Must Cats Die So Birds Can Live? { non-fiction }

       I read the article "Must Cats Die So Birds Can Live?" by Jessica Pressler over the weekend and it really got me thinking about nature and what humans have done to affect it. Pressler describes the situation as an "animal-lover civil war," cat people on one side and bird people on the other. Pressler pulls apart the cat persona, the good, the bad, and the adorable. It is America's favorite pet, after all. But the issue with the cuddly mammal is that it is also a predator, killing the bird population for sport. She explains the trap, neuter, return strategy that many people use, nicknamed TNR. At first it sound great: trap a stray, bring it to the vet to get it neutered or spayed, and release it back onto the street where it won't be able to produce any more homeless kittens. People even set up colonies of the released cats and feed them periodically. Personally, I support and have assisted in TNR, but I do see how it doesn't help. The colonies of cats become a nuisance, and there will always be those two cats that haven't been caught that build up the whole population again. Pressler also explains the struggle of the bird people trying to get people to notice the horrors befalling the birds. They claim that the cat people are turning a blind eye, and that it is important that the population of is diminished for the sake of the birds. Plus, most strays are just going to be killed anyway by a passing truck or drinking anti-freeze, bird people point out. Why not just kill them now before they end another animal's life? But one cat advocate scoffs, "that's ridiculous... I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. Should I be killed?" Cat people are also asking to see the carcasses of the supposed billions of dead birds slaughtered by cats. It's true, how many times have you seen a dead bird that was not run over by a car or fallen from a nest?

      

       I was really surprised that Pressler could stay so neutral while writing this article, as I was about to jump out of my seat to defend the cats and TNR. The only issue with the article is that it does focus so much on cats, so you begin to forget about the birds and therefore any sympathy for them. Also, after Pressler finishes discussing cats, she pretty much moves on to the cat person vs. bird person aspect, not even the birds themselves. And the problem is, I couldn't empathize with the bird people because I just don't have a soft spot in my heart for birds, and I'm guessing most other readers don't either. In my opinion, cats are just these adorable little fur balls that you would never purposefully murder, and Pressler may have that opinion too. I have reached this conclusion by analyzing the way she writes about the bird people. She writes that cat people believe "conservationists are only targeting them because of a deep hatred for cats." This opens up the reader to the possibility that the bird people/conservationists have a hidden agenda: get rid of cats. This definitely made an impact on me, because I know there is a fine line between cat lovers and people who just can't stand them. Pressler also uses many quotes from cat advocates, which strengthens their argument. One of the only bird people she quotes must have been at a bar or restaurant when he was interviewed, because he was drinking alcohol and cursing in his statements. Because he is representing them, it doesn't make the bird people look very good. I believe Pressler may be showing her bias through her writing craft.

       

       This article was very interesting and thought provoking. I am a die-hard cat person, but I am open to hearing the opposing opinion. I don't like the idea of killing cats, but I do believe that humans caused this problem by abandoning cats, so we have to fix it. I believe that TNR is a way to decrease the feral cat population even if it takes a while and I will continue supporting it. This article was written in June of 2013, so I want to know if there have been any advances in the situation. If they are killing cats to save birds, it probably wouldn't be publicized because of the amount of protest it would cause. But I believe that everyone should have a say in what goes on in our country.

Read the article! http://nymag.com/news/features/cats-and-birds-2013-6/

   

Blog Review { The Stolen Party: Labels and Power Struggle by Ilana Cohen }

       A blog post that I read this week that really stood out to me was on Ilana Cohen's blog, Live Every Day Like it's Book Day. It was about a novel called The Stolen Party, where a maid's daughter has to deal with the labels being thrown at her because of her and her mother's status in society. Ilana discusses one particular event in the book where the girl, Rosaura, has the false idea that she was invited to a party simply as a guest, when she was actually hired for her service. Rosaura's hopes are crushed and reality comes tumbling back when her mother's employer, Señora Ines, hands her the money for her work at the end of the party. Ilana links this critical event in her book to labeling and a power struggle between social classes to create a model blog post. 

