Freedom! In the White Mountains...

"The bitter thing was all the spirit, all the gallantry, was wasted. For even more than inferiors, they accepted and looked forward to being Capped. It was a part of becoming a knight, or of turning from a girl to lady. Thinking of this, I saw how good things could be meaningless in isolation. What value did courage have, without a free and challenging mind to direct it?" (p. 111)

Well, when this quote was mentioned in the book, Will was having, as you should already know, a luxurious life at the castle. He was experiencing and enjoying the life of a knight. Will was being specially cared for by the Comtesse herself; a very kind, goodhearted, generous, understanding, and caring queen. In addition to this, Will, was getting the attention of the Comtesse's daughter, Eloise. The two became very close and developed a strong friendship and bond. Will felt as though they were more than friends, and that Eloise really cared about him. At least, that is what Will thought. In reality, Eloise, being Capped, would always have her mindset towards the Tripods. No matter how thoughtful and compassionate she appeared, Eloise still belonged to the Tripods. She was, like every other Capped person, fully devoted and committed to the Tripods. Whatever the Tripods commanded, would be done. It was the same for her lovely mother, the Comtesse. Though the Comtesse is extremely considerate and affectionate, she is still in the hands of the Tripods. The quote relates to all this; which is in correlation to the concept of freedom. This particular quote explains how Will feels about the Comtesse and Eloise being Capped. He is basically saying that there isn't a point to their kindness, courage, and thoughts; due to the fact that they do not have a mind of their own to direct it all. They are not capable of thinking profound thoughts or lead themselves to do what they would like. They are not FREE to think, feel, or do what they want. When you are Capped, basically, you are not a FREE person anymore. This is how the quote is related to the concept of freedom. But, honestly, the whole chapter is based on freedom. For example, Chapter 6, reveals Will's struggle for FREEDOM. Will loves life at the castle. He likes the all the service and camaraderie at the castle. Will also enjoyed the care of the Comtesse, as she kind of played the role of his mother. He especially, as I said before, liked the attention and friendship provided by Eloise. But, there was the uncertainty of whether to continue the journey to the mountains, or live the life he had always dreamed about. Will wasn't sure what he wanted anymore. He wanted to stay and live at the castle, but wanted freedom as well. And Will, sadly, couldn't have both of his desires-one was to be chosen. To live at the castle, Will would have to sacrifice his freedom for a lifetime of service and forced devotion to the Tripods. Will wanted to continue life at the castle with everyone else, mostly Eloise, but in order to do this, Will would lose his freedom in the process. He will lose himself. His intelligence, courage, and kindness would be wasted. Exactly what happened to everyone else at the palace. Though, after contemplating for many hours, Will chose the path of freedom. He had come to this decision mostly because he had realized Will wouldn't get to see Eloise ever again. AS queen, she would leave forever to serve the Tripods. This snapped Will right out of his trance, and helped him understand that nothing was worth getting Capped-losing your freedom and freewill. And now, he is continuing the voyage to the White Mountains... As you can see, Chapter 6, and maybe even the whole book. revolve around freedom.

Chapter 6 of the White Mountains

1. How were the Tripods able to control the people?

2. Find evidence (quotations from the novel) to show that even though Will is comfortable living at the castle, he is frustrated that the Comte, Comtesse, and Eloise have been capped.

3. Find evidence (quotes) to show how Will feels about being capped.

These questions are the ones being asked, and the ones I've got to answer right now, right here. Anyway, so far, Will, Henry, and Beanpole have come to a resting point, as Will has collapsed of exhaustion. They were found by the Comtesse, who being so kind and generous, had decided to take them in to the Castle of the Red Tower. In which she lived by the way, with the Comte and their daughter Eloise. This is a very brief summary, but will be much clearer once I answer those three questions...

