Chronicle of a Death Foretold ( 61- the end)

Summary: After Angela is beaten by her mother, her brothers set out to find Santiago Nasar in order to kill him. They began looking for him at Maria Alejandrina Cervantes place, where they were with him until about 2 o'clock. They went to Clothilde Armenta's milk shop, which was mentioned earlier, which was also near Santiago Nasar's house. They went their to wait for him to come out. However, before they had gone to the pigsty to pick up some fine knives and then went to go them sharpened at the meet market. The butcher Faustinos Santos wondered why they were coming in the first place and thought that they were still drunk and confused. The twins tell Faustinos that they are going to kill Santiago Nasar, but no one really believes them because they were/generally are good people. Faustino reports this to a police officer, who later reports it to Colonel Lazaro. Since the colonel had been regulating and separating fights the night before, he was in no rush to stop this murder, simply because he thought that it was a rumor and knew that the twins were good people and would never do that. However, once he hears that Angela had been brought back home, he connects the dots and realizes that this is in fact serious and finds the twins. Meanwhile, Clothilde had told her husband as well as Father Carmen Amador about this plan, but her husband thought she was being silly and Father Carmen Amador was so anxious about the Bishop is coming that he forgets and walks right by the milk shop where the murderers were waiting.
After Santiago is killed Father Carmen performs the autopsy and finds that Nasar had died from a massive hemorrhage that was brought by several fatal wounds. they then bury the body and the narrator goes on to the Maria Alejandrina's house. He tries to sleep with her, but she denies because she says that he smells too much like Santiago. Meanwhile, the Vicario brothers complain about that same smell and cant sleep because of it in their prison cells. The Vicario family leaves town to escape from all of the drama that occurred and little Angela covers up her face to hide the wounds and bruises that her mother gave her from before. She was also dressed up in a bright red color, so that no one would think that she was mourning Nasar's death. Later it is said that Pablo returns and marries his wife, he was lucky because she was only waiting to marry him because of the way he honored his sister; so they married and he worked with precious metals. Pedro on the other hand returned to the armed forces and was never heard from again. Everyone seemed to be moving on just fine, Angela had moved into a place called Guarija, in which she was an embroiderer. The narrator visited her and saw that she matured and was wise.witty. Before, everyone moved on, a week after Nasar's death it was said that Bayardo had been found lying in his bed almost dead from alcohol poising. They revived him, but he soon kicked everyone out of his house. Later, Angela, showed her compassionate side and constantly wrote letters to Bayardo for about seventeen years. She had loved him and showed that love when her mother was beating her and through those letters. He then showed up one day at her job and simply said " well, here I am."  With a suitcase filled with clothes and then a suitcase filled with all of the letters, arranged chronologically with not a single one opened.
For years no one was able to talk about Nasar's death, most of the time, people could not intervene because it was a situation based on honor. Placida, Santiago's mother, had never forgiven herself for mixing up the bad omen with the trees in his dreams and telling him that he would be brought good health. The rest of the novella discusses and closely looks back to detailed  information, like how Angela never really described how Santiago took away her virginity. Also how Cristo Bedoya was trying to find Santiago to warn him/ protect him because it looked like no one else would. He went all around looking for him, but he could not find him. Santiago had gone to his fiance, Flora Miguel's, house. There she was angry and embarrassed because she thought that even if they did not kill Santiago that he would still have to marry Angela to restore the honor. She then hoped that they did kill him, which shocked Nasar, he went to go talk to her but she had locked the door. Flora's Father, Thankfully had woken up and told Nasar about Vicario's plan to kill him, he quickly went home. On the way home  Clothilde Armenta, told Santiago to run, he ran as fast as he could. At home, however, Santiago's mother had already closed the door because Divina Flor had lied and said that Santiago was already home. The Vicario twins had caught up to Santiago and started to stab him numerous times. That is when he fell to his kitchen floor, face flat.

Reaction: This novella was very interesting, the narrator had me a little bit confused because most of the events were not placed in order. I liked that idea because it created more suspense and made me think of other potential killers or key suspects. Also, the connections that were made, like the love triangles and the friendships that were always there just not too visible was good too. Also giving the innocent such a deed like this was a great idea because no one really knew if they were going to do it or not. And the separation of the people that wanted to stop the murder as opposed to the people that wanted the murder to happen was also hectic because i thought that more of his friends would be willing to tell him about the murder instead of just keeping quiet. i also thought that the maids knew what they were doing the whole time, i knew that they wanted to get back at Santiago for what he had done, especially do Divina. It wasn't because she was too young that she could not decide, she knew exactly what she was doing and she herself even admitted it earlier on in the book after her mother died. She was a key factor as well as Angela because she did not really prove that Santiago did in fact sleep with her, that story is still hidden and needs to be uncovered, because the sad part is that he died not even knowing why, but in a way he should have been punished for treating Divina the way he did, but not in that sense. The narrator as well had very little words to say to him when he found out about the truth, but i honestly think that he was trying to protect his sister, which is why he let things fall into place. Overall, the novel was very mysterious and had me guessing who the real killer might be and why everyone knew but the victim himself. I also liked how random areas were foreshadowed in the beginning and not really mentioned so it didn't seem important, but then when it came back later on in the novel it showed me that it actually was a key factor in the story. This novella had me thinking and organizing as well all the connections and how he or she knew him, why they were doing this and so on. It was a good mystery that kept me in suspense and worried for Santiago the whole time.

