Independent+Novel+Study


 * In class Journal number one**
 * "Someday this pain will be useful to you" Razvan Bezna Pages 1 - 62 Chapters 1-5(beginning) Friday, December 3rd.**

I selected his novel because the title got my attention right away. The title did this because I couldn't grasp just one concept that the story might include. Before I had started reading this novel, every time I thought about the novel, I was thinking about different topic's and subjects that it could include, and after reading some reviews on the internet, I was also concerned about the main character, James. The main character ,James, is telling the story in his perspective. It effects the way he is telling the story because he is a highly intelligent young man with very unique and interesting thoughts. James, and eight-teen year old living in New York, is not like other people his age. One may say that most eight-teen year olds are obnoxious and loud animals that have recently completed high-school. This, however, does not describe James. James Sveck is a quite person, he believes that you should only speak if you have something important to say. James doesn't really converse to the other characters, compared as to other books, he keeps to himself.At the beginning of the story James's mother comes home early from her 3rd honeymoon. James is surprised that she has come home so early because he was supposed to be working at his mother's art gallery. His mother just lets it go because she has bigger problems on her hands. She had come home early from her honeymoon because her beloved husband, who she adored very much, had stolen her credit cards and spent over $3000 on strippers, and expensive accessories. Feeling betrayed, disappointed, and lonely his mother falls asleep. Then the book jumps to a different month, and now we're in a different setting. After writing an essay on why James believes that women would make better leaders, James gets selected to go to "America's Classroom". In which two people from every state across the American Nation would be selected and sent to Washington D.c. to do various tasks. Now the book jumps back into the first month of the book, James is going to have lunch with his father. His father works in a high class business building, and they decide to have lunch there. After they had been seated, and ordered, James states that he no longer wants to go to college. Even though he is going to one of the best in American, Brown University, he also states that he thinks it would be a waste of his time, and that he could accomplish the same thing if he took the money that would be spent on college, bought a nice home, and read.

10/10


 * In class Journal number two**
 * "Someday this pain will be useful to you" Razvan Bezna Pages 62-102 Chapters 5- End of Chapter 8 Friday, December 10th**

James is at a psychiatrist because his parents thought that he could benefit from seeing a psychiatrist, after all the mishap that had happened at the "American Classroom". Here is an example of the language used in at the end of the second session James has been Dr Rowen Adlers; ""I'm just surprised, you sound quite articulate to me, and it also seems as if you enjoy talking." "Well I don't," I said, and I could hear how ridiculously petulant I sounded." I choose this example because I found it odd how James isn't just articulate and promotes proper speaking amongst other people, he is also very articulate in the way he thinks. It was also ironic how even with Jame's intellect he can be quite stubborn. Another example of Jame's articulate thoughts, taken from the book is; "The room was so small our knees almost touched. She leaned back, ostensibly to be more comfortable, but I could tell it was really to move away from me". Here is another example of Jame's thoughts, and the words he uses, "ostensibly". One could find out the meaning of the word by simply just reading on, but if it hadn't been placed in that certain context, I believe that most people would have not known what the word's meaning was. And as a result of Jame's high intellect and knowledge, one could may conclude that the language is somewhat difficult to follow.
 * Is the language in the novel difficult or easy? GIve examples and explain. **

The author holds your interest by using the alternation of months throughout the story. The switch happens approximately every three chapters. So basically, every time to you get to a climax of some sort, he switches to a past or future month. Also, because the language is used so well, it maintains and keeps you're attention through extensive details. I think this is what the author was going for,and I believe he succeeded.
 * How does the author get you to read on or hold your interest?**

The style of this novel is one of its key aspects, its also what makes this novel interesting. The switching of months keep the reader hanging, and wanting more. At first, I saw this idea as somewhat daunting because sometimes I find myself forgetting some small detail which had happened before, but even forgetting that small detail could have been something very important later on. If you couldn't remember what happened in the three chapters before the "off" chapter, you would most likely be confused as to what is, and has been going on. I believe that this novel should be read continuously and not over a long period of time because of the alternation of time and setting. This is why on range from easy - hard, I find that this book is of medium challenge.
 * Comment on the style of the novel. Is it easy or hard to follow the events ? **

