1. 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.
2. Explore a social or ethical issue raised in the writing. Judge the behaviour of the characters or the views of the author. Are they right or wrong in your opinion?
3. Write about any difficulty or frustration you felt while reading.
Write an answer of no more than 150 words (and no fewer than 100) to one of the questions. Your answer will be a comment to this post. Please provide a word count.
Link to a copy of the story (Word 2003 format) for your use.
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20 comments:
Question 2:
E. L. Doctorow raises an interesting ethical issue in his story, “Child, Dead, in the Rose Garden.” Roberto Guzman, only six, dies a terrible death with “bulging eyes,” all because, where he lives, no respirator is available. The air near his home is polluted by the power corporation, Utilicon, and “smells like burning tires.” Roberto clearly experiences a horrible death, fighting to breathe. Secretly, Chrissie Stevens, daughter to Utilicon’s CEO, transports the boy’s body to the rose garden to make those in power “[feel] the connection.” Alas, the men she tries to alert instead claim a racoon has entered the president’s compound. In Steven’s view no matter where you live, it’s always “horribly awful.” Doctorow seems angry at his own country and, particularly at those who destroy the environment for monetary gain. But, those in power are not listening; to me, that seems true.—144 words
After reading the short story “Child, Dead, In the Rose Garden”, I felt frustrated to learn that no matter in which country or place, all the politicians and businessmen are same. In order to get the power or benefits they want, they would get rid of the obstacles in front of them even sacrifice others’ life or their family.
In this story, the government must know the pollution issues of the Unilicon Corporation. The people in the White House must find out the background of the boy before Agent Molloy; however, they choose to keep their months shut and deport the victim’s parents to cover the truth.
Chrissie Stevens is the character impressed me. She is a tiny and slim woman but she is full with courage to do the things that she believes it is right. She and her boyfriend left the boy’s body in the rose garden to draw public’s attention on Uilicon Corporation’s pollution problems although that is her father’s company. -164 words
Mr. Stevens, who owned Utilicon’s nuclear and coal plants, was one of the President’s earliest supporters. His grandson died of air pollution. The body was found in the Rose Garden. But, there were nothing changed and no consequence. Poor Molloy, he worked so hard. A top priority case became a family matter. What an irony!
Money and power, they are brother. Who cares the working people just get by. Who cares the air smells like burning tires.
I hate Mr. Stevens. Money is everything for him. Nothing comes to his mind. Just cover up their mass. He can continue get more money. The rich people get richer. The poor people get poorer.
Angel Christina, she is too weak to protect her brave son fighting with pollution air. Any one of us can be the boy if everything continues the same. ----142 words
Roberto Guzman died at the age of six.As I read the story,there wasn’t a real reason about his death.Most ideas were like “guessing ideas” at the second page of the story,the pathologist conformed that Roberto has died by ashma.As I kept reading the story,I read another guess it says that”probably,this kid was a muslim kid that’s why he got killed.”so there wasn’t a strongly concern about Roberto’s death.The kid's body was found in the Rose Garden;however, the president didn’t mention anything about the death.It seems to me that Mr.president caredless about his citizens.
On the other hand,there was a groundkeeper at the Rose garden !! is the one who should face challenges,and answer the questions.His job was to keep the ground safety,and to prevent any consequense,but nobody asked him a single question.After I finished reading this story,I immediately believed that they all cared about the money,not about the right of their citizens.
151 words
Question: 3
The only word that we can say in this situation is unfortunately. Yes, I did have extremely frustrated that an educational system as they say still thinking in this poor manner. This story reflects our reality because it has combined all discrimination faces in only one subject” Black, White, Muslim, and Arab”. This is how American government dealing with life now. For the lacking of the pure environment, it caused the death of the young poor child. However, the weak minded goes ride way to where? To the history of 9/11, the child is Muslim or Arab. What is this? Is this the power? Is this the democracy? This is nothing, this is just a small game that the politicians are pleasant to play with it by turns in order to win and achieve their polluted goals that affects the whole world.
Words: 144
There is no real democracy in the world even if in American that I got strongly feeling after I read the story.
The boy Roberto Guzman died because it was not only he had asthma but also he lived in the city with high air pollution “where the air smells like burning tires,” and the boy can’t get rid of the carbon dioxide.
In the boy’s city, everybody knew the power company Utilicon- nuclear and coal plants caused that problem.
Mr. Steven who was the Utilicon’s owner was one of the President’s earliest supporters, and two men were as a brother. When Molloy talked about the Utilicon with the boy’s older sister, she “tears running down her cheeks.” Who could over the power to criticize that person, no one except his daughter? However, when the case happened, they dealt with as a family matter because they had to cover their ass.
