Weekly Blog 11/10/14 Catalyst

     The author uses specific word choice that involves science. The author specifically states in the back of the book that "Kate manages her life by organizing it, as logically as the periodic table." She (Laurie Halse Anderson) makes the main character 'Kate' say instead of just saying that when you die you go to heaven she would be you are being split of from your atoms and those atoms will go on into oblivion. She talks a lot like this. Its a bit difficult to understand but I personally have read two other books from her so I can understand what she means. I think that this affects the mood and tone because it makes her more smart and sophisticated when she talks like this and all of her friends are not so smart but they keep up with her. This also changes the tone because she never talks its more always in her head so we the readers can here what shes saying but the people inside the book like her father, have no clue. Which makes her a type of shy and quite girl. 

     Her mothers death changed Kate a lot. It made her shy and reserved, and she never wants to talk about it. "Is this what it was like when mom died?" Toby asks (Toby is her little brother). I open the freezer slowly. "Don't you remember?" "No". A bit later in the book " I open the freezer door and talk to the skim milk. "Because I wasn't there, okay? You want to know what I remember? I remember running out if the church. I was wearing black patent leather shoes and I ran down the road and I got blisters and I kept running ..." also a bit further... "By the time they found me, Mommy was burred in the ground. I didn't see it happen, I don't remember okay?" This affected her life and gave us more information about her because it shows that she is closed off. She doesn't like talking and I'm guessing expresses her feelings some other way. This made me sad and I can't imagine the pain that her and her dad would be feeling. 
  
     MIT the college she applied to (the only one) rejects her. This reveals information about her because it shows her shes scared, afraid and anxious that her only school rejects her which they later do. In the book it states "I open it badly. A jagged opening. The letter is brief, murder bu stiletto, a thin, sharp blade: "We regret to inform you ... thousands of qualified candidates ... not a reflection on your abilities ... many opportunities elsewhere ... Sincerely ..." The need to vomit vanishes. Dead girls don't puke. My father picks up the letter and envelope from the floor. He says something I can't hear. When I don't answer, he looks in the envelope. Maybe the real letter, the acceptance letter, is hidden in there, written in invisible ink on invisible, space age paper. Or it's a Cheshire cat letter and it will materialize any second now. Somewhere deep in that envelope are my registration instructions, my financial aid package, and a handwritten note from the cross country coach." A bit further ... "I wish I were three feet tall and he could pick me up and he still had a beard and he wore cotton sweaters that felt soft on my cheek and I could cry it all away and I would wipe my tears on his shoulder and I could suck my thumb and suck the end of my ponytail and he wouldn't tell me only babies did that and he would rock me on the front porch with the wind coming clean from the north and he would sing nursery rhymes with made up words like Mom used to and he could teach me the alphabet again and how to walk and how to run and maybe I would do better this time." This means she was very scared that they could reject her and they did. 

     Teri's son, Mickey's death. This revealed information about Kate because after Mickey's death Kate feels sorry for her and tries to spend time with her, she also gets to know her better and they become some what friends. In the book it says that "Here." I hand it to her. "I want you to have this. It fits you better. But I'm keeping the necklace." "You should sell it, get some cash." "I might." "Thanks." Later on... "You can't slack if you're going to work with me." I wont. I promise." This shows us that they both are being kind to each other and that she wants to be friends with Teri who was her nemesis.