:( the worlds a scumbag

This story is about how a father pays and pays for his son to be important and noticed, but in the end the son died and that was it. It creates a creeping mood of life being meaningless. He seems to love his son and spends so much money, but after all that, no amount of money can save someone you love. The authors theme is: life is horrible and horrible things happen. “Thord could scarcely believe it” In the story, everything was going well, but suddenly his son dies and that’s that. The priest couldn’t even recognize him, a year from his son’s death. His life was so unselfish, and still he had bad things happen. Sorrow filled this great man’s life. He loved his son, but even that couldn’t save him from a random boating accident.

STUDY STUDY

You can practice writing an essay with this short story. If you post it on the blog I will grade it (for no actual credit) so that you know what to fix for the final exam!:)

PROMPT
Write a literary analysis in which you identify the theme of Bjornson's story and analyze how he uses various literary elements and devices to underscore his message. In other words, what is his message and how does he achieve it?

The Father
By Bjornstjerne Bjornson

THE MAN whose story is here to be told was the wealthiest and most influential person in his parish; his name was Thord Overaas. He appeared in the priest’s study one day, tall and earnest.	1
“I have gotten a son,” said he, “and I wish to present him for baptism.”	2
“What shall his name be?”	3
“Finn,—after my father.”	4
“And the sponsors?”	5
They were mentioned, and proved to be the best men and women of Thord’s relations in the parish.	6
“Is there anything else?” inquired the priest, and looked up.	7
The peasant hesitated a little.	8
“I should like very much to have him baptized by himself,” said he finally.	9
“That is to say on a week day?”	10
“Next Saturday, at twelve o’clock noon.”	11
“Is there anything else?” inquired the priest.	12
“There is nothing else;” and the peasant twirled his cap, as though he were about to go.	13
Then the priest arose. “There is yet this, however,” said he, and walking toward Thord, he took him by the hand and looked gravely into his eyes: “God grant that the child may become a blessing to you!”	14
One day sixteen years later, Thord stood once more in the priest’s study.	15
“Really, you carry your age astonishingly well, Thord,” said the priest; for he saw no change whatever in the man.	16
“That is because I have no troubles,” replied Thord.	17
To this the priest said nothing, but after a while he asked: “What is the pleasure this evening?”	18
“I have come this evening about that son of mine who is to be confirmed to-morrow.”	19
“He is a bright boy.”	20
“I did not wish to pay the priest until I heard what number the boy would have when he takes his place in church to-morrow.”	21
“He will stand number one.”	22
“So I have heard; and here are ten dollars for the priest.”	23
“Is there anything else I can do for you?” inquired the priest, fixing his eyes on Thord.	24
“There is nothing else.”	25
Thord went out.	26
Eight years more rolled by, and then one day a noise was heard outside of the priest’s study, for many men were approaching, and at their head was Thord, who entered first.	27
The priest looked up and recognized him.	28
“You come well attended this evening, Thord,” said he.	29
“I am here to request that the banns may be published for my son; he is about to marry Karen Storliden, daughter of Gudmund, who stands here beside me.”	30
“Why, that is the richest girl in the parish.”	31
“So they say,” replied the peasant, stroking back his hair with one hand.	32
The priest sat awhile as if in deep thought, then entered the names in his book, without making any comments, and the men wrote their signatures underneath. Thord laid three dollars on the table.	33
“One is all I am to have,” said the priest.	34
“I know that very well; but he is my only child; I want to do it handsomely.”	35
The priest took the money.	36
“This is now the third time, Thord, that you have come here on your son’s account.”	37
“But now I am through with him,” said Thord, and folding up his pocket-book he said farewell and walked away.	38
The men slowly followed him.	39
A fortnight later, the father and son were rowing across the lake, one calm, still day, to Storliden to make arrangements for the wedding.	40
“This thwart is not secure,” said the son, and stood up to straighten the seat on which he was sitting.	41
At the same moment the board he was standing on slipped from under him; he threw out his arms, uttered a shriek, and fell overboard.	42
“Take hold of the oar!” shouted the father, springing to his feet and holding out the oar.	43
But when the son had made a couple of efforts he grew stiff.	44
“Wait a moment!” cried the father, and began to row toward his son.	45
Then the son rolled over on his back, gave his father one long look, and sank.	46
Thord could scarcely believe it; he held the boat still, and stared at the spot where his son had gone down, as though he must surely come to the surface again. There rose some bubbles, then some more, and finally one large one that burst; and the lake lay there as smooth and bright as a mirror again.	47
For three days and three nights people saw the father rowing round and round the spot, without taking either food or sleep; he was dragging the lake for the body of his son. And toward morning of the third day he found it, and carried it in his arms up over the hills to his gard.	48
It might have been about a year from that day, when the priest, late one autumn evening, heard some one in the passage outside of the door, carefully trying to find the latch. The priest opened the door, and in walked a tall, thin man, with bowed form and white hair. The priest looked long at him before he recognized him. It was Thord.	49
“Are you out walking so late?” said the priest, and stood still in front of him.	50
“Ah, yes! it is late,” said Thord, and took a seat.	51
The priest sat down also, as though waiting. A long, long silence followed. At last Thord said:—	52
“I have something with me that I should like to give to the poor; I want it to be invested as a legacy in my son’s name.”	53
He rose, laid some money on the table, and sat down again. The priest counted it.	54
“It is a great deal of money,” said he.	55
“It is half the price of my gard. I sold it to-day.”	56
The priest sat long in silence. At last he asked, but gently:—	57
“What do you propose to do now, Thord?”	58
“Something better.”	59
They sat there for a while, Thord with downcast eyes, the priest with his eyes fixed on Thord. Presently the priest said, slowly and softly:—	60
“I think your son has at last brought you a true blessing.”	61
“Yes, I think so myself,” said Thord, looking up while two big tears coursed slowly down his cheeks.	62