Chronicle of a Death Foretold (p. 3 - 60)

Summary: Chronicle of a Death Foretold is a story about a man named Santiago Nasar, the story is told in third person and it keeps looking back at the life that Santiago had. So far the third person is narrating the life of Santiago and documenting and quoting things that people said about him, like how his mother used to listen to his dreams and was careless about the time that he wanted to see the pope because the pope did not like the town. Although he is really focused on meeting the pope, everyone else seems a little bit tense, because of the fact that they know or knew that he was going to be killed. One of the maid's , Victoria Guzman, especially seems a bit angry at Nasar because he was trying to seduce her daughter and "Tame" her just like his father did when she was younger. This really upset Victoria as well as her daughter, Divina Flor, because she did not like Nasar and the way he would approach her and at times just sneak up and touch her. Looking back at this situation, it seemed as if the maids kept the hidden information about Nasar being killed as a reason to get back at being so disrespectful. Especially, when the narrator talked about some note that they dropped off after he left, instead of telling him, Divina, decided to go amongst her mothers wishes and keep quite and left the door open hoping that his "death" was only drunken rumors from the wedding/day before. Afterwards, going back to the pope, it is revealed that the narrator and his sister, Margot, had known as well and even met up with him after seeing the pope. Margot invited him back home for some breakfast because she knew about the killers and wanted to protect Nasar because she was interested in him. The key point to this was the constant description of the wedding decorations, while he was on his way to see the pope and coming back. The narrator then told us that the wedding that had taken place the day before Nasar's death had been big and expensive, but the day after the bride had been returned to her family because her husband found out that she was not a virgin, and some how Santiago had something to do with that. The novel then goes on into explaining the origin of the marriage of Angela Vicario and Bayardo San Roman. The marriage from my view was rushed and it was even said that Angela did not want to get married to Bayardo in the first place. There was also a house mentioned that Angela wanted, but the owner, a widow, was not going to sell; Bayardo's efforts and his constant gift showerings were a sign to Angela's parents that she would be taken care of, which is exactly the kind of man they wanted for their daughter. During this big wedding celebration, no one has quite discovered Angela's big secret and the narrator, who was good friends with Nasar did not uncover his involvement either. The whole time Santiago had been over the Vicario's house, celebrating and driking with whom would soon be his murderers.

Can't Stop Won't Stop (381-465)

Summary: As the novel reaches its ending, there's a huge turning point that showed that peace was coming slowly but surely. The gang peacemakers worked with a special urgency and with their truce movement which meant the difference between life and death, they were able to accomplish a lot and saw the effects from all over the country. From Orange County to San Fernando Valley, Latino gangs began peace meetings and about 50 Latino gangs signed a truce in 1992. Even a leader from the Mexican Mafia had signed a truce to end the drive-by's. This movement had expanded and leaders like Carl Upchurch and the NAACP were able to organize summits because of the wide support system that they had. With all of this happening, the positive energy coming from the gang peace movement helped to catalyze Minister Louis Farrakhan call for the Million Man March. This March was going to be a great success, but there were a few things said that made a few people angry and caused some viral effects.The March had left out women and Gay African American  men for some reason. Rude and ignorant comments were made about gay men which is when they retaliated, especially after the March did not allow a black gay speaker and an HIV positive speaker on their platform. Women were also angered because they wanted women to stay home and watch the men make the rest of history happen.  Women  were not  happy with their position in the March, they felt that they had contributed and wanted to take part in history as well. They opposed of the March, and in result were called "race traitors" and more. In the end, on the day of October 16, 1995, blakcmen had gathered around the mall with their "Don't Smoke the Brothers" T-shirts. Husbands bought their wives and children, there were women volunteers behind booths, gang members were there also and about 150 gay men had marched as a group towards the mall with their signs saying " I am a Black, Gay Man. I am a Black Man. I am a Man." Horns were honked and fists were put in the air and the feeling according to Maurice Franklin was overwhelming. In the end after all the arguing and protesting, all blacks from around were able to come together as a group and stand up for what they believe in. Notable speakers such as Rosa Parks, Maya Angelou, Kwesi Mfume, Jesse Jackson, Mother Moore Carol Moseley Braun and more were at the March and the event became more life changing. The feeling of hope and peace brought a feeling of change and people felt that "a generation had been moved" (Chang 404) because of all the people that came to change for the good of their kids and their community, overall for their people.
            There was also talks about a magazine called "The Source." Now this was a magazine made specifically for Hip Hop to reach out to people that did not know much about Hip Hop, to Globalize it. They thought that since there was a Hip Hop nation, then a Hip Hop journalism might provide a Hip Hop nationalism to bring the two together. Two white Jewish Harvard juniors, David Mays and Jon Shecter, had come up with 200 dollars and a one page hip hop music tip sheet in which they named The Source. This magazine started small, but as more success drew, more problems grew. The Source was generally speaking in its own voice against what the media portrayed the youth as and showed that the Hip Hop "family" cared often writing about their concerns and actions to help. However, things started to change when The Source got deeper into the industry. The magazine was getting positive outcomes, Hip Hop had become an urban lifestyle. Michael Jackson broke the color line at MTV and they started playing rap videos as well as more pop coming from African American artist; as you can see MTV today has its own show called Sucker Free Countdown, which is a whole hour of rap videos.  With hip hop becoming more urban, more rappers were being treated like kings whenever they said something nice about a brand. Run DMC had turned Adidas into a hip hop brand with one song. Michael Jordan and Spike Lee took hip hop branding to the next level with Nike. Rappers were being paired up and used to create sales for certain companies or brands. With the industry becoming more and more successful with its brands, there was still trouble in the West. The mainstream/media were still misinterpreting West Coast rappers music, like Dr.Dre's songs. They were clearly talking about the outbreak of gang peace and the truce parties as well as the enjoyment of being able to drive down the street without having to worry about police or being shot. Dre as well as other rappers were trying to convince. win over the other side because they wanted to cross over into the pop/mainstream music. Dre and Snoop Dogg were able to put aside their "gangsta" rap and move onto a more smooth, but still gangsta party material type of music that sold even more records. They were able to make the same music with a different sound, they still talked about what they used to, but with a change in tone. There was also talk about the New World Order and the relation that it had with the hip hop industry. How "Neo-Soul" was created by the infamous Motown exec Kedar Massenburg. In which he unpackaged R&B artists that he discovered which included, Indie Arie and Erika Badu and many more. This sound would create a space for voices to dissect the "masculinist attitudes and ideals projected in the hip hop mainstream." (Chang 446) How women were becoming more involved in the music industry, like Alicia Keys and Indie Arie, summarizing important issues of men and their irresponsibility's in the community through their music. And also symbolized how woman were torn between loyalty and leaving. There was also mentioning of media monopolies and how they favored artists who did not even produce hits, but they were good enough to sell goods. In the corporate order, a song would/could become a movie which could become a book which could become a soundtrack, then a music video and possibly a video game. Big artists were brands as well, they "generated lifestyles based on their own ineffable beings." (Chang 447) P.Diddy had leveraged himself through music, film, television, and high fashion; while Jay Z peddled movies, clothing, shoes and vodka. And once they completed the journey of "cool" they had to reinvent themselves, which brings us to Jay Z's first retirement. He showed that and recognize that all of his handwork from excessive branding and positioning had brought exhaustion which disabled the possibilities of art. Many artists did this and are still doing this today, and when they say that they're retired, they end up coming back with a bigger, better, sound that creates a lot of more money, publicity, and a higher ranking of being the best rapper or most successful etc. Which brings back the topic of why rappers like Talib Kweli are materially separated from rappers like Jay Z. That is when the marketing comes in, Jay Z is said to have the universal appeal, while Kweli is a "conscious rapper." A matter of taste comes when these 2 are compared, Kweli would reach a market of "college educated, Ipod rocking, North face backpacking, vegan, hip hop fans." Kweli, a very talented artist, was labeled as being political or not too conscious enough many times, and wasn't able to keep up with the fire that Jay-Z and his company was bringing. Which i think is a constant struggle with many artists out there that are speaking the truth and are setting a good example for youths out there. The only problem is that they are being covered by the music that people like JayZ or Beyonce or Rihanna are putting out, the mainstream music that is being globalized instead of the music that should really be played. This novel shows that the music industry is no walk in the park and that even hard work is covered by the appeal of another rapper or singer and that there are many media monopolies, and brands that artists have for themselves and their lifestyle. The industry to me  is like a business and if you are not the company that interests them than you wont be put into the big market.

