Please answer one of the following questions for the story, "The Heyday of the Blood." Make your answer a comment to this post. Write about 125 and 175 words; provide your word count at the bottom of your paragraph(s).
If you have answered one of the questions before, you must choose a different one! Please finish your work by 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 28.
1. Write about something you learned from the reading.
2. Write about something that surprised you, angered you, delighted you, or evoked any strong reaction as you were reading. Write about anything that stays on your mind after reading.
3. Write about the most effective things you notice in the writing.
4. What does the work mean and why do you think that?
5. Write about something in this work that reminds you of someone you know or of something that has happened in your life.
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3. Write about the most effective things you notice in the writing.
Dorothy Canfield Fisher’s use of metaphor, specifically simile, is effective throughout the story, “The Heyday of the Blood.” Granther, when adding up his fair money, “[sticks] out his tongue like a schoolboy doing a sum,” thus giving us a charming picture, one that emphasizes his youthfulness, too. When Granther wins his one dollar bet, he was “screaming like a steam-calliope with exultation.” A calliope uses steam to play metal pipes, surely a high-pitched sound that matches an old man’s cheering. Near the end of the story, Jo Mallory, afraid his Granther might be dying, “felt a chill like cold water at the roots of [his] hair,” a pretty accurate description of dread. Fisher’s masterful use of simile is one of the delights to be found in her story, “The Heyday of the Blood.”—135 words
5-Write about something in this work that reminds you of something you know or of something that happened in your life.
The story reminds me of two opposite samples of people. The first one, people who are physically good but psychologically tiered, like the young man. The second one, people who are psychologically fine but physically ill, as the professor’s great-grandfather. Although both cases are abnormal for the happy person is the one who enjoys his/her healthy body and inner feelings, however, the first situation is worse than the second one. The young man’s situation reminds me of Hamlet.
Hamlet, the main character in Shakespeare’s play “HAMLET”, is a man who has a complex inner struggle. He lacks the interest of life though he has everything that makes a man feels happy, like health, wealth, education, beauty, and youth. He feels sad and angry because his uncle kills his father, the king, secretly, and plans to marry his mother in order to control the kingdom. Hamlet always finds the ghost of his father in dreams that encourages him to revenge and kill the uncle. Although Hamlet is dissatisfied with his uncle, but he can’t kill him because he is an educated man. He suffers a lot, especially, when his mother marries the killer of his father. Later, Hamlet becomes very weak, and he wishes to die. Therefore, psychological problems can be dangerous on people’s life.
(170 words)
1- Write something you learned from the reading.
In the story “The Heyday of the Blood” numerous thing polished my mind. Fisher in his pot chose a knowledgeable person, professor Mallory, to educate us about life competition and challenges. I believe that Mallory’s smart idea of presenting his great- grandfather’s involved life was an encouraging lesson. He thoughtfully used his supernatural power as an expert in psychology for the purpose of motivating Farrar who was lost and mentally sick. In this story, Gran’ther Pendleton’s personality and his passage were fascinating and admirable which taught me the pleasure of life. “Some live, and some die; but folks that live all over die happy..,” gran’ther acknowledged that people who beat their weakness and cherish the life they live, would die peacefully, and others with no hope are in a state of need whose life is the same as their death. I have faith in his words which were appropriate inscription
150 words
Quoted from “The Heyday of the Blood” by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Question 5: Write about something in this work that reminds you of someone you know or of something that has happened in your life.
The Gran’ther in the story “The Heyday of the Blood” caused me to think of my grandfather who has his own formula of happiness. Grandfather used to go anywhere he wanted to go riding his bicycle, even when he was in a bad health following his eightieth birthday. Everyone tried to persuade him not to ride anymore, but he never listened to anyone. He always said, “Don’t bother about me. Just bury me where I die.” One time he felt too tired and fell asleep while he was riding his bicycle back home from another town where his friend lived. The result is easy to imagine—he paid the price with two weeks of recovery in bed. However, even after this, the bicycle was still his best friend. My grandfather might not have his own motto, but the simple “Just bury me where I die” reveals his philosophy of life—just as that Gran’ther’s saying does: “live while you live, and then die and be done with it”— living life to the fullest.
--173 words
Quoted from “The Heyday of the Blood” by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Question 1. Write about something you learned from the reading.
After I read the old man's interesting adventure, I feel that life is short, the most important thing is to enjoy the moment. Pendleton, the gran'ther, was old and weak enough to die in any minute, but he still enjoy his life as much as possible. He followed his heart to do what he wanted to do. I am impressed by Pendleton rode the horse first time at his age and went a long distance. If the old man can challenge the adventure, we can try new things at any time. Another thing I learned from Pendleton is that money is important, but happiness is more important. If we can buy happiness, why don't we? As the oldest person in the family, Pendleton did not forget to share his life experience with his descendants.
-134 words-
2.Write about anything that stays on your mind after reading.
