The Sea Inside

Part 1:

Overall, I liked this movie. even though it was in subtitles and in Spanish, it was still very powerful and meaningful. I believe Ramon had the right to assisted suicide. I would consider assisting in his suicide as sympathy rather than the destruction of a human life. I think that is how Rosa and Julia viewed it also. But the court's decision surprised me. I thought for sure Ramon would win his case, but he did not. In the end, Ramon killing himself really added drama to the movie and embeded the message of the movie deeper into all of the viewers hearts.

Part 2:

Both The Sea Inside and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly are very moving stories. I liked the Sea Inside better because, it seemed like I got to get to know the character more because he could talk and voice his opinion on the issue, where as in Bauby's case, he could do nothing of the sort. Another obvious similarity is that both of the main characters were quadripeligic, but a key differnece inside that similarity is Ramon can talk and still move his head. Bauby was really trapped and it was more of a tale of sympathy for him instead of a quest for dignity like in Ramon's case.

Part 3:

Many scenes in this movie stood out to me and were influencial. But the main ones were:
-LS of sea shore, with a pan of it too. This really set the scene of the shot sequnece and gave a good example of where they were and what emotions the characters werre feeling.
-MS of Ramon, with a pedestal that followed him as he dove into the shallow ocean. This shot was very powerful too. The pedestal effect gave the impression that you fell with him to his 'death.'
-CU of Ramon's face as he was underwater. This shot had a lot of emotion in it. The close up made the viewer feel for Ramon and it brought the viewer to the accident almost.
-ELS of Spainish countryside as Ramon flies, with a HA. This was a very extreme shot. It really made the viewer feel like they were 'flying' with Ramon over the hills to the sea. Powerful.
-EL of Ramon while he's lies in his bed, CU. This set up of shot angle and field of view is almost identical everytime Ramon is seen in his bed. It connects the viewer to Ramon at the given time by bringing them to Ramon's height.

Outside Reading Final Blog

Part 1:
The final portion of my book was the epilogue. It was actually very interesting because Gerry describes the feelings he had once he was state-side again and the other adventure he tokk with Yankee Girl; a trip from Long Beach to Sydney, Australia. Gerry also included a complete list of supplies that he took: emergency supllies, cooking supplies, navigational equipment, tools and a lot more! it's remarkable to see all the items that he brought and all the preparation he put into his voyage. Overall, I really enjoyed reading this memoir because it was adventurous and inspiring.

Part 2: I choose option #2, the thinking maps.

Outside Reading Blog #6

Part One: Comment Here---

Part Two: In section five of my memoir, Gerry encounters all of the problems associated with his journey. Duldrums, close-encounters with large tankers, horrible weather and the constant sway of the sea. Yet through all of these troubles, Gerry sees Link, the ship that his wife is on. He makes a peaceful landing on England and is swarmed by photographers and publicity. His biggest relief once he was on dry land again, he said, was being able to take a huge bubble bath. Gerry's successful transient of the Atlantic proved to many that impossible is nothing and a man's courage has no limits.

I enjoyed reading part five. It was very exciting and suspenseful when Gerry was encountering all of his problems at sea. The suspense kept me turning page-by-page and it was hard to stop reading. Once he made port and had completed his voyage, it got a little boring because he talked about how hard it was and how grateful he was and so on. It seemed like it lost some of its spark or thrill-factor. But, Jerry took about 50 photos that he displayed in his book. That made it interesting because it was very fun to look at what he actually saw. Like oil barrels drifting in the sea, the shores of Cornwall and the endless horizon out on the Atlantic.

Outside Reading Blog #4

Part One:

"Surely oak and threefold brass surrounded his heart who first trusted a frail vessel to the merciless ocean" (103). :Horace <Alone Across the Atlantic by Gerry Spiess>



This quote was meaningful to me because the hardest concept for me to grasp about Gerry's whole journey is how small his boat is! Only 10 feet long by 6 across; isn't that big for one man and almost a tons worth of supplies. But Gerry finds a way to make it work. I guess that's why this quote comes across to me as startling.