Quote:  "Feeds of the alienation at the heart of America's race relation: selling white youth on their fetishization of black style, and black youth on their fetishization of white wealth." (Chang 425)

Reaction Quote 1: This quote is very true and i honestly have seen this in music and in reality. Rappers often give into the fetish of Caucasians wanting to be black and wanting to be "Gangsters" having a gun and so on and encouraging them to do whatever they want while they turn around and tell the black kids that the only way they're going to make it is to follow the way of the whites. They sell it to us and makes us believe that being rich is everything and that having money is what's going to get you somewhere, how life now was so much better than before and how they can buy all these houses and cars without having to worry about being in debt. The alienation and separation of the 2 races makes them want to become opposites more and not look into one anothers shoes and/or relate to each other's common struggle. The media also contributes to this, like the movie Malibu's most wanted, they make Jaime Kennedy's seem like he wants to be black and puts him into a "Ghetto" neighborhood where there are gangs, violence and more. He is paired up with 2 "gang" members when they are actually educated African American students, that have both gone to college and have aspiring dreams of becoming actors. This movie is a perfect example of the miscommunication between races. How one is trying to get into the "hood" while the other is trying to get out. Instead there should be people trying to break this barrier and have both races reach their comfort zones and go into a state where they are happy and successful at the same time, but the constant stereotypes and inequality will not make things better and things will not progress.

Quote 2: "what did it mean to 'Keep it real' anymore? what did it mean to be true to something when that something had changed? Could one preserve any kind of individual agency or did one have to ride with the new flow of exploitation?" (Chang 447)

Reaction Quote 2: This quote is very powerful and becomes more clear as you read the book, because with all these artists making money, becoming powerful entrepreneurs, Moguls and so on, its hard to "keep it real" because when you keep it real you get left behind. Artists now that are very successful have probably made many changes to their lives and have done things that they aren't proud of, but that's the life that you have to live when you become involved in such a major industry. Which is why i find it hard to believe that many of the artists today or in the past have been able to "keep it real or 100%" because artists go through major changes everyday. In their image, their music, their fans and everything. People go through different labels and get dropped and so on, but the main point that i see here is that people aren't able to stay humble and not able to see beyond what the industry is doing or what/how money is changing their lives. Some people even forget where they came from and/or who made them what they are today. That is only a little of what i see when it comes to this quote, which is to stay true to yourself and others.

Can't Stop Won't Stop ( 299-381)

Summary: So far in the novel, the book has been talking about a handful of topics; like the development of graffiti and how some gangs used art to represent or express their feelings towards a certain situation they were in and to just sometimes get their message across to those who want to read it.  There was also more talk about the death of hip hop and how the game was losing its flame in every one's hearts. New things started to arose like B-Boy dancing, more violence also came into the picture, and a whole new look for some rappers that wanted to change their image for the better. B-Boying had come into the picture for quite some time, but then it was somewhat overturned by the violence and suddenly everyone wanted to have that tough, "Gangsta" image. Instead of slow jams at parties, people wanted that "Rough" music about shooting this person or doing that for the hood and so on. Some people carried guns to parties and weren't afraid to use them; this reality soon also went to the big screen when the infamous movie "Boyz -N-The-Hood" came out. This movie highlighted the lives of some which made it easy to relate to. All of the fatherless gang affiliated, drug dealers and more were represented and could easily identify the movie as a piece of their life if they had ever saw it. The movie had influenced a lot of its fans and viewers just like rappers did when it came to "Gangsta Rap." With movies like Boyz- N-The Hood coming out and showing how they somewhat see their lives also gives ideas to little kids or the young adults that look up to them. It also creates or created tension between rappers in the industry, their was a whole East Coast vs. West Coast situation in which the East pretty much insults the West and defines their kind of rap as nothing compared to what they have rapped about. The whole conflict created a lot of controversy, some rappers in the West Coast wanted to change their image for the better because they felt that they had done everything and needed something new, while the East thought that they simply copied everything that they did, when in reality it was actually just "ashes from the 60s."
There was also a few more violent occurrences, from the black panther party to attacking the crips and even rapping.rapper activist attacking some leaders as well. A women by the name of Lisa Williamson from public enemy had a whole lot to say about Black on Black crime and used whites to show people how violence and gangs are only affecting us. She talked about how Black people kill each other and don't even focus on who's really hurting them; and how they also don't even think about killing white people and how she thought that maybe people thought that they were better. She went on and was completely right about everything, how African Americans and other cultures look at each other with some kind of bond and brotherhood/sisterhood but instead of working together to actually do something for the community, gangs are too busy killing each other and fighting over ridiculous things. And lastly there was another incident involving the police and well known West coast rapper Ice T. The whole situation was basically about a song Ice T did, i think called "Cop Killer" the police were nor fond of the message that rappers were giving out and used that song as ammo to "reverse unwanted scrutiny." They thought that rap should be banned because they felt as if rappers were sending out the wrong message and encouraging kids ti kill or fight cops because they weren't on their side or their always locking up "criminals" for no reason, or something along those lines. They were blowing things out of proportion and misinterpreted the song, because Ice T stated that the song was about anger and the community and how people get that way. The police were trying to bring the only way of therapeutic relief, but they were not going to let Hip Hop go down easily or not even at all.

