Blog Entry #6: The Review.

Opium is a drug controlled country between Mexico and the United States. It is filled with hundreds of Opium fields and is ruled over by the dictator, El Patron. Opium is no normal country though, here in Opium clones are at the same social level as animals. They are only a piece of the original person and are to be eliminated from society after they serve their purpose. Matt is the clone of the notorious El Patron. El Patron treats him with the utmost respect and luxury but throughout the book we see Matt’s true story unfold. How Matt’s life isn’t filled with luxuries and respect, but more torture and distraught. As he slowly learns the truth, he sees the only solution of his troubles is to get away. 

House of the Scorpion follows the trouble of a young boy named, Matt. Matt lives in a small shack trapped out in the poppy fields. Without a father or mother figure, Matt is taken care of by a woman named Celia. She tends to all of Matt’s needs but warns him to never leave the Poppy Fields or else. As she goes to work during the day, Matt hears voices around him. Due to his curiosity, Matt decides to jump outs of the window of the shack only to be greeted by two girls and a single boy. His injuries require assistance so the children carry him to the Alacran Estate, where he is immediately thrown out onto the grass and left to die. Matt is no human, he is a clone. This was his first experience with the outside world.

House of the Scorpion was definitely a great read. The book had three main themes: perseverance, don’t let others define you, and set the bar high. Since Matt was a clone, everyone had extremely low expectations of him. He was suppose to be brain dead and unable to communicate properly to everyone but Maria shows him otherwise. Maria was a extremely well developed character who shows Matt the positive side of the world. She showed him that some people do care about him, and want to see him succeed. Now, because of Maria’s presence Matt was constantly trying, and trying to prove everyone wrong. That he was not some brain dead clone, rather an actual human being. Since, everyone thought so low of him Matt would always set his goals extremely high. For example, he studied music and wanted to be better than his teacher, Mr. Ortega. In the end, he actually managed this feat. He studied literature and wanted to be smarter than everyone else, he was quite successful. Overall, Matt showed that if you try to succeed and ignore your disadvantages or what others says, you will succeed.  

There were some clear downfalls of the story, the plot. What Farmer was trying to do with the plot was very creative and innovative, but the way she portrayed it did not come out properly. The story built up to such a climax, but suddenly just dropped. This ending was so abrupt that it left you questioning yourself whether or not it had just ended. For such a high build up, the ending was not fit. A lot of the time it felt as though Farmer was trying to actually drag the book on. It would become extremely slow, then fast, and then back to slow. The overall tempo of the book was very inconsistent. Such as, during the Plankton Lab it felt extremely slow. Then suddenly they were in a Mexican Village which was extremely quick. Then Matt is back in Opium just like that, and then the book is over. Once thing that I really appreciated was the twists Farmer put it. At some points you felt as though you could predict what was going to happen, but suddenly Farmer would surprise you. Such as, Celia’s tricks. You believed that Matt was actually going to die, and that he would become the spare parts for El Patron. Instead, Celia decided to make sure otherwise and that Matt would not just be some else’s spare parts. Another thing I really enjoyed was how each detail that Farmer put in were extremely crucial. Every decision that Tam Lin made from start to finish were important into developing Matt as a stronger human being. Tam Lin actually gave Matt the book, “History of the Opium” to show the real truth of El Patron. From there, Matt would learn about Esperanza and who she really was. Each detail all linked together to finally lead to the ending, which was too abrupt.

The book did actually apply to the Grade Nine curriculum because it showed a side of illegal immigration which is unheard of, from the immigrants. We heard from Celia why she actually illegally immigrated. Usually, people are quick to judge upon the idea of illegal immigration but readers could actually understand what Celia was going through and that she was in the end a protector of Matt. Farmer also brought up an interesting idea of clones, are they people? If we were to make clones today, in the real world, are they to be considered people? Or are they just spare parts like in Opium? Or could they be used for things like Eejits? The possibility of something like Eejits happening now is quite probable. Soon, we will have created the technology to implant chips into people’s brains to control each action, word, and movement that they make. Eejits could actually improve manufacturing speeds by a lot and overall boost the economy, but is it humane to do such a thing? The most important issue that Farmer brought in the book House of the Scorpion was, drugs. The possibility of drugs controlling a country is very high and that is what the government today is trying to stop, but what if the government where the people controlling the drugs? Society would be extremely corrupt. We already have an issue of drug wars on a smaller scale but if the whole country was manufacturing and distributing drugs it would be complete chaos because the people would start using the drugs. It would actually disrupt families and create a massive anarchy across the country because everyone would be too high out of their minds. This is a scary fact which, could turn into reality if we do not stop drugs.

House of the Scorpion was definitely a great read, but I don’t think I would have read it if I was given the choice. I quite enjoyed how the smallest things all accounted for making the plot stronger, and Matt stronger. It really added to the overall product. Although, not everything was perfect such as the tempo of the story. It was too inconsistent and made it difficult to read at times. Not only that, but the ending was also extremely abrupt and was not suited if Farmer were to create a second story. Such as, if Tom had actually survived instead it would be a war of who would be the leader of Opium. I rate the book a 4 out of 5 stars for its tempo and inability to finish properly.

