Stephanie's Discussion #6: Main Character Comparison

Matt and Vincent may be from two different storylines, but they have a lot in common. In both Matt’s and Vincent’s world you are what you are when you are born or in some cases genetically made. In Matt’s world, power means everything. It is a hot and dry place with fields of blindingly white flowers in every direction. Whereas in Vincent’s world, DNA means everything. It’s in a city type environment with what seems to be a si-fi theme. It seems like these two characters are discriminated from the population of the people. Matt is a person who was altered from another person’s cell and Vincent was weak in society because he wasn’t altered and ended up with a heart condition. Most people look down on Matt and Vincent because of these defects and treat them differently because of how their societies portray them. In these two different societies you have to be perfect and not have a single fault. Perfect people get to go to Gattaca in Gattaca and perfect people live a happy, wealthy life in The House of the Scorpion. These two storylines have one main theme, this is the theme of DNA. They seem to be set in a futuristic time period. I wonder if this is major theme between not only these two stories but between many other stories?

Main Character Comparison Jamie

Matt and Vincent are very similar characters.  I think that Matt has always struggled with his identity and so has Vincent.  In several ways, these two main characters are remarkably similar.  Although they live in different worlds completely, I think there's an overall message of identity.  Matt has gone through so much at such a young age.  While there really is no physical difference between him and a person who is not a clone, he is different.  He carries with him a stereotype of not being worth it.  Vincent has struggled with his identity as well.  He was not genetically altered before birth, unlike his older brother.  He has a higher risk of heart disease because of this.  Although there is a chance he won't have a heart problem, it doesn't matter.  It's been decided that he's unfit for his dream.  One difference I do see between the two is that Matt is incapable of even having huge dreams because he is in constant danger.  Vincent, on the other hand, has one dream he focuses on completely.  He is blinded by his desire to go into space.  However, anything Matt and Vincent want to do, they have to do twice as well to be considered half as good.  This is their lifestyle and neither wants to accept it.  In one scene we see Vincent's parents telling him to eat.  While a harmless gesture, it triggers something in Vincent.  He wants to study the planets.  To him, it's an attack at his heart problems.  It bothers him that it's been accepted that he has heart problems, even though he really might have no heart problem at all.  In the movie, Vincent has decided to change his circumstances and in "House of the Scorpion" Matt has decided to do so as well.  I think what makes these characters so relatable is the theme of their lives is the same, that you don't have to be a victim of your circumstances.              

Jordans Individual Post #5

• We are going to be comparing Matt to Vincent. Now the first thing that really slapped me upside the head was the difference between what is seen as normal in the different societies. In Gattaca being genetically modified is seen as normal and makes you more likely to succeed. But in the Scorpion house, being a clone is seen as a horrifying thing. Almost as though it is a disease to them instead of a blessing. I noticed this as it was quite prominent in both story lines. Because Matt is a clone he is seen as a lesser and is treated so. But because Vincent is not a genetic baby he is seen as a lesser and therefore not allowed into Gattaca.This I found odd because while we are supposed to be looking for similarities in between the two stories when the biggest thing in common is something that is exact opposites. The way society views messing with genes is very different. But yet the topic is so similar even though the stories are different. The other thing is how both people have to pretend to be someone else, Vincent pretends to be Jerome, and Matt runs to the orphanage and pretends his parents were taken. It was really the most important thing that struck me was how these people never can be accepted as they are both seen as lower class due to their genetics. Matt because he is a clone and Vincent because he is conceived the normal way and can never be better then others. So really their greatest similarity is the thing that is the most different from each other.

Jordan Individual Post #4

This book is really interesting to some extent. I have really enjoyed the progression of Matt along with some other characters. To me he is a really interesting character because he threw out the book he goes from believing he is a normal boy, to being treated just above an animal, and then back to becoming an almost a normal boy. He has really showed us that the worlds opinion no longer matters to him even though he knows he can never really be treated the same way because he is a clone. The most interesting thing I ever noticed about Matt was that he knows what is wrong with El Patron and how he is a cruel and demonic person, but yet deep down he loves him. This to me was really odd but also quite interesting because Matt knows that El Patron is an evil person whom is using the market of Opium and slaves toake him richer and richer. Another point to this was how different Matt and El Patron are even though he is an exact clone. Matt is a caring person whom although he is a clone still generally feels for the people whom are "eejits". People like Rosa who treated him so cruelly yet he still wants to try to help her. This really shows a lot about Matt and to me it really showed that he is nothing at all like El Patron. I think this really shows that Matt is an incredible character that has a very odd personality.