PLOT OUTLINE FOR THIS SECTION ? 8/10

**In class Journal number three** **"Someday this pain will be useful to you" Razvan Bezna Pages 103-146 Chapters 9- End of Chapter 11 Thursday, December 16th** = =

The setting of the novel is varied. It includes New York, downtown New York, & a suburb off of New York that’s name is not mentioned, but mostly it is set in downtown or near downtown New York. The mood and feeling is quite exhilarating because of the hundreds of people coming in to work every morning and leaving later on in the day, and because of that the streets are busy and manoeuvring around them is quite exhausting. I do believe that this novel could possibly be set somewhere else, but it would have to poses similar qualities to New York; Tall buildings, busy streets, and business men rushing to work in expensive suits.
 * What is the setting of the novel? Is the setting important or could the novel be happening anywhere? Why? **

The novel “Someday this pain will be useful to you” is believable. Except for one particular part, were the main character, James, said that if he were to move across country, he would not fly but instead he would walk. He believes that if you fly you don’t really know where you are headed too. I can see why he believes that you have to walk to know where you are going, but I would never attempt to walk across country. I would recommend this novel to a friend because it is very well written, keeps the reader interested, and overall has a very unique vibe that I haven’t found in other novels.
 * Is the novel believable? Why would you (or why wouldn't you) recommend this novel to a friend? Why did (or didn't) the novel meet your expectations? **

Some information that you would need to know before reading the novel is that, James, wasn't a very happy person overall. He didn't lead a very happy and joyful life. His parents had divorced and he lived with his mom that wasn't quite sure what she should do with herself after the divorce. A few other things that you learn throughout the book is that James also found High-School very boring and easy, he didn't see a reason why he should contribute his time to something so simple.
 * What information did you need to know before reading the novel? **

= =
 * 1) James is at the American Classroom.
 * 2) James has a choice of going to a comedy club or a dinner theater.
 * 3) James goes to the dinner theater.
 * 4) James isn't impressed with the dinner theater, and he thinks that it is rude that people eat while other people are trying to perform.
 * 5) James is approached by a girl, that asks him if he's okay and why he is sitting alone. He reply's that he is fine, and sort of imply's for her to leave him alone. She told James that if he changed his mind he can come sit at her table.
 * 6) James runs away from the theater because he just can't take being with the people from the American Classroom.
 * 7) James see's a house that stands out too him, and observes the attributes of the house. It creeps him out and he sprints away.
 * 8) James is back in his psychiatrist's office. All the stuff in the previous chapter has already happened because the last chapter was a different month then the one he is in now.
 * 9) James talks to the Dr Addler some more, and continues the story.
 * 10) She asks him what he did next.
 * 11) The story goes back into first person of what James did after he had ran away from the American Classroom.
 * 12) James signed into an hotel.
 * 13) For the next two days James spent time going to the National Museum & wandering around exploring.
 * 14) The story jumps back to the psychiatrist's office and their time is up.
 * 15) With that the Chapter ends

= **In class Journal number Four** = = **"Someday this pain will be useful to you" Razvan Bezna Pages 146-195 Chapters 11- End of Chapter 14 Friday, January 7th** =

= Is there a message or main theme emerging in the book? How is it shown? = In my opinion, so far, there are a few possible themes, but none seem to emerge or stand out from the others. If i were to choose a theme, most appropriate for this novel right now, I would have to say that the theme is you have to be an overall joyful person that not judge and criticize people for their inequalities, to enjoy life.

=Describe any new characters that are introduced? What is their purpose?= A new character is introduced a few chapters earlier, Dr Adler, James's psychiatrist. She is an African-American psychiatrist who didn't have a very good overall first impression on James. Dr. Adler keeps asking James' questions that he finds pointless. James is sort of annoyed, and is quite rude, when she asks these oblivious questions. Their conversations rarely proceed with any sort of enthusiasm, its a static environment, but James doesn't really mind it because he doesn't really like talking to people or involve himself into a conversation. I believe, that her purpose in the story is to make James analyze and ponder the actions he has made before each of their sessions.