#6: The 11th Review of Grade 9.

In our near future, a boy named Matt lives. A boy who was born through the womb of a cow, whose mother doesn’t exist and whose father is himself. He is a clone. During this time, clones are despised and treated like animals. They are altered to be brain dead and not react to the things around them. The reason for their existence is to be the extra organs for the ones who are rich enough to form a complete replica of themselves. However, young Matt is an unaltered clone owned by the almighty drug lord, ruler of the country Opium; El Patron. Being the clone of the supreme leader, Matt faces different levels of treatment. He either intimidates the people around him with the inevitable power he possesses, or is treated like just another filthy clone. As Matt continues to grow, his curiosity for the real reasoning behind his existence starts to lead him into answers that no clone or boy would ever want to find. Matt soon faces the inescapable consequence of being a El Patron’s clone and becomes reconciled with the real truth behind his surroundings.

House of the Scorpions by Nancy Farmer was an original and inventive book which contained an extremely unique science fiction storyline that definitely had it’s ups and downs, but was overall a fabulous read. I was very impressed by Farmer’s imagination to come up with many unconventional predictions on our world’s future. Things like the History Of Opium, the idea of eejits, and the Five Principles of Good Citizenship and the Four Attitudes Leading to Right Mindfulness were only a few of the creative concepts that Farmer was able to incorporate into her book. All characters were very well developed with just the perfect information about each individual, t setting constantly changed, which was effective to how the story was written and incredible foreshadowing was seen in almost every chapter.
There was, however, there was one major flaw that really affected the quality of the book; the plot. Although the novel starts off compelling and intriguing, there was a certain point in the novel where Farmer was unable to continue to capture the reader’s attention. I felt Farmer was unable to decipher what was important and what wasn’t. There were many parts in the novel that were pointlessly dragged on, which left the readers weary. Yet, there were also many parts of the story where things happened way too quickly and were rushed into the next component of the story. In addition, the book had an anticlimactic ending. I was so hyped up to reveal the last few pages, but when I did, I wasn’t impressed. Farmer started the ending with a series of riveting and captivating events, yet she ended off with such a unsatisfying conclusion.

Overall, House of the Scorpions by Nancy Farmer is definitely a great and interesting read. Although the book had its’ flaws, there were also countless aspects which blew me away. I would surely recommend this book to as many people as I could.

Blog Post #6 - Review of HofS

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

In the world of Opium, a strip of land between America and Mexico, clones are not people. They are nothing more than animals; only replicas of the original person and disposable after serving their purpose. Matt happens to be a clone of the notorious El Patron. This means he is able to enjoy a comfortable oblivion while at the same time, is treated with contempt and torture. Matt continuously yearns to be acknowledged by those around him and later on, for freedom. As he matures and becomes more aware of his surroundings, Matt gradually learns the truth. The only option now is escape.

House of the Scorpion was a completely thought provoking, original, and utterly unique story. It would have placed quite high on any list of greatest young adult books had there not been the deadliest of all faults to have in a novel; an anti-climatic ending. The pace of the novel was very, very slow, causing me to lose interest quickly. It wasn’t until the first half of the story was finished before things began to pick up. Farmer kept building every event and each small detail, raising so much excitement and expectancy for the resolution only to leave readers with an abrupt conclusion. In other words, it was a terrible let down and disappointment.

This aside, there were many things that made the novel a wonderful read. Farmer was able to take many topics, such as immigration and clones, and compress them all into one novel. The exploration of each topic and all of its angles was just enough that readers were able to understand Farmer’s standpoint about what would happen in the future in relation to those topics. This was a great strength within the book as it gave more options for readers to connect to. Although House of the Scorpion contained many characters, making confusion for readers very likely, I felt like each character’s role was crucial and enhanced the story. One specific character that I thought was exceptional was Tom. He was the perfect foil, complementing Matt’s character very well. His death should not have occurred; Tom’s existence in the sequel would have made that novel even more interesting.

All in all, House of the Scorpion was an extraordinary novel but left me unsatisfied. It is not something that I would have decided to read had it not been a school assignment. Nonetheless, Farmer blew me away with all the strengths that the novel did contain. I can not wait for the sequel as my curiosity towards how Matt reigns over Opium outdoes the disappointment with Farmer’s ending. Because House of the Scorpion contained themes such as perseverance and exceeding expectations while also covering interesting topics, I would recommend this novel to those 14 years and older.

Round Table Discussion #4 - Over Review of Novel

This is our fourth round table discussion. In this round table we discussed our overall thoughts of the novel.

