Animal Farm (pg72-141)

     This last half of the book was a very interesting read. There were twist and turns, surprises, and a lot of foreshadowing. At first it was the humans vs. the animals. Then it turned to the animals against each other. Nothing good was going to come from this.
     Things were continuously going south and only lies and deceit could make things seem better. Sides were being taken and rumors were flourishing. While reading this book it is interesting to see the connection between Communism and the animals. This book also shows how naive some people are and how sneaky and power hungry others can be. When there was a problem to no fault of the animals they were brainwashed to the point where they themselves would say, "I do not understand it. I would not have believed that such things could happen... It must be due to some fault in ourselves" (Orwell 85). This book showed never ending levels of dictatorship and how it is impossible for people to stay classless. Ones ability to convince others, higher education, and strength would determine ones spot in a communistic government and this book is a great example.
      Soon these animals in denial realized what was going on and refused to stay silent anymore. This might have been what Orwell pictured when he saw communism: an end and people standing up for themselves for in the end if no one is the same communism is just and unfair and unequal democracy. This is for in the end no one could tell the humans from the pigs apart meaning that they were the same and that in the end communism failed them.    

Animal Farm (pgs1-71)

     This book Animal Farm by George orwell is about democracy and communism. Orwell wrote this book after he got out of the war and because of the dangers of the book Orwell wrote this book on animals and called this book, "a fairy story." (Orwell/ Preface vi) This book brought attention to the world by showing it what was going on in life and how things are not how they always seem to be.
     The book starts of with the drunken farmer forgetting to shut the peepholes and once gone all of the animals gathered for a meeting. This is where their leader Major said, "The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth. ... Why then do we  continue with this  miserable condition? Because nearly the whole procedure of our labour is stolen from us by human beings. ... Remove Man from the scene and the root cause of hunger and over work is abolished for ever." (Orwell &) This is where it all started. Major was making sense and the animals were paying attention. Later on that night major died and the animals over the next three months planned a rebellion. This left two leaders: Snowball and Napoleon. The problem with this was that the two could not stand each other and soon Snowball was ran out.
     It was clear to see that Napoleon was going mad with power. Everything was great at first ; however,nothing good ever last. Napoleon was treating certain animals better than others, training the animals for war, and turning some against each other. It was the start of chaos and it looked like nothing was ever going to be done to stop the madness.

Female Serial Killers... (pg350-437)

     These last few chapters really summed up the book. It went over its last examples, things to look out for, and reasons why people must be careful. Vronsky made it clear that every reason that a female serial killer is a killer is sociological and most likely started during their youth.
     The latest examples were the most famous serial killers of this time. These women were the Manson Girls. They were manipulated and abused; however, Charlie Manson was the only father figure they had so they really had no clue. Most of the people manipulated by Charlie Manson had hippie parents who gave Charlie permission to take their children under under his roof and or guidance. Also the younger the better because their mind was less developed and more dependant. These last few chapters also taught "The making of State serial Killers" (Vronsky 392), ways that female serial killers murder, and warning signs.
     Earlier in the book Vronsky says, "When women commit violence the only explanation offered has been that it is involuntary, defensive, or result of mental illness or hormonal imbalance inherent with female physiology..." (Vronsky 6). Vronsky comes back to this when he mentions the sick desires behind Irma Grese's killings. If Nazi guards who people felt were corrupt thought that she was vicious there was definitely something wrong. Vronsky also gives lists of characteristics of female serial killers or one in the making. One list consisted of, "rigid adherence to conventional values, submissiveness to authority figures, aggressiveness toward out groups, opposition to: introspection, reflection, and creativity, preoccupation with power and 'toughness', destructiveness and cynicism, projectivity... ,an exaggerated concern with sexuality" (Vronsky 393). Some characteristics on this list describe people that you know whether you know it or not. These list also go on with warnings of what to look for. I guess that was Vronsky's conclusion present so we'll know if we are in the presence of a serial killer or one in the making. In conclusion this was a good informational book of which one should definitely recommend to others.

Femal Serial Killers... (pg200-350)

     This part of the book has more general thoughts but more specific examples. It is a lot of information to take in and process without ones stumic turning a little bit. The explanations do what they say and explain the reason how and why these women killed but that can only do so much to comfort the audience.
     A disturbing part of this book is knowing traits and or symptoms of a serial/ possible serial killer. It really makes one have to think about the people they know and how they have to be choshus. The book states that some victims can be "aware of everything" (Vronsky 259) at a certain point; however that point is mostly when it is too late. A victim can know their killer and that they are dangerous but most victims do not know that they should have stayed away until they are under attack. This is for the victims of violent female serial killers. Most women serial killers use poison so their victims may have never been aware.
     This part of the book is more personal because it shows pictures and has personal background information on the killers. Some things are shocking while other things seem obvious to the eye. What was shocking in this part of the book was how there were couple serial killers and what their motives were (Ex: killing to impress each other or to be used as for play).The options were limitless. Also some serial couples  like Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo were people based off of many movies or had movies about them that I have seen. It is interesting how things like team murder can only be imagined as something in a movie but the truth is that the movie is the aftermath. This part of the book explaines why people do so many things and why problems can go deeper than south.

