The Northern Lights #1

Since beginning to read the book Let The Northern Lights Erase Your Name, I have really come to enjoy it and surprisingly have a difficult time putting it down. This is especially ironic considering in my reading inventory I said I generally dislike reading the books that are assigned in school. Although, we aren’t too far into the book I have already developed multiple opinions about the characters, especially the main one Clarissa.
First and foremost, I am having a difficult time having any sympathy for Clarissa while continuing to read her story. She is quite stubborn and won’t allow others who are important in her life to help her out or provide some sort of explanation for the so called “betrayal” that she feels. While, I do have strong feelings for Clarissa’s unkindly behavior, after reading the last group of assigned pages her behavior is becoming more understandable. She describes the moment her mom left her and how when she went to go meet her mom in the mall to go home, a woman told her that her mom left and said that she had gotten tired of waiting. This moment must have had a terrible affect on her, making her feel as though her mom was tired of caring for her. Often people use being tired as an excuse to get out of doing something; “I am too tired to clean my room so I will do it tomorrow”, or “I’m too tired to do my homework now so I will do it later tonight”. These excuses usually prevent someone from getting things done because he or she thinks it’s a justifiable reason for not doing something. In the books case, Clarissa’s mom is using being tired as a reasonable excuse for her kids as to why she left them. She believed that saying she was tired would be enough explanation for her kids for her reason for leaving. Personally, I think this is the worst excuse ever and provides no explanation for her kids. After reading this segment of the book I realize why Clarissa just got up and left Panjak without saying anything or thinking that she needed to say anything; because her mom left easily without an explanation she feels that it’s ok for her to do it to and to have someone else feel the pain that she felt.
Generally in life people tend to justify their actions by repeating those actions that one’s close to them have done. Clarissa feels that because her mother leaving her hurt her so much that others around her must experience that pain too and to feel what it is like to be her.

Reading Inventory

There are several different types of texts that I enjoy “reading”: watching movies and TV, listening to music and reading books. I love going to the movies from time to time with friends or family not only because it’s fun and relaxing, but usually I can walk away with some type of lesson or opinion from seeing the movie. Specifically, I recently saw the movie “Seven Pounds” which left a huge impression on me; I walked out of the movie having a greater appreciation for the life and health that I have been given. Though I left the theatre in tears with my mom, I was mesmerized by how powerful one person could be to change the lives of others for the better.
In addition to watching movies, I also enjoy watching specific TV shows. Though, I don’t gain much from watching the shows other than the satisfaction of being able to relax and have time to myself, my weekly ritual shows are important to me. Every week I watch the same specific shows at night like Gossip Girl, Grey's Anatomy, and Desperate Housewives. I always make sure that I get all my work done before my nighttime shows so that way I can sit down and relax for some down time. I don’t mind watching the shows with friends as long as no one is talking throughout the show.
When it comes to actually reading books and writing pieces my opinion is interchangeable. In high school I always had a book in my English class that I had to read; usually, these books were popular boring books like The Scarlet Letter or The Taming of the Shrew. I have never been one to like reading books that I am forced to read, especially if they share to topics of no interest to me. The book we are currently reading in ENG 112 is the first book I have had to read in college so I can’t say how much different it is to high school other than the number of books I have been required to read. Although, I dislike reading the books that are usually assigned in school, I do enjoying reading books that I pick out; great “beach reads”. Reading on the beach in the sun is by far my favorite place to read. I find myself getting involved in the book the most if I read it on the beach or in a plane, rather than reading on a couch where I usually end up making myself fall asleep. Overall, I enjoy the freedom of reading rather then being confined to one book just because it is in the curriculum.