=What new things are added to the original problem as the novel progresses?= A few new things are added on to the original problem. James decides that it would be humorous to make a fake profile on Gents4gents, where men can meet other men. He creates a profile with false information that would attract his coworker, his best friend, John. John decides that he wants to meet up with this perfect match, and he sets up a time and place where they could both meet. They meet at an art gallery convention and John is wondering why James was there and started scolding him because John knew that James wasn't invited. By the time that James tells John what he has done ( created the fake page, etc) John is furious. He storms off, only to return about 20 minutes later to drag James into a park and talk with him. John tells James that he is very disappointed and upset at what he has done, and then John walks away. To make matters worse, James returns to work the next day, and John doesn't shot up to work that day. His mother calls him into her office, and discusses the events of the night before. James's mother said that John was very upset with James and that he was not coming into work for the next couple of days. James's mother said she could understand why, because what he did was mean. His mother tells him that the only way to make things right was to fire James. His mother did so and James was left still and silent, he had nothing to say. His mother told him to go back to work for the day, but James thought why should I go back to work if I was just fired. James's emotions take control of him, and he didn't even have time to wait for the elevator. He sprints down the 5 sets of stairs leading to the busy streets of New York.

Plot outline


 * 1) James returns home from the art gallery to find Mr Rogers, his mom's ex-husband, packing up his stuff.
 * 2) James's mother returns home later that night from a play that her and Gillian went to go see. Gillian is mentioned at the beginning of the story, but after that she sort of disappears, and reappears in chapter 12.
 * 3) Gillian comes to James's bedroom to try and convince him to go to college. She says that he is being ignorant and stupid. She also told him that his room was in town visiting the vineyard, and that he would like to meet and speak with James. James says that he definitely does not want to meet with his roommate because he still believes he isn't going to college.
 * 4) James goes to bed after their little quarrel because he has work in the morning.
 * 5) James goes to work the next morning to find out that John has not shown up today. Which is odd because John is always the first one there.
 * 6) No one's around yet, so he decides to call one of the real estates agents who was selling one of the houses in the east which he was interested in,
 * 7) He try's to talk to the real estate agent but the more she say's about the house, the more James decides that it is a bad idea.
 * 8) A woman comes into the gallery and James quickly hangs up.
 * 9) The woman that had just walked in was a journalist from artforum. The journalist looks at the " Garbage can art" like its garbage and not really art. She asks James what his opinion on a specific piece, and he tells her.
 * 10) James leaves work to go to a therapy session with his psychiatrist, Dr. Adler.
 * 11) Surprisingly, their conversation actually went somewhere today, and the talk about a lot of things. For example they talk about James's opinion on 911, "Ground Zero", the woman that died in 911 and no one knew for over 2 weeks, and why he did what he did to John.
 * 12) Once James started to feel the pace of the conversation Dr Adler informs him that their time is up. She sort of pushes him out with her words, and with the hand that she had placed on his back.
 * 13) James returns home to find Gillian very upset.
 * 14) They talk about her problems and the best way to proceed with them.
 * 15) James returns back to work, and he sees that his mother is waiting for him at the reception desk.
 * 16) She asks James to come in to talk to her.
 * 17) James's mother says that she is very upset and also disappointed in James. After, what he has done to John.
 * 18) She tells James that without John at the art gallery her life would be so much more difficult, and for that reason James's mother fire's him.
 * 19) His mother told him to go back to work for the day, but James started thinking. That after people get fired they don't go back to work they leave.
 * 20) James's didn't have enough patience to wait for the elevator and stormed down the 5 flights of stairs. He found himself on the busy streets of New York, around lunch time.
 * 21) The chapter ends with a sort of unfinished feeling. that you're still waiting for something to happen, but you know nothing is going to happen because the chapter has concluded.

