Chapter 5, In The Heat Of The Night

1) Gillespie suddenly showed hostility to Virgil Tibbs because Tibbs interrupted his investigation and questioning with Mr. Endicott and started asking his own questions.  Tibbs made Gillespie look bad in front of the richest man in town and so Gillespie was and embarrassed, and angry at Tibbs.  For example when Mr. Endicott asked how Tibbs had gotten to Wells Gillespie made and annoyed look at Sam.  Sam confessed to bringing Tibbs to the station as if it was a bad thing but Tibbs stood up for Sam and told him he acted in the right manner to bring him there.

2) The characteristic shown by Tibbs is calmness and patience.  Tibbs doesn't give Gillespie the satisfaction of a reaction to his harshness like Gillespie wants.  Tibbs simply leaves and shows Gillespie that he can tolerate any behaviour that comes at him showing no emotion at all.  Tibbs' calmness also annoys Gillespie a lot.

3) Frank Schubert ran a hardware store and owned two gas stations.  He was also the mayor of Wells and the chairman of the committee that ran the town. Him and Gillespie get into an argument about whether to keep Tibbs around and let him help with the murder case or to send him away.  Frank convinces Gillespie to keep Tibbs around by telling him, "The fact that this gives you the perfect out. Endicott wants us to use his black friend. OK, go ahead and do it.  Suppose he finds the man you want?  He has no police power here, so he will have to hand the whole thing over to you.  But say if he fails, that lets you completely of the hook.  And everybody in town will be with you; the whole blame goes to him.  Either way you win.  If you don't use him and for any reason fail to nail your murderer in fairly short order, Endicott will be out for your scalp, and hes got more dough than anyone else in this town."  This convinces Gillespie to keep Tibbs because being Gillespie, he can't pass up a win win.

4)
a)  The thought that Gillespie had was because of previous stereotyping.  Gillespie probably had never had to sit beside a black man before so the only thing he went on was what people said and what he had been taught.  All his life Gillespie has been racist so it isn't a surprise that he would have such stereotype thoughts.  I think that this experience though, might have taught Gillespie something about black people and made him think a little about his thoughts towards them.
b)  When Tibbs says this it shows how strong his loyalty is to his chief, Morris.  It also shows that Tibbs is a worthy police officer and that he is very brave, as Jack the Ripper is a very dangerous person.  When Tibbs says this, it answers Gillespie's question "what would you do if your boss asked you to stay here?" cleverly as it proves to him how loyal and brave he is to Gillespie.
c)  This comment that Tibbs made to Jess shows us that Tibbs is very clever knows about Gillespie's plan to use him and how it give Gillespie all the credit no matter what.  I think that because Tibbs has this knowledge he will come up with a way to solve the case while still getting credit for it.
d)  This is said by Tibbs when Gillespie offers him a police car to drive.  This once again shows that Tibbs is very smart because if people who didn't know the situation saw him in the police car they would probably think he stole it because he is black.
e)  When Tibbs says this to Sam he is proving that he has experience in this field.  He uses humour by saying that his references are the ones he already arrested and are in jail.

5)  Mrs. Endicott is unlike most people in the town as she isn't racist and gives her hand for Tibbs to shake as if it were any other man.  She treats Tibbs like a real police officer.

6)  Eric is Mantoli's associate and manager.  He is a youngish man who looked as if he were trying to look older, taller and more important.  His alibi is that he was there for the first part of the evening but had to leave  at ten to drive to Atlanta and was there until he got the call saying Mantoli was dead.

7)  Duena and Sam go for a walk together, Sam being her escort.  They go sit together on a lookout looking over the smokies.  At first they sat quietly but then they started to talk about Mantoli.  Sam thinks that Duena is beautiful and wants to protect her and comfort her.  He knew he could not do that but he tried to do as best he could with words.  When Duena realizes that Sam is looking at her she tells him how she is stereotyped because she is Italian and it changes Sam's view of Italians and how his stereotypes were wrong.        The characteristics portrayed by Duena are that she is brave, caring, not racist, and understanding.

