English 10 Period 3

I fell as though "On the Rainy River" broke the most ice inside me. This story really touched me because I feel conflicted about so many decisions in my life. The biggest difference is that everyone is pressuring and no one is just there to let me make the decision without judging me.
 

Frank Kafka’s quote means that there is a book out there for everyone that will unleash our creativity, something that will really make us think. “Lamb to the Slaughter” unleashed the frozen sea for me. It was such an interesting story line; I’ve never read anything like it. It had a nice twist to it and it was my favorite short story out of the three we read in class.
“At that point, Mary Maloney simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head”
 

“…as if his gaze were slicing me open” from on the Rainy River shows how Leroy was looking inside him. Then Leroy just decides to let Tim make his own decision even though he can clearly see what is going on inside Tim.
 

I think that this broke the ice because of the pressures that Tim felt from his family and government to go to war. The fact that he felt like a coward for doing what other people wanted him to do instead of what he felt.
 

I think that Franz Kafka means that books can help you "break open" a part of you that is more creative or more passionate about something that you wouldn't normally think about if you didn't read a certian story or book. I think the story that has broken the frozen sea in me is On The Rainy River. The way it is written and how everything is described has made me want to become a better writer. "That's part of it, no doubt, but what embarrasses me much more, and always will, is the paralysis that took my heart
 

The quote from Frank Kafka means that every book has some sort of meaning to it and can bring out a lot of things from inside of us. "Lamb to the Slaughter" broke the frozen sea for me because the storyline was perfect and I have always been a fan of Roald Dahl.
"'Personally, I think it's right here on the premises.'
'Probably right under our very noses. What do you think, Jack?'
And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle."
 

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According to Franz Kafka “a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” However, it may be a grocery store to escape from reality, or a forest full of monsters. Perhaps it is a river that divides a man between what is right to him, and what is right to others. A book is a gateway for us to experience a new world, or a different lifestyle. It is a choice to escape from reality, and enter a scene of something we can relate to, but nothing we know. And usually, as we read, the ice melts, or the trees part or you take a step onto dry land. Books are meant to open up doors within us, and to let our emotions run wild. When reading, we don’t have to think about the world around us. We can focus on something else.
“On a Rainy River” was the short story that appealed to me most. As I was reading it, I could understand the deeper meaning. It didn’t include family, or pigs, or the draft. It was a war that had created a battle within one man. He fought with himself for days. “It was a kind of schizophrenia. A moral split. I couldn’t make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile.” After realizing the truth he surrendered to what couldn’t be stopped. He went to war. That depth of a single person was what broke the sea inside of me. It allowed me to comprehend what the story really meant.
 

Franz Kafka said “a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” To me, this quote means that a book is the key to our knowledge and our creativity. Out of all of the short stories we have read so far, I think that “On the Rainy River” broke the ‘frozen sea’ inside of me the most because of the way I could relate to what the character was going through. When Tim was on the river with the old man, he had to decide if he was going to war or going to escape to Canada. Everyday people go through hard decisions and Tim gave into peer pressure like many of us do today. “All those eyes on me- the town, the whole universe- and I couldn’t risk the embarrassment.” (279)
 

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I thought that "A Sound of Thunder" was the axe to my frozen sea. This short story really made me think about what could happen if someone went back and messed with history. I would have never thought about that topic in such grave detail without reading this short story. This short story made everyone think how the tiniest changes can mess with everything on earth. That story really made me interested in reading and definitely got me, the reader hooked.
 

According to Franz Kafka, “a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” I think that this means that a book is a way to open your creativity and to help you open your mind and believe new things. I think that it means that we all have some kind of creative side of us and a book helps us break the ice to that creative side and helps us imagine new and better things then we could before. “Lamb to the Slaughter” was the short story that broke the most frozen sea for me because I found it the most interesting and enjoyed reading it more then the other two. It also made me think outside the box and even when the story was over I was still thinking about it. “Probably right under our very noses. What do you think, Jack?’ And in the other room, Mary Maloney began to giggle.” I chose this passage because it leaves you thinking if Mary is a bad person or if she was just in shock.
 

I think in this quote Kafka is saying that a book should get passed just reading something and it should give you a warm feeling. The book should not be a cold waist of time. Lamb to the slaughter is like that for me. The story is really warming when you read about Marry Maloney’s feelings towards her husband, “She loved to luxuriate in the presence of this man, and to feel—almost as a sunbather feels the sun—that warm male glow that came out of him to her when they were alone together.”
 