= In class Journal number Five = = "Someday this pain will be useful to you" Razvan Bezna Pages 146-195 Chapters 15- End of Chapter 17 Friday, January 11th =

===What were the major things that helped to resolve the plot? What message did you get from the novel? How was this message conveyed? === A few major things that helped to resolve the plot were that his grandmother died, and the fact that James did in fact go to college in the end because he had spoken briefly to his new roommate. The message I got from the novel is that you really have to think things over before you make a life changing sudden decision based only on a bad experience. In this situation, James, assumed that college would be the same as high school, the bad experience for him. James described High-School as boring, and annoying people. James also, said that it bothered him how people had used the english language inappropriately. So in conclusion, he truly believed that he wouldn't enjoy his time at college either, based only on a bad experience.

=What is the initial or first problem faced by the main character?= = = = How are the major and minor conflicts solved? = The major and minor conflicts are solved through multiple occurrences, but one of the minor conflicts wasn't solved even towards the end of the novel. The conflict that hadn't been solved had been that of James's mother and James's grandmother. They never really did get along and before the conflict could be solved James's grandmother had passed. Some of the major conflicts are solved through the telephone call from James's roommate really excited to go to college with him. James wasn't agreed to it at first, but after he had met up with him, his attitude had changed. Another minor conflict had between the tension of James's mother's ex-husband, James and his mother. When the Mr. Roger, the ex-husband had to come to collect his belongings from their house he had spoken to James for a brief moment. James didn't really care about the whole incident, but the way the story is told makes it seem that it was some sort of closure to Mr. Roger.
 * The first initial problem faced by the character is that he decides that going to college is not a good idea, and that he would rather move somewhere out west in quite town. Spending the rest of his days obtaining knowledge from books rather then from other people. The main character, James, stated that he would take the money that he would've used for college and just bought an old-style house somewhere in Kansas. He also said that he would get a job that would allow him to do so. James mentioned that he could work as a night guard, **

=What has happened before the novel began?=
 * Before the novel had began, James was almost never happy, his home and school life wasn't satisfying enough for him. His parents had separated, school was a place he was always annoyed with, and he really had no friends other then John that works with him at his mother's Art Gallery. James had learnt the english language well, and had used that as a sort of protection, always hiding behind his words, conversation was impossible with him. Basically James's whole life until now when has come to this dilemma has happened before the novel, but I think that what has happened before the novel began is sort of implied because of James's attitude and character toward the whole situation. After Mr. Roger had left James had found a note that had an apology on it to his mother. James thought it would make her even more upset with the whole situation but he thought he should just leave so he did. This is a kind of symbol for the end of their time together, and closure to the whole situation. **


 * Plot summery **

- He decides it would be best to go to his grandmother's house for a few days. - James caught her grandmother taking a nap so he thought he should just wait for her to wake up. - In doing so he himself had fallen asleep for about an hour - They have drinks and talk about why he had come on such a random visit and what has occurred in the pas week. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- After dinner, they played scrabble and converse for a little while longer before bed <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- The next morning they had breakfast and James went back into town. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- As he arrives home he argues with Gillian. <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">- His mother wakes up and he talks with her about what had happened the night before. Catching is grandma taking a nap, which was a very unusual thing. - James gets a call from his roommate and he decides to answer. The book skips quite some time; July 30 - October - James's grandma had died and had passed down all the stuff that had been in her house. - James keeps all of it, even though his mother thinks that its all useless junk and he should either throw out what he doesn't want or need. - James is at University and he thinks " But it seems reasonable to me. I'm only eighteen. How do i now what I will want in my life? How do I know what things I will need? "
 * <span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; font: normal normal normal 12px/normal Arial; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px;">- James had just left his mother's art gallery and is now in Grand Central Park. **

= = = = = = =THE END.=

http://ronaldmcgodamdonald.edu.glogster.com/razglogster/ http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/110982.Peter_Cameron