Quote: Unfortunately, for white people, they think it's alright for out children to die, for our men to be in prison and not theirs." (Chang 395)

Reaction:  This quote came from a woman activist named Lisa Williamson. This quote is very important and went perfectly with the book, because there is a lot of violence in this book, whether it's between gangs or violence between a race, or police vs a certain race, either way there is a lot of violence. However, the main one that seems to be the worse out of all to me would be the black on black crimes. Williamson was ranting and going on about how white people just sit there and watch as a baby starves, they watch the drugs go into the "Ghetto" and do absolutely nothing about it because they might think that its not their problem. And instead of Blacks coming together and doing something about that, they're too busy killing each other. With that being said, Williamson is basically showing that they know what is going on, but they don't want to do anything about it, instead shes sending a message out to all to show that they do not care, that they think that it is OK for Black children or any other race to sit and starve because it's one less mouth to feed or one less food stamp that you have to give out or a whole savings of unemployment checks. She's is showing how Blacks are being treated unfair, how they are thrown into prison, not given equal opportunities, while the white man is basically laying back. She's showing that the white woman never have to worry about their husbands going to jail and/or how shes going to find food for her children, or how she's going to afford to live without child support or any kind of financial income. I feel that Williamson is showing the separation of the races and how unequal we have it and that it is time to step up and do something because they don't care, and that they'll just keep doing what they're doing if someone doesn't stand up and show that any race is capable of doing anything no matter what obstacles, speed bumps, or tricks that people may pull just to see us not succeed or go beyond there (set) standards.

Can't Stop Won't Stop (189 - 299)

Summary: In Can't Stop Won't Stop, Chang gets deeper into the hip hop generation and most importantly how it began to change. Hip hop was extremely "hip" and cool in high school, but kids in school got older and looked at legends like they were old news. Kids were developing and looking for the next big thing. As Hip hops tombstone prepared itself, music industries and managers tried to get as much artists and music as they could out there for their own benefits. The Dj's also wanted more, they didn't want to just rock parties, they wanted to make a living out a Dj-ing. Industries started signing people and the people that wanted to keep it real like Flash, stayed far away from the deals. New Rappers were coming out from nowhere and were made famous in an instant; they did not have a reputation to protect, they couldn't lose anything that they didn't have, no one was expecting anything out of them, so there was really nothing to lose which made it easier on them. Records were now being made, which caused some controversy because many like DJ Eddie Cheeba thought that Hip Hop couldn't be put onto a record. He felt that it was a whole gig, and that 3 full hours of strictly music cannot be shortened to a 15 minute record, but it was.  These Records starting playing on the Radio and making sales, radio stations then started to shorten it even more to a 3 minute song like we have now. There was a crossover, from the "Hip Hop Scene" to Black Radio and then American Top 40. These records were selling and a lot of people in the industry were benefiting. Shows did not consist that much of Dj's, the Dj's participation was decreased and it would strictly be the record playing.  Hip Hop was another meaning, the game had changed and it seemed like if you weren't with "it" then you would simply be left behind.
At the time Hip Hop was in a way the only thing changing, the habits of revolutionaries, the separation, racism and the whole package had stayed the same, the only thing that changed was the time era. It all began in South Africa were the South African Apparatus of law had outnumbered Blacks which resulted in whites maintaining political and economic power over the Blacks. Although angered, many people around the world were inspired to "throw off the shackles of the white rule." These events were also shifted into America, particularly in the South. Children were going against the constant separation and wanted a change. They had their own war to fight now and wanted to change history; they wanted their voices to be heard and weren't going to stop until everyone started listening. Back in South Africa however, so many underground/undercover deals were being made to support the whites. They did everything they could to keep their power, which included arresting Nelson Mandela and taking strict actions to control the resistance that Blacks were performing. Fortunately, the youth didn't stop and thankfully their perseverance came with a positive outcome, after several years of fighting acts were passed like the Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which banned any new investment in South Africa, except for Black owned firms and ended arms sales and military aid. Mandela was released from prison and later became the first elected Black president of the country.

Quote: "I Stand Boldly in America without an army, with no guns, and i speak against the wickedness of the United States Government." (Chang 224)
2. " We don't have to waste time discussing whether racism exists. Racism is so pervasive it has corrupted religion, politics, education, science, economics, and every vital function of life. (Chang 224).

