Love?

What is Christopher’s definition of love? Do you agree with it? What is your definition of love? How do people experience love, for example between parents and their children? Given Christopher's aversion to being touched, can he experience his parents' love for him, or can he only understand it as a fact, because they tell him they love him? Is there any evidence in the novel that he experiences a sense of attachment to other people?

• Christopher's definition of love is that "loving someone is helping them when they get into trouble, and looking after them, and telling them the truth". 
• My definition for love is that when people love each other, they worry about them all the time, wondering if they are safe, and they want that person they love to be happy even if they are not together.
• I believe that love can be experienced and shown through the actions the people. Like what Christopher said, we help others when they are in trouble. Also, we consider each other's likes and dislikes when we are doing something. For example, Christopher's father considers all of Christopher's likes and dislikes and creates a life easier for Christopher. Another example is parent-children love. The parents help with the children's living and help the children build their future.
• Christopher can only understand his parent's love for him as a fact, because his parents tell him they love him. He is unable to actually feel what love is like.
• In the novel, Christopher is not really attached to anyone. The people in his life are associated with him only because they help him fulfill his daily necessities.

A World with No People

In The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Christopher likes the idea of a world with no people in it (p. 2); he contemplates the end of the world when the universe collapses (pp. 10–11); he dreams of being an astronaut, alone in space (pp. 50–51), and that a virus has carried off everyone and the only people left are "special people like me" (pp. 198–200). Christopher often fantasizes about being the only person left in the world. What is comforting about fantasizing about being the only person left in the world? Have you ever thought about being alone in the world? If you were alone in the world, what would you do?

•  When I fantasize about being the only person left in the world, it is comfortable because I don't need to do things according to other people or have to concern what other people think of you and your actions/what you do (can also be said as peer pressure). For example, you can drive all you want even if you're an underaged, scream all you want wherever you are, or do anything thing else you want to do.
• I have thought about being the only person left in the world. I have thought about this because I felt desperation and I wanted to escape a lot of pressure, especially pressure from parents, school, and also peer pressure, as mentioned above. Another reason I thought about being alone in the world is because I am annoyed by life, and I feel like there's no meaning in life (happens sometimes).
• If I really end up being alone in the world, I would get everything I couldn't get before, for example, a new computer or a new cellphone (which probably won't be of any use, anyways), other 3C products, clothes, books/novels, music, and maybe a new house. However, I would feel so lonely after a while that I would feel that maybe dying would be better.

Each Other's Business

In the article "We Are Each Other's Business", Eboo Patel illustrates his ideas with references to art and literature. What point does he make about the Norman Rockwell painting? How does he use a Gwendolyn Brooks poem to support his ideas? Do a Google search for these two works and see what they mean to you. 

•  Eboo Patel's purpose for mentioning the Norman Rockwell painting was to emphasize the ideas of a group of people living in peace with its diversity, but does not explore it and breaks the balance. This means that there are no such things such as people from one group insulting another group or having fights between each other. The diverse groups live peacefully with each other.
• Eboo Patel uses a quote from Gwendolyn Brooks' quote, "We are each other's business; we are each other's harvest; we are each other's magnitude and bond", to show several important ideas. The first idea is that friends and families should support each other because they are an important part of a person's life, and the second idea is that by showing their support for that person, the person who is having difficulties will encouraged and this will help the person overcome his or her obstacle.
• To me, the Norman Rockwell painting means that people can live together peacefully and accept each other's differences and opinions. This is important to me because sometimes people do not accept my differences and opinions, and it makes me really upset. I also agree with Gwendolyn Brooks quote from the poem. If our friends and family don't support us, who will?

Self Definition

In the article “Islam in America,” one of the interviewees says that she can define herself in one word: Muslim. Think about yourself. Can you define yourself in one word? If so, what is it, and why do you think that it captures the essence of who you are? If not, why not? Are there several words that you think define you? Do you think it is a good thing to define oneself narrowly, with only one word, or is it better to base one’s self-concept on a wider range of ideas?

•  For me, there is not single word that can describe me. This is because I am not unique enough to have a word to describe me. However, there are several words that could be used to describe me. They are music, sleepy, lazy, and teenager. Music is a word that describes me quite well because my life revolves around music. I might say, without music, I would suffer. The first reason is that I would die from boredom. Another example relates with waking up in the morning. Each morning, when my alarm goes off, I wake up and close my alarm. At this stage, I am half-conscious. I know that I have to wake up but I still want to continue to sleep. During this time, the half-conscious me would stretch my hand and reach for my MP3 player, on my table behind my bed. I would put it on, turn the volume up, and soon, the blasting music would wake me up. Trust me, it's really affective, so if you ever have trouble waking up, here's a good way. Sleepy and lazy are words to describe me because I am sleepy most of the time, and I am certainly very lazy. If I don't have to do something or am not required to do something, then I would not do it. And lastly, teenager. This is a very obvious word to describe me with because right now, I am a teenager.
• I believe having a wider range of words to describe me is a better thing. Even though this means that I am not unique, I represents that fact that I am a person with many different characteristics.

Author's Attitude

In the article "Islam in America", what does the author assume about readers' knowledge? What is the author's attitude toward the subject? What is the author's attitude toward the readers? Who would be interested in this topic?