Well, in the village of Wherton, where Will originally came from before he left; the Tripods controlled the villagers by Capping them. The Tripods gave them the idea that Capping was an excellent experience and that it was meant to be a celebration or coming of age ceremony. Plus, the Tripods, I think, use the vagrants as an example of what could happen if you aren't capped. As you know, vagrants have a tendency to act a little strange and unusual. Actually, they are quite abnormal. Anyway, the villagers are made to be afraid and terrified of these vagrants. In my opinion, the Tripods take advantage of this, and use the vagrants to kind of scare the villagers into getting capped as well. In addition to all this, the villagers are led to believe that the Tripods are their rulers and that they should be thankful for their existence; which they are taught at school. But the reason the villagers believe all these lies, are because they Tripods make sure they are all naive about the World, independence, and human capability. They are just as ignorant as Will. You see where he gets it? Anyway, in France, where Will is currently at, the way Tripods control the people there is practically the same, with a little more tweaks. They are still Capped, and led to believe that Capping is a celebration. For example, on page 115, it explains how girls get capped as well, but that they must wear a turban around their heads until their hair has grown out. Then, they have a celebratory ball to honor it. Plus, there is also a giant feast and tournament for boys before they are capped. (Pgs. 121-122) So you can see they really look forward to their capping ceremony and believe it is of importance as well. They do also believe the Tripods are meant for good, though, they aren't, I don't think, scared into it. It doesn't seem necessary. Plus, surprisingly enough, they are actually generous and giving people. At least those in the castle are. I mean, take the Comtesse for instance. She is a very warmhearted, giving person, but she does it because she wants to, not because she has to. In Wherton, the woman who was of the same personality as the Comtesse, was only generous because she had to be. It was kind of her job, you know? (Pg.104) So as you can see, the Tripods in France are actually quite similar to those in Wherton, but a little less 'strict' with ruling.

Okay, so now onto the second question. Will, as I've mentioned before, wound up in the Castle of the Red Tower. Well in the castle he has met a particular family (The Comte, Comtesse, and their daughter Eloise.) that he absolutely adores. On pg.110, it explains how Will is closer to the Comtesse and Eloise than he is with the Comte. The Comte, apparently, is a large, ugly man, who has a reputation for bravery during the tournament and hunt. He and Will have very little conversation, as the Comte has very bad English, and is friendly but awkward towards Will. In truth, Will is much closer to the Comtesse. Pg.113-114 explain how Eloise is like her mother (the Comtesse), which brings out the Comtesse's personality. The Comtesse, has a soothing gentleness, and has a deep feeling for all living creatures; animal or human. She is also very kind, and intelligent, and Will feels comfortable around her. But out of the entire family, Will enjoys Eloise's company the most. On pg.124, it exhibits how Will feels about Eloise and how much he enjoys her company. The talk and take walks together down in the castle's gardens. Will, in fact, has a small blooming crush on Eloise. But no matter how comfortable he feels in the castle with this this family; he still hates the fact that they are capped. On Pg.111, it clearly projects this. "The bitter thing was that all the spirit, all the gallantry, was wasted. For even more than their inferiors, they accepted and looked forward to being Capped. It was a part of becoming a knight, or of turning from girl to lady. Thinking of this, I saw how good things could be meaningless in isolation. What value did courage have, without a free and challenging mind to direct it?" That quote is from Will's point of view, stating, that though this family is courageous, intelligent, and kindhearted; there is no use as they do not have an independent mind to put these traits to use. They are still controlled by the Tripods. This is what really annoys Will.