Reaction: These 2 quotes are deep because it is coming from a very brave man named Louis Farrakhan who fired up the imaginations of Black youths that were enraged and for those who needed to take part in what was going on. He stepped up to the United States government, basically called them out, with no back up, protection, or weapons. He stoop up to the people and let them know that enough was enough, he did not want any more violence and was the bigger person by just coming out and saying what was on his mind.
The second quote, i think is more aggressive, that he just wanted to get down the point, he was tired of hearing the pointless arguments of whether racism existed or not, and that in fact it was very apparent. And that this whole idea and actions of racism has affected many aspects of the country negatively and if it continued it would make things even worse. That racism was taking over everything and affecting every ones lives no matter what there color, race, or ethnicity was.

Cant Stop Wont Stop ( 89 - 189)

Summary:  So far in Cant Stop Wont Stop, the author introduces one of the most famous Dj's of our time, who is actually recognized as beginning hip hop, and he goes by the name of Dj Kool Herc.Clive Campbell, Dj Kool Herc, was originally born and raised in Jamaica, he was the oldest of six children, born to Keith and Nettie Campbell. His father was involved in the working class and had a job that was somewhat recognized and involved with politics, but his father was smart and did not involve himself with the 2 Jamaican political parties. His mother on the other hand wanted a better life and decided to move to America to pursue a career in nursing; she saw that the public schools were free and wanted to move their immediately. Keith on the other hand protested, but eventually went along. The children, one by one would come and slowly adapt to America. In the Bronx, where they lived, Nettie made sure to protect her children from the drugs and violence that they were surrounded by. She made sure that no one tried to stick a needle in Clives arm or trick him into buying or selling drugs or anything of that matter. Through the years, Clive became more and more comfortable, involving himself in sports and becoming very popular and even got his name from the kids always calling him Hercules. From then on Herc developed more and became one of the most brilliant Dj's alive. He had his own little technique called the "Merry Go-Round," where he would take verses of different records, play them back and then combine it and mix it with the verse of another song to make it fit. He Dj'd for many parties and even assembled his own clique of Dj's and dancers. Overtime, he developed more and became better after each party, as he got older he moved onto a more mature scene and Dj'd at clubs, started hosting his own parties and events.
Dj Herc was just one of the many Dj's introduced, another notable Dj would be Bambaataa. Born and raised in South Bronx Bambaataa was a very strong and empowering individual. He was a man that changed the world in both a musical aspect and physical, like life changing as well. He was apart of the spades gang, which does not come as a surprise because he grew up around activist, especially his mother and uncle. From the novel, Bambaataa had come along way, from being apart of an active gang to actually trying to change and shift that gang into an organization. He was somewhat like everyone else is at times, stubborn, and not trying to get help from anyone, but his trip to India and him focusing more on the bigger picture made him come to realize that the world was not what it seemed. He created the Zulu nation in hopes to recruit youths from all around so that the violence and fighting could stop. The Zulu nation was "returning the nation to an era of style, celebration and optimism." The Zulu organization may have looked somewhat gang related, but the main focus was to survive in life. To gain knowledge and teach others, to be open minded about dealing with all that walks, talks, or occurs on this earth and so on. Some people weren't for the Zulu nation, but Bambaataa made sure that all the youth in Bronx knew that the peace was here and that they were ready to move forward whether they liked it or not.

Quote: " You had some Christian groups that came around from different churches, radical reverends that came out and spoke to a lot of the street gangs. Some of us just pushed it aside. (Chang 100)

Reaction: My reaction to this quote is somewhat neutral, i don't really feel much because in a time period where there was so much activism, revolution, and violence etc. that it didn't come as a shock for me that someone would say this. Bambaataa was part of the Spades, so the whole fighting attitude did not come off as a surprise to me. Many people tried to get the youth out of gangs, but when you have that one superior feeling or the feeling that you want to conquer and take over just because you can, there's really no helping or stopping them, which is why i think that Bambaataa said that he just brushed it off. However, what did surprise me was his transition after he said that. As i read more Bambaataa was starting to have a change in attitude, he started looking deeper into the struggles that everyone had or has faced, the meaning of 'superior' and why the "white man" did what he did. Later he even won himself a trip to India and was amazed at how Blacks had their own business and were contributing just as much to the country as anyone else. As opposed to America where Blacks aren't "able to do anything." He brought his knowledge back to the Bronx and hoped to stop the violence and fighting through his organization. That transition made me happy, to see someone that didn't want help or brushed help off to actually becoming the help and creating an organization to stop the violence and reach out to kids that were in his shows was very empowering to me.

Can't Stop Won't Stop (7-89)

Summary: Can't Stop Won't stop is a novel about the history of hip hop in all areas and aspects. From hip hop legends who changed the world. The Dj's and Mc's who set out the blueprints and let the younger generation add more floors to what has become a lovely building. First starting out with the African Americans, Afro-Caribbean, and Latino families taking over the formerly known neighborhoods of the Jews, Irish, and Italian. The white gangs preyed on the new arrival of their neighbors, which resulted in beatings and running street battles. The blacks, as a form of self defense, formed their own gangs, but later their purpose started to change. It went from being only for self defense to power and sometimes just for kicks. Political organizations like the Black Panther party and the young lords competed with the neighborhood gangs for the hearts and minds of the youth. However, all of this meaning the whole world of Hip Hop started in the roots of Jamaica. Reggae has been referred to as rap musics elder kin. The story behind it runs deeper than just music, but music does play a key role in the history. Especially during the 70s, Bob Marley and the roots generation had developed after Jamaica had received its independence from Great Britain in '62. They reacted to Jamaica's national crisis, its global reconstruction, and its intensified violence and so on through music. They pulled global popular culture into the third world. Their story can be viewed as " the prelude to the hip hop generation." (Chang 23). The formation and beliefs of Rastafarian was also a key factor in this development. A popular genre in Jamaica now, reggae, was also talked about as it came into power after World War 2. The ranks of live musicians had decreased and sound systems started to take over. The sound systems, with their powerful amplifiers, democratized sound pleasure and leisure by making dance entertainment available to downtown sufferers and strivers. Also played a key role in politics, as Jamaica's Labour Party and National party fought for dominance and the stress that came from that had people turning to music; the melodies were " like political polls set to melody and riddim." Which showed that politics was involved in music and artists expressed their stance on situations like this in a calming way, by using music. However, in the Bronx, things were going a little bit differently. At the time of the sixties and seventies, there was a lot of violence going on and many revolutions. Different gangs and or ethnic groups were fighting to stop racism and to create a better life for the blacks and Hispanics living in the Bronx. The only problem was that everyone was for themselves, the black gangs were against the Hispanic gangs and if they weren't against them than they would be against the whites that were trying to get their land back. Soon all the violence and retaliation came to a closing as police became more involved. The NYPD's Bronx Youth Gang Task Force came and was back in business, these police officers talked to to gangs and told them that they ultimately were the biggest and most powerful gang in the city and would that they would lose. Cops even tried to join gangs but were not successful, so they went to different measures. They would arrest a group of men that they thought were too large and charge them with unlawful assembly. The gangs soon started to ease up and change was starting to occur. The peace treaty made before was starting to show progress as the leaders of some gangs like the Ghetto Brothers had been signed to a label and recorded songs. They even came out with an album that had a strong message to the world about the Ghetto Brothers and what they represented.

