SJC100-Islands-as-Metaphors

Overall the story was decent, at least a lot better than the previous book we read, even though the theme of islands, in my opinion, was not greatly explored in the book. I believed that the actual story of trying to get the book published and all that came along with that, like Marie loosening up from her usually up tight self, was more interesting them him actually going out and discovering the island. I feel as if the author put more effort into the plot of what came after he left the island than actually what happened before. This book is still a decent read because it does get you to sympathize with the characters through personal letters, maps, notes, and many other pictures.

The main character, Hippolyte, is very odd to say the least. We get to see many versions of him including one that is intelligent, childish, free spirited, and a womanizer. It’s very hard to actually come to grasp what Hippolyte personality really is because he is so sporadic all the time. This makes it hard to actually come to like Hippolyte, at least to a full extent, because there are so many aspects to his personality that you can’t possibly like all of them, due to the fact that some of these personality traits do conflict with each other. All though this may be true, what is also true is that we all have to have at least one character trait that we like because Hippolyte does have a wide array of these.

When I think about what Hippolyte would look like in real life, I think about Dr. Brown from Back To The Future. Dr. Brown has almost the same personality as Hippolyte, he is very sporadic at times also. Inclusively, he is intelligent and a womanizer with Hippolyte is as well. He also gets lost in his work in a way that, at time detaches him from society just like Hippolyte. Overall, Dr. Brown besides being a physical depiction of Hippolyte, he also embodies the inner traits of Hippolyte as well.

Another very important character in the book, Marie, is perfectly embodied by Sandra Bullock when she played a lead role in the movie The Proposal.  Sandra Bullock is the exact same person as Marie. She shows the same personality traits as Marie.

Although at first I did not like Hippolyte’s character in the novel I’m glad that he was able to change and could find someone who accepts his traveling. In the beginning of the novel, he became attached to Margarita because he felt she was very similar to him and shared his passion for travel, but what he really needed were people like Jeremy and Marie to compliment his extreme personality. It took Marie longer, but they were able to accept his quirkiness and didn’t give up on him. After all those years of not being in contact Jeremy still put his faith into his friend, and possibly his job on the line, because he believed in Hippolyte and still trusted his childhood best friend. I was glad he realized that he shouldn’t just be alone and that it’s important to stay in contact with those close to you, like Jeremy. Jeremy and Marie were able to bring out the best in him and make him try harder for his discoveries to be accepted and that he needed to learn to compromise. They always tried their best to help prove the islands existed even when Marie doubted him. He was able to bring out the best in them as well. He brought out the brave side of Jeremy and made Marie realize she should open up to people. I’m glad they were able to find proof that the Auroras existed that matched Hippolyte’s experiences of the ground evaporating and the island disappearing. It’s too bad Marie couldn’t have believed in Hippolyte as much as Jeremy without other sources to back up his discovery. Overall I liked the book, but I would have liked to hear more about Hippolyte’s journey to the Auroras or have it end in his perspective while he traveled there for the second time.

So after finishing the “wonderful” novel that is Hippolyte’s Island I can honestly say that I have read better. I felt that overall the 4 parts of the book while they did connect somewhat they were loosely held together by mainly just the characters themselves and not so much the plot itself. I personally felt that the story should have mainly focused on Hippolyte and his adventures to find the Auroras more because after Part 2 that part of the story was over and done with which was kind of a bummer. Also, Hippolyte was a very interesting main character but I wish the author gave us something more to like about him instead of making him seem so creepy. After that we meet the overworked editor Marie who very much reminds me of Sandra Bullock’s character in “The Proposal”. She becomes the main focus for the rest of the book which at first was an interesting point to have I ultimately thought it dragged on for a little to long. I understand the transition that she goes through and she learns that life can be and adventure but she also struck me as very plain and annoying at the same time. The random points of tension between Hippolyte and Marie that occurred throughout also stuck out to me as a bit odd on one hand it showed that they did have some connection and emotions but the author never went anywhere with it so by the end of the novel it felt awkward being there.  Although I may have just ripped the book to shreds I didn’t completely hate it the whole idea of adventure and going against the grain because your passionate about something was a very cool theme to have in a book. I also did appreciate the really cool illustrations that were included through out because they were very detailed and added a layer of authenticity to the book as a whole.

How I picture the characters:

Hippolyte:                                                             Marie:

Peter Givens (hat and necklace included):

Hippolyte’s Island was an interesting book. I enjoyed the way the author made the book multifaceted, using different methods of telling the story throughout the sections. The authors choice to begin telling the story told from Hippolyte’s point of view in section one, and then switching over to a log entry based method of telling the story in section two captured my attention. I enjoyed having the storyline presented to me in multiple ways and thought it added another dimension to the story.

I enjoyed the way characters were introduced, and how the author captured Hippolyte’s inner struggles. His battle, of both reaching the Auroras and later convincing Marie that he actually took the trip were well depicted throughout the novel.

I do not think I would enjoy being friends with Hippolyte. He seems like a poor person to have as a friend. Throughout the novel he really only interacts with people who he considers his ‘friends’ when he needs something from them, or it is convenient for him to do so. I feel he would not be a good person to rely on and have as a friend because he is all about him. The only really showing of caring and compassion he shows in the novel is towards the receptionist, Janis. Even here though he could possibly be befriending her only because he may need her for something down the line. Whether Hippolyte does this intentionally or not I am not sure, however, I feel the strongest example of how he treats his friends is Jeremy. Hippolyte pushed Jeremy away and didn’t even remain in contact with his childhood best friend. It is seemingly a case of out of sight out of mind with Hippolyte, as he doesn’t go the extra mile to maintain relationships with people even those closest to him.