After reading the story, “The Heyday of the Blood”, the character Granther impresses me much, and more than that, the story makes me ponder about how to “live while you live”. Granther is eighty- eight years old and in a bad health condition such as heart disease, asthma and no digestion. However, he isn’t confined to his bed by illness and the attitude toward life doesn’t change by his advanced age. He drives an old horse twenty- eight miles in the heat of August with his grandson to a county fair. During the fair, he rides merry-go-round many times and buys racehorses . What an amazing man he is. He also says some people are “fraid –cats” and they just “about half-live, the same as half-die”. He is absolutely right. In our lives, if people are concerned about or afraid of too many things, so it makes lives go dull. For me, I don’t pursue longevity but living a worthwhile life like Granther does.
--164 words
5. Write about something in this work that reminds you of someone you know or of something that has happened in your life.
When I finish reading Dorothy Canfield Fisher’s “The Heyday of the Blood”, my grandmother emerges suddenly vividly in my mind. My grandmother was a typical Chinese old-fashioned woman who rarely thought about herself but other family members. Like Chinese famous writer, Yang Bo, said that Chinese old-fashioned women’s religion was forgotten-themselves. It is too true for my grandmother. She was thin tall silver-haired wizened-faced, even with remarkable small feet which made her awkwardly when she walked, but she was so full of energy that seldom stopped moving and doing house working. At the age of eighty-six, she still sewed her clothing by herself (old habit) but sometimes cooked using cookbooks. She would do everything she could and refused the help. She liked to say,” I need to learn new things,” so she did. My grandmother was an utterly optimism; she always said, “We are lucky, we have…” no matter how difficult the situation was. The optimistic, selfless, and tenacious spirit of my unique grandmother is the most valuable spiritual treasure for me in lifetime.
(174 words)
2. Write about something that surprised you, angered you, delighted you, or evoked any strong reaction as you were reading.(Write about anything that stays on your mind after reading.)
What stayed on my mind after reading the story “The Heyday of the Blood” are three things. The first thing was the last paragraph, in which professor Mallory cried as he told his younger assistant about his grandfather’s motto. The second thing that stayed on my mind was Gran’ther Pendleton’s collapsing after getting home from the County Fair and his staggering down to breakfast the next morning, which surprised me. The third thing that was on my mind after the story was read to us in class, was our teacher wiped his tears, and I wonder about what is so sad about the story that made him to shed tears. The next morning, when I read the story, the last paragraph sounded sad, tears rolled down my cheeks, and I finally understood the reason the teacher shed tears.
138 words
3- Something that delight you when you read the story:
I enjoyed reading again “The Heyday of the Blood” by Dorothy Canfield Fisher because of the personality of the main character, granther Pendleton. His reactions were like a child, but he doesn`t like to be patronized like a child by his grandson: “So father for once said ‘No,’ in the tone that we children had come to recognize as final.” His behaviours are full of life and energy that give me a strong feeling of happy living even at the last moment of your life; when he tries get up in his bed after the county fair to look at little Joey and gives him a smile: “Well, it was wuth it (!)” with a gallantly voice, “and closed his eyes peacefully to sleep.” I could imagine him in my mind with toothless mouth, one arm, thin figure who is laughing loudly with a gorgeous amount of high spirit. A person without any fear of his healthiness and without any hate, this is the picture of granther Pendleton in my mind.
172 words
The idea of “Live while you live, then die and be done with it!” struck me hard. This attitude is just the opposite of what I have experienced in most of the old people. They tried to pamper their bodies to the maximum joy of rest. My grandmother was only willing to go out eating in the restaurant, which caused minimum burden on her body. One summer, I insisted to take her to the beach; she found herself a seat underneath the tree and refused to go anywhere near the water. After half hour, she insisted to go back home; it seemed like watching TV and eating snack could be the only thing she wanted for her life.
The motivation of your life outlived the physical condition of the body. Professor Mallory’s great grandfather was told by the doctor that his health is going downhill really fast; however, the passion of life kept him alive. Just like great grandfather said, “if ye just about half-live, ye just the same as half-die”.
171 words
5-Write about something in this work that reminds you of something you know or of something that happened in your life.
After reading “The Heyday of The Blood”, I was so fascinated with the personality of granther. He was such an interesting old man who can infect the people around him and made me to call to remembrance of my grandfather. My grandfather is now ninety-three years old. Not like granther in the story, my grandfather is very healthy. He can ride the bicycle for more than one hour without rest. He can also climb Yellow Mountain by himself, though this mountain is famous of its magnificent scenery and difficulty to climb. I think what makes him so healthy is him optimistic and positive attitude to life. He always looks smiling even he meets some difficulty. He likes travelling and is a super soccer fan which seems impossible at his age. I think mental health has much more effect to his life. Just like the story told us: “live while you live”, make yourself a better life.
-156 words
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