In the beginning, Will states he would "rather die than be Capped." (Pg. 39) And throughout the whole journey, Will had the same exact mindset. I mean, that is the whole point of their voyage to the White Mountains; to search for a place where they could all live in freedom and free-thinking. Anyway, in the beginning of Chapter 6, Will still has the same thoughts, (which is quite obvious since he hates the fact the Comte, Comtesse, and Eloise are capped.) but those thoughts slowly disintegrate... Will gets tempted to stay behind at the castle to live a life of luxury with Eloise; and get Capped! This was really surprising when I read it, because Will has come extremely far in this voyage, and has risked so much, and yet he wants to give up and throw all that effort away? That is... 'interesting'. Anyway, on Pgs. 121-125 it shows what is restraining him from continuing his journey to the White Mountains. One reason is because he feels left out in their group of three. Beanpole and Henry have recently been ignoring him and excluding him from conversation. He does want to be loyal to the group, but he doesn't see the point, as they ignore his existence anyway. But another reason he wants to stay at the castle, is because he wants to live with the Comte, Comtesse, and Eloise. Will has always wanted the kind of family who really care and love him, as well as encourage him in everything. And he believes that this family in the castle is perfect! Plus, he loves Eloise's company, and feels she actually notices him and cares for him, and so does the Comtesse. Lastly, he wants to stay because the life he could live in the castle as a knight is very inviting. Back in Wherton, Will lived in a common, if not, poor life. He had a small home, and school wasn't that great either. But in the castle, where he was invited to stay, he might have the opportunity to live in splendor. He wants to experience all these events and activities such as the tournament and hunt, and he is willing to be capped in order to do so. On pg.124, it states how Will isn't that afraid of being Capped anymore. "Providing the Capping was a success, I reminded myself. But why should it not be? Captain Curtis's warning belonged to the time when this language had been meaningless gibberish to me. Now, even though I was still far from speaking it perfectly, I understood it. Nor was I likely to become a Vagrant through resisting when there was so much to gain by acquiescence." Will is prepared to go through with the Capping process just to live the perfect life he has been searching for, which he believes will be in the castle.

BEANPOLE!

Yes, I know. This is exactly what you've been anticipating the entire week. The follow-up to my earlier post on our new reading book, The White Mountains. But no need to stress; as I am here now ready to write about the next assigned topic. The latest question by the way, is "How will Beanpole help Will and Henry on their journey to the White Mountains?" Okay, remember where we left off? Because I'm so nice, I'll summarize and remind you. In my previous posting, I introduced you to the main character Will. I also informed you on his difficult situation, and his exciting journey to the White Mountains in search of freedom. Plus, I explained how Will and I are alike in terms of our traits. Well... is it all coming back to you now? Because if it isn't, you will have trouble comprehending this post. Anyway, the new question mentions two other characters; Henry and Beanpole. I'll start by vaguely explaining who Henry is, as he isn't really who I'm meant to be focusing on. Anyhow, Henry is Will's obnoxious cousin, who later in the story becomes one of Will's companions on his journey to the mountains. Though in the beginning, Henry appears to be a repulsive, insensitive bully; he turns out to be quite a smart, kind-hearted boy as well as a helpful friend on the journey. He really came through for Will, and proved that it was a good choice to let him tag along. For instance, when Will had injured himself by spraining his ankle whilst running in the woods; Henry took the liberty of carrying Will all the way back to an abandoned hut. Henry even cleaned and organized the small hut, as well as searched for food. He really is pretty sweet and compassionate, right? So that is, very basically, Henry. Okay, now on to Beanpole. He is really the center of this post, so, I'll just carefully explain who he is and his place in the story. Beanpole is an extremely new addition to Will and Henry's group. The boys had just met each other, after Beanpole helped Will and Henry escape from their little mishap. (Will and Henry had just arrived in a small town, and were captured by the villagers. Beanpole had decided to help them escape, and that's where they first got acquainted with one another.) Once Will and Henry had explained where they were heading, Beanpole had asked if he could come with them immediately. I know it seems quite strange for a boy like Beanpole, to have made such a great decision to leave everything behind, right then and there. But to be honest, he doesn't have much to lose. Both his parents had passed away, and he was being cared for by his aunt and uncle. He of course is grateful that they are providing him with food and a home, but there isn't any real, deep connection between them. Their relationship is mutual; the bond joining all of them is very weak. For example, there aren't any genuine feelings of love between a single of one of them. Beanpole's aunt and uncle don't show any appreciation or awareness of his achievements such as his intelligence. Plus, the support Beanpole should receive isn't given by either uncle or aunt. Although, I am not sure. The book never did mention Beanpole's "parent's" thoughts on the matter, but since Beanpole is so eager to come and so prepared to leave, I'm just guessing. However, I know for a fact, that Beanpole, like Will, wants to be free. Though not for the same reason-Beanpole wants to be free, because he is afraid that once he is capped, his knowledge will be taken away. You see? There is literally nothing to restrain him from departing. He is ready and willing to go on the voyage for a better life. But I do believe that Beanpole's addition to the group was a fortunate happening, as he can really help on the journey. Here's how...

