A Summer's Reading - Reflecion - p.49

1. I really enjoyed reading the story because I didn't wanted to stop reading him It was interesting and the message was suitable for everybody. Also, I liked the idea when the writer changed sometimes the name of Mr. Cattanzara to "change maker" it gives to the story a lot of thoughts why the writer does it. In addition, the story sounds real because we all can be in situation that we are embarrassed and ashamed to admit in something and then keep lying about it. Like George in the story, to my opinion nothing would happen if George were telling the truth.

2. These skills helped me understanding the story by knowing what the motives of the characters to their behaviors are.  In addition, the skills helped me to understand the relationships between actions or events in a text for example, the results of George's action I that he tried finally to pick up his education. One more example is when George lied, he did it because he was embarrassed to admit he didn't have a job.

3.  If I know the characterization of the character I can infer what his personality also, I can infer how he or she will behave.  For example, George's sister, Sophie is known as someone who likes to read you can infer that she's intelligent. In addition, she cares about the house and it means that she's responsible. Characterization gives us information about the character and we can infer what it tells us about the character.

A Summer's Reading - Post Reading - p.49

Dear Mr. Cattanzara,

I have wanted to write you a letter for a long time, however, I didn't know what you would say. Maybe you would be mad at me or maybe not, but I have to say that I'm sorry about lying to you. I know it was wrong, also, I learned from my mistakes. I understood my lie helped me with nothing, therefore, I stopped lying. Remember that time when you saw me reading the books in the library? since that time, I couldn't stop reading. You wouldn't believe me but I'm a reporter  in the "New York times" and I asked them to send to you a newspaper every day.

Ten years have passed since the lie which brought me thanks to you to the top. I wanted to thank you for pushing me continuously and believing in me even when I didn’t believe in myself. Also, I wanted to thank you for bringing me skills for life, for example, how to deal with
my life. I wanted to thank you for pushing me to the top. Thanks to you I have all the things I have wanted for years: a private house, a girl to be with, a job. It's all happened thanks to you.
Tell me how I can repay you.

Remember the time when you were drunk and you asked me "how are all your books coming?" well, now I can tell you with no hesitation that they are fine. I achieved my goal and had been reading books for two months. Then, I picked up my education and when I bought a new house I also bought a library with a lot of books. Too bad we haven't spoken since I left the neighborhood. I couldn't speak with you because I felt guilty because the lying

You have no idea what I found. Your name of work is "change maker" but if you really go deep into it you'll understand that you changed my life. I didn’t want people to feel pity for me and because of that I left the neighborhood and picked up my education. I can also tell you about a really good book called "A summer's reading" you have to read it.
I expect to return an answer back.

Thanks for everything!
George.

p.48 ex.F+G:

1. George dropped out from school he didn't want to study hard, he didn't like the idea that the teachers tell him what to do. In addition, he was very lazy, he didn't have patience and he had a lack of motivation.
2. George told to Mr. Cattanzara that he's going to read a hundred books because Mr. Cattanzara saw him walking alone at night in the neighborhood and he was embarrassed and ashamed to admit that he doesn't work or study in school.
3. George avoided from walking past Mr. Cattanzara's house because he knew that if he would meet him maybe he would ask about the hundred books that George hasn't read and he would find out that George lied and he won't read any books.
4. It means that Mr. Cattanzara doesn't want George will be like him. Probably George was like Mr. Cattanzara when he was young and he didn't study or work and he was lazy and now he's stuck in the poor neighborhood and he doesn't want the George will be like him, he wants that George will study or work, or even move to another city. Mr. Cattanzara wishes for him a better life and it really shows that Mr. Cattanzara cares like it's written in the story.
5. Mr. Cattanzara told this rumor because he doesn’t want that people would think George is a liar. In addition, he really cares about him and maybe he understood that the respect from the people makes him feel better and stronger therefore, he told this rumor. That people will respect him and be friendly to him.
G-
1.George and Mr. Cattanzara have some things in common but there is also a difference between them.
Both live in the same poor neighborhood. Both stay away from the house at nights, Mr. Cattanzara reads his newspapers or gets drunk and George walks alone at night in the park. Both of them do nothing with their lives. The difference is that George is younger than Mr. Cattanzara. In addition, Mr. Cattanzara has a job as a change booth and George doesn’t have a job. Moreover, Mr. Cattanzara reads while George doesn't read.
2. The short term effect is that he felt guilty with himself, therefore, he didn't go out from his room, didn't want to speak to Sophie, he had an argument with her and because he felt guilty he went to the library started reading the books to feel better and even tried to pick up his education. The long term effect of the lie is that he will always get respect from the people in the neighborhood and a nice regard.
3. I didn’t find the story is satisfying because I wanted to see what happened if the lie would be discovered and what George will do after this. In addition, I thought that George will try to read at least a few books and the story would end that I will find that George read the whole hundred books.
4. There are two meanings to the name of the story "A summer's reading". The one meaning is that someone is going to read a lot of books in the summer. However the writer wanted to use the name as absurd because George didn't really read the books and it's ironic because the name of the story is "A summer's reading but no one reads any books. 

A Summer's Reading - Bridging

    It is known from the background that there is similarity between the characters in other stories of Bernard Malamud and the story "A Summer's Reading". In addition, there is also similarity between George and Bernard Malamud. In the story, George is described as someone who tries to achieve a lot of goals and change his life for the better and make them more significant for himself. Bernard's goal was to attain the American middle class dream ,probably he was poor, like George and George's goals connect to Bernard's dream, to strive for a better life: to pick up his education, to have enough money, to have a girlfriend and to have a nice house.

      Also, it is known from the background that Bernard is someone who often writes about immigrants, like George in the story. George always walked at night to the park and wandered in the neighborhood. The loneliness shows how isolated George was, just like Malamud's other characters. There is a connection to the text because George didn't have any friends, he dropped out of school and the only friend he had was Mr. Cattanzara. Moreover, Bernard wrote about awkward and isolated people, like George who was alone, and isolated from society.

The information about Bernard told me more about the characters and changed my understanding because I understood that the writer writes about the characters who are poor and hope for a better life. Like himself and it means that the awkward and poor characters in his stories reflect his personality and show his personality.