Blog Entry #5: Expectations, Outcasts and Problems

The future: a time period which is filled with speculation and assumptions. One thing that can be clear between Gattaca and House of the Scorpion is that they are about identity. Your identity is what makes up you as a person. In the film Gattaca, Vincent is performing something called identity theft. This is where you pose to be someone who is not you, and essentially stealing their identity. Through the whole movie we see Vincent trying to cover up all the tracks that lead to his original identity. But Matt and Vincent have three main characteristics in common? They are both outcasts, have expectations, and hide problems.

Matt and Vincent are both outcasts in their society. In Matt’s social circumstance, everyone is natural. No one is modified and if you are, you considered to be at the same level of an animal. Clones are considered disgusting. Matt is constantly isolated and is never treated as if he is a normal person until of course the event of Esperenza. Espenrenza, using law, shows Matt that he is a human being. That his life is worth something and in present day times clones are not to be mistreated. So upon the death of El Patron, Matt takes over Opium. On the other hand, in Vincent’s social circumstance naturals are considered to be faltered. Children who are conceived naturally have too many issues and in this society you must be perfect. Vincent is a natural baby and has a high change of heart failure. The thing that shows Vincent that he isn’t useless are the swimming events against his brother. Vincent and his brother always challenge each other to swimming events but Vincent always loses because he is a natural. Until one day, he finally beats his brother and Vincent proves that naturals can do something. In the end, Matt wanted to hide his issues because he was modified. Vincent wanted to hide his issues because he wasn’t modified. They were both outcasts in their society but both have exceedingly high expectations for themselves.

Since they were both outcasts, Vincent and Matt both felt the need to prove themselves. They felt the need to show everyone that they aren’t irrelevant. Since Matt was a clone, people had extremely low expectations of him but Matt was determined. He was determined to show that he wasn’t just a clone. That he was a human being. That he was smart, he had emotions, and he understood what was around him. Not just some brain dead spare parts that El Patron can manipulate at any will. So he studied music, art, literature all to prove that he was more than what everyone thought he was. Vincent on the other hand had extremely high expectations. He had to be absolutely perfect because his stolen identity was a modified child. Though Vincent had many roadblocks because he was a  natural baby. Every morning he had to scrub every imperfection off his body, fake urine tests, clean his keyboard constantly and place fake hair samples everywhere. He tried so hard to be something that he was not only to meet the expectations that were set for him.


Overall, I found one general theme throughout both the movie and the story which was perseverance. Matt and Vincent endured the struggles of being social outcasts, having expectations and problems but they always stuck to their end goals, to prove everyone wrong. Two characters placed in different social circumstances, but having the same amount of determination.

Blog Post #5 - Perseverance and Success

Genetic modification and a futuristic setting are aspects that are featured in the plots of both the House of the Scorpion and Gattaca. However, the biggest trait that Matt and Vincent, characters of each piece respectively, share is perseverance and the quest for success.

For the duration of the first half of the House of the Scorpion, we see Matt always being mistreated and looked down upon because he is a clone. Matt was created specifically for the purpose of providing healthy organs to El Patron. As such, both the servants and people of higher positions all look at Matt with contempt and see him as nothing more than an animal. Matt goes through many situations including ones where he is framed for a crime he did not commit and others where he is constantly ridiculed and called names. Vincent from Gattaca on the other hand was born a natural baby, a love child. This is highly unacceptable; Gattaca is a society in which babies are created in a petri dish. Their characteristics and traits are chosen by the parents in such a way that the chances of a baby developing a disease or sickness become very low or nearly impossible. In other words, babies must be perfect. Only the best will be able to get anywhere in life. Since Vincent is a natural baby, his chances of accomplishing anything are very low. He is always isolated and kept under careful watch.

Although each character is faced with his own fair share of scorn, it does not stop either of them from dreaming and developing goals. Vincent wants to become an astronaut and make it to space while Matt wants to help run Opium. The two boys’ determination to exceed expectations and yearn for success are the forces that drive them to be willing to take risks. Vincent’s single-mindedness on becoming an astronaut is so great that he evens impersonates and takes the identity of another person, one who happened to be a modified baby and has the best traits. Matt is so intent on his goal that he tries to learn every subject and everything about the way Opium is run. Not only that, but he excels in each area that he learns. Undertaking piano lessons is no easy task, yet Matt is able to learn the piano and plays so well that he even causes the teacher to close his eyes in pure bliss when listening to Matt play.

Of course, there are many hardships along the way that each character goes through. At Vincent’s workplace, a mission director is killed causing the police to swarm the entire building. There are many incidents where Vincent’s secret is almost discovered. In Matt’s case, he is continuously treated terribly by various characters throughout the entire novel. Not only that, he must escape Opium and later on has to withstand the conditions of the plankton factory and the punishments doled out to him.

However, these are only small obstacles in each character’s way. With perseverance, courage, and large amounts of endurance, Matt and Vincent are able to pull through and accomplish their goals, clinching success. Both become the person they are supposed to be when that person dies. Matt and Vincent are both very strong characters. If they were to exist in real life, they would inarguably be very admirable and outstanding people.

