Hello all!
I am stressed and fatigued as my last week of junior year comes to a close. It is my deepest desire that my three months of exploration will come to fruition. I have learned plenty about various topics such as social studies methods, urban planning in Philadelphia, literacy assessment differentiation, curriculum based measurement for special needs students, and use of ratio tables to teach math methods.
Although my goals are clear and my list of tasks to do lengthy, I am trying to seek the time to divert my attention to other matters. Since the Client List (yes, my embarrassing guilty pleasure!) is not uploaded to Hulu.com yet, I decided to return to the profound city of Charleston, South Carolina, in which Leo King accounts his coming of age story in all its glory, mistakes, and hopes.
Pat Conroy is by far my favorite author. His ability to intrigue a reader is beyond fantastic. His words are a fluid stream of beauty. He seamlessly strings together phrases that deservedly belong in poems. He describes the city of a penisula as "a town so pretty it makes your eyes ache with pleasure just to walk down its spellbinding, narrow streets" (Conroy, 1).
The gorgeous and dramatic city of Charleston first grabbed my attention in high school. For summer reading, I reluctantly chose The Lords of Discipline as my choice. I was not a fan of military content in literature, and was hoping that the book would at least expose me to a new topic. However, I unexpectedly fell in love with the book. Will, the protagonist, reminded me of Holden Caufield. His unrealized good looks and sarcastic persona caused me to develop feelings....for a fictitious character! Then again, I will openly admit that I fell hard for Dmitri from Disney's Anastacia. I know; truly sad, but true.
South of Broad does not compare to Lords of Disclipine. Yet, existing at the same tier of Lords of Discipline is quite the impossible task in my opinion. Regardless, S of B does showcase a bit more versatility in its presentation of characters. There is the jaded main character, Leo King, his former nun and drastically austere mother, and diffident and pleasant father. Then, there are his new neighbor twins, one a flamboyant boy and the other a sassy and voluptuous actress-in-the-making. Orphans enter his life in a sudden wave and are considered mountain hooligans. Lastly, there is the new football coach's son, Ike, a sensitive African American grappling with the racial tension in Charleston.
I am only at Part 2 in the book, but I am slowly but surely finding myself attached to the characters. My curiosity is peaked as I wonder what happened in 1989 (vs. 1969). I am saddened by the calloused disfigurement of Leo. He has led a troubled life, a result of his older brother's childhood suicide. Leo was never as popular or handsome as Steve. Leo cannot seem to fathom living in Steve's shadow or pleasing his parents as effortlessly as Steve did.
Reading this novel in the midst of finals, in the 70's style library that is Drexel's Hagerty Library makes me want to drift off on a magic carpet ride to the mysterious land that is Charleston. I pine for the love of a pretentious community that bases judgements off age-old traditions. I want to bask in the warm rays that hit and deflect the soft waves of the Ashley River. I want to take photographs of cicada-filled magnolia trees. Before reading this novel, I wanted to raise a family in the South, preferably in one of the Carolina's. However, this novel exposed the underlying tensions and hypocrisy that occurs behind the facades of the Charlestonian mansions. I feel bad for Leo, "a boy stopped in time, in a city of amber-colored life that possessed the glamour forbidden to a lesser angel"(Conroy, 6).
I am anxious to read on, to see how the tale unfolds. I know that Leo marries Starla, one of the orphans. But, I am dying to know why as their union is quickly dissipating. Sheba is a famous actress, but her efforts to obtain fame have caused her to lose her sense of self. She is an obnoxious, self-seeking woman. Ike and Betty are married. This is pleasing, but is there more to their picture-perfect marriage? Lastly, what on earth happened to Trevor, the loud and fun-loving brother of Sheba? A classmate of mine, disclosed some information-- after I begged for her to give me some clue to the bombshell that drops at the end of the novel. She acquiesced after much pleading on my part. Apparently, Monsignor Maxwell raped Steve, leading him to take his own life. I find the urgent need to read on. Priestly abuse seems to be a hot topic these days. Charleston has proved to be a mystical place where tragedy and deceit are inevitable.
I will write again after I finish this book...and my finals!
