“Top 10” List for The Tenth Circle By: Jodi Picoult
1. "Desperation can do amazing things to a person." (293) This quote explains the entire theme of the book. The plot is based on Jason raping Trixie, which was caused by Trixie’s desperate desire for attention. Another important part in the plot is when Laura kills Jason which is based on her trying to seek revenge for Trixie. Each character in the book makes decisions without thinking which majority of the time end badly.
2. Trixie Stone is the main character in the book. She has two personalities, before the rape, and after. Before the rape Trixie is a fun and social high school student who has just been dumped by her boyfriend, Jason Underhill. Although she is considered “popular” Trixie only has one close friend, named Zephyr. After Trixie is raped she becomes some what of a loner. She drops out of school for a month and when she returns all of her friends have turned against her. The only contact she has with people are her parents and she attempts to avoid them as much as possible. Trixie also cuts her wrists due to the emotional pain she feels from the rape, which leads to her attempted suicide.
3. Daniel Stone is Trixie’s father, and a key component to the story. He is a quiet man who seems to never get angry. “It was against human nature to be that calm, like he was some kind of Stepford dad who couldn't be provoked”(279). But later on in the book the reader finds out that Daniel has a troubled past. He grew up in Alaska where he was made fun of for being the only white child. Then he became anti-social and angry, eventually leading to him killing a friend and fleeing the state.
4. Laura Stone is Daniels’s wife, and Trixie’s mother. She is significant in the story because she murders Trixie’s ex-boyfriend, Jason. She is a professor for a local college where she specializes in teaching a class on the book, Dante’s Inferno. Due to problems at home Laura begins to cheat on Daniel with one of her students, Seth. The affair continues for about a year until Trixie’s rape, when Laura realizes she is tearing her family apart.
5. Jason Underhill is significant in the story because he creates the plot in the book when he rapes Trixie. Jason is your stereotypical jock. He was known throughout the town for being the all-star hockey player who was going to carry the school’s team to state. Jason also dated Trixie Stone, but after a year together, he broke up with her. Shortly after that, he attacked and raped Trixie, which lead to his murder.
6. The main setting of the book is in the small town of Bethel, Maine, during the winter. This is where the Stone’s live and where Trixie attends high school. The book also takes place in Akaik, Alaska, where Daniel grew up as well as where Trixie runs away too. The contrast of these settings helps the reader to notice shifts in the plot as well as changes in the characters mind sets. The settings are significant because they play a key role in creating the plot.
7. The books plot is very twisted. It begins with Jason’s decision to break up with Trixie. Trixie is so distraught about the break up that Jason takes advantage of her and rapes her. She then decides to press charges against Jason, and Detective Mike Bartholomew is brought in to prove Jason is guilty. Jason’s life begins to spiral out of control and he is suddenly murdered. Once Trixie realizes that she is a suspect in the murder she runs away. After the Stones realize Trixie is missing, they look through her room for clues to find out where she went. Daniel realizes that Trixie has run away to Alaska, where he grew up. As the Stones travel to Alaska Detective Bartholomew tries to get a DNA match between a Trixie’s hair, and a hair found in Jason’s watch. After having multiple tests preformed, Bartholomew finally is able to issue a warrant for Trixie’s arrest. Mean while Trixie has arrived in Akaik, Alaska and assumed the identity of one of the Jesuit Volunteers for the K300 Dog Sled Race. After days of traveling Daniel finds Trixie at the same time as the police. Daniel and Laura admirably try to take the blame for Trixie, but one Bartholomew questions them he realizes that Laura killed Jason.
8. The most significant event in the book is when Trixie admits to her dad that she never told Jason no, when they had sex. She also admits that she brought and took the drugs that showed up in he system that night. This is significant because it proves that Trixie made up the entire rape and that Jason in innocent.
9. Trixie faces the largest internal conflict of all the characters in the story. She knew that Jason did not rape her that night but can’t seam to bring herself to tell the truth. As she watches Jason’s life crumble before her eyes, she remains silent. At the end of the book Trixie finally confesses to her father that Jason did not rape her. This is significant because it show the reader that Trixie made up the entire rape to attempt to get back at Jason for breaking up with her. It also shows the reader that Trixie was willing to do anything to get Jason back.