#5: Two complete opposites, yet both so similar.

Matt is a clone who was made within a petri dish. He was formed to be genetically engineered as a specific person. Vincent on the other hand, is a naturally conceived baby who was born to be his own unique person. Yet, the two characters are almost identical.
The stories Gattaca and House Of The Scorpion have two plots that can be easily compared. Both take place in the near future and both are predictions of what the world’s future may end up as. Matt still lives in a world where naturally conceived babies overpopulate. In fact, he lives in a world where naturally conceived babies are the only kind of human. Anything genetically engineered; such as clones, are considered as animals and things that are only used as extra organs. Vincent lives in the opposite world. His life’s future consists of only genetically engineered, perfect babies. People who are made to be flawless and in no risk of dying young. Natural babies are simply mistakes who really can’t do much for this world. Two complete opposites, yet both so similar.
Matt and Vincent are born different amongst the majority of the beings they live with. They are outcasts. Matt is a clone, which inevitably means he is an animal. A scumbag who is an extra body if anything goes wrong with the first one. He is not only treated with disrespect, but he is also underestimated; just like Vincent. Vincent is a “love child”. With that known fact, he is sold short in every scenario. Because he was naturally conceived, Vincent is prone to health issues. These issues decrease the chance of being able to find a meaningful occupation and entering Gattaca. With a little chance of finding a reasonable occupation, Vincent is often not taken seriously and miscalculated.
Vincent dreams big and desires a visit to space; however, only genetically engineered humans can do so. Just like Vincent, Matt also has big goals to achieve. He constantly wants to learn and study for him to be able to run Opium when El Patron no longer can. The two crave for extremes even though they know that it’s almost impossible for them to do so due to their uniqueness. Nonetheless, the two have the strength, courage and perseverance to reach their anticipated goals.
Matt is continuously being attacked by name calling, horrid, disrespectful treatment and secretive actions; still, Matt was able to learn music and remain studying. He is then hunted to be killed; yet, he still have the integrity to escape the Alacran house into the unknown world. Integrity is also something Vincent contains. Although Vincent’s health issues reduce the strength he maintains, he still has the drive and determination to train daily. Furthermore, Vincent finally challenges his perfect brother to a swimming competition and is successful. He remains confident and doesn’t give up even though he is expected to.
In spite of the fact the two are both undervalued, the characters are able to prove their points. Matt is able to prove to everyone be can survive through thick and thin, even without the guidance of El Patron. Vincent is able to prove to his brother that he can, not only be sent out to space, but also beat him in a swimming competition and save him fro drowning.
Two completely different characters, yet so identical.

#4: The Positives.

After finishing this book, I have a few opinions; specifically the good. I'll try my best not to spoil anything we haven't covered in class yet; however, I apologize before hand if I do.
The House of The Scorpions is a stellar book with many components that I love. Farmer does a fantastic job of developing the characters. Many authors blatantly state a character's attribute; however, Farmer has a way of slowly revealing different aspects in several unique ways. For example, El Patron is first introduced as a man who Matt thinks is wise and has power. Yet, as we read further into the story, we find out through a book; History of Opium, that El Patron is in a fact an evil, inhumane being who many people despise. 
Farmer also provides the reader with brilliant pieces of foreshadowing. She gives the most detailed hints to the readers that looks so little, but says so much. 
"Don't' fix that one," said Lisa, hastily catching him arm. "It's a Matteo Alacran. They're always left intact." Farmer (3). Meaning that there was more than one Matt produced.
"A Cat with Nine Lives." (92).
Something else I enjoyed about this book were the different types of genres Farmer was able to incorporate. The book consisted of sci-fi, action, mystery and suspense. By writing in so many types of genres, the reader is constantly intrigued to what might happen next in the story. Moreover, the more genres a book has, the larger variety of audience it receives. An example within the story of ever-changing genres is being revealed the main purpose of the creation of Matt. The reader consistently has to ask themselves why Matt was made; thus, adding a mysterious component. In addition, as Matt and Maria tried to escape from El Patron, the two characters go through many obstacles that builds up suspense and uncertainty.
Farmer also decided to write this novel in many different settings. The country Opium consisting of the little house in the poppy field, the Alacran mansion, the eejit farms; and the country Aztlan consisting of border camps, the algae farm and San Luis. With all these different settings continually altering, readers are engaged to the full potential and can always find out how Matt can survive each location. 
To end off this post, I'd like to speak about the most impressive component Farmer was able to encompass; unique and brilliant concepts. This book contained extremely original ideas that no person beside Farmer would have ever thought of. Eejits, the Five Principles of Good Citizenship and the Four Attitudes Leading to Right-Mindfulness, Border Guards, the History of Opium, Dragon Hoarding and many many more. With all these extraordinary concepts, I was completely intrigued and super impressed by this book.

Blog Post #4 - Frozen in Time and Possibilities.