8)  The fact that Gillespie is now letting Tibbs work on the case along with Sam, added to the main plot.  The situation with Duena and Sam is a secondary plot as well as the silent rivalry between Sam and Eric.

Blog assignment 9

1) Sam Wood is a policemen who has the night shift.  He is the first character we know about in the story.

2) Sam Wood is an average man.  This is because his name just blends in and doesn't stand out.  His name also tells us that he is quite casual and easy going because the name Sam is short for something longer, and so he likes a more casual, shorter name.  His last name Wood also tells us something.  Wood is very plain but strong and that represents his character very well.  He is very orderly and takes pride in his job.  He is kind but strong and is a very careful sort of person.

3) Delores Purdy.  She is 16 and is considered white trash because of the area she lives in, and is very poor. She is very often up at a late hour and doesn't care who can see her naked through the window.

4) One, 19 year old man named Ralph.

5) He says that all the black people are winning the fights because they don't feel anything when they get hit.  He says that is because they have a nervous system like an animal, that they are animals, and that you would have to hit them twice as hard just for them to feel it.

6) The symphony orchestra is coming to their town and Sam hopes it will bring in some money and tourists to the city.

7) Wells

8) Manoli, the symphony director.

Blog assignment 8

My partner Jessica and I have come up with the idea of a reality "day in the life of..." show.  It would be an hour long and on during the day as the target audience or demographic would be stay at home moms.  The people we would follow would be rich people with luxurious lives.  Our show wouldn't be like most "day in the life of..." shows because instead of following one person or family for the whole season, each episode would follow a new family therefore, keeping it in our opinion, more interesting and fresh.  Each episode would include the family's living style (house), entertainment, hobbies, drama in the family, etc.  We have not yet decided what channel to put our show on as it could easily play on many different channels.  Please tell us what you think. : )  

Blog assignment 7

My book Double Identity connects well to "Criminal Minds" and "CSI" shows.  The main connection between them is that their genre is mystery.  The centering idea around my book's mystery is cloning and a man named Dalton Van Dyne who supposedly stole a lot of money.  I don't really watch "CSI" shows but I'm sure that many of the episodes deal with stolen money and maybe there was even one about cloning.  A difference between these two is the setting.  My book is set in a small town called Sanderfield where as most "CSI" shows are set in a big city.  I think that the setting of a small town in the middle of nowhere gives the book a bit of an eerie kind of spooky feeling which I feel is a big role in a mystery story.  But for a T.V. show I don't think a small town would be a good setting because there isn't as many complications and places for the characters to go.  Another connection is the characters.  In all mystery stories there is the "bad guy" who causes the mystery to happen.  In my book the "bad guy", Dalton Van Dyne was accused of stealing a lot of money and coincidentally Bethany who is a clone has just been sent a ton of money from her father.  In "CSI" there is also a "bad guy" who is a criminal and has committed a crime.  Overall, most mystery stories or T.V. shows have many things in common but vary by the complicated plots and twist that always seem to happen in a good mystery.

How Can Google Docs Help Me?

Google docs will help me a lot with group projects.  Because I am a very busy person it is hard for me to get to group meetings so with google docs I can just work on the project when I have time and at my house.  It will help our group be more organized and get our project done faster and easier.  Also, if someone adds to the project but another group member doesn't agree with the changes then they can either ask them to change using the chat feature or just go ahead and change it.  Google docs would have helped our group a lot because none of us could get together. We also would have been able to practice our presentation without getting together and therefore been more prepared.  I will definitely use google docs for my next group project.

Blog Assignment 6

Today I commented on MartialArts98.blogspot.ca, livelovelaugh98.blogspot.ca, infinity98.blogspot.ca, SydneyMoreau98.blogspot.ca, canadians30.blogspot.ca, and ultyswag.blogspot.ca.