Free Write Blog Post #4 Jamie

So far, in chapters 1-25, this novel is interesting.  It's starting to pick up pace, and I found Matt's

development the most interesting.  It reminds me of a song by Pearl Jam, "Amongst the waves", because

of one line in particular.  "Suddenly the channel changed, the first time you saw blood."  While Matt 


hasn't seen a physical war, he's realizing what the Opium Empire is doing to humanity.  Certain characters 


in the novel have proved to be inhumane, and I would go as far as to say, unknowingly evil.  I don't mean


 that they don't understand what they're doing is wrong, but that it's programmed into their brains as


 nothing more than a routine.  It's programmed into their minds.  These "eejits" were people at one time.


  Matt hasn't even seen evil, he's been completely oblivious to the Opium Empire that, as a kid, was right 


outside his window.  Being raised as a good kid, he has a hard time defying El Patron in order to ensure


 the right thing is being done.  The second he sees the inhumane treatment of these 'eejits', he knows it's 


wrong.  However, it shows the power of dictatorship, and how hard it is to defy a powerful leader.  I 


would even relate this to World War II.  Hitler was a powerful leader, and though many knew what he


was doing was wrong, they couldn't defy him.  He was only one person, but because of the mind games,


 the tricks he played, not one of them could stop him.  I think Matt has realized that the price of protection


from El Patron might just come at a deadly cost.    

Jordan's Individual Post #3

Personally human trafficking and illegal immigration has never been something that has directly affected me until now.


When I heard Celia’s story in the book I really realized that this is happening to people. People of any age and gender are


being promised to be allowed to move to a new country and have a better life. When really they are being sent to complete


different countries in boxes and being forced to do god knows what. This issue really hit me up side the head that some one 


was having a better life promised to them and being sent to a worse one. When researching this topic I found an article that


was talking about how the United states is finally taking action in this and putting a stop to it. This article really made me


happy because so many of the other articles I looked at simply stated that this was the illegals fault, they put their trust in 


Coyotes and illegal immigrant personal. I found this almost repulsive because they are saying the fact that they have


dreams to move to a better life, is their fault? I didn’t think so, so I kept looking and found this article which made much more sense to me. This was an article about a political debate in which the were saying that any one working or helping


out with human trafficking would be immediately prosecuted and sent to jail. This was amazing to me because this 


meant there was a room full of politicians saying that this would not be tolerated. I think this really related because in the


book Maria said “He promised us safety and a better life, we were sent off with all of our belongings, but to nothing like 


he promised” (Farmer 140-143). This was a part of Celia's story in which she is talking about the Coyotes who promised


her and a few other villagers just before being sent to El Patron. This article really relates to that exact sentence to me 


because the article is saying these people are being promised something and then having it ripped away from them and 


they have no control of it They cant stop where they are sent because they are originally being promised to be sent to the


States not a possible drug farm like Celia...

http://thecnnfreedomproject.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/15/human-trafficking-a-national-security-issue-obama-task-force-told/

Jamie's Individual Blog Post #3

The House of the Scorpion novel by Nancy Farmer has several aspects, many of which relate to our grade 9 studies this year.  The one in the forefront of my mind during this novel is immigration- specifically of the illegal type.  The first thing that hit my mind was the slave trade, and how "slaves" used to go underground to get to other countries illegally.  However it took a lot of thought to make the connection to  the current date.  After a lot of thought I realized it happens all the time.  Unfortunately it's portrayed so negatively in the media, it's hard to see other perspectives on the issue.  In fact, in Canada there has been a recent incident of immigration illegally.  The case can be found at "http://www.agoracosmopolitan.com/news/canadian_news/2012/03/12/3374.html"  and talks about a man 'organizing entry' into Canada.  The problem I see with articles in the news about illegal immigration is that they fail to see a different side to it.  They use words like "smuggling", which are intended to change our opinions.  The fact is, nobody (in their right mind) wants to just willingly be smuggled illegally into a different country if their home country is perfectly normal.  We are all human, and this is something the media never quite grasps.  They are not "aliens," nor are they "evil," they are simply people trying to get through.  In the book, Celia tells her story and refers to the smugglers as "coyotes" (Farmer 142).  They have to be secret, because our government refuses to see people in need of help from persecution in their home countries sometimes.  These are people risking their lives to come to our country, shouldn't we be flattered?  Understandably, there is an issue of space.  This leads me to believe that the government isn't evil, just concerned about their people's needs.  My only problem with this is that they focus on our wants more than our needs.