I personally did not enjoy the ending of this book. I did not like that the author left so many open ends as to the final outcome and I felt it really lacked closure as to what will happen. I am not sure how I would have done the ending differently, but I personally did not care for the authors stylistic choice in the ending.

So I couldn’t find any more islands that were of a great interest around Ireland itself but how about an Invasion of Canada by Irishman. I mean come on why would the Irish government attack Canada? Well it wasn’t the Irish government, at the time of the invasion ( 1866 ) Ireland was still under the British government, the same to Canada. The attackers were a small group of Irish-Americans who wanted to bring independence to Ireland by causing trouble in Canada. Thus, supposedly, forcing England to declare independence for Ireland (the person who came up with that plan must have been drunk). The group was called the Fenian Brotherhood, and supposedly they were supported by the American government in hopes to bring Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick into the United States, however their is not enough proof to support this argument. This “war” was called the Fenian raids and lasted till approximately the 1890s though no real fighting occurred after the 1860s-1870s.

The main battle I wanted to focus on is the Campobello Island raid. It wasn’t really a battle however the effects after it was a shake to Canada and its relations with a foreign power. Campobello Island is a tiny island off the coast of Maine and in the province of New Brunswick. The island posed no real strategic, or economic gain for the Fenians. The real purpose was to antagonize the English crown by showing some strength and that they were serious for Irish Independence. Approx 700-800 men invaded the island and quickly took control in April.

This was a really short victory. Soon after they took the island, British commander Charles Doyle took 700 British regulars and invaded the island. However Irish scouts had seen the British coming and alerted the other Fenians earlier, this force the Irish to retreat the island. The attack by the Fenians and the supposed help from the United States led New Brunswick to vote to join the United Dominion of Canada and remain under British dominance. This also worsened relations between Canada and the United States. Even though there was no proof, the Fenians were Irish-Americans and the U.S did very little to stop them when they invaded Canada.

Note this song is really slow paced…this song also doesn’t focus on the Fenian raids but rather all the Irish Rebels that died for Irish freedom.

Of course Greece is known for its long history and beautiful beaches, but there is one thing that stands out on the Island of Rhodes: the Valley of the Butterflies.  “Petaloúdes” has the only natural forest of oriental Sweetgum trees in Europe, which attract the butterflies with their sweet scent.  The valley leads past small pools and over wooden bridges that cross the River Pelekanas ending in a small waterfall.

The rare Jersey Tiger Moths cover the Sweetgum trees during the month of May to rest and conserve energy because they cannot eat during this time.  These butterflies camouflage well, but when they fly they are especially beautiful because of their bright red overwings.  This has become one of the most popular tourist attractions during the summer months which has become a problem for the population of the butterflies.  They are extremely sensitive to sound so when tourists try to disturb them for pictures, they will often spend the whole day flying around and losing energy.

http://www.greek-island-holidays.co.uk/guides/rhodes-butterfly-valley.html

Hawaii is not paradise. Nowhere with humans is paradise. A paradise is, to me, a place of perfection. Humans are not perfect. Therefore, Hawaii cannot be a paradise. If further proof is required, one may only look at their history. A history filled with tragedy. Blood stains the sands and the trees and the water, and it is very old blood. Forgotten, their tale is told in the silence and on the breeze. Even still, it is forgotten.

Let us start by describing the old Hawaiian religion. First, the beliefs of the indigenous people if Hawaii was largely polytheistic and animistic. They believed every object of consequence had a guardian or spirit attached to it. Thus, there were spirits coordinated to the sun, moon, sky, etc.

Among the plethora of gods in the Hawaiian pantheon, there are four main ones: Kū, Kāne, Lono, Kanaloa.

Kāne is considered the most important of the bunch. He represents procreation. He is also credited with the creation of the world and requires no sacrifices because he’s a nice guy.

Lono represents fertility, agriculture, rainfall, music and peace. He’s the guy you go to when you want a successful harvest and a relatively non-fatal storm season.

Kū is the god of war. Total jerk. Demands human sacrifice.

Kanaloa is basically Kāne’s compliment. If Kāne builds a canoe Kanaloa sails it. If Kāne governs the North, Kanaloa governs the south and so on.

From these four gods come many gods and goddesses and a number of spirits and family guardians. It’s a complicated list that, while interesting, has far too many irrelevant details.

There was a social hierarchy in Hawaii that let to problems. The kahuna was a group that included anyone who was considered educated or a ‘professional.’ Healers, philosophy and navigators are a few types of people considered kahuna.

To make sure all were of the kahuna class, a code of regulations called the Kapu was instituted into Hawaiian society. These rules were to separate the clean from the unclean. That doesn’t sound very positive, so you can tell where this story ends.

• The separation of men and women during mealtimes (a restriction known as ʻaikapu)
• Restrictions on the gathering and preparation of food
• Women separated from the community during their menses
• Restrictions on looking at, touching, or being in close proximity with chiefs and individuals of known spiritual power
• Restrictions on overfishing

Breaking any of these rules would result in death. If the offender was able to reach a refuge known as a Pu’uhonua, then a priest could absolve them and they’d be saved. If they didn’t reach Papa Church, then they’d be in deep doo-doo.