10. Love is a reoccurring motif through out the book. When Daniel and Laura travel across the country to find Trixie it is out of love. When Laura pushes Jason over the bridge she does it because she loves her daughter and wants her to be able to move on in her life. Another example is when Trixie runs away. She loves her family so much that she feels she has to run away in case the police come after them. Lastly the greatest act of love in the entire book is when Laura and Daniel both say that the killed Jason to protect their daughter. Love is significant because it drives majority of the important actions done in the book.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Monday, January 14, 2008
The Tenth Circle post 7 B
About the Author
Jodi Picoult is a best selling author of 14 different books; Songs of the Humpback Whale (1992), Harvesting the Heart (1994), Picture Perfect (1995); Mercy (1996), The Pact (1998); Keeping Faith (1999), Plain Truth (2000), Salem Falls (2001), Perfect Match (2002), Second Glance (2003), My Sister's Keeper (2004), Vanishing Acts (2005),The Tenth Circle (2006) and her newest novel, Nineteen Minutes, . She was born in Long Island, New York on May 19th, 1966. She studied writing at Princeton University where she became a published author with 2 stories in Seventeen Magazine. When she graduated school she did a variety of things including teaching English. Later on she went to Harvard to obtain her masters degree. She then got married and had a baby, who was her inspiration for her first book, Songs of the Humpback Whale. She was awarded the New England book seller award for fiction in 2003, as well as her latest book, Nineteen Minutes hit number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List.
Jodi Picoult is a best selling author of 14 different books; Songs of the Humpback Whale (1992), Harvesting the Heart (1994), Picture Perfect (1995); Mercy (1996), The Pact (1998); Keeping Faith (1999), Plain Truth (2000), Salem Falls (2001), Perfect Match (2002), Second Glance (2003), My Sister's Keeper (2004), Vanishing Acts (2005),The Tenth Circle (2006) and her newest novel, Nineteen Minutes, . She was born in Long Island, New York on May 19th, 1966. She studied writing at Princeton University where she became a published author with 2 stories in Seventeen Magazine. When she graduated school she did a variety of things including teaching English. Later on she went to Harvard to obtain her masters degree. She then got married and had a baby, who was her inspiration for her first book, Songs of the Humpback Whale. She was awarded the New England book seller award for fiction in 2003, as well as her latest book, Nineteen Minutes hit number 1 on the New York Times Best Seller List.
Sunday, January 13, 2008
the tenth circle week 7 post a
catatonic (313):a syndrome seen most frequently in schizophrenia, characterized by muscular rigidity and mental stupor, sometimes alternating with great excitement and confusion.
mitochondrial (317): an organelle in the cytoplasm of cells that functions in energy production.
Figurative Language
"willies breath came out in little white clouds that floated in the air like Chinese lanterns on a string." (321) This is an example of a simile because the author compares Willies breath to Chinese lanterns.
"She thought of the ladders she cut on her arms."(321) This is an example of description because the author describes Trixie's cuts on her arm like ladders to give the reader a better mental image.
"The bitter wind beat up against their tarp and made it's loose tongue rattle like a gossip's."(323) This is an example of a simile because the word like is used to compare the tarp to a gossip.
Quote
"I will go and come back for you, Trixie and I will come back for you." (300) This is when Daniel leaves Laura in the middle of Alaska, and is a foreshadow of the fact that he brings Trixie home.
theme
A new emerging theme is that you can only move on from the past. Trixie's ability to snuggle with Willie shows that she is moving on from the rape.
mitochondrial (317): an organelle in the cytoplasm of cells that functions in energy production.
Figurative Language
"willies breath came out in little white clouds that floated in the air like Chinese lanterns on a string." (321) This is an example of a simile because the author compares Willies breath to Chinese lanterns.
"She thought of the ladders she cut on her arms."(321) This is an example of description because the author describes Trixie's cuts on her arm like ladders to give the reader a better mental image.