House of the Scorpion takes place in a country called Opium, with Mexico and America at its borders. Farmer portrays the story as a country controlled by drug lords. Opium is harvested manually in the massive opium fields by eejits, or humans with computer chips installed into the brains. Little did the people know,  El Patron has been keeping the country of Opium 100 years behind. It became obvious why El Patron (or Farmer) had created the idea of eejits. It was because of the workload. It would impossible for people to work for that many hours a day in an opium field without using an machinery. So instead of introducing the people to machinery and technology, El Patron created eejits.

But why would El Patron freeze the country in time? Well, to make himself feel younger. El Patron had a horrible childhood. He told Matt countless times how his sisters died before they could even see over the windowsill (223). El Patron believed he had to live out the lives his brothers and sisters never got to live, so he cheats death. By using  organ “donations” from clones he is able to continue to live. In the end, El Patron never loved Matt. He grew him just as he did with all his clones, happy. He wanted Matt to have a childhood he never had, and then he would harvest his organs for himself. Something that everyone that read the book missed was an apparent clue right under our noses. “Don’t fix that one,” said Lisa, hastily catching his arm. It’s Matteo Alacran. They’re always left intact,” (4). They’re always left intact. “They’re” as in, there are more than one. Nobody realized but that is why Chapter 10 was titled, A Cat with Nine Lives. Matt was the ninth clone, El Patron’s ninth life. To continue, El Patron froze the country so that he would feel younger. He was 148 and he did not need any reminders of how old he was. Since he controlled the country of Opium, he was able to make sure there was no real progress or developments. No one discovered anything or ever left the country except to go to school or business. At the beginning of the book, my thoughts were that the way that Farmer chose to show the future in Opium was so different from what  the “stereotypical future.” Where there are hovercrafts, advanced weaponry and pollution. It turns out, it really was a stereotypical future. The world did have hovercrafts, advanced weaponry and crazy pollution. It is just that Farmer had made the setting so drastically different as you continue on into the novel.  

On the subject of the future, is there really going to be clones and hovercrafts? Well, lets think about it practically. The idea of having a clone, or just clones in general, is possible. As we see with Dolly. Dolly was a sheep who is the first mammal to be cloned from an adult somatic cell. So clones are possible, but can you imagine the things we could do with clones? The movie the Island actually is just like House of the Scorpion. On the island, clones are raised and created organically. They are extremely healthy and fit individuals. They are awarded the prize of being selected and taken to the Island, but once you go to the Island you never come back. The truth about the Island is that it is actually the real world. The people being raised in these facilities do not know they are actually clones of people at the Island (or the real world). People, are able to buy clones in order to receive new kidneys, heart transplants, etc. It is just like how House of the Scorpion works because these clones that are being created are just like the originals. Imagine if in the real world today, we had the same thing. Were you could buy a clone in order to receive an organ donation. This would completely eliminate the need for organ donors! But then there is the cost. The cost of creating a new living being, and then destroying it. Not only would it be extremely costly money wise, but also emotionally. Humans have a conscience. A conscience that will be filled with guilt knowing that they brought someone into the world, only to be destroyed for their own personal gain. It is almost like abortions, but older. Next, we have hovercrafts. At the rate that we are going I do not see hovercrafts in the future. Creating hovercrafts are not on one of our top priorities list. The top priority for vehicles is how to make them more efficient because of our depleting resources rather than flying in the air.

In summary, the future is unpredictable. In the 90s, we thought the world would end in 2000. Now, in 2012 some believe the world will in end in December 21st. We cannot tell what the future holds, so we must focus on the problems in the present. Rising wait lines for organs and increasing pollution are real issues, not Hovercrafts.

- Ashish

Blog Post #4 - Future

The House of the Scorpions is a novel with constantly changing settings. By piecing together bits and parts however, we are able to tell that the novel is set in the future. Farmer does not just settle there; she takes this futuristic setting even further and elaborates on things that she predicts will exist years from now.

One of the main focuses are clones. This is a topic that garners many different opinions. Are clones humans? Do they have feelings? What else can they do for us besides give us organs? In the world that Farmer has created in her novel, approximately a century from now, clones do exist and are accepted. Keep in mind, they are tolerated only because they are able to provide new organs. Otherwise, they are scorned upon and given no respect. Farmer explores what happens when one clone, Matt, who is an intelligent young boy with curiosities and different perspective that cause him to get into many interesting situations. What would happen if in a few decades when clones exist, one clone rebels and differs from the rest?

Farmer also predicts that Nigeria is going to be very successful. “Benito, Steven’s older brother, had married the daughter of the Nigerian president because Nigeria was one of the richest countries in the world.” Farmer (204). Whether or not she has a logical reason for this, there is no way to know. Currently, Nigeria has a very inefficient economy and is only at 116 on the world rank. To say that Nigeria will be one of the richest countries is arguably, an overstatement. Of course, this is in the future and anything is possible.

