Sunday, 10 June 2012

Independent Reading: Marley and Me. Entry 2





Summary (Chapter 11- 20 [P.93- 206])

            Jenny gives birth to the couple’s first son, Patrick, whom Marley treats with the grace of a gentle giant. With Patrick, the couple discovers the simple joys of parenthood and decide on having another child. Continually, Marley grows to be a more dependable entity that provides the family with a much needed security while they are raising their toddlers. After the birth of their second son, Conor, and much adventure, the family moves to Boca Raton, a wealthy portion of southern Florida. There, with brimming confidence far from their newlywed days, and with a desire for a girl after having two boys, Jenny gives birth to Colleen, the third child to the now full family.

Analytical Paragraph

            Marley himself is a very central character in the story that reflects the feelings of the author in the situations of the novel. Marley’s name actually comes from Bob Marley, whose music and influence indirectly brought John and Jenny together in South Florida. It is well noted that while Marley has an incurably rascally side, his intentions are pure of heart and in his love of life. Even with his ever happy-go-lucky attitude, Marley proves to be infallibly loyal to the couple and the growing family. During a neighbourhood stabbing emergency, Marley rigidly protects the victim and John while the police arrive to the scene. John was so moved, it brought a tear to his eye, and he comments “Man’s best friend? Damn straight he was.”

Personal Response

            While reading through Marley and Me, I’ve found some of the chapters to be quite episodic. An anecdote or a story of Marley’s dog days is put into a full chapter, and then the next chapter starts at a separate period of time. This, I later found out, reflects how the author recounted and expressed his memoirs of the years he spent with Marley. Some portions that had their own chapter, such as the comforting of the miscarriage, were effective in portraying the emotions that he felt at those times. And I concur.

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