Beanpole, I think, can help Will and Henry on their journey to the White Mountains in multiple ways. Firstly, Beanpole can help make their trip faster as he knows the land very well. Since he has been living there for several years, he is very familiar with the area, and would be able to guide all of them to where there needed to go. Beanpole also knows numerous shortcuts which should lessen their travel time. For instance, the Shmand-Fair. This was one shortcut they had taken, which had spared a lot of time. Without Beanpole of course, this would not have been possible. Another way Beanpole can help Will and Henry on their travels, is by being able to cover for them. Beanpole is able to not only speak English, but the language spoken in that area. If Henry and Will were left without Beanpole, the could get into many difficult situations. If the townsfolk do not understand what is being said, they will get slightly suspicious, and most likely capture Will and Henry. I mean, that is what happened to the pair before. So basically, if they ever get into a position where they need to talk to a local, Beanpole could speak on their behalf, and help their group seem more inconspicuous; he could help blend them in with the everyone else. Beanpole could also help Will and Henry on their voyage with his great amount of knowledge and intelligence. For instance, Beanpole always had an issue with his eyesight. He couldn't see very well; it was blurry and he probably couldn't read. But in the end, he came up with a fantastic solution. He invented glasses! They aren't common anywhere in the story, by the way. Therefore, it's quite an advancement. Anyway, Beanpole came up with this idea after thinking about telescopes. He realized that they helped people see distant things much better. So, he took two lenses, and created his glasses! Which really made an improvement, as he can see more appropriately now. My point is, Beanpole can help by using his problem solving skills in complex situations. As well as making use of his inventing abilities. Plus, there's his knowledge of the land and the language there. As you can see, Beanpole can really help and make a positive difference in the journey to the White Mountains.

How is Will Like ME?

The White Mountains. This, by the way, is our latest reading book in Literature Circles. Yes, Literature Circles has once again commenced; with a new book, new groups, and a slightly new format of how we do things. But of course, we still have blog posts to write up, so don't worry. However, this set of posts will have different topics and content, compared to last time's. Before, we just had to write about what went on during our discussions, what we gained from them, and how we thought we did. This time, we get to write about a variety of things with each post. Or at least I think that's how it works. Anyway, the set subject for this post is how Will is like me. Wait... You have no idea who Will is! Okay, okay, let me roughly explain. In our book, The White Mountains, (Which for your information, is written by John Christopher, and is the first book of a trilogy.) Will is the main character. He is a fourteen-year old boy who decides to leave his town in search of the White Mountains, where it is believed that he may find freedom. You see, this setting takes place in the future, where some huge pieces of machinery called Tripods rule. These three-legged creatures can control man-kind by implanting some sort of metal ring in people's heads, which is know as a "Capping Ceremony". Though many humans believe it is a ceremony to celebrate a boy becoming a man, (Capping only happens to boys, it rarely ever happens to girls.) it is really just a boy losing his mind to a machine. Fortunately, Will knows this, and wants to avoid it. So, after hearing about the White Mountains, he decides to go there in search of independence. Now, after hearing a vague description of Will, I can get on with the task at hand. You know, how Will is like me. Well, it's time to get into detail about his traits, that hopefully will increase your understanding about his character...