Quote: " If the Ghetto Brothers' dream comes true, the 'little people' will be 'little people' no more, and make their own mark in this world." ( Chang 64).

Reaction: This quote is very strong, because it came from a gang member who was going through a lot at the time. People were being killed from  left to right and the fact that they had each other to overcome the violent times of the 60s and 70s was great. However, in this message, i see the Ghetto Brothers leader talking about the "Little people" as being everyone and not just the little people in their area or town. The messages that they were sending i think summarized the hardships that they have been through, but at the same time, they try to make it out to what the other gangs have gone through as well. And the fact that they continued to sell more and more records was very moving to me because even though their records weren't number 1 or top selling they continued to make songs that people can listen to for entertainment as well as to gain knowledge about what was going. It was also empowering to look at what Afeni Shakur said about how the government was trying to destroy them because they couldn't control them and how "wars against oppression are always successful" (Chang 46). Her whole statement and mindset i think made a small connection to what the Ghetto Boys were/are doing and that was to send the message to their audience and to show the government or whoever was trying to control them that they would be successful and ultimately get their message across about fighting for what is right and showing the hardships and obstacles that they had to go through in order to become successful and equal.

Reaction to Movie

The Film version of It's Kind of a Funny Story was good, i enjoyed watching the movie, but i have to say that it wasn't as good as the book. The book put a lot of Craig's main problems into detail as well as some of the main reasons why he had become depressed. However, the movie focused on a couple of more important things that you couldn't really visualize well as you were reading. The movie as a whole focused on a lot of different aspects like the patients in the hospital, how people look at them, Craig's family and friends, Bobby's life and the enjoyment of staying in a mental hospital where no one feels that they belong. Another thing with the movie is that it didn't focus too much on Craig's life in the beginning, instead they cut straight to the point and periodically showed flashbacks of his life as he lied in his bed. The book however, started from scratch and went step by step of what changed him and explained each and every aspect of his life. The film also used a lot of zoom shots as well as medium shots which were used perfectly, especially when Bobby was talking to his family, you couldn't see his face, but you could see the body language of his wife as she was yelling and screaming. There were a few close ups and fade scenes.The close-ups were everywhere, sometimes they were there to show comedy and other times they were there to show the strong emotion that someone was feeling.There was also a lot of shot-reverse shot scenes, especially in scenes were they was dialect, mainly between Craig and Noelle, his friends, Bobby and his family. There were also a few Track shots, in the middle when Craig and Noelle were speeding down the hallway in happiness, ready to get away from the hospital madness for a day and also when Craig and Bobby had their escape day as well. The ending also had a track shot were Craig was riding in a park with his bike, but they had that whole scene at an angle so that you can physically see him riding his bike. Overall, the film was entertaining and a great way to learn about life in different perspectives. Looking at different struggles that people face really helped me and others understand that sometimes you have to just take a deep breath and be thankful for what you have and also, just like Craig said to end off a great movie, to just "Live."

Review for movie

1."Mr. Galifianakis’s is everywhere these days - the most in-demand tubby comic sidekick since the heyday of Jonah Hill, which I guess was about six months ago. Mr. Galifianakis’s Gleasonesque movements and deadpan, behind-the-beat timing serve him well in this role, as does his ability to seem completely in earnest even when his actions and utterances are bizarre or nonsensical. Bobby is credibly troubled, neither a holy fool nor an over-the-top goofball, and his moments of wisdom are as believable as his bouts of instability"

I agree with this Review from the New York times, because the film was good for Galifianakis, he fit his character perfectly and played the serious guy, but still stayed in his element as a comedian. He was able to make his condition fun and at the same time didn't show much depression. When ever he entered a room his energy and overall presence would make the mood happier and somewhat calm. He used his popularity along with his witty personality to amuse others as well as himself. With his calm, cool and collective approach to life, it was hard to see his problems, he didn't like admitting his problem and looked at his reason for being in the hospital as a joke and often referred to it as a "vacation." Overall, they made his character perfect and the cast the right guy because even though he does have a problem, through his attitude he shows viewers that sometimes you have to just live life. Even when things aren't going the way they seem and people may think your unsuccessful and a bad example, just like his wife did, you just have to keep moving and prove people wrong. He showed that he wanted to do it for himself, but at the same time he still lived life and enjoyed every single minute of it.

2."It’s Kind of a Funny Story" is an admirably empathetic movie, and as the father of a newly fledged New York high school student, I don’t hesitate to recommend it to the legions of children and parents who are fans (or who should be) of Mr. Vizzini’s book. I fear, however, that my approval is somewhat damning."

