Harold Crick’s normal routine was very predictable and focused around work. Work was the center of Harold’s life as is exemplified by the factor that he had never used a vacation day. Harold had no major social life, just the conversations that he had at work, with his coworkers and clients. He was very focused on work and constantly doing math problems and counting, strengthening his skills for work. He never even considered stepping out of line at work, just the same routine and lying low.
After Harold met Ana his focus on work completely changed. This can be seen as he was shifting his priorities, at first he did not want to except cookies because he might get in trouble from work. After this moment he did not really care about the consequences, his focus was on Ana. For the first time in his career with the IRS, he took time off from work and fell in love with Ana, which is clearly against the rules at work.
Stranger Than Fiction Plot Summary
Exposition- The main character of Stranger Than Fiction is Harold Crick. Harold is a very well organized auditor for the Internal Revenue Service. He has a very particular routine that he follows to a tee to and obsessive compulsive state. Other characters in this story that have some significance are Karen Eiffel, the author, and Ana Pascal, Harold’s audit client and crush.
Rising Action- The rising action of this story is most of the video as Harold finds out that he is part of someone else’s story. The most distinct part of the rising action is when the literature professional tells him that the author is going to kill him. He first reacts as most people would want to but after reading the rest of the author’s story, he feels that the best conclusion to the story is for him to die. As Harold starts to accept the conclusion to this story we reach the climax.
Climax- The climax of Stranger Than Fiction is when Harold Crick sees a young boy on a bicycle ride out into the street as a public transportation bus is headed his way. Harold jumps in front of the bus, pushing the child to safety and getting hit by the bus in a dramatic accident that should have killed him.
Resolution- The resolution of this story is that the author decides not to kill Harold in the accident. Instead, Harold is shown in the hospital after the accident with many broken bones and in a full body cast, from an accident that he should not have survived.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Narrative of February 10-14 2010
Wednesday February 10, 2010
He awoke at 6:13 to the sound of his daughter saying “dada-dada-dada” over the baby monitor. He walked to the other end of his house to greet his awake nine month old, while the smell of a soiled diaper grew stronger with every step. As he walks through the door his daughter greets him with a “hi dada”, which brightens him and makes getting up with her a special part of his day. He proceeds to pick up the child and lay her on the diaper changing table and begins the dirty work as she laughs at his facial expression. He carries her to the living room and prepares a bottle of formula for the babies breakfast as she says “baba-baba-baba” relentlessly. He feeds the child while watching ESPN catching up on last nights games. Upon finishing her bottle the child protests ESPN and the channel changes to Disney to watch the mornings cartoons and start the day off. The cartoons continue until 7:30 when he needs to get ready for school. He places the child on the bed next to his wife while he gets himself ready for the day. He then proceeds to make himself breakfast and grab his backpack leaving the house at 8:30. He drives for approximately fifteen minutes until he arrives at school. He attends his three consecutive classes for the day: Anatomy & Physiology II, Growth & Development, and Physics II. He then walks to his car where he heads home to spend the day with his wife and daughter.
Thursday February 11, 2010
His day begins just like the other days only 6:30 today and goes through the everyday routine that he is so accustomed to. The difference today is that class does not start until 9:30. He drives the fifteen minutes to school and is surprised that todays class is cut short due to technology problems. He heads home for a quick short visit with his wife and daughter to grab lunch. After his lunch he heads to Lowe’s to work his shift from 12-9. Upon completion of his shift he drives his two minute ride home to begin studying for a quiz on Friday, followed by sleep.
Friday February 12, 2010
His day begins the same way it has so many times before at 5:50 and follows the traditional routine. The only variable today is he is studying for his quiz. He makes his way to school and aces his quiz. He leaves school to head home and grab a quick lunch to be at work by 1 o’clock. He works his shift until ten and comes home to spend some time with his wife and rest his tired body.
