Hi Everyone!
Mrs. Nelson and I are looking forward to getting to know each of you during our journey into American history and literature. We hope you'll find our introductory summer reading activities both enjoyable and meaningful. Please feel free to contact us through email or through our blog if you have any questions: our summer experience is designed to be rewarding -- not stressful!
Please start your reading with THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LARRY; with its focus on teen experiences, the Internet, relationships, and consumerism, we believe you'll find it a great read. Larry does some name-dropping of some pretty amazing world figures and places...be aware! See who you know! We hope that many of you will take part in our FHS Book Chat on July 22, but if that doesn't work for you, we'll be chatting right here!
Enjoy the summer...and reading, too!
Mrs. Hurt
Hi Mrs. Hurt! I am going to be in Japan on the date of the book chat, and I will not have internet access during my stay. I was wondering when you would be posting the questions because I would like to complete as many as I could before I leave. Could I email you my responses? Also, do I have to respond to other students' comments or do I just answer my own questions? If you could get back to me as soon as possible, that would be wonderful. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
Jessica Robertson
Hello Mrs. Hurt. I've started reading The Gospel According to Larry. I'd like to start blogging as I will be out of the country at the time of the book chat. May I write my own responses, or are there questions that I must answer to? Please respond ASAP, as I will be leaving shortly.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Andrew Gibson
Mrs. Hurt,
ReplyDeleteAre the questions that you want us to answer in the book? If they are, do we just answer questions #1-8? I would be grateful if you answered soon.
Megan Hulings
Here are my responses to the questions in the book, Mrs. Hurt.
ReplyDelete1). Josh limited the items that he owned to seventy-five. If he got a new item, then he traded one of his other precious seventy-five possesions in order to keep that item he wanted (pg. 45, second paragraph). If I had to limit the items that I own to seventy-five possesions, then I would most definately have a couple pairs of pants, some shirts, a jacket, a pair of shoes, and a set of gloves. I would also keep some books, since I love to read, and my diary. Since I do not have a laptop like Josh, I would have a notebook or two to write my stories and ideas in. If I did have a laptop, or some kind of computer all to myself, then I would keep that instead, but I do not. I would have a few pencils and my drawing book, since I like to draw, and that would be about it. I probably could survive on just seventy-five possesions, or maybe even less, if I put my mind to it.
2). Josh's vision of making the world a better place with ideas instead of technology is somewhat true. He begins the website "The Gospel According to Larry"(pg. 37-43) in order to get his ideas and opinions about materialism and consumerism out there to the public. A lot of people would definately support "Larry's" opinions and ideas now in 2009, because everyone is trying to go green and not pollute the earth. Larry's vision is a little bit off, though. He is using technology to get the message out there. Really, if you think about it, more and more people are beginning to get on their laptops and computers in order to get onto "Larry's" website. Maybe if he had sent his sermons to his school's newspaper or something, then maybe it would not have been against his vision. Larry does try his best to make the world a better place with his ideas, since he tells others in his sermons why materialism is not exactly the greates idea in the world. He tells people how businesses use people to get more money and to expand their companies. "Larry" is right about how many people in Africa live on less than a dollar a day. Overall, I think that Josh intended to make the world a better place, and I think he did a pretty good job sticking to his vision.
3). The way "Larry" manipulates the public is really the same way how businesses manipulate consumers to by their products. "Larry" tells everyone through his sermons why they should not by everything they want, and why materialism is not a good thing. Most companies and businesses use the same tactics: they tell everyone why they should not by a certian product, and that company or business persuades the consumers to buy their own products. Through Larry, Josh persuades his readers that materialism and consumerism is not a great thing. And so, people begin to listen to his sermons and actually start raising awareness about materialism, advertising and consumerism.
"Larry" also writes that a lot of people tend to worship celebrities and follow them on their tours and read up about their personal lives (pg. 81-82). Josh compares celebrities to a feast in his sermon. Really, he is correct: many people feast on rumors and gossip about celebrities. One difference about how Josh manipulates people compared to how the media goes about doing it is that they advertise their products and make the products look good, while Josh does not. So, really, back to question one, Josh really is following his vision of getting his ideas into the world by not advertising them. In all, Josh does manipulate his readers in the same way as businesses, companies, and the media do.