The movie is definitely a movie that i admire, I did feel somewhat sympathetic for some of the people in the hospital because people judged them and didn't even get to know them before even giving them the time of day. It was hard seeing all of these people with problems that weren't being treated like human beings. The movie didn't depict the exact inside of a mental institution, but i felt that they portrayed it better, as in happier and a little bit less depressing then a real institution might be. They showed togetherness and developed friendships throughout the film, especially with Craig and his roommate. Craig and his roommate Muqtada were very distant because Muqtada was a homeless man that had a lot of problems and did not want to ever leave his room. Over the course of his stay there Craig was able to persuade him into going beyond the room and even played Egyptian music to make Muqtada feel at home. Through his time here Craig was able to see people lives and their struggles and was able to look at his life and help himself as well as others. I agree with recommending this to others whether you're a Fan or not because this book can help you as well as others, especially family on understanding others and where they come from.

3. "As I said: I approve! But missing is the sometimes awkward, occasionally self-conscious but unmistakably authentic energy that characterizes Mr. Vizzini’s prose and also, more important, the zest and irreverence with which he approaches difficult themes. That the plot has been changed hardly matters, but the brazenness and flair of the original have been diminished."

I agree with Scott, because in the movie there were a couple of scenes that were missing that awkward moment were one does not feel confident enough to tell their problems. I saw a small scene where that happened, when Craig asked Bobby why he was in the hospital in the first place, that moment was awkward because he paused and ended up not even answering the question. I felt that there needed to be more moments like that so we can actually guess why Bobby was there in the first place. They didn't really focus too much on his life and in the end just kind of cut him out of the picture which kept me wondering whether there would be a sequel or if he just left the hospital and no one heard from him again. I also admired Vizzinni for approaching a theme like this especially when the suicide rate has been increasing, like i said it gives you a chance to look at where these people are coming from and the struggles that got them there. Also the fact that the movie was changed up a bit didn't really matter to me because the main theme and topic was still very well focused on and even brought out other themes and foreshadowed a couple of lives to show the bigger picture that i definitely didn't see in the book. The movie was original and stood out, it brought up things that you couldn't really get out of the book, like his friends attitudes towards him, his parents reaction, the turning point for Craig, Bobby and many others in the hospital was well played out during the movie and i think that Vizzini did a great job with the book and an excellent job transforming it into a movie.
　
Scott, A.O . "A Coming-of-Age Tale, Set Among the Sad." Movie Review -Its kind of a Funny Story. New York Times, 7 October 2010. Web. 23 February 2011. <http://movies.nytimes.com/2010/10/08/movies/08funny.html>.

It's kind of a Funny Story ( 304 - 444)

Summary:So far in the novel  Craig is still adjusting with everything and is getting used to the hospital and its schedule. Although he sometimes does continue to think about how he should be in school working or somewhere other than where he was now. He also takes time to try to tell his friends about where he really is, but doesn't seem to have enough courage. You can also see how some of his real friends like Aaron and Nia are actually worried, while others like Scruggs and Ronny call and leave him messages about pot. Other than that he has gotten along better with his roommate Muqtada and even got him to come out of the room. He even introduces Solomon to Muqtada and Muqtada feels honored because after 17 days the "Jew" has finally spoken to him. With all the friendships and happiness going around, Craig gets a call from his principal and immediately hangs up. He's still in the in denial mode and doesn't want people to judge him or lose his chance of going to his dream school and becoming successful. Craig stresses so much about this school and lets out his frustration while talking to Dr. Minerva. He's very angry and when Dr. Minerva asks why not another school, that's when everything comes out. Craig talks about how he wasted a year studying to get into that school and this is where he ends up. And how he doesn't want to be crazy anymore, that he only wants to be a little crazy and only wants to be in a place like this to volunteer and never wants to come back again. The doctor sees that he's getting better and wants to fix himself. For the rest of the time, Craig forgets about everything else and focuses on whats happening now, which was him in the hospital getting better. He even brings out the hidden artist in him and draws a brain map, he gets his musical talent on and even gets enough money to have a pizza party and even finds Muqtada his favorite music. He gets his father to buy Egyptian music and once Muqtada hears the music he is up on his 2 feet and out of the room once again, but this time completely. He even starts dancing and everyone else starts to have fun and enjoy. That's when Craig suddenly realizes everything and comes back to life. He questions his thoughts on killing himself and even helps someone other than himself. Upon his departure, Muqtada even Thanked him and told his parents that he was a good boy and that he helped him. This was probably a great overall experience for Craig because he developed so much in 5 days. Before he would look at Muqtada as if he were an alien, but now Muqtada and Craig are close friends, hugging, and wishing each other good luck. Craig was able to help himself when he felt that no one else could. The hospital, patients and doctors showed him the way and he completed it. He was also able to see life in a different perspective and at the end of the day was able to see how much value it had to it. From Bobby, to Noelle, Muqtada and more Craig was able to grow as a person and met people that weren't afraid to be different and accepted themselves. Craig was also able to accept his condition and learned how to control it and become stable. Now as he leaves he knows what to do in order to keep his dream going and that is to just live do everything and stop thinking about it. Like Vizzini said "Live for real," don't live in a dream, make the dream a reality and be yourself.
Quote: "My brain doesn't want to think anymore; all of a sudden it wants to do" ( Vizzini 443)
Reaction: This is great news because this is towards the end where Craig expresses how he feels now and how hes not thinking about bad things or hardly anything at all, instead hes just doing them. Hes eating, breathing, running, drinking and more. He doesn't throw up anymore instead he releases his waste and enjoys life as a whole. He talks about reading, making maps, talking to people, riding his bike, taking tests, getting to school and more. He goes on about all the things that he has done and/or is going to do and highlights the enjoyment of life. For example, at the end he talks about how you shouldn't give up your life because you can actually help people like Bobby, get people books or music that they want to hear, volunteer at Six North (the floor of his hospital), help people like Muqtada, show them how to draw, make maps and more. He's basically showing how there is so much to live for and that you shouldn't waste your time thinking about ways to end such a beautiful thing because you really don't know how much you can change. He ends of the novel with telling Craig to live, and that's what i think the main goal was and that was to live. People constantly say that life is too short, so the best way to make it interesting and fun is to just live in it. Be active, socialize, go out, have fun and don't spend a minute second guessing yourself or what you want to become. Its your life and you get to live it the way you want.