Saturday February 13, 2010
His day begins a little later than usual at 7:00 as his daughter decided to sleep in. He continues with the regular pattern, but has no school today and begins work at 9:00. He goes to work and is surprised when he returns home, to have his father visiting. He continues his work day and is soon as he punches out, he heads to the mall to pick out presents for his wife for Valentine’s Day/1 Year Anniversary. He finds a diamond and ruby necklace that will suit his desires to give his wife. He returns home and prepares to attend his brother’s play-off game at the Bangor Auditorium. He and his wife attend as their daughter was picked up by his mother-in-law for a weekend to themselves. The game was a huge upset with his brother’s team ranked seventh upsetting the number two seeded Central Aroostook. His day ended as he lay down to sleep at 11:58.
Sunday February 14, 2010
His day began much later than usual as his child was not there to wake him. He arose at 11:30 and wished his wife a happy anniversary and valentine’s day. He presented her with the gift and she was very thrilled to receive it. They then went out to eat at the Coach House Restaurant. From their they went to the Bangor Brewer Bowling lanes and played three games. They then attempted to watch the movie Valentine’s Day, but when they arrived at the theaters it was sold out. They then went home and went to bed.
He awoke at 6:13 to the sound of his daughter saying “dada-dada-dada” over the baby monitor. He walked to the other end of his house to greet his awake nine month old, while the smell of a soiled diaper grew stronger with every step. As he walks through the door his daughter greets him with a “hi dada”, which brightens him and makes getting up with her a special part of his day. He proceeds to pick up the child and lay her on the diaper changing table and begins the dirty work as she laughs at his facial expression. He carries her to the living room and prepares a bottle of formula for the babies breakfast as she says “baba-baba-baba” relentlessly. He feeds the child while watching ESPN catching up on last nights games. Upon finishing her bottle the child protests ESPN and the channel changes to Disney to watch the mornings cartoons and start the day off. The cartoons continue until 7:30 when he needs to get ready for school. He places the child on the bed next to his wife while he gets himself ready for the day. He then proceeds to make himself breakfast and grab his backpack leaving the house at 8:30. He drives for approximately fifteen minutes until he arrives at school. He attends his three consecutive classes for the day: Anatomy & Physiology II, Growth & Development, and Physics II. He then walks to his car where he heads home to spend the day with his wife and daughter.
Thursday February 11, 2010
His day begins just like the other days only 6:30 today and goes through the everyday routine that he is so accustomed to. The difference today is that class does not start until 9:30. He drives the fifteen minutes to school and is surprised that todays class is cut short due to technology problems. He heads home for a quick short visit with his wife and daughter to grab lunch. After his lunch he heads to Lowe’s to work his shift from 12-9. Upon completion of his shift he drives his two minute ride home to begin studying for a quiz on Friday, followed by sleep.
Friday February 12, 2010
His day begins the same way it has so many times before at 5:50 and follows the traditional routine. The only variable today is he is studying for his quiz. He makes his way to school and aces his quiz. He leaves school to head home and grab a quick lunch to be at work by 1 o’clock. He works his shift until ten and comes home to spend some time with his wife and rest his tired body.
Saturday February 13, 2010
His day begins a little later than usual at 7:00 as his daughter decided to sleep in. He continues with the regular pattern, but has no school today and begins work at 9:00. He goes to work and is surprised when he returns home, to have his father visiting. He continues his work day and is soon as he punches out, he heads to the mall to pick out presents for his wife for Valentine’s Day/1 Year Anniversary. He finds a diamond and ruby necklace that will suit his desires to give his wife. He returns home and prepares to attend his brother’s play-off game at the Bangor Auditorium. He and his wife attend as their daughter was picked up by his mother-in-law for a weekend to themselves. The game was a huge upset with his brother’s team ranked seventh upsetting the number two seeded Central Aroostook. His day ended as he lay down to sleep at 11:58.
