Exploration 5 Mackenzie

1) The nurse meant the most to me so far.  I found her very interesting and intriguing with her desire to get Ishmael to open up.  She really wanted Ishmael to trust her and that I think was something Ishmael needed in his life.  He needed someone to show they cared and be there for him.  She wanted Ishmael to trust her so bad that she went to the extent to get a Walkman and a tape for him in listen to, in the hope that he would gain trust for her.

2) Ishmael's rehabilitation to me is a very good thing, but it seems to be very challenging. Ishmael refuses to let go of the war and that is what is creating a problem. I do however think that it is possible for Ishmael to complete his rehabilitation. It is just going to take longer than anticipated; he still had his stubborn mind and protective instincts, along with his desire to kill the rebels. I definitely would not want Ishmael to move into my neighborhood in the state he is in. Ishmael seems very violent and unable to control himself and some points, therefore him moving into my neighborhood would seem so very unsafe. He has lost his ability to handle his emotions and that is not stable enough for living in a neighborhood with other children and people he may harm.

3) The convention that I think Ishmael uses particularly well is sense details.  He really knows how to bring the setting to life.  One of my favorite examples was based off of a dream he was having on page 149.  "I would dream that a faceless gunman had tied me up and begun to slit my throat with the zigzag edge of the bayonet. I would feel the pain that the knife inflicted as man sawed my neck.  I'd wake up sweating and throwing punches in the air".  It is the way he describes his dream and what is happening to him that really gets me interested in what he is saying.

4) "She threw a package at me. I held it in my hand, wondering what it was and why she had gotten it for me.  She was looking at me, waiting for me to open it.  When I unwrapped it, I jumped up and hugged her, but immediately held back my happiness".  This passage on page 154 really stuck out to me because Ishmael was truly happy for a minute, although he was trying to hold it back.  Esther got him something that he never thought he would see again, he was able to do and listen to something that he was truly passionate about and that is what made it so great.  Esther showed Ishmael that he could trust her and how much she really cared about Ishmael.