Words 151
After more than four hours hardworking journey (There are many new words to me.) , I finished reading the story “Child, Dead, in the Rose Garden”, and understood its logic at last.
Actually, pollution problem has been mentioned in various stories. This story attracted me to read it continuously because of its conflicts, between Molloy and authority, between officials and common people, between pollution makers and pollution sufferers, and also, between Chrissie and her father.
I believe this story has certainly awakened many people to a sense of their responsibility for the environment of the earth. After all, we have only one earth.
102words
Question 2:
Although we don't really know how Roberto Guzman ended up in the Rose Garden nor how he died. A fact that caught my attention is the fact that no matter what kind of wrong or dirty things the powerful people in our society do, they will never get punished nor taken to jail. It is just like if nothing had happened. According to the law we are all equal no matter which social status, religion, sex you fit in, we are all the same but unfortunately it doesn't happen in the real world. In my opinion that issue was well reflected on the Story "CHILD, DEAD, IN THE ROSE GARDEN". All the evidence and effort that took to Molloy to find out the truth about the dead of Roberto Guzman was in vain due the high political profile of the guilty characters. -142 words
Rosemary's comment:
CHILD, DEAD, IN THE ROSE GARDEN is not science fiction; it’s pure reality. This kind of stories just left bitterness and disillusion specially to those who aren’t in that circle of supremacy. Power is probably the most difficult affair to handle in life because it’s reflects all the humanity essence. Weakness, selfishness, greediness are just some of the “attributes” that majority of the people in the authority sphere flaunt simply as a part of their pride and vanity. When Molly says “How peculiar to rely on authority when authority is what had been subverted.” proves how in the authority’s name anything is possible to do even cover crimes, corruption or dirty business. The worst is the unfair “racketeering indictment” against helpless and vulnerable people. Although in ordinary decent people there is a “scintillation sense” of salvation and kindness for the humankind.
Either pollution or making money is better, it is difficult to make a choice for anyone. Sometimes, we often criticize the company that creates the pollution, and think all of these companies are evil. If you have had experiences in difficulty and needing money to overcome. Most of us choose the side that base on our benefits. Occasionally, we commit the same mistakes as who we criticize. Pollution environment makes child dead. It is a horrible event, but I can’t identify who want to be in charge of this case. We need power to make us life easy, but our environment is gradually worse everyday. It is possible to return to original world that everything is clean and fresh. Between 1962 and 1972, most of people in my home country were farmer, everyone was hard to live and few people’s age was more than 60. Currently, it is normal that people can own more than 75 years’ life. We probably gradually overcome human’s problems or destroy ourselves. I can’t make a judgment.
Question 1:
This story is a fiction, however it reflects our realistic society.
Proudly, America claims it’s a democratic and equal country. Tentatively, I believe it before. In the whole story, I do not see any democracy and equality. Conversely, it is full of power and unfairness.
At the beginning of the investigation, the groundskeeper, just because he first found the corpse, was suspected to be a terrorist and detained incommunicado even without any trial and noticing his family. He mysteriously disappeared. Where is his right?
Did the parents of the dead boy do something illegal? Definitely not! But they were detained and scheduled to deport. They became the innocent scapegoats and victims of the trade between money and politics. Is there any fairness here?
Now I realized the claim of democracy and equality are so breakable. It is not guaranteed to the lower level people.
words 144
THE SRORY 'CHILD DEAD IN ROSE GARDEN'realy frustrated me in a sense.If the super power claimer America has play these play games with their innocent public.I am thinking about a place to live,where i am free from power money sharing,s horrible side effects.This story disturbed me for the MOLLOY agent hard work became useless.The main chacracters
This story is not fiction because it reflects pure reality. The oy Roberto Guzman died because where he lived in the city, there was bad air pollution. The air smells like burning tires and the boy can't get rid of the carbon dioxide that is produced. As I continued to read the story, a climactic scene when Roberto passes away, it envokes strong emotions in me, including sadness and anger, it was a very serious moment in the story. Mr Steve, who was the CEO of Utilicon's Power Company, was destroying the environment and would not change his views. Money is everything to him, therefore he did not care enough that he was hurting people because he was making alot of money. He does not do anything to help the environment however, Chrissie and the people of the city have a sense of responsibility to clean the environment on the earth. Her father on the other hand, as stated earlier is Mr. Steven, and we know now that he is selfish. Chrissie Stevens and her boy friend have full courage to do the right thing that they left Roberto's body in the rose garden. They wanted to show people the results of Mr. Steven's company and what its consequences were. By leaving the body in the rose garden, it had a trememdous effect on the people of the city. Mr. Steven, as stated earlier, is selfish, only cares about money and is a power hungry man. He believes with his power, he can do anything to anyone and he does not care what the effect is on the people. He does not care about the peoples lives and is in turn killing them slowly.