Sincerely, Arlene
I am stressed and fatigued as my last week of junior year comes to a close. It is my deepest desire that my three months of exploration will come to fruition. I have learned plenty about various topics such as social studies methods, urban planning in Philadelphia, literacy assessment differentiation, curriculum based measurement for special needs students, and use of ratio tables to teach math methods.
Although my goals are clear and my list of tasks to do lengthy, I am trying to seek the time to divert my attention to other matters. Since the Client List (yes, my embarrassing guilty pleasure!) is not uploaded to Hulu.com yet, I decided to return to the profound city of Charleston, South Carolina, in which Leo King accounts his coming of age story in all its glory, mistakes, and hopes.
Pat Conroy is by far my favorite author. His ability to intrigue a reader is beyond fantastic. His words are a fluid stream of beauty. He seamlessly strings together phrases that deservedly belong in poems. He describes the city of a penisula as "a town so pretty it makes your eyes ache with pleasure just to walk down its spellbinding, narrow streets" (Conroy, 1).
The gorgeous and dramatic city of Charleston first grabbed my attention in high school. For summer reading, I reluctantly chose The Lords of Discipline as my choice. I was not a fan of military content in literature, and was hoping that the book would at least expose me to a new topic. However, I unexpectedly fell in love with the book. Will, the protagonist, reminded me of Holden Caufield. His unrealized good looks and sarcastic persona caused me to develop feelings....for a fictitious character! Then again, I will openly admit that I fell hard for Dmitri from Disney's Anastacia. I know; truly sad, but true.
South of Broad does not compare to Lords of Disclipine. Yet, existing at the same tier of Lords of Discipline is quite the impossible task in my opinion. Regardless, S of B does showcase a bit more versatility in its presentation of characters. There is the jaded main character, Leo King, his former nun and drastically austere mother, and diffident and pleasant father. Then, there are his new neighbor twins, one a flamboyant boy and the other a sassy and voluptuous actress-in-the-making. Orphans enter his life in a sudden wave and are considered mountain hooligans. Lastly, there is the new football coach's son, Ike, a sensitive African American grappling with the racial tension in Charleston.
I am only at Part 2 in the book, but I am slowly but surely finding myself attached to the characters. My curiosity is peaked as I wonder what happened in 1989 (vs. 1969). I am saddened by the calloused disfigurement of Leo. He has led a troubled life, a result of his older brother's childhood suicide. Leo was never as popular or handsome as Steve. Leo cannot seem to fathom living in Steve's shadow or pleasing his parents as effortlessly as Steve did.
Reading this novel in the midst of finals, in the 70's style library that is Drexel's Hagerty Library makes me want to drift off on a magic carpet ride to the mysterious land that is Charleston. I pine for the love of a pretentious community that bases judgements off age-old traditions. I want to bask in the warm rays that hit and deflect the soft waves of the Ashley River. I want to take photographs of cicada-filled magnolia trees. Before reading this novel, I wanted to raise a family in the South, preferably in one of the Carolina's. However, this novel exposed the underlying tensions and hypocrisy that occurs behind the facades of the Charlestonian mansions. I feel bad for Leo, "a boy stopped in time, in a city of amber-colored life that possessed the glamour forbidden to a lesser angel"(Conroy, 6).
I am anxious to read on, to see how the tale unfolds. I know that Leo marries Starla, one of the orphans. But, I am dying to know why as their union is quickly dissipating. Sheba is a famous actress, but her efforts to obtain fame have caused her to lose her sense of self. She is an obnoxious, self-seeking woman. Ike and Betty are married. This is pleasing, but is there more to their picture-perfect marriage? Lastly, what on earth happened to Trevor, the loud and fun-loving brother of Sheba? A classmate of mine, disclosed some information-- after I begged for her to give me some clue to the bombshell that drops at the end of the novel. She acquiesced after much pleading on my part. Apparently, Monsignor Maxwell raped Steve, leading him to take his own life. I find the urgent need to read on. Priestly abuse seems to be a hot topic these days. Charleston has proved to be a mystical place where tragedy and deceit are inevitable.
I will write again after I finish this book...and my finals!
Sincerely, Arlene
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