To me, Frank Kafka's quote means that there is a story, book or some sort of literature that will unleash our minds and let them wander and think. It unleashes the creativity that is harnessed in your mind, and let's you use it. "On the Rainy River" really broke the frozen sea for me. I really related to the story, because I think growing up, you have to make some of the most difficult decisions in your life. The way the author described his contradictory feelings, really drew me in and made me empathize with him. There are decisions we have to face that are major turning points for us, and I really related to his struggle in making the decision. "I gripped the edge of the boat and leaned forward and thought Now. I did try. It just wasn't possible." This shows that making a decision sometimes seems almost impossible.
 

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The quote by Franz Kafka “a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us.” This quote means to me that a book or short story can open anything inside of us, or things that we have never known we could or couldn’t do. The story that broke the “frozen ice” inside of me was Lamb to the Slaughter by Roald Dahl. “At that point, Mary Maloney, simply walked up behind him and without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in the air and brought id down as hard as she could on the back of his head.” This brought something out from me; it showed no matter how innocent you are, there is also a part of you that you never known.
 

Frank Kafka's quotes means that a really good story should be one that a person can relate to on a deeper level, breaking the sea of one's soul. The story "On the Rainy River" broke the ice for me because it is a common problem that most people can relate to, the battle against self can be the hardest of all battles to fight. "...except there was the dreamy edge of impossibility to it-liek funning a dead-end maze-no way out-it couldn't come to a happy conclusion and yet I was doing it anyways because it was all I could think to do." In this case he was fight such a hard battle over self it caused him to lose control of his mind. Everything he did turned into a blur, as though he was in auto-pilot.
 

I think that “Lamb to the Slaughter” broke the frozen sea for me because this is something that could really happen. I think that people are just like Mary Maloney, they can love something or someone but everybody loses their temper every now and then. This story telling us Mary Maloney and how she kill’s her husband it’s all because he said “Listen I have something to tell you.” He said “this is going to be a bit of shock to you, I’m afraid.” He said “But I’ve thought about it a good deal and I’ve decided the only thing to do is tell you right away.” “I hope you don’t blame me to much.” He said “so there it is.” He told her that he would send somebody to look after her and he would give her some money and he knew it wasn’t that good of timing because she was sixth month with child. So all in all in the end she didn’t want to believe it so she went on and asked her husband if he wanted dinner when she retuned with the leg of lamb he said he was just going to go out for dinner so she took the leg of lamb and “without any pause she swung the big frozen leg of lamb high in air and brought it down as hard as she could on the back of his head.” He stood for about five seconds gently swaying. “Then he crashed into the carpet.” Mary Maloney had killed her husband.
 

When Franz Kafka says, "a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us,” what he is really saying is that in order to contemplate with a greater intellect, books are a necessary tool. Books are a needed tool because they inspire thoughts and thinking that could not be nurtured if we did not read. It also gives people different points of views on matters, and can arouse the senses. The "frozen sea inside us" is the part of us that is not challenged to think and create, and when we read, or use an "axe", it picks away these qualities. I think, of the short stories we have read, 'A Sound of Thunder' broke the most frozen sea for me. It gave me the perspective that one simple change, though it may seem insignificant at the time, can cause a chain reaction of different changes. These changes can ultimately cause a title wave of one big change, so it is important to realize the value of each choice you make, as it may have a greater effect or change than we realize at the time. This can be depicted in the passage, "The stomp of your foot, on one mouse, could start an earthquake, the effects of which could shake our earth and destinies down through time, to their very foundations."
 

I think that this quotation means that a book, or story has to let us break the expectations of us, and get away into a different world. I think that the story, "On the Rainy River did that more than, "Lamb to the Slaughter", because it was something that i think was easy to relate to, and it also was about more of a dilemma between one person and the world, and was very similar to some of the decisions that each and every one of us has to make.
 

Franz Kafka’s quote, “a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us,” means that books must stir up emotion inside of us. Something that we have been hiding or have not realized yet or that we can relate to on many levels. The book must make you think about life and what really matters when you have been ignoring all of these things the book must break away the cover and show you what you should really matter for you.

I feel like the short story “On the Rainy River” has broken the most “frozen sea” for me because I could really relate to it because of how all of the decisions he has to make are really hard and he can never decide what he should do. When the author says, “A moral split. I couldn’t make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile,” I can definitely relate to this part a lot because even though I am not involved in a REAL war there are many other small battles to face everyday. One of them being everyone wanting you to be something you are not and you have to decide if you want to do what everyone else wants or what you want. This is very hard to do and I can understand a little of what the author was going through.
 