Part Two:
Gerry now has finalized his provison packing and drives all the way from White Bear Lake, Minnesota to Chesapeake Bay so he can set sail. He arrives and feels very nervous about the whole adventure to the point where he actually won't eat breakfeast the morning of his departure. So at seven thirty Yankee Girl takes to the wind and slowly makes her way out of the bay, with alomost no wind in her sails. Gerry now comes in contact with horrible flies that naw at his legs for nearly twelve hours! And, his first sleep aboard his tiny boat wasn't pleasent either, due to his floor that was covered with grapefruit and eating utensils. Hopefully, his whole journey won't follow the pattern of his first few days...

Diving Bell and the Butterfly Review

Well, I had mixed reactions when it came to The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. I did admire the genuine story of Bauby and the tradgedy he lived with while he had locked-in syndrome, but it was a very confusing book to read. I think Mr. Hatten described it very well when he said most teens don't reall understand or appreciate the book in its entirety due to the fact that it really doesn't have a true focus or plot.

Bauby seems like an incredible man, and if someone can tell this just through his writing, then it must be true. He tells his sorrow-filled journey with such emotion and even happiness that it really makes you stop and think about what it would be like to have locked-in syndrome. He opens up to the reader and imposes very powerful subjects with testing answers to every theme or topic he brings up.

But the cons to this memoir were numerous. Personally, I did not enjoy the randomness of his writing even though he was following his thoughts. Also, it was very confusing due to all the dreams and make-believe adventures. All the fantasy did make for a good relief from his precarious state, yet it was a bit distracting.

In conclusion, this memoir was a good read. Once you overcame the absent-minded writting style, it was touching and wholesome. This book had good moral lessons and told a story of a great man who was trapped in a diving bell, but had a mind of a butterfly...

Outside Reading Blog #3

Part 1: In this portion of the book, Gerry purchases many materials for the construction of his dream boat, Yankee Girl. Through many hardships and about 6 months of constructing, Yankee Girl is finished. But now with his money supply short, Gerry must decide what provisions he must buy and pack in his very small 10 foot boat. 450 cans of beans, stew, veggies, and fruit; a sleeping bag, flashlights, flares, radio, 30 gallons of distilled water, 100 cans of juice, 40 shirts, 20 pairs of pants, and 30 pairs of socks make up only a fraction of his total gear. So with the spring fading away, Gerry makes his plans to set sail in June.

Gerry Spiess, born in 1940, grew up to be a school teacher for White Bear Lake, yet that's not his greatest accomplishment. Gerry had always been a sailor, sailing nearly everyday on White Bear Lake. But his dreams were pushing him even further, so in 1978 he began his construction on Yankee Girl a 10 foot long small sail boat designed for one purpose, a solo journey across the Atlantic Ocean. So on June 1, 1979, Spiess set sail from Norfolk, Virginia and spent 54 days alone on the great ocean until he landed in Falmouth, England. He had made the trek, but later in life, he and Yankee Girl would also make another attempt, but this time it would involve crossing the Pacific Ocean.

Sources: www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerry_Spiess, http://www.sailingbreezes.com/sailing_breezes_current/articles/Nov05/Images/Yankeegirl2.jpg

Part 2: Journal- I have liked my memoir so far. It is very personal because Gerry takes you along where ever he is in an in-depth way that is very satisfying. Also it is packed with good knowledge of sailing techniques and terms. But this also acts like a negative to me because I don't understand everything that he says due to the complicated sailor jargon. But I've enjoyed reading it. It actually makes me want to get out and sail again up at my cabin. Gerry can describe his adventure very well and is good at communicating his feelings to the reader in a friendly manner, almost as if you were his best pal and he was telling you one of his favorite adventure tales. Hopefully, the rest of my memoir will sustain its quality throughout the whole book.