Jada's Blog Post #2

Farmer describes Matt through his thoughts, interests, actions, and how others view him; she does not describe Matts physical appearance. I found this incredibly interesting since most authors will start off by saying, “The tall tanned blonde known as John said…” or “Rogers bright blue eyes captured each aspect of…” One way or another the character is always described based on physical traits, Farmer however, has not. My imagination projects Matt as a dark skinned boy with mid length dusty brown hair, big curious blue eyes, and a skinny physique; Farmer in no way described Matt this way, it is just what I see based on the facts she has stated about the boys personallity. She brought Matt to life through thoughts and emotions he feels, along with the people around him, it is not what most authors will typically do making it all the more interesting to read. The reason I picture Matt the way I do is he is speaking of nature most of the time and is surrounded by it for the first six years of his life, this gave me the impression that Matt would be a very humble kid. Having only observed people most of his life I figured he would be shy and anti-social (Which was proven after he was put in Rosa’s care, since he refused to speak to anyone with a fear of being punished) towards anyone older or younger than him. This way of character development is strange to me, that is probably why it keeps me intrigued.  I can picture Matt however I want without worrying about getting it wrong. That's what interests me the most so far.

Jordans Discussion #2

Farmer has done lots of little descriptive things with the book that I feel make it that much better. I so far have most enjoyed the development of characters, especially Matt. Farmer has done an excellent job on changing Matt's personality based on things that have happened to him. The way he was stuck in a litter box and told he was a bad clone really changed him. Matt went from a sweet little boy who did what he was told, to actually believing he was a dirty, horrible clone. The way he went from being himself to almost being what every one else wanted him to be. I thought the way Farmer did this really made you feel bad for Matt, because he is actually begging to believe and accept that he is a monster and an animal.

Stephanie's Discussion #2

Nancy Farmer has done a wonderful job on providing excellent visuals in her writing. I would have to say one of my favourite quotes from the book regarding the setting would be "The poppies, now blue in the long shadows of the hills, stretched away in all directions." For me, this quote really paints a visual image in my mind. I can see fields of white. However I am confused because I have always thought that Mexico was like a desert.  So they must be growing poppies for opium specifically.  I imagine a hostile place filled with sand, dirt and too dry to support any life or greenery. Yet, poppies still grow there so, then again I think that there must be some sort of greenery. 

Jamie Blog Post #2

To me the most interesting literary aspect is the way that Farmer describes the setting of the novel.  I particularly enjoy the way she uses figurative language subtly.  An example of this is a passage from page 29, "“Here there was nothing, not even the wind over the poppy fields or the murmur of doves in their nests on the roof.  The silence was terrifying.”  I love the way she describes the doves and the atmosphere without even having to say that it was a quiet and lonely place.  Another example that I like is from page 19, "The poppies, now blue in the long shadows of the hills, stretched away in all directions."  What I like about this passage is that when she says the long shadows stretched away in all directions, my mind instantly creates the image of a very long stretch, meaning that Matt is cut off from the rest of the world.  Farmer is able to describe the setting using vivid imagery, and shows us the story instead of telling it.  She does not say where the fields are located; instead she chooses to show that it is isolated.  

Jada's post 1

What I’m wondering about:

Matt had been living in that small house for 5-6 years without ever leaving during the day. I wonder how Celia was able to keep him inside that long with stories about chupracabra and other fantoms. Sure she let him out at night sometimes, but would that really work out the way Farmer says it does?

Why had no one found the little house and Matt living inside it before the kids? Even though it was “Miles and miles” away from the house it seems strange. Matt got curious when Emilia and steven first came bye, the next time he made contact with them. If Matt had seen other people before then, than wouldn’t he be curious then and break out as well? Or had no one else actually found his home those 6 years?

When Emilia and Steven found Matt they seemed to not care who he was or what he was, they helped him when he fell on glass and asked if he would come out. Why then did they instantly turn their backs on him after they found out he was a clone? They were actually worried for him, then literally threw him out of the home onto the grass not caring one way or the other. It seems strange to me how someone can go from having one personality then instantly changing because of something you just find out.