"The bitter wind beat up against their tarp and made it's loose tongue rattle like a gossip's."(323) This is an example of a simile because the word like is used to compare the tarp to a gossip.
Quote
"I will go and come back for you, Trixie and I will come back for you." (300) This is when Daniel leaves Laura in the middle of Alaska, and is a foreshadow of the fact that he brings Trixie home.
theme
A new emerging theme is that you can only move on from the past. Trixie's ability to snuggle with Willie shows that she is moving on from the rape.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The Tenth Circle week 6 post b
"But desperation can do amazing things to a person." (293)
This quote is a running theme for all of the characters in the book. Throughout the story everyone does something in an act of desperation that is very uncharacteristic as well as harmful to others.
Laura's largest act of desperation is when she decides to have an affair with her student. She does this because things with Daniel have begun falling apart and she doesn't know how to cope with it.
Jason's act of desperation comes the night that he decides to rape Trixie. He felt bad about dumping her and was desperate for some attention. This desperate act was what caused Jason's life to end in the middle of the book.
Daniel's has multiple times where he is desperate and does horrible things, due to suppressed anger. First of he mildly abuses his wife when finding out she has cheated on him. Second he attacks Jason in the grocery store parking lot when he sees him talking to Trixie. And lastly he kidnaps Jason and almost murders him for the things he has done to Trixie, and then lies to the cops about it.
Finally Trixie's major act due to desperation is running away. She feels she has no where to turn and that this is her only option.
This quote is a running theme for all of the characters in the book. Throughout the story everyone does something in an act of desperation that is very uncharacteristic as well as harmful to others.
Laura's largest act of desperation is when she decides to have an affair with her student. She does this because things with Daniel have begun falling apart and she doesn't know how to cope with it.
Jason's act of desperation comes the night that he decides to rape Trixie. He felt bad about dumping her and was desperate for some attention. This desperate act was what caused Jason's life to end in the middle of the book.
Daniel's has multiple times where he is desperate and does horrible things, due to suppressed anger. First of he mildly abuses his wife when finding out she has cheated on him. Second he attacks Jason in the grocery store parking lot when he sees him talking to Trixie. And lastly he kidnaps Jason and almost murders him for the things he has done to Trixie, and then lies to the cops about it.
Finally Trixie's major act due to desperation is running away. She feels she has no where to turn and that this is her only option.
The Tenth Circle Week 6 post A
Treachery (274):violation of faith; betrayal of trust; treason
Premeditated (274): done deliberately; planned in advance: a premeditated murder.
Figurative Language
"There were streaks on her forehead and neck, but her hair was now the color of a thicket's thorns , of a rosebush past recovery."(285) This is an example of decription because it uses vivid objects and colors to create a picture in the readers mind.
"Silence was just a quieter way to die."(275) This is an example of figurative language because it is saying that silence kills, when you know it actually can not kill a person, making it a metaphor.
"The snow was as pure as her eyes." (292) This is an example of a simile because it compares the purity of the snow with her eyes.
Quote
"Laura I know why she ran away. I was accused of murder when I was eighteen, and I took off too." (281) This quote shows the reader a little more about Daniels mysterious past and helps one to understand how is is able to understand where Trixie is going so well.
Theme
A new theme in the book is you can run but you can't hide. This is demonstrated by when A. Trixie runs away, but her family finds out where she is going, and B. That Daniel has finally had to tell his wife about his childhood and troubling past.
Premeditated (274): done deliberately; planned in advance: a premeditated murder.
Figurative Language
"There were streaks on her forehead and neck, but her hair was now the color of a thicket's thorns , of a rosebush past recovery."(285) This is an example of decription because it uses vivid objects and colors to create a picture in the readers mind.
"Silence was just a quieter way to die."(275) This is an example of figurative language because it is saying that silence kills, when you know it actually can not kill a person, making it a metaphor.
"The snow was as pure as her eyes." (292) This is an example of a simile because it compares the purity of the snow with her eyes.