Franz Kafka means that books have the ability to effect people. Reading a book can help to explain feelings we have about things. Although books are not always based on true stories, the issues, morals and themes many books have can be issues that are very real in life, about decisions we must make as people and issues that we have to deal with. The “frozen sea” that Franz Kafka is describing is the emotions that people have within them. “On the Rainy River” has broken the most “frozen sea” inside me. I have always believed that many people will experience that one moment or that one decision that will be the most influential decision in their life. “On the rainy River” reminds me of the Robert Frost short story, “The Road Not Taken”. You pick a path in life and that path, that life you choose to live, helps to define who you are. In “On the Rainy River” this man chooses his life when he does not go to Canada. He chooses society over his morals. “It struck me then that he must’ve planned it. I’ll never be certain, of course, but I think he meant to bring me up against the realties, to guide me across the river and to take me to the edge and to stand a kind of vigil as I chose a life for myself.” This quote is very meaningful and is the biggest reason that this story has broken the most “frozen sea” inside of me. It showed me that you have to know who you are, what you believe and what your life is going to be like. Once you have decided this, many times, there is no turning back. Most teenagers are not faced with one big decision, that will alter their lives forever but this quote makes me wonder what I will do if that one decision ever comes that may alter my life forever. Will I do what I am expected to do or will I do what I think is the correct thing to do. I wonder if I would be able to let go of the things I could lose because of the choice I was making. This quote and this entire short story made me wonder if I will ever have to make that one decision and if I do have to make that one big decision, will I know that this one decision will alter my life for good or for bad.
 

I think the quote from Franz Kafka, "a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us" is saying that all of us have a deeper meaning inside of us. We need that axe to break the ice on top. When we do break the ice and git in under our own shield, then we truly can enjoy a story on a completely different level. For me, "On the Rainy River," broke the most ice. It showed me a different perspective on wars and how they effect people. In the passage about Tim not being able to decide whether to go with what his heart says or what other people say it should say. This really struck me on a deeper level because I have felt the way he did, of course not in the same graphic way, but nonetheless it hit me. "It was a kind of schizophrenia. A moral split. I couldn't make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but i also feared exile." He is so sad and you can feel it. He is really torn between what is right to him and what others think is roght. The story "On the Rainy River" really was the "axe for the frozen sea inside of me."
 

Frank Kafka’s quotation, “a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside of us”, means that the theme or message from the book can reach the deepest parts of people. The theme might have a specific meaning that is unique to one person in particular. For example, if someone were to be lonely and isolated, they could relate to a character that doesn’t have any friends. In my opinion, that would break the ice for them because they could realize that they aren’t in the world alone. One line, phrase, or theme could spark a realization or idea that the person had been waiting for. The short story that broke the most “frozen sea” inside of me was “On the Rainy River.” One passage said, “At night I’d go home smelling of pig. I couldn’t wash it out. Even after a hot bath, scrubbing hard, the stink was always there-like old bacon, or sausage, a dense greasy pig-stink that soaked deep into my skin and hair.” This passage broke the sea inside of me because it made me realize that everything we do stays with us. Although the author was talking about pig stink, it inspired me to remember that my actions have consequences and that we cannot just delete something we did or said.
 

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I believe Frank Kafka's quote, "a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us." explains the feelings that are kept within. The decisions that we choose to make in life reflect how we are viewed on the outside. When we keep our feelings trapped inside, we need support. For example, when someone else tells his or her story that we can relate to, it makes us feel better inside knowing that another being feels the same way.

The short story, "On the Rainy River" broke the most frozen sea for me. I can relate to making a decision that I could personally benefit either way from. However, I had to be honest to myself. It's not always about what others want to hear. "He was a witness, like God, or like the gods, who look on in absolute silence as we live our lives, as we make our choices or fail to make them.” Pg. 280. I believe this quote can be related by everyone in a way. People come into our life for a reason if you want to believe it or not.
 

Franz Kafka's quote, "a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us" meant that a book can lead readers to expand their thoughts, ideas, emotions, or even ambitions about a certain desire. Kafka probably knew what it meant to have emotions or feelings frozen up inside him. The story that broke the "frozen sea" inside me was "On the Rainy River." In this short story, Tim was convinced that the brave way to protest the war was to flee his native land. "Even in my imagination, the shore just twenty yards away, I couldn't make myself be brave." Tim had his chance to leave, but he never had the courage to be "brave" in his own mind. I can most definitely relate to Tim's story, because there have been plenty of obstacles to overcome, or goals to reach, but I just did not have the courage to attempt them.
 