The suspension fiction’s result is always unexpected. Nobody can image a young, isolated, very wealthy girl “CHRISSIE STEVVENS” can setup and do the warning to the authority of the USA WHITE HOUSE. Chrissie’s ideal for the whole world is admirable, even though she is under the pressure of the society. As for the detect MOLLY, He is the hero of the novel. Not only for his professionalism but also for his humanity to be considerate to the boy’s parents and Chrissie, especially this is the last case before retiring. After 911, it seems that the security authority of the White House is superior to any other departments. When combined with the politics - “MOLLY is not a liberal”, the strange and bureaucratic behavior becomes annoy. I am glad that MOLLY has veiled of the seemed complicated case It is an unforgettable, merit deed for his twenty-eight-year career.
-- 147 words
Page after page,I distinguished a realistic story about pollution problem,and money power.many characteristics were dominant in the CHILD DEAD in the Rose Garden such as Mollow,Doctorow,Roberto Guzman... the little boy dead in a dramatical way that the pollution threatning a lot. Whereever we live we are all same.We all feel sorry when people work in a dark side and under the table to be more powerful,and how they are lot.They don't care about others . From here, we all have the right to live in a clean environment,with a positive view for the future.although, the government should be the wise supervisor to protect the society from mess.Nowadays,the nuclear problem that killed millions and millions each year is the most harmful technologie in the world.So what we should say to who that run to be in the Guiness World Records,their benefit are in the first cathegory. To tell the truth, they 're not shrewd enough.Tomorrow the history pages will be plenty of their behavior but after what??? In conclusion,to all who sit on a fancy chair:"live and let us live".
From the story,” Child, Dead, in the Rose Garden.”, pollution made a boy dead. All of his friends and relatives tried to help him. He was brave and controlled his terror. But the consequence of industrialization couldn’t overcome by a poor family, he had to endure outcome. When the doctor made a comment, “Roberto didn’t need a respirator, he needed another planet”, it made upset. If his family had been rich, he could have happily lived in a clean environment. The boy who had asthma needn’t live the place, “where the air smells like burning tires.”
Ideally, the government should protect his citizen. In fact, money seems instead of this idea. When Miss Christina wanted to show the tragedy, those in power just wanted to cover up. Even the priest, God’s servant, didn’t care about that. Maybe, all of us are configured gentleman. We needed some benefits and sacrificed the poor ones.
"He needed another planet". Roberto Guzman, can a six-year boy survive in another planet? Maybe he can if there are no trades of money and power. “Mr. Stevens was one of the President’s earliest supporters… The President regards Mr. Stevens almost as a brother”. So, Mr. Stevens can free from any trouble for polluting the Texas, and Roberto Guzman died caused this pollution. “So why are you here? The lawyer said”. The naked fact was President didn’t care what Mr. Stevens doing since he had supported him. So it’s worthless for the death of Roberto Guzman. The only mistake made by folk Guzman that they lived in a wrong place. This is the playground of politician and rich man.
In the Story ‘’Child, Dead, in Rose Garden’’ byE.L Doctorow the surprising moment for me was ,the discovery of child’s body in white House complex. How smartly some one deceived human and electronic cameras of the most tighten security of Rose Garden. Further why the area was immaculate in no time. Soon I got the answer of my self asked question. It may be the task of some master mind planners to attack some where for hunt.
I was seriously angered when Felsheimer resembles the child’s body with a racoon upon agent MOLLOY question. He says what it was? Was a racoon ‘’It just wandered in and died’’. ‘’IT died of rabbies’’.So shameful unkind comment for an innocent child, who was killed by the pollution of UTILICON power company. In fact such apparently Giant people have water in their veins instead blood.
The delighted moment was the exhibition of dead body to see and [FEEL}.That was done by CHRISSIE STEVEN the daughter of power company owner.
Question 3
I was frustrated when I imagined a small victim with bulging eyes and expended chest. He tried but he could not tolerate smoky polluted air that Utilicon company caused it. The boy, he had asthma, was a power and money victim while his family could not do anything because they were poor. Money and power needs more victims to get stronger. At all we know that money and power are more important than poor working people s life, but we do not try or do not want to believe it.
In my opinion “CHILD, DEAD, IN THE ROSE GARDEN” is not a story, it is a fact .We know that every day the same story happen but in a different way. Poor working people are like a step for rich people. They use working people for their benefits while they cause their dead like a Roberto Guzman s death.
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