Another idea is illegal immigration. This is an issue that currently exists and seems to continue the future. One character that directly experienced this is Celia. However, in The House of the Scorpion, Farmer has found a method to control illegal immigrants; the Farm Patrol. Just like in the present, illegal immigrants, or Illegals as they are called in the novel, risk their lives and spend money to try and cross the border from Mexico to America, and vice versa. It seems like illegal immigration is an issue that will not be resolved anytime soon and continue to rage on for many decades. I have further expanded on this in my third blog post.

Besides those three topics, Farmer also briefly delves into the topic of higher technology, such as more advanced weapons (107) and hovercrafts (218). All of the ideas that Farmer has explored in her novel are very realistic and could potentially exist in our future. Not only that, but there was just enough expansion on each topic to give readers a sufficient understanding. Farmer has done a great job of blending them all together into one unique novel that keeps readers interested.

Sources:
http://www.heritage.org/index/country/nigeria

Blog Entry #3 - Illegal Immigration and Celia's Story.

http://www.hellopolitics.com/?p=672

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/feb/25/nation/la-na-arizona-immigration-20120225

Immigration is definitely not easy. You have to file a lot of paper work in order to finally reach the, “free world.” Would it be easier just to sneak your way in? Every year, hundreds of people illegally immigrant into countries because of the difficulty they have trying to get into the country they desire. The country with the most of this problem? The United States of America. Out of the people living in the United States it is said 3 million of the 11 million are illegal immigrants.

In the book, House of the Scorpion, Celia informs Matt on her share of illegally immigrating. She explains how while working in a factory, as a cook, she meets a “coyote.” Which in other words means someone who assists people into getting into the United States illegally. Celia decides it is time for her to leave her home and go to the land of opportunity, or America. Though in her story, the “coyote” decides to abandon her group of immigrants leaving them stranded. The group of immigrants manage to find their way down the mountain but are caught by the “farm patrol” (or people who are under the control of El Patron) (141 - 143). Of course, Matt doesn’t completely understand the true meaning of this story but Farmer had made a real life problem into a book. The show Breaking Bad consists of drug lords and addicts. Breaking Bad and Celia’s story are very similar in my eyes. In the show, the Cartel or a group of Mexican drug lords, control a massive portion of the illegal immigrants. Using their power, they are able to manipulate the system and helps these people get through, just as El Patron did with Celia. El Patron (who is also a drug lord) could have easily jailed or killed Celia but instead went on to helping her just as the Cartel does with their estranged immigrants. Both these pieces of fiction show a real life fact that is happening today in our lives.

So what are they going to do to stop this illegal immigration? Well, the sad thing is illegal immigration really isn’t on America’s top priorities list. They have their economic, and political problems right now to deal with first. Arizona is really the first state to take any sort of action, but I see this as a negative. Arizona created their own Immigration Laws which makes all the responsibility placed on asking the citizen entering the country some questions. Are you kidding me? As my first article stated, what Arizona hasn’t  considered are the serious flaws within this piece of legislation. Did they think about the well-being of the officers? Did not even think about what kind of people are trying to illegally immigrate? Sure, sometimes it is people searching for a better like just as Celia was but it is also drug affiliates who are armed. What about the amount of responsibility they placing upon a police officer? Clearly they haven’t thought any of that through.  

But then we have to ask our self the question, what’s bad about illegal immigration? I mean, of course it is illegal and in our minds we are programmed to immediately believe anything illegal is bad just as the people of the Alacran Estate were programmed to hate clones but they work hard. They come America to start a new life (sometimes)  and a lot of the time they make up the low income bracket, so they are working. They are definitely not getting by easily because of the immense social gap which is found in American. The problem in illegal immigration is that they do not pay taxes. Since they are not registered as citizens, there will be no IRS knocking on their doors. No taxes means less money going to the government which just adds up to America’s shocking debt.

Then I gave illegal immigration some thought. In our immigration unit, we studied the four immigration categories: economic immigrations, family class, refugees and other. Could these people not make up the other? What about if ONE of them were to actually immigrate legally into a country and sponsor the rest of the family to come with them? I mean, Family class legislation is all  about reuniting families as it is. Of course, I am speaking from the Canadian stand point here and I know America is not welcoming with open arms and gift baskets  as we are to immigrants.

It is clear that illegal immigration is an issue that needs to be tackled and focused on today in the real world. Now, there are a few ways to stop illegal immigration such as:  strengthening our borders, increasing the punishment of overstaying visa, recognizing the seriousness of the issue, etc. But of course, there will always be a loop hole.