        Ilana really analyzed Rosaura's feelings before, during, and after the party. Rosaura had taken her time to look nice for the party, so Ilana concluded that she was trying to rid herself of the label "the maid's daughter" and seen as another girl who looked like she belonged at the party. Ilana also compares her pretty dress to a "defense mechanism", saying that it covers up her identity and shows a wealthier and more socially inclined Rosaura. Lastly, Ilana noticed that Rosaura felt empowered during the party because she was helping cut the cake, and she could decide how big of a piece she would cut for each person. But the power shifts after the party when Señora Ines hands Rosaura her pay and she realizes she was just a maid, not an actual guest. Ilana's analytical eye helps her and the reader of her blog post become more aware of the characters' feelings and the reoccurring themes.  

       Although Ilana recalls the party scene in depth, her blog post still makes me want to read The Stolen Party to get more background information and to find out how Rosaura deals with her situation. It reminds me of a book that I read over the summer called Tell Us We're Home by Marina Budhos, where three girls become friends because their parents are maids for wealthier families. Another strength of Ilana's blog post is that she comes up with an overall theme and takes part of a paragraph connecting it to the world. It helps whoever is reading the post to realize the use of the book and what they are reading in real life. For example, Ilana writes that people are treated differently based on their social class, which is wrong. I definitely agree with her and I think reading books like these will help people realize the problems. 

        Overall, Ilana's post was very good and I think she accomplished the task of writing about power struggles and hierarchies. She had the perfect amount of summarizing and retelling so the reader wouldn't be confused, but enough analyzing and quoted to keep it engaging. Her post was also very organized and made sense when you went from paragraph to paragraph. I will definitely try to use some of Ilana's strategies to improve my own blog posts.

http://bookbybookweekly.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-stolen-party-labels-and-power.html

Perfect Match

       Nina Frost is the main character in the novel Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult. Nina is the assistant district attorney in Maine and prosecutes child molesters day after day. When her five year old son, Nathaniel Frost, shows signs of sexual abuse, Nina's home and work clash when her worst fears are confirmed. Nathaniel goes mute before Nina can get any names out of him, and she struggles to cope and keep calm while trying to pinpoint a suspect. Obviously, sexual abuse is horrible and sickening, but it may have a positive side for Nina because of her work. But, it can also render her helpless to save her son.
       The reason that Nathaniel's case might help Nina in the long run, even though she doesn't realize it now, is because it will make her more empathetic to her clients. As all parents would, Nina freaks out and begs to try Nathaniel's case herself and have her partners run through the whole population of Maine to find the criminal. She thinks, "...now I'm the parent, and it is my child, and that changes everything" (60). This shows that she will go to no limit to help her son, yet admitting that she doesn't always do that with her other cases. But later, when Nina reflects, she might realize how the other parents must feel because she knows what it's like to be in their shoes now. This information might push her to empathize with them and try her best to close the case in their favor. 
       Nathaniel's sexual abuse could also drive Nina mad. She wants to help him and bring the molester to justice, not only as the assistant district attorney but as the parent. But Nina knows that she can't try her own son's case, and that will make her feel helpless because she is used to being the one in charge. When she asked her boss if she could, he gently reminded her that she can't, even though she already knew it. Her boss explains that he looked into another lawyer that is "almost as good as [she is]" (59). Nina's boss was kind and went out on a limb for her, but his words aren't very encouraging, even if it is partially a joke. Nina's a great lawyer, but so many of her cases fail because the opponent proves the young, scared child on the podium incompetent. Nina will have to put her own son's safety in someone else's hands that aren't even as good as hers.
          Therefore, this life-altering event that has happened to Nina can impact in both positive and negative ways. It may make her feel helpless now, but her ability to empathize with grief-stricken parents will last a lifetime.

* no spoilers please! *