Sunday February 14, 2010
His day began much later than usual as his child was not there to wake him. He arose at 11:30 and wished his wife a happy anniversary and valentine’s day. He presented her with the gift and she was very thrilled to receive it. They then went out to eat at the Coach House Restaurant. From their they went to the Bangor Brewer Bowling lanes and played three games. They then attempted to watch the movie Valentine’s Day, but when they arrived at the theaters it was sold out. They then went home and went to bed.
Monday, February 8, 2010
The Gift of the Magi
I think that Jim and Della end up being together forever. You can tell how much they love each other by how the story ended. They both gave up their most treasured possessions so that they could provide happiness for one another. No, they do not have much money and are living paycheck to paycheck, but money isn’t everything. Yes, money is important, but it isn’t everything. It seemed to me that Della might have come from a fairly wealthy family by her taste in the expensive combs. Maybe by being with Jim she married beneath her, but their love was worth her giving up the material things tat she may have had to leave behind in doing so. Their situation reminds me of a few quotes. “Its the simple things in life that mean the most,” “love conquers all,” and “its the thought that counts.” Jim and Della are poor and are barely making ends meet, but that doesn’t matter to them. They did not have many material things, but they did have each other.
When Jim and Della each ended up giving up their prized possessions in order to get the other a Christmas present, they ended up getting and giving each other things that would no longer be able to go along with their treasures. It was definitely the thought that counted, as each was thinking of the other.
I do not think that Jim and Della will necessarily end up like Ray and his wife Minnie, from the story the Untold Lie (pg. 50-56). Yes, they do have some things in common, but they are in different situations. They are both poor and have both chosen love over anything else. One major difference is that Ray and Minnie have 6 children whereas Jim and Della have none. It is one thing to be married to someone, but it is definitely taking it to another level even by adding just one child to the mix. When you bring a child into the mix it connects you to the other parent for life. Yes, marriage connects you to the other person for life as it is and that is how I viewed it when I said my vows, but I like to think of other people’s opinions as well. With marriage you can either just get divorced or have the whole thing annulled. You cannot however just get rid of a kid, and the child is something you and your spouse will have contact about and discuss over for life.
I think that Jim and Della’s future will continue the way it is going for awhile. Della will continue to have lower standards on material items in order to be with Jim, and they will continue to live paycheck to paycheck. Eventually they may add children to the mix or they may just continue to work. I think that Della may try to get back Jim’s heirloom because she knows how much that means to him and it is probably the only thing that has meant a lot to him other than his family. Della has a slight advantage in the fact that what she gave away will eventually come back. I think that in the far future, they will end up being those sweet old people that have been together forever, and have that relationship that everyone wishes to find and have for themselves.
When Jim and Della each ended up giving up their prized possessions in order to get the other a Christmas present, they ended up getting and giving each other things that would no longer be able to go along with their treasures. It was definitely the thought that counted, as each was thinking of the other.
I do not think that Jim and Della will necessarily end up like Ray and his wife Minnie, from the story the Untold Lie (pg. 50-56). Yes, they do have some things in common, but they are in different situations. They are both poor and have both chosen love over anything else. One major difference is that Ray and Minnie have 6 children whereas Jim and Della have none. It is one thing to be married to someone, but it is definitely taking it to another level even by adding just one child to the mix. When you bring a child into the mix it connects you to the other parent for life. Yes, marriage connects you to the other person for life as it is and that is how I viewed it when I said my vows, but I like to think of other people’s opinions as well. With marriage you can either just get divorced or have the whole thing annulled. You cannot however just get rid of a kid, and the child is something you and your spouse will have contact about and discuss over for life.
I think that Jim and Della’s future will continue the way it is going for awhile. Della will continue to have lower standards on material items in order to be with Jim, and they will continue to live paycheck to paycheck. Eventually they may add children to the mix or they may just continue to work. I think that Della may try to get back Jim’s heirloom because she knows how much that means to him and it is probably the only thing that has meant a lot to him other than his family. Della has a slight advantage in the fact that what she gave away will eventually come back. I think that in the far future, they will end up being those sweet old people that have been together forever, and have that relationship that everyone wishes to find and have for themselves.
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