Blog Assignment 5

My favourite scene in the book so far is when Bethany finds out she has a sister who died before she was born.  This scene is where some of the questions and part of the mystery is revealed.  Ever since Bethany was dropped of at her aunts house which stands in a little town in the middle of nowhere, her life got stranger and stranger and Bethany finds herself asking more questions than usual.  Like, "why do people look at me like they've seen a ghost?" and "why did dad erase all our phone numbers?".  Bethany knew that her parents were hiding something from her and in this scene she finds out. But Bethany is convinced that there's more to it than her dad is telling her though.  The phone rings in the middle of the night startling both Bethany and aunt Myrlie.  Bethany who has been on edge and alert, especially to phone calls, gets to the phone first.  When she answers she hears her moms voice.  But her voice is happy and full of energy unlike what Bethany has been used to all her life... sadness and crying.  Her mom starts talking to her about a birthday party and keeps calling her Elizabeth.  Bethany just stands there with the phone in her hand and soon she hears her father in the back round.  He shouts and then picks up the phone.  Bethany has many questions to ask and doesn't hesitate to ask them in a hurry.  Then she says "who is Elizabeth?".  There is silence and then her father says "We didn't think we'd have to tell you.  We didn't want you to be upset.  Ask Myrlie.  She can tell you about Elizabeth. Now can I please talk to Myrlie?"  Bethany's dad talks with Myrlie for a little while then hangs up.  Myrlie turns around with tears in her eyes.  She starts to say something but it looks as though something is restraining her to speak.  There is dead silence and she says very slowly, with a pause in between each word, "Elizabeth...was your sister"  I really liked this scene because it was suspenseful and revealed part of the mystery which I have been trying to figure out. It was described in a way that made it very dramatic and exciting.  I can't wait to read on and find out what happens next!

Blog Assignment 4

I have finished my book Miss Spitfire so now I have just started reading Double Identity by Margret Peterson Haddix.  She is one of my favourite authors.  This book is written in first person which gives us the ability to know what the main character, Bethany, is thinking and her perspective on the situation that is going on right now.  Twelve year old Bethany has been sitting in a dark car for hours wondering where her parents are taking her.  They finally arrive at a small town and Bethany is left with her supposed Aunt Myrlie and is completely in shock and devastated as she watches her sobbing parents leave.  Haddix frequently uses italics to show what Bethany is thinking.  I like this style because I can easily see when I am reading Bethany's thoughts and makes it less confusing when reading.  The book is organised into chapters and the type of text is "problem and solution" like many other books.  Haddix also uses various words choices like: particularly, mournful, renewed, cadaverously, garbled and vehemently.  These are high level words that do a very good job of describing in detail.  The author does a very good job of taking the voice of a 12 year old girl.  But after reading about two chapters of the book I can tell that Bethany is very smart and mature for her age.  The tone of the book is mysterious and a bit spooky.  The authors feelings toward the topic of the book, which is cloning, are that it can cause a lot of confusion and that it is very dangerous.  My reader reaction so far is is anxious and curious.  I have this reaction because Bethany's parents have just dropped her of with someone she doesn't know and the name Elizabeth has been mentioned quite a few times for no apparent reason.  I have feeling this will be a very good book.

Blog Assignment 3

"I have pointed out that the processes of teaching the child that everything cannot be as she wills it, are apt to be painful both to her and to her teacher." (Miller pg. 159)

I chose this quote because it shows how Annie understands that teaching Helen is not easy at all. Annie is prepared for anything that comes at her and knows that it will be painful and draining even just to brush Helen's hair. When Annie says that she "pointed out the processes of teaching the child" she is referring to Helen's parents.  Whenever Annie tries to discipline Helen, her parents interfere and believe that Helen should never be treated the way Annie is treating her.  This is a big problem for Annie because she isn't treating Helen badly, she is just giving her normal discipline.  Annie tried to point out to Helen's parents that just because Helen is deaf and blind it doesn't mean that she couldn't behave like a normal human being and be disciplined like one too.  This quote is important to the plot of the story because before Annie  comes to teach, everything revolves around Helen.  Everyone's actions are dictated by Helen because anything Helen does, even if it is rude or demanding is what goes.  Everyone does what Helen wants as to avoid a temper tantrum which is inevitable to happen at least once a day.  The first thing Annie teaches when she starts teaching Helen is that not everything can be as she wants it to be, or in other words, "wills it".  In this quote the author uses formal diction which leads us to believe that the person saying this (Annie) is very educated and intelligent.  This quote stood out to me because it captures the theme of the story in one sentence.  The whole story is about the struggles and rewards of teaching Helen, the deaf and blind.