Franz Kafka is trying to say that a book must not only be understood by the brain, but also felt by the heart. If a book does not grab your attention and keep you interested, then why read it? Franz is giving advice to readers, telling them to read books to understand them and further your knowledge. He is saying that you don’t just read books to get them over with, because you have defeated the whole purpose of reading.
The short story that has broken the most “frozen sea” inside of me is “On the Rainy River.” This story was very realistic and astonishing. The author did a very good job of really bringing you back into the time period of the Vietnam War. There were many people who had to make tough decisions as to whether or not to go to war or flee to Canada. The passage that I believe makes the story is: “The day was cloudy. I passed through towns with familiar names, through the pine forests and down to the prairie, and then to Vietnam, where I was a soldier, and then home again. I survived, but it’s not a happy ending. I was a coward. I went to the war” (Pg. 280). This passage is saying that no matter what decision he made, he was always going to have regrets. The story began with his life before he received his draft card and continued until he returned from Vietnam. I liked this story because it kept my interest throughout. Also I would have never expected it to end in the way that it did.
 

I think that what Franz Kafka is saying is that every one needs to find a book that truly touches them and that they can relate to. I would have to say that the short story “On the Rainy River” has broken the most “frozen sea” inside me because I thought it was simply better written then the other two. I also could relate to the character more, the author made the character seem much more believable than the other two. “It was a kind of schizophrenia. A moral split. I couldn’t make up my mind. I feared the war, yes, but I also feared exile. I was afraid of walking away from my own life, my friends and my family, my whole history, everything that mattered to me. I feared losing the respect of my parents. I feared the law.” This quote is a great example of how the author makes the character seem real, he has moral problems and problems with the law just like every day people and I think this helps you relate to the story.
 

Franz Kafka’s quote, “a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us,” means that for a reader to fully understand and enjoy a book, they must to be able to relate to it in some way. The book has to open the readers mind to make them think about the story for it to be worth reading. What is the point of reading something just for the sake of reading it if you don’t think about the meaning behind the story? Kafka’s quote also tells us that we need to read for a purpose and not just for completing a book. We should remember what we read, and if the story interests us, we will remember it. However, if we just read something for the sake of reading, but do not get anything out of it, it defeats the purpose of reading the story in the first place.
The story “Lamb to the Slaughter” broke a “frozen sea” inside of me. It was a fast pace story and it was very interesting to me. I found it very interesting and I really enjoyed reading it. It broke a “frozen sea” because I could relate to Mary Maloney and how she planned out her actions before she did them after committing the crime. I have never done anything near as drastic as she did but I related to her especially at the very end when she started laughing. “And in the other room May Maloney began to giggle,” was the last line of the story. After the police had eaten the murder weapon she began to laugh. I think she was laughing because she was nervous and didn’t know what else to do in that situation, not that she was evil, and thought the situation was funny. I laugh when I’m nervous, so I related to this her in that way. “Lamb to the Slaughter” broke a “frozen sea” inside of me because I could relate to it and also because I read the story and enjoyed it, I didn’t just read it for the sake of reading.
 

To me the quote, “a book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us” means that you have to let a book get inside you and pry open the mind. The frozen sea refers to one's closed-mindedness to other information. A book tears that barrier open and readies the mind for new information. "A Sound of Thunder" cut the frozen sea the best. It was so intricately written that it it obliterated my dislike for science fiction.
 

The short story that broke the most ice in me was “On the Rainy River.” The quote that really struck me was “ A giddy feeling in a way except there was the dreamy impossibility to it, like running a dead in maze, no way out it couldn’t come to a happy conclusion and yet I as doing it anyway because it was all I could think to do.” This quote really struck me because there are so many tough decisions I’ve had to make. One decision in particular while I was making it I felt trapped in like I was in a maze being pressured to find the right way out. Because of that pressure I rushed my decision and at the time it seemed like the only thing I could do. Just like I was riding on adrenaline.
 

I think this quote means that we can read a book that is sad and it can break our hearts. And if it is entertaining, we can laugh and sharew our experiences too. The short story that broke the ice in me was "Lamb to the Slaughter" I thought it was very funny how at he end The police says, "I bet it's right under our noses!" They were talking about the murder weapon that killed Mary Maloney's husband. In fact, it was!!