Quote
"Laura I know why she ran away. I was accused of murder when I was eighteen, and I took off too." (281) This quote shows the reader a little more about Daniels mysterious past and helps one to understand how is is able to understand where Trixie is going so well.
Theme
A new theme in the book is you can run but you can't hide. This is demonstrated by when A. Trixie runs away, but her family finds out where she is going, and B. That Daniel has finally had to tell his wife about his childhood and troubling past.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
The Tenth Circle post # 5 B
Analyzing Jasons Death
I believe that Laura murderded Jason. She had both motive and doesn't have an alliby as far as the reader knows. I also think that Laura murdered Jason because of the quote on page 204," The only thing Laura hadn't done was kill someone." I believe that this is an example of forshadowing.
I assume that the night Laura killed Jason it went something like this...She came home to wait and see if Trixie would come home after she had run away from seeing her dad fight with Jason. I think Laura's nerves got the best of her and she wanted to go and find Trixie instead of waiting and home so she went for a drive. When she saw Jason. Jason was already intoxicated so I assume that when she attempted to talk to him and he most likely did not reply in the most literate of ways she got angry. Before she new it her anger turned into rage and she pushed Jason off of the bridge. This theory is supported by the fact Detective Bartholemew found female blood near the victim. It wasn't Trixies because the book already said she went to the bank. Therefore meaning that Laura killed Jason.
I believe that Laura murderded Jason. She had both motive and doesn't have an alliby as far as the reader knows. I also think that Laura murdered Jason because of the quote on page 204," The only thing Laura hadn't done was kill someone." I believe that this is an example of forshadowing.
I assume that the night Laura killed Jason it went something like this...She came home to wait and see if Trixie would come home after she had run away from seeing her dad fight with Jason. I think Laura's nerves got the best of her and she wanted to go and find Trixie instead of waiting and home so she went for a drive. When she saw Jason. Jason was already intoxicated so I assume that when she attempted to talk to him and he most likely did not reply in the most literate of ways she got angry. Before she new it her anger turned into rage and she pushed Jason off of the bridge. This theory is supported by the fact Detective Bartholemew found female blood near the victim. It wasn't Trixies because the book already said she went to the bank. Therefore meaning that Laura killed Jason.
The Tenth Circle post # 5 a
vocab
nonbarbiturate (194):not derived from barbituric acid
Luge (197):a one- or two-person sled for coasting or racing down a chute, used esp. in Europe.
Figurative Language
"Every now and then, he still woke up with the one thought caught like cotton on the roof of his mouth." (210) This is a simile because it is comparing the cotton as something that bothers a person, with the thought in his mind.
"But for Daniel it felt like shrugging on an old, soft suede coat that had been buried so deep in his closet he was certain it had long ago been given away to someone else who needed the cover." (211) This is an example of a simile as well as description because it uses the word like and a lot of adjectives.
"She was a lost girl with no way home." (215) This is a metaphor for how Trixie feels after hearing of Jason's death.
Quote
"It's how I run away." (246)
This quote signifies that Trixie is having severe problems with her cutting. When her father finds the other cuts on her wrist she tell him the quote above.
Theme
A new emerging theme in the book is what goes around comes around.
nonbarbiturate (194):not derived from barbituric acid
Luge (197):a one- or two-person sled for coasting or racing down a chute, used esp. in Europe.
Figurative Language
"Every now and then, he still woke up with the one thought caught like cotton on the roof of his mouth." (210) This is a simile because it is comparing the cotton as something that bothers a person, with the thought in his mind.
"But for Daniel it felt like shrugging on an old, soft suede coat that had been buried so deep in his closet he was certain it had long ago been given away to someone else who needed the cover." (211) This is an example of a simile as well as description because it uses the word like and a lot of adjectives.
"She was a lost girl with no way home." (215) This is a metaphor for how Trixie feels after hearing of Jason's death.
Quote
"It's how I run away." (246)
This quote signifies that Trixie is having severe problems with her cutting. When her father finds the other cuts on her wrist she tell him the quote above.
Theme
A new emerging theme in the book is what goes around comes around.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)