Imagery in the Hobbit

J.R.R. Tolkien is famous for his work on the Hobbit. One of the many things that makes the Hobbit such a widely praised book is its expert use of Imagery. From the first few pages until the end Tolkien uses vivid and descriptive words to describe creatures that many of us have never heard of before. If it were not for his in depth description of these creatures he could not really pull off the story because many of us would not feel we have a good enough understanding of the characters. 

From the very beginning of the story words that Tolkien use begin to pop out at the reader, words like “perfectly round”, “exact middle’, and “luxurious” help the reader imagine a world that is totally foreign and strange to them. As the tale progresses the need for words that create detailed and authentic pictures in the readers mind becomes even more important. Without the use of imagery in the story many people would find the story far less interesting because they simply could not imagine what Tolkien was imagining when he wrote the novel. He even describes the little things like belts and what kind of cake Bilbo likes which give the story a much more personal feeling to its audience. 

Without the all important use of Imagery in the Hobbit it fail to be as personal and relatable to the reader. 

Dont watch this...

Oh gosh... this is realllly bad....

Lyrics to the song: Now this is a story all about how my life got flipped turned upside down and Id like to take a minute, just sit right there, ill tell you how I went and chased a dragon out of its lair. Bag end, Hobbit town, born and raised, on my front porch where I spent most of my days, hangin out, smokin, relaxin, all cool and smokin a pipe outside on a stool when a big old wizard, who was up to no good, Tried to make me leave my neighborhood, I told him no way but I said im not square, He said your going to steal from a dragon in its lair.

Link to the Original song if you have lived under a rock:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBe0VCso0qs

Why Bilbo is Da shtarrr

Gandalf the reporter

i forgot lines and made weird faces..... just to explain..

Imagery in The Hobbit

     J.R.R Tolkien's epic, The Hobbit, transports the reader into another realm filled with fantastic beings and objects through the utilization of imagery. The imagery used not only helps create a mental picture of the setting, but is also used to portray the main character, symbolize, and foreshadow events.
     The description of Bilbo's little hobbit-hole is the first example of imagery. The "floors tiled and carpeted" (3), the "perfectly round door...with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle" (3), and the "deep-set round windows [that looked] over his garden, and meadows beyond..."(3) all show of the hobbit's particular,  calm personality at the beginning of the story. Furthermore, the imagery of Bilbo's approaching the Lonely Mountain has two different kind of effects. For instance, as he draws closer to the mountain, the trees, shore, and cliff disappear, leaving the mountain alone. This picture may signify Bilbo's taking leadership over the dwarves and over their situation. Secondly, the mountain's "dark head" (205) shows through "a torn cloud" (205) and "looms" (205). This sinister setting foreshadows the peril the mountain holds for Bilbo and the dwarves.
     Imagery plays a key part in The Hobbit. Without it, the story would lack depth and meaning. The reader wouldn't feel involved and would lose much understanding of the main character's situation and outlook on events.