Blog Assignment 2

    I am reading Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller.  Annie Sullivan, an orphan from Boston, awaits a big challenge in her life.  She is travelling down south to Tuscumbia to teach 6 year old Helen Keller who is not only blind, but deaf too.  Annie was half blind almost all her life.  Her sight was restored but with the exception of her now large, quite ugly eyes.  She has the advantage of knowing sign language and the hope too, as Dr. Howe, one of her heroes taught blind and deaf Laura Bridgman how to communicate with the world 50 years ago.  Annie can not afford to mess around as she has nowhere else to go.  She already over stayed her welcome at the blind school for poor children, has no family left to go to, and would never go back to the Tewksbury almshouse where she watched her sick brother wither away to nothing.  Annie is shocked and a little worried when she meets her little pupil.  She is nothing like Laura Bridgman.  According to Annie, Helen is a spoiled brat, a whirlwind of destruction, and a little girl who has never been exposed to discipline.  Annie knows it will be a struggle but is determined to tame little miss spitfire.
    
      Annie Sullivan is an amazing person who has had to face many struggles in her life.  Annie is about 15 years old and has brown hair and big sooty eyes.  When she was little she was half blind.  Her father was addicted to drinking and almost every night came stumbling through the door mumbling to himself.  Her mother was a sickly woman who could barely get out of bed and always cringed as she watched her daughter get beaten by her own husband.  Annie also had a younger brother who had a deadly disease.  One day Annie's mother dies and her father leaves to live some of his friends so Annie    and her brother Jimmie are sent to their aunt and uncles.  They care for them for a while but then money gets tight as feeding two more kids than usual is expensive.  Their aunt and uncle are forced to send them away to the Tewksbury almshouse for insane people which had recently started taking in orphans.  There they lived among crazy people sometimes forced to stay in the dead house at exceptionally busy times.  Jimmies disease worsened and eventually died leaving Annie devastated.  One day Annie was recruited to go to the blind school for poor children and was eventually able to get her sight almost fully restored because of surgery.  Annie's hard childhood made her a stronger, more determined person who doesn't back down to a challenge.  She really wants to help Helen to free her active mind that is trapped inside her.  I would have Susan George play Annie because of her big eyes and because she looks almost exactly like I picture Annie while I'm reading the book.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

      In my novel the story takes place in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1887.  Annie arrives at Helen's house which is called Ivy Green.  It is a big property that is lush with trees, plants and grass everywhere.  There is a cottage like house, a barn and a little guest house where Helen and Annie end up temporarily living so they can learn without distraction.  Ivy Green reminds me of a place I saw while on a trip to B.C.  Every time I read the book I can easily picture what the setting looks like because of how I actually "saw Ivy Green".  Before Annie arrives at Ivy Green the place in a "routine" of chaos due to Helen's undisciplined ways.  After experiencing a day there, Annie decides she must teach Helen how to behave like a civilized human being before teaching her how to communicate, and does this by demonstrating strong discipline.  But as Helen's parents start defending Helen because they aren't used to the discipline of their cripple child Annie decides that they must get rid of all those distractions.  The setting plays a big role in the story because Helen and Annie move into the secluded guest house where Helen can learn and be disciplined with her parents coming to the "rescue".

Blog Assignment 1

Hi,my name is Kyla and I am in grade 9. I have created this blog for my english class, but more specifically for the book I am reading which is Miss Spitfire by Sarah Miller. Here are some of my favourite things... Fav. food: pasta Fav. colour: purple Fav. dessert: cheese cake Fav. sport: gymnastics Fav. band: 1 Direction Fav. store: Aeropostale Fav. chocolate bar: Hersheys cookies and cream. Some of my dislikes are baseball, waking up early, most vegetables, homework, and swimming in cold water. My favourite types of books to read are mystery, historical fiction and adventure. I hope you were able to get to know me a bit better.