family would be my own family and the old magician would be Allie. In this case, the story would focus on the view of the sufferer, Lak/Grandpa. Then I’d give the story a happy ending where Lak finds his family again and hope that Grandpa gets better, so that it follows the story.

Kit's Wilderness Post 2 pgs. 47-92

In this part of the book, Kit is finally chosen in the game of "Death" to be the one to die, to be left in the cave to find his way out alone. When he is left alone, Kit faints. When be comes to, seemingly hours later, he finds his way out to find that only Askew (with Jax, the wild dog) and Allie were still waiting for him. Over the next few days, Kit's relationship with his friends grow. However, his grandpa's health is getting worse, to the point where he blanks out for lengths of time. Then, Kit is again chosen to be the one to "die", after have talked to his english teacher after school. However, this time, that same teacher catches on to the game and the results are drastic. All the participents of the game tell the truth about the game, Askew is expeled from school and the den is filled in. By this time, winter has arrived. Life in Stoneygate has returned to normal, however once Kit ran into Askew in the wilderness, and Kit's grandpa is getting worse.

If were Kit and I had been chosen to "die" in a cave, I probably wouldn't have made a big deal out of it. I've been in caves before, and this one wouldn't have been much different, even with all of the stories of death, demons, angels and the rest. I am generally pretty skeptical about stories that have no bases in fact. I may or may not have fainted. I might not have even been able to tell, the cave being so dark after the entrence is closed. However, I would be just as worried about my grandfather had I been in his place. His health would have been the most promanent thing on my mind, not a game. I also think that it was stupid of Kit to go play the silly game instead of going home to check on his grandpa. I don't really se why Kit is so attracted to the game, and to the pit where one of his ancestors used to mine. I would find it intersting, but not so much to the point where it alters my priorities. Later, once the game was stopped, I wouldn't have minded so much. However, I would be a little disappointed by the fact that they filled in the pit. I would have found it to be an interesting place to explore sometime. I would also be unnerved by the fact the John Askew was still clinging to the idea of the game and ancestors and connections even after the game is stopped and it's over. Enough is enough. Finally, having put the game out of my mind, I would be even more preoccupied with my grandfather's steadily deteriorating health. Many of the things that Kit does I would not do, but I can see why he does them even if I don't agree with his conclusions.

Kit's Wilderness: 1st Post

"Kit's Wilderness" is about a boy named Kit who moves with his family to a small town called Stoneygate in order to support his grandfather, who recently lost his wife. He gets used to his new life and makes some friends such as Allie and John Askew. John Askew is pretty mysterious at first, and Kit founds out why. Askew, Allie and Kit, along with a few others, are all descendants from the old families who used to mine coal in "the pit", the only really significant thing about Stoneygate. Because of their connection, they play a game they call "Death", where they leave one of their members in the mines for them to find their way out on their own. When they do, they tell stories of how they saw ghosts, demons, angels and more in the pit. Kit has many burdens, including wrestling with his feelings about playing the game and concern for his grandfather.

If I were Kit, I don't think that I would have the drive to play the game "Death", even if I was a member of one of the old families. It doesn't sound like fun and there is a small danger factor involved. It just seems like it would be a waste of my time. However, like Kit, I would also be concerned for my grandfather. I can guess that losing a spouse would be very shocking and could cause lots of psychological trauma. I'd be worried that he'd waste away, consumed by despair. I'd also have problems converting to my new life. I've moved residence before, and starting all over from scratch was very difficult, since I left my friends and everything familiar behind. Perhaps I'd become resentful for a while. However, eventually, that would pass and I'd be able to fit in with my new life.

Night - First Quote Reflection

"A transport just arrived from Antwerp. I shall go to see them tomorrow. Surely they will have news... He left. We never saw him again. He had been given the news. The real news."

I think that this passage contains a lot of power. Since Ellie lied to Stein about the situation of Stein's family, he (Stein) must have been crushed to learn the real truth, that his family was gone. Perhaps he felt disappointed that Ellie had lied to him. Ellie in turn, must have felt guilty for lying to Stein in the first place. The entire situation is simply depressing.