Checkouts

In the story Checkouts a girl who is shopping likes this boy who works in a grocery store.  Eventually, the boy starts to like the girl as well.  They both continue to appear to have feelings for one another, but they never talk to each other.  As the story goes on, they see each other less and less.  After a while, they run into one another on dates with different people.  Since they didn’t see one another in a while, it was very awkward.  I have had a situation similar to this happen to me. 

            A couple of years ago I played on the Ringtown All Star team for Little League.  During our practices and games, I asked my coach over and over if I could pitch.  My teammates and friends thought I should pitch too because during the regular season I pitched very well.  Finally in our last all star game, my coach decided to put me in to pitch.  It didn’t go well at all.  I walked three batters, and then let go two hits.  I felt like a fool.  My coach took me out.  This relates to the situation in Checkouts because I felt very awkward after the game.  I was embarrassed over how I pitched because I asked over and over to pitch.  My teammates and friends talked me up, but I felt like I let everyone down.  For me this was a really awkward situation.  I felt uncomfortable around everyone.  I didn’t want to look at anyone or talk to them either.  In Checkouts, when the bag boy and the girl meet at the movies with their dates it was really awkward as well.

The Birds

           Relating "The Birds" to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's Speech

In Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said that he believes that everyone should be free.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was speaking out against what other people thought at the time.  He was a rebel.  In the story “The Birds,” the birds are rebelling against humans.  In the video a lot of people came together to fill the mall in Washington D.C. to listen to Dr. King’s historical speech.  In the book “The Birds” many kinds of birds came together to fight humans.  In “The Birds” you can hear all kinds of birds yelling and ramming into walls and buildings.  During Dr. King’s speech, you could hear people on the mall in Washington, D.C. cheering him on.  This is how “The Birds” and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. `s speech are related. 

           Relating "The Birds" to the 70's Energy Crisis

During the 70’s Energy Crisis, many people were frightened and filled with panic.  Would our country run out of the oil which allows us to live like we do?  In the video I selected, it shows cars lined up waiting to get gas, and people pushing cars into gas stations.  All of these people are panicking.  In the book “The Birds” most of the people panic and try to board up their houses to protect themselves from the attacking birds.  In the video many people may have put off getting their gas until the last minute. These people were stuck pushing their cars into gas stations.  Some people may have had gas, but they were too afraid to use it.  The people in the book didn’t really believe the birds were attacking and didn’t board up their windows.   They ended up trying to board up their windows and doors while birds were attacking them—at the last minute like some people at gas stations.  There was also a feeling a chaos during the energy crisis and in the book.  The birds swarming people’s houses was similar to the chaos of people lined up waiting for gas.  That is how the ‘70’s Energy Crisis relates to “The Birds."

Relating "The Birds" to the LA Riots

In 1992 the LA Riots caused many problems.  This riot that lasted over six days caused thousands of injuries, fifty-three deaths and destruction costing nearly one billion dollars.  The 1992 LA Riots relate to “The Birds” in several ways.  First, in “The Birds” and during the riots there was a lot of destruction and injuries.  In the book many people were killed and injured due to bird attacks.  During the riots, the same thing happened.  Another thing that connects “The Birds” and the LA Riots is that during the riots people were randomly attacked similar to people being randomly attacked in “The Birds.”  In the videos you can see people just randomly attacking people and destroying property similar to the birds in the story.  In both the book and the LA Riots there was a lot of chaos and confusion.  A lot of the people never saw the riots coming and in “The Birds” people did not expect the birds to attack the humans.  Both events caught some people by surprise.  That is how the LA Riots and “The Birds” are related.