• The author of the article "Islam in American" assumes some most basic knowledge such as Islam is a religion, Muslims are the people who believe in Islamic beliefs and who practice the teachings according to Islamic guides, Islam is a religion with many strict laws that teach Muslims how to live their way of life, and the knowledge of the September 11th terrorist attacks. Readers need to have a basic knowledge about these things in order to fully understand what the story is talking about.
• The author's attitude towards the subject, Islam in America, can be described as informative. She is conveying the fact that Islam is changing and blending with American and other cultures, and becoming more and more different that the original Islam. In a way, the author is fascinated with the change, because she states that Islam is definitely changing and becoming "more American", meaning that it is going to have more and more attributes from the American culture.
• The author's attitude towards the reader is most likely a friendly attitude. She wants people to understand how Islam influences a person's way of life, and how the religion is changing. Otherwise, the author's attitude is pretty much neutral. 
• Some people who would be interested in this topic might be people who are extremely religious, or people who care about their culture and other cultures. Also, Muslims are definitely interested in this topic, especially children and teenagers, because they are the ones who are influenced the most.

Living Together

Think about the people you know in school or in your neighborhood who have diverse backgrounds and beliefs. Do you think cultural differences can enrich a community? Why or why not? If so, how do they enrich the community? How do people from different cultures learn to live together?

• Yes, cultural differences can enrich a community a lot. This is a very true fact and is proved by many of the communities we see today.  Why does cultural differences enrich a community, you ask? Well, that's because these different people have different point of views and opinions, and they share different ideas and ways of life. Different point of views allows us to be unbiased about topics when talking or discussing, and it allows us to get a full image of other groups' point of views. The opinions may act as advice and help us during time when we are having difficulties, and the ideas and ways of life help us have a better and easier life both physically and mentally. What does physically and mentally mean? Well, physically means that when there are new inventions from other cultures, they are brought into communities and shared, which is a good thing. When we are talking about mentally, we are talking about the new ways and views of thinking. For example, some people might become more optimistic when they are influenced by their friends or teachers, which may help them lead a better life. I have read a book where a girl who was originally very pessimistic, thought that everyone was against her, and never smiles, turn into a sunshine girl even though she faced many obstacles because of her friends, who were Catholic.

Another Point of View

In “Evacuation Order No. 19” the narrator focuses on Mrs. Hayahsi’s experiences and her responses to the family’s situation. What different experiences and reactions might another character have had in a similar situation? Write a version of a scene from the story from the point of view of another character, such as Mrs. Hayashi’s son or daughter, or even Joe Lundy or Mrs. Greer.

Mrs. Hayashi's daughter's point of view:


     When Mrs. Hayashi's daughter and brother came home from school, Mrs. Hayashi reminded me that early next morning they would be leaving. Tomorrow they were going on a trip. They could only bring with them what they could carry.
     "I already know that," said Mrs. Hayashi's daughter. She knew how to read signs on trees. She tossed her books onto the sofa and told her mother that her teacher Mr. Rutherford had talked for an entire hour about prime numbers and coniferous trees. 
     "Do you know what a coniferous tree is?" the daughter asked. Her mother said no. "Tell me," said the mother, but the daughter just shook her head no.
     "I'll tell you later," she said. Mrs. Hayashi's daughter was ten years old and she knew what she liked. Boys and black licorice and Dorothy Lamour, her favorite star. Her favorite song on the radio was "Don't Fence Me In". She adored her pet macaw. She went to the bookshelf and took down the Birds of America. She balanced the book on her head and walked slowly, her spine held erect, up the stairs to her room.
     A few seconds later there was a loud thump and the book came tumbling back down the stairs. The daughter's brother looked up at his mother. He was seven and a small, black fedora was tilted to one side of his head. "She has to stand up straighter," the daughter heard her brother say softly. He went up to the foot of the stairs and stared at the book. It had landed face open to a picture of a small brown bird. A marshe wren. "You have to stand up straighter," the brother shouted.
    "It's not that," came the daughter's reply. "It's my head."
     "What's wrong with your head?" shouted the brother.
     "Too round. Too round on the top."

Write a Letter

Imagine you were friends with the Hayashis, the family in "Evacuation Order No.19". Write a letter to them in which you express your thoughts on their situation. Also, in you letter, give news from "home" and attempt to soothe and bolster your friends.


Dear Mrs. Hayashi,
     How is life over there? It seems like you have been aways for years even though it has only been a few months. The community feels so empty now, with so many people away and not many people coming to settle down. 
     I don't think that the United States government should be doing this. Isn't it ironic? You have always put so much effort into helping the war for the United States. And look at what they do to reward you! Isn't that extremely unreasonable? Well, I certainly think it is, and that they are not being fair. Shouldn't they respect their citizen's rights more, according to the Constitution? I wonder when there will be another rebellion...
     Anyways, aside from the fact that the community is becoming more and more empty, most of the other things are quite similar as before. Well, the major difference and effects of these unnecessary removal to the internment camps is that some obvious economic declines have occurred. I hope that the government can hurry up and notice this sign of disaster so they can change their foolish policies and give the rights back to the people who have been falsely accused.