Has anything struck you in this section:

It struck me how Matt was treated horribly by the rest of the people he came into contact with except Celia, she seemed to love him no matter what he was. She took on the role of taking care of Matt knowing what he was, she still cared for him as if he was her son, giving him a nickname like a parent would. To Matt this was probably the best thing he had been given in his short life. Even though he was stuck indoors his entire life he still found ways to see the bright side of things. The doctor only cared for him in a strictly medical way, he did not even care if Matt felt pain. Rosa thought of him as a stupid clone and nothing more often mocking him. Matt would make those things around him that others found gross and unappealing into ‘dolls’ and fake friends. He seems to be very resilient.

Why is Farmer making the choices she is in the first section:

Honestly, I think she is trying to get you to understand the predicament Matt is in, and why it was so important for him to stay in the little house. Celia Tried her best to protect Matt from unappealing eyes. It also showed how major breaking through the window really was in changing Matts life around. It introduces you to the characters and makes you intrigued enough to continue on reading while maintaining some truth to it. She is trying to portray what Matt has gone through and what is most likely to happen in the future.

Stephanie's Discussion #1

What are you wondering about?
When reading the book House of the Scorpion. One of the first things I noticed about this book was where it was located. I constantly and am still wonder why it's located in poppy fields? I do know that these fields of poppies are used to make opium and lots of rich drug lords live there. Perhaps in the rest of the book I will find out the why factor. 

Has anything struck you about this section?

I have wondered why is there so many children living near and in the fields. Why are children associated with the drug world? I also wondered why Matt was created in the first place? Why did he have to grow in a cow? why not something else like another animal? 

Why is Farmer making the choices she did in the first section?

I think that Farmer made the choice to make the book in this setting because many of the characters could get money from the drugs. It is a different, more original setting than most books, where is either in a city or in the country side.

By: Stephanie 9.4

Jordan's Discussion #1

My first thoughts on chapters 1 to 5 were that they went through a lot. The chapter title I found was very misleading because it said 0 to age 6. I found they only really discussed pre birth and age 6. This confused me because I though they were maybe going be discussing how it was hard for him to grow up not having a real family and only having celia but they really just skipped to age 6. I hope this changes and they really discuss how he ages. Also it really tugged at me that he is so lonely when there are children around him and how he really is getting used to being alone. 


I look forward to the next few chapters because the titles are quite intriguing and they make me wonder what happens. I am almost excepting him to maybe get out of the room he is stuck in now and to move back to Celia's. Hope fully we will see more progression of the age and I am expecting him to return to more of him self. Honestly I can't wait to read the next few chapters and the next age group.

Farmer made some interesting choices in this chapter and age group. Some of them are very interesting choices that make sense and some that don't. I feel that the fact she went from age 0 to age 6 was sightly confusing because I didn't really know what age he was at I had to guess. I really did like the way she so briefly made his age 0 quite interesting but not to a point that it took many chapters to explain how he was born. The worst part though was when the story started after his birth he was just their. There wasn't any explanation to who the characters we're. The story just started and so did the progression of these two characters.

I personally did not enjoy this first age group very much and I hope it gets better as the book goes on...

By. Jordan. B

Chapters 1-5 Blog Entry Jamie

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The novel "House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer is very intriguing.  Her writing style tells all without saying anything.  Subtle clues in the first 5 chapters really capture my attention.  I wonder, why is a young child living in a white poppy field?  My prior knowledge allows me to understand that these poppies are used to produce opium, an addictive drug.  Why is Matt forced to be so lonely, when there are children living so close to him?  In these five chapters we find out that Matt is a clone, and he is referred to as an animal.  Why is he a clone?  What need is there for a clone?  The secrets in these chapters pile up and leave me to draw many different conclusions.  

This section is particularly memorable because of the hints in it that I can tell will be brought up again later on.  In this section of the novel I find myself trying to figure out what will happen next.  Farmer is a detailed author and this section is very exciting.  I think she chooses to make the opening section incredibly interesting so that right from the beginning we are drawn in enough to finish it.  Personally, I think that she has chosen to write this section this way because she wants us to use this information later on.  If it isn't interesting, we won't remember it.  

Jamie 9.4 

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