Independent Reading Reaction #2

     After reading more of the Double Helix, I have continued to piece together parts of the story. Eli has started to work at the lab now, and has to take care of the test rabbits. The lab is trying to get the rabbits to produce a certain protein in their milk that can be used to cure a number of diseases. I have also recently figured out that Eli's mom has a severe case of Huntington's Disease. I believe that her disease and the research going on at Wyatt Transgenics will somehow be very closely related.  
     Also, Eli just turned eighteen years old, meaning that he is now eligible to be tested for Huntington's Disease. I think that Dr. Wyatt believes that Eli will have the disease. Therefore, I think he is trying to find a cure to prevent the disease from progressing. I am also currently moving towards the idea that Eli was genetically engineered or altered at birth. Eli is good at everything he does, from school to sports. It is true that Eli might just be naturally talented, but because of Dr. Wyatt's interest in him I feel that he must be genetically altered in some way but doesn't know it yet.

Independent Reading Reaction #1

     In the book Double Helix by Nancy Werlin, the main character is Eli. He is the saludatorian of his high school, and is offered a job by the famous Dr. Quincy Wyatt. Eli is thrilled and takes the job, but his dad strongly urges Eli to stay away from Dr. Wyatt for some reason. While all of this is going on, Eli's mom is mentally sick and in the hospital. It's not clear yet what is wrong with her exactly, but I feel that it has something to do with Dr. Wyatt.
     I've come to this conclusion because during Eli's interview, Dr. Wyatt seems to know Eli and his mom a little too well. Dr. Wyatt knows how tall Eli will be, that he could be the class valedictorian but is holding back, and he gets mad that Eli is taking a year off before college. All of these hints make me suspect that there is some important connection bewtween Dr. Wyatt, Eli, and his mom.

Sherlock Holmes Reaction

     After watching the movie Sherlock Holmes in class, I noticed many similarities between Sherlock and Christopher Boone. One similarity was that they both were trying to solve mysteries. In the film, Holmes was trying to figure out how Lord Blackwood came back from the grave and how to stop him. Along the way there were many red herrings such as the magic, and the cyanide that the girl took at the end of the film. In the Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher was trying to find his mom. There was also a red herring in this story when Christopher tries to figure out who killed Wellington. Both of these stories have similar plots for awhile, and both both contain red herrings.
     Another similarity that I picked up on when watching the Sherlock Holmes movie in class was that both Holmes and Christopher think very logically. They both like math and science; and do not believe in things like magic, god, or other things that are not logical. Holmes uses his logic to solve mysteries and figure things out about people that many others wouldn't be able to figure out. This is similar to how Christopher uses his logic to figure out who killed Wellington, and find his way to his mom's house in London. Overall I feel that the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Christopher Boone are very similar in more ways than one.

Reaction to "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time"

     After reading the book The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time I'd have to say that I truly enjoyed reading it, and I was able to learn a lot about how I view the world compared to others. Nothing terribly exciting happens to Christopher in the book, however the story keeps your attention simply because of the unusual ways that Christopher reacts to different events. I also loved how easy it was to connect and relate to the main characters throughout the novel. One of my favorite things about this book was how the author wrote it. Haddon didn't make the reader ever feel sorry for Christopher, instead you would find yourself feeling sympathetic. I feel that this simple difference was one of the things that made this book so great in my mind.
     Before reading this book, I never really understood what goes on in the mind of someone with a disability. I used to just think that not too much went on in there; but after seeing how logical and intelligent Christopher was, it has completely changed my perspective. I'm sure that not all people with mental disabilities are able to think about things the way that Christopher can, however I'm sure that a lot more disabled people are smarter than many of us give them credit for.
     I also enjoyed seeing the growth and progress that Christopher made throughout his adventures in the book. At the start of the story I would never have guessed that he would have been able to travel to London all by himself to find his mother. However, this just shows how Christopher grew both physically and mentally throughout the story. In the end he was able to find out the truth about his family, become brave, and learn that he can survive on his own in the world.
    This is a very different book from any others that I have read, and I am glad that I have had the chance to read it. I loved that Haddon didn't make Christopher seem inferior during the story because of his disability. This insight into the life of a person with Asperger's truly opened my eyes to a new way of looking at people with disabilities. I was also happy with how Haddon showed the growth and development of Christopher from the story's beginning to end. Christopher was able to overcome many of his fears and step way outside of his comfort zone. By the end of the book, he was much better off because of it and was able to finally have some closure about his family. I would certainly recommend this book for others to read.

Henry David Thoreau Quote

Henry David Thoreau believed that in order to live well, we must reduce the number of material goods we have. Otherwise, these things begin to dominate us. Take a position on this and explain.

     I agree with Thoreau up to a point. I too feel that people should reduce the number of material goods that they have. However, I don't feel that you should completely get rid of all of your material goods as a transcendentalist would. Having a few essential material goods certainly makes life much easier.
     It is true that many people have an outrageous amount of material goods. I feel that people can get bye just fine with only a few, but some people simply over do it. Many people are obsessed with always having the best and newest cars, phones, and clothes. I don't have a problem with this, as long as the old things are donated or given to the less fortunate so they are not being wasted. Therefore, I do agree with what Thoreau said, but up to a point.

D.I.N.-Prime Numbers Quote

     In the quote, "Prime numbers are what is left when you have taken all of the patterns away. I think prime numbers are like life. They are very logical but you could never work out the rules, even if you spent all your time thinking about them." I think Christopher has a very good point. I agree with him when he says that both life and prime numbers are logical. Everyone knows what a prime number is and there is never any question whether or not a number is prime or composite. This also holds true with life. Everyone knows that there are stages in life that everyone goes through. There is no doubt that everyone is born, lives for a period of time, and then dies. Therefore both life and prime numbers can be considered logical.
     I also believe that Christopher has a good point when he says that no matter how much time a person spends trying to figure out the rules or patterns of prime numbers or life, it is not possible. This is because there is no pattern to prime numbers; and the only rule is that a prime number's only multiples are one and itself. If people tried to figure out a pattern to make prime numbers easy to figure out, they would drive themselves crazy. The same is true about trying to figure out life. Many people have come up with ideas and philosophies about the rules and meaning of life. However there is not one person who has ever been able to figure out rules or patterns that hold true to everyone's lives. For these reasons I agree with Christopher when he says that there is no way to find rules or patterns of prime numbers or of life.