It's kind of a funny Story (151 - 304)

Summary: So far Craig has been talking more and more about his problems and we are able to see the roots and the beginning of his downfall. He opens up more once he has checked himself into the hospital and reminisces about how he worries that being "this way" has affected him and wishes that he would just get better and move on to becoming successful. He starts to feel better and feels good knowing that the hospital will help him. After talking with Dr.Barney about his family and the strong support from his sister, Dr. Barney even admitted to himself being depressed and when asked how he become successful and most importantly better, he told Craig that he helped himself by taking the medications and seeking help. Craig felt more confident and even admitted to the fact that he knew he wasn't crazy and that he just needed help, which showed the transition from being down on himself to actually believing that he could help himself and fight this depression. After settling in the hospital and getting papers signed and calling his mother to tell her the news, Craig meets Bobby, one of the adult patients there, and instantly they become friends. Bobby gives him a tour of the place and lets him in on the kinds of things they do there and his personal reflection on the treatment towards patients. Craig also has a chance to meet his new roommate Muqtada, although they did not get along well, due to the fact that he sleeps/lies in his bed all day did not affect Craig much at all.  At Lunch Craig gets more situated and talks to more of the men about his reason for being here and is even invited to sit down with some of the girls which got him a little excited because he had a small thing for a girl named Noelle. As his time moves slowly Craig starts to get use to everyone and their "conditions" as well as their habits and faces them as if they were easy homework problems. He isn't quite used to the whole mental institution life and is a little ashamed because he thought that his friends would judge him and think that he was crazy. Slowly Craig is starting to develop, for the 5 days that he has here, they're going to make sure that he does and that he does not try to drift away from the main focus, and that's getting him better and stable.


Quote: " If you had to take insulin and you stopped, and you were taken to the hospital, wouldn't that make sense?" (Vizzini 240)

Reaction: This quote makes a lot of sense because it was said to Craig by Dr. Mahmoud as Craig argues about the hospital not being the right place for him. He feels that he does not belong and has second thoughts about his condition and does not feel that this is the way that it should be cured. However, Dr. Mahmoud comes back at him and lets him know that the hospital is her to help and it is not here to cure you, but to make you stable again.  However, Craig still does not seem to be convinced and turns on to his depression again and tries to convince Dr. Mahmoud that depression is like a stage in life and that it is something you have to deal with; that it was "one way of coping with the world" (Vizzini 240). This shocked me because Craig was going back to his old self and looking at being miserable as a way to live and to just handle all of the crazy things that go on in the world. To me it seemed like he was drifting away from the main concern and that was the fact that he wanted to kill himself. Craig was being controlled by the condition he was in and judged almost everyone in the room except for looking at himself and actually seeing that he does relate to half the people in the room. Instead of doing that he's doubting himself and his wise decision for checking himself into the hospital and seeking help for himself.

It's Kind of a Funny Story. (1-151)

Summary: It's Kind of a Funny Story so far has introduced a couple of main characters. The novel first starts off with Craig,the main character, who right off the bat tells us that he is struggling with depression. With no hesitation he stated " Its hard to talk when you want to kill yourself" (Vizzini 1). Craig in the beginning of the novel seems very troubled and helpless. He has a small Circle of friends that he likes to smoke with as way to relieve stress but as the novel goes on he reminisces about how he used to be and how his depression wasn't so apparent. Craig was very studious and had a small social life. He wanted to get into one of the top schools in New York called Executive Pre-Professional High School. In order to do so he studied extremely hard for a whole year, he had stopped hanging out with friends and focused more on the exam. He eventually finds out that he does get into the school and celebrates with one of his new friends Aaron. From what i had saw in the Novel, Aaron was one of the main reasons why Craig started smoking in the first place, although it was a stress reliever you can also see how it was affecting him. He is also having problems with adjusting to his best friend going out with the girl of his dreams; constantly talking about how much they have fun together isn't the easiest way for Craig to deal with their relationship. Overall, there's a lot going through his mind and he is trying to figure it out one step at a time, with the help of his friends and their "way" of relieving stress, Craig is somemwhat convinced that he is getting better, but has his doubts from time to time. His friends don't notice much, but Aaron does see small changes in Craig's life and questions his meaning of happiness. He was ecstatic about getting into the High School of his dreams, but had a difficult time adapting to the new school. While talking to the doctor at the clinic, Craig explains that some of his suicidal thoughts come from the stress at school. He feels that he cannot even compete because everyone is smarter than he is and that is what has been bringing him down. While there he also talks about the support from his sister, he says that his little sister is always there and how she "Cares" and wants him to get better. However, when talking about his parents he's more down about them and says that they didn't waste any of their time and that it was just a chemical imbalance. How they would sign all the forms given to them in order to get him better, but it seems that they're not really focusing on whats wrong with him altogether. It seems as if they're looking at his condition as a cold or a fever and by giving him a bunch of medicine he will get better in an instant. Which I think is a key factor in Craig's depression.

Quote: " I thought...you haven't really lived until you've contemplated suicide. I thought like it would be good to have a reset switch like on the video games, to start again and see if you could go a different way." (Vizzini 102)

Reaction: This quote is very true and i was somewhat surprised that I was able to see exactly what he was talking about because i pictured it in a different way. From my view Craig is saying that you've never really lived until you face your fears and are suddenly not afraid anymore. In this case Craig, i believe is afraid to kill himself, but wants to know what it feels like, but the only problem is once you do it there's no turning back. Which is why he looked at and wanted life to be like a video game where you can just press restart and start the game all over again with a whole new plan. For me, i think that everyone feels that way from time to time, especially when they make a huge mistake, they just want to start over and forget about everything and avoid the mistakes that they made the first time.