#3: Immigration.

http://m.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-moves-to-curb-marriages-of-convenience/article2215245/?service=mobile
Farmer wrote The House Of Scorpions as a fictional novel, Nonetheless, Celia’s story about meeting a coyote and the farm patrol, I believe, was written as a reflection of real life issues, which means that this tale was clearly a symbol for illegal immigration. The ‘coyote’ Farmer writes about is actually not fictional, there are many people in the real world who do this for a living; same with ‘farm patrols’. ‘Farm patrols’ themselves don’t exist, however, they are a representation of border guards.
Celia risks her life to attempt to escape. She blindly trusts a man she just met to assist her in doing a crime; illegally crossing borders, and abandons her normal routine in search for a something new. One may ask, why would Celia, or anyone, go through all this trouble of just finding a new country to live in? Why not go through the legal process of applications and sponsorships. As I have learnt through the grade 9 immigration unit, I know that it’s a much harder process than many may think. Countries tend to allow people in who are either family sponsored, refugees in need to find new homes or individuals who are extremely educated. It’s not everyday that a country will allow an applicant who is a cook and isn’t living in a country where war is hurting their daily lives into their already populated nation. However. The circumstances Celia was in; working at a factory all day doing brutal labour, not having the freedom to even walk outside and being deprived from parties, family and interests, was not something any person could survive in without going insane. With that said, there are valid reasons to be performing an illegal immigration process.
In recent news reports, there have been an increasing number of fraud marriage cases. Fraud marriage is when two individuals fake a marriage so that the one can sponsor the other as a family sponsor, eliminating the long and strenuous immigration process of applications. This kind of illegal immigration has tremendous consequences, yet, people still risk their lives to perform this act. Why? Again, if you aren’t an economic immigrant nor a refugee but just want the safety of a stable country, there is practically no way of coming into a country without having to wait for decades.
The article I found on fraud marriages states that Ottawa, Canada has newly proposed regulations on spouse sponsorships in Canada in an attempt to lessen the chance for fraud marriages. It states that the government will bring in a 5-year ban on sponsoring spouses if you have already previously sponsored. In addition, it positions that newly immigrated spouses are required to live under the same roof for a long period of time; a time that has not yet been announced. What the government doesn’t realize is that half of non-fraudulent marriages fail and if we force these two people to continue to live with one another while they are in a conflict, it can result to things like domestic abuse. We cannot force and expect two in conflict individuals to live with one another, that’s is just brutal. Nevertheless, these regulations are still being considered.
Fraud marriages seem to be quite an horrific act with should result in consequences, however, I do understand why people would go through this process to immigrate. Although you may be risking your life, you could also be saving it. There are many people in this world who want to find a new home, but aren’t qualified. They aren’t in life-threatening danger nor are they aren’t fully educated. However, they still want the safety and security that every person desires, which results in actions like fraud marriage. Therefore, I can fully understand as to why someone would go through this dangerous process of illegal immigration. After all, sometimes you have to risk everything to protect yourselves.

- Nicole Kho.

Blog Entry #3 - Celia's Story + Illegal Immigration

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/illegal-immigrants-with-long-expired-visas-remain-tough-to-track-10-years-after-911-attacks/2012/03/06/gIQAkUQ7tR_story.html

Celia’s personal story that she tells to Matt is about her attempt at escaping. She had been working as a cook in a factory when she met a ‘coyote’, a man that helped people to cross the border into what is now known as the United States. However, the coyote left Celia’s group. When the group was finally able to find their way and make it down to the bottom of the mountain, the ‘farm patrol’ were waiting to capture them (141-143). What Farmer expressed through Celia’s story was actually illegal immigration.

Illegal immigration is a problem that many countries are faced with, however, it seems that the United States’ illegal immigration problem is the biggest of all. According the article that I found, it seems that one of the ways that people immigrate illegally in America is overstaying their visa. When a person wants to enter a country, they usually need to apply for a visa from the government of the country in which they are entering. This visa allows them to stay in the country for a certain amount of time. Once the time is up, the immigrant must go back to their country. This is the theoretical and ideal method. Some people may stay even after their visa has expired.

However, why are illegal immigrants illegal? They do work, earn money, and spend the money after all. That boosts the economy and keeps it going. If it’s in America, they will have to pay for their own health care too. The issue here is that these illegal immigrants do not pay taxes. Taxes are what fund social programs and other programs that benefit the citizens. It is not fair to allow someone to stay when they are not going to pay the taxes. Would a hotel let you stay for the night without paying the nightly rate?

Like anything, there are always two sides and of course, both sides must be looked at. Why would someone risk their life to cross into another country when there was such a large chance at being found out and deported? As we studied in the Immigration unit, there is a large variety of reasons as to why someone would want to leave their countries. The most common reason is most likely wanting a better life than what the immigrant had had. This is the case for Celia. Working in a factory all day and not being allowed a social life or any other small joys was too much for her; the only solution was to seek out a coyote.

Once the illegal immigrant has successfully made it across the border, they may experience a small joy. But this quickly disappears when the immigrant realizes that he must continue the rest of his life on thin ice. He must constantly watch his back, his actions. One small mistake could alert authorities, resulting in deportation.

So is it really worth it?

Round Table Discussion #3 - Character Playlist

This is our third round table discussion. In this we brainstormed ideas for the Create - A - Playlist challenge that we were assigned to this week. 