Here are the answers to the questions in the book #4-6, Mrs. Hurt. I e-mailed you these answers before, because they would not show up onto the blog. I have also accidentilly used the username gmhulings, which belongs to my parents. I am sorry for the confusion.
ReplyDelete4). I believe that Josh was wrong to search through his stepfather’s belongings and take the advertisements that he found to use for himself (pg. 70-72). Really, Josh was stealing from Peter when he had taken the advertisements and used them to persuade his readers that commercialism was not a very good thing. When Josh broke into Peter’s briefcase, he was invading on Peter’s private things. Plus, Josh technically stole other companies’ ideas when he changed the ads to go against their owners, like when he put oxygen masks on the smokers in one advertisement, for example (pg. 71-72). It just was not the right thing to do to get other people’s support. Josh could have found another way to get back at the advertising companies and businesses, but because he chose that particular idea, he would get in trouble for it. Peter eventually does find out about what Josh was doing, and so Josh gets in trouble because of what he did. I think that if Josh had not gotten into his stepfather’s briefcase in the first place, then maybe he would not have gotten himself in such a mess.
5). Josh is an intelligent, hardworking teenager who is just trying to find his way in the world. He works at his friend’s father’s hardware store and likes to be alone (pg. 8-9; 53-54). I think that the reason why Josh has only one best friend is probably because he is not exactly the kind of person who likes other people. He tends to like being alone, and so, having only one friend, he is able to still be alone. Josh’s relationship with Beth is a strong and true friendship. Nothing really separates them throughout the book until the very end, but still, even throughout all the mess that “Larry” caused, they still have a small link of friendship. If Josh had told Beth about his feelings for her, then maybe he would not have had to create the website, “The Gospel According to Larry”. Josh has liked Beth ever since sixth grade (pg. 8). Josh probably also created the website to help himself feel better after his mother died (pg. 41).
6). Betagold believes that Josh is hiding behind “Larry”, and she tries to uncover his real identity, and in the end, she does (pg. 61, 67, 68, 86, 115, 124, 131, and 132). Really, I have to disagree with her. I think that everyone has the right to keep their identity a secret whenever they are on the internet. Josh’s privacy is important to him, and so he tries to keep his identity a secret from everyone else (pg. 41-42). A lot of people like to keep their identities a secret whenever they are on the internet, and people should respect that. I think that Josh is right about the fact that some people may not want to listen to what he has to say if they found out who he really was (pg. 68). Some people will not listen to what other people have to say just because of who they really are. If everyone learned that “Larry” was actually a teenage boy, then they may not want to listen to what he has to say about commercialism and materialism.
Megan Hulings
7). I think that Josh was honest when he created that website “The Gospel According to Larry”. If Josh was not honest, then he would not have spent so much time checking his essays after Billy North came up with the new scanner system with the stencil (pg. 84-87). If Josh was just playing, then he would not have put so much effort into his sermons so that his opinions about commercialism and materialism could be heard. He would have probably just let Billy and Betagold learn who “Larry” actually was if he was just playing, but he tried to not let that happen (pg. 68 and 85). Keeping his identity a secret does not mean that he is just playing. I think that Josh actually enjoyed all the attention his website was getting (pg. 91). He was also pleased that Bono, U2’s lead singer, actually visited the website (pg. 89-91). U2 was Josh’s mother’s favorite band, and so, he was probably more than just excited when he heard that the band actually visited “Larry’s” website (pg. 90-91). Maybe if Josh had turned off the website before things got messed up, then maybe he would not have been caught in the mess at the end of the book.
ReplyDelete8). I think the media thinks of the public as one person who needs rumors and gossip to survive. The media thinks that the public only wants to hear the story beneath the story, and so that is what the public gets. Everyone seems to want to know who Josh is, not Larry (pg. 150). Josh thinks that having interviews would help him spread the word about commercialism and materialism, but instead he is disappointed when the reporters tell him that the public only wants to know about Josh, not “Larry” (pg. 149-150). I think that when the “sizzle fizzles”, “Larry” would be just Josh once again. Josh feels as though he is a product that is being sold (pg. 150). Eventually, “Larry” would disappear, and only Josh would be left. The reporter tells Josh that the public just wants sizzle, but eventually, the sizzle would go away, and the public would be after someone else (pg. 150; also stated in question 8 on pg. 2).