Will Parker. As I see it, he has quite an intriguing character, and an interesting mix of traits. He seems to have the characteristics an ordinary child nowadays would possess. First of all, I can say that Will is rather disobedient. Mostly towards his father really. I mean, within the book, there is a certain part where Will meets a man named Ozymandias. Ozymandias, incidentally, is a vagrant; which is a person who's Capping went wrong, therefore they kind of have mental problems and act bizarre. Due to vagrants' unusual behavior, villagers choose not to socialize with them. The townsfolk do believe that they have a duty to provide vagrants with shelter and food, but the interacting should end there. So anyway, word got out that Will was developing a friendship with Ozymandias, and was finally reported to Will's father. Although Will's father made it clear that he should not communicate with Ozymandias anymore, Will still did because he felt there was something special about Ozymandias that he hadn't discovered yet. He was just too curious! Oh, yes, Will is also an EXTREMELY curious person. For instance, Will likes to explore the possibilities of man-made establishments such as ships, watches, etc. Seeing as the Tripods control all products made, it is an amazing thought to Will that man could have made such advancements. Will loves to ask many questions about this particular topic, and can continuously daydream about it for hours! But I guess Will asks so many questions because he has a fairly naive character as well. Will doesn't know much about human capability and independence. I mean, the fact that he even questions if it was possible for humans to create such "progress" in invention completely proves this. He kind of believes that everything was established by the Tripods. But, Will has a fabulous trait that many in his village lack; Will is a very free thinker. What I mean is, Will has his own independent, bold thoughts, and really sticks out of the crowd. An example of this, is that even though everyone says and tries to persuade Will that Capping is a great opportunity and experience; Will would honestly rather DIE than be Capped. I guess he feels this way because, when you are capped, you are pretty much dead. When you think about it, once you are capped, you can't think for yourself, you aren't unique anymore, and you don't have an individual personality. Basically, you lose yourself. So Will's feelings, though suicidal, make sense. In a way. Well, those are Will's major traits, here are the ones we have in common...

Out of Will's various traits, I have his disobedience, curiosity, and free thinking. Let me elaborate... Like Will, I am disobedient. And yes, mostly to my parents. For example, my sister and I ALWAYS fight. Literally. I believe we fight on a daily basis to be honest. (And by the way, my sister is the one to be blamed. I think.) Back on track, my parents are continuously informing me to leave my sister alone and mind my own business. But of course, as you've probably guessed, I absolutely do NOT listen. I don't do it on purpose. It's just too hard! I mean, my sister ALWAYS gets on my nerves, and ALWAYS acts so obnoxious and irritating! (But I must give her credit for being nice SOMETIMES. I guess.) I'm sure many people can understand this. Another example is, my parents are constantly telling me to watch my mouth and my tone. Because every so often, when I'm grumpy or tired, I tend to talk in a rude way with a annoyed attitude. And no matter how much my parents shout and yell at me to get my act together, I still occasionally behave that way. Sorry! Anyway, the point of this is that I sometimes disobey my parents and don't listen to them. Okay, BESIDES having Will's sense of disobedience, I like him, am quite curious. For instance, while I'm in class. During lessons, I love to ask questions, and discuss with my peers. I like elaborating on the matter at hand, and asking many questions to help my understanding. Plus, I just like to know and increase my knowledge. I also enjoy listening to other people's opinions and building on that. I love to talk! Anyway, another example of my curiosity is, in the subject of family and friend arguments. I'm not particularly sure why I like to know about people's problems and bickering, but I do. I mean I like to know what is going on between people. And I have a tendency to ask many questions about that, which can get on people's nerves. Okay, so, the purpose of those examples were to back up the fact that I, like Will, am curious. The last trait Will and I share, is the characteristic of being a free thinker. I don't have a specific example for this, because honestly, I am ALWAYS a free thinker. I mean, I know some people that just follow what everyone else is doing. They don't really know who they are. But me, I don't give in to peer pressure. I think for myself and am not afraid to speak my mind. I don't care if my opinions and thought are completely different to everyone else's. For instance, (Okay, now I have an example.) if I like something and other people keep telling me how stupid they think it is or something, I continue with my own thoughts. I may take in what others say, but in the end, it's really my opinion that matters the most, to me. Now, you've learnt who Will is and how I'm like him. Actually, I'm sure a lot of us share Will's characteristics. Anyhow, it's sadly the end of this post. But I will continue writing up posts, so keep up!