Blog Entry #2 - Setting

“Eduardo moved his dishes, one after the other, under the lens of the microscope. The cells were perfect - or so it seemed. Each was furnished with all it needed to grow. So much knowledge was hidden in that tiny world!” - (Farmer 2).

This is the first segment in the book, it identifies that the novel is about clones. Since it is about clones it is evident that it takes place in the future and not in present time.

“He’d looked out the window where fields of white poppies stretched all the way to the shadowy hills. The whiteness hurt his eyes, and so he turned from them with relief to the cool darkness inside.” - (6).

The first real setting in the book that Farmer introduces is the little shack in the poppy fields. This is where, as the story explains, Matt and Celia live. We know that Matt is a clone because at the beginning of the book it says, “Don’t fix that one, said Lisa, hastily catching his arm. It’s Matteo Alacran. They’re always left intact.” (4). Since he is a clone we can infer that Celia is definitely not his mother, but it isn’t explained on why she is taking care of him. Since they live in a little shack all alone Farmer makes it clear that people hate clones. Matt has lived in this little house for 6 years and has never stepped foot outside. Celia advises him never, ever to look out the window and if he hears voices to hide. One day, everything changes. Matt is a curious six year old and hears the voices outside. He wanted to get to know the voices, so he jumps through the glass window. It is obvious why Farmer chose to outline the beginning of the book with this; it’s intriguing, begins to show the depth of Matt, and shows how much people hate clones.

“They started up a flight of wide, marble steps that shone softly in darkening air. On either side were orange trees, and all at once lamps went on among the leaves. Lights outlined the white walls of a vast house above, with pillars and statues and doorways going who knew where. In the center of an arch was the carved outline of a scorpion.” - (21).

Now, the next setting that we are introduced to is the Big House, or the Alacran Estate. Steven, a 13 year old, carries Matt all the way here from the poppy fields. This means that the Big House must be near by Matt’s house. Also, Celia has to go to work everyday but it doesn’t not say she drives, or flys so we can assume that she walks everyday to the Alacran Estate, or the Big House. Right now all we know is that Celia works here, and that three children are taking Matt to the Estate because of his injuries. They are caring and passionate in keeping Matt safe, until they find out. The doctor and the Alacran family learns that Matt is not a human, but a disgusting clone. They immediately throw him out of the house, but then are requested to bring him to take care of his medical attention.

“The room was dark except for a faint, eyllow light filtering through the bars of the window. Matt carned his head up to see where it was coming from. He saw a bulb haning on a wire from the ceiling. It was as small as the lights Celia used to decorate the Christmas tree, but it shone valiantly and softened what would otherwise have been complete darkness. He could see nothing else except the bed and the bucket. The walls were bare, ceiling high and shadowy. The narrowness of the room made Matt feel as though he were locked in a box.” - (29).

The last setting Farmer introduces us to is the little room. After the Alacran’s learn that Matt is in fact a clone, they make him stay in a tiny room. Rosa, his “care taker” (more like torturer) insists that he sleeps alone with no bathroom, no proper bed. They treat him as he is a animal.

“He sprawled over the pillows and pretended to feed the stuffed dog, the teddy bear, the rabbit. For a while this was fun, but then a hollow feeling began to grow inside Matt. These weren’t real animals. He could talk to them all he liked. They couldn’t understand. In some way he couldn’t put into words, they weren’t even there.” - (8).

Matt was used to living alone. Being stuck in the little room showed us how Matt dealt with the situations he was given. He did not know why people hated him, so there was nothing he could do. Since he was so used to being constantly alone; Matt was extremely curious and more aware of his surroundings. He would sit hours on end just listening to what is happening around him. When Rosa fills his “pen” with chicken feed, Matt begins to develop a rash but also finds bugs. He is so fascinated by the tiny creatures and how they work. He watches them grow and develop.

Lastly, Farmer had introduced the setting to be somewhere between United States and what was Mexico. In a country titled: Opium. The opium flower is a seemingly harmless flower which has tremendous amounts of power. I believe that the “poppy fields” Farmer introduced in the beginning were actually Opium fields. Now I believe this because: “I didn’t think anyone was allowed to live in the opium field.” - (9). As Maria stated in the beginning when the first spot Matt’s shack. As the story continues we learn at El Patron’s birthday that this country is ran by drug lords. They traffic and harvest Opium using Eejit’s as there slaves. Farmer shows us the dangers of addiction and obsession. If the world continues in the pace we are in, we will not live. Since the country is ran by drug lords, El Patron is obviously at the top. He is an extremely rich man who made money off of planting and harvesting Opium. This explains why Matt, at the beginning of the story, is taken to the Alacran Estate which, is a huge mansion. Mr. Alacran is obviously a drug lord also. Now because of all this we can assume that everyone that lives in the country of Opium either work for drug lords, or they are the one people are working for.


- Ashish