Female Serial Killers... (pg106-200)

     In the latest pages there have been examples of female serial killers and reasons for their reasonings. Although each person is different women are more similar to each other than men and women. They think differently and so they act differently. The book is suppose to be about female serial killers; however, it keeps acting like a comparison guide for the behaviors on women and men serial killers. When the book goes into more specific detail on the examples of female serial killers it changes the title to its exact meaning.
     This book talks of how the earlier that one started these crimes the better because records and technology wasn't the greatest. This book also talks of female serial killers of the "century". Vronsky tells of the ones that the government does not want people to hear about and why. He tells the stories of those who were caught and for some, if they truly wanted would still be free. This reason is why so many female serial killers are thought of as, "lethal ladies" (Vronsky 138). This is not the definition of a female serial killer; however, because of our mindsets and their will/ determination the word or definition is not taken as serious. A mass murderer is almost the definition of a serial killer; however, a female serial killer has a more detailed and disturbing picture. So if someone says that a mass murderer is on the loose instead of a female serial killers, reactions would be much worse.
     Vronsky puts the ideas and thoughts of these women on to paper. Some of it is through actual interviews and documents while others are through sociological studies. Every piece of information in this book connects back to the female mind and why it is so easy for them to snap and get away with it. The saying don't do the crime if you can't do the time comes to mind. Men are most likely to commit a crime knowing they will get caught sooner or later and after a while are willing to accept the consequences. Women will only do crimes if they can get away with it or that a(n) hormonal balance convinces them that it is "okay" to do what they are doing. Vronsky also includes problems with society that enables women. We ourselves without realizing it help create these monsters who are so close to a snap that they could be a new name added to this book. They female mind is nothing to joke with for it could literally cost one their life (and without any repercussions).

Female Serial Killers... (pg60-106)

     Although Vronsky is all over the place in this book it all connects. He tells of serial killers from Mark Anthony's time to our time now. This book reveals scandals from the past that most people do not even dear to bring up. The chapters go from examples, to studies, to just random facts about female serial killers and how no matter what time they were always better at getting away with their crimes than the males.  There are said to be female serial killers worse than jack the ripper; however, they are not mentioned because of fear of chaos or the fact that their crimes could never be proven. The most famous, dangerous, and hardly mentioned serial killers were woman and from early times. This was because of the lack of records, and because the way that women were treated back then made them more manipulative and vengeful.
     Most horror stories today are because of female serial killers. Examples of these are count dracula and vampires. The theory of vampires came from Elizabeth Bathory who murdered women for their blood. She believed that is gave her youth and kept her beutiful. So Bathory drank, bathed, and wore the blood of her victoms. Records sgowed testomy of things she did like, "she bit out individual pieces of flesh from girls with her teeth" (Vronsky 88). Most people thought of this serial killer to be the devil. She killed hundreds and was successful with getting away with it for so long.
     The book also lead to questions. Even after becoming an expert on serial killers Vronsky and many others can never be sure about why some women become serial killers. Studies showed that women could become serial killers based on abuse (physical or mental from anytime in there life) or abandonment from parents. Studies show that males who were seperated from there fathers at birth often became criminals or murderers. These studies also showed that women who were seperated from trhere mothers at bith often kill, become abusive, or lack affection and trust which later turns into something more. The problem with this is that even after the study there were still questions left unanswered. Something else unexplainable causes some women to kill, think/dream of murder, and even worse plot to the point where they almost never get cought.

Female Serial Killers ... (intro-pg60)

     The book Female Serial Killers by Peter Vronsky is of course about female serial killers. This book goes in to the deep and dark minds of those who have killed and what got them to those points. Vronsky talks to experts, detectives, mass murderers, and anyone with possible information on serial killers.
      At first Vronsky wanted to right a book a male serial killers until he found the the fact that one out of every six serial killers is a woman. Many people do not even think of women when they hear "serial killer". Vronsky also did not when he was finding information on male serial killers and later found out that he interviewed a few female serial killers. It was soon found out that people (women and men) do not consider women when it comes to serial killers because people often vision that, "... women are victims and males are collectively oppressors" (Vronsky 9). This stereotype is often why victims of female serial killers do not see the attacks coming. Most people could never see their mother, a nurse, or baby sister attacking them while they are most vulnerable. This all convinced Vronsky to change his topic for a book on only female serial killers.
     In Female Serial Killers, Vronsky often compares the female serial killers back to the males. This is to show how much better the females are at the crimes that they commit and why they get away with these crimes for either a long time or forever.  Vronsky also talks about the many different definitions of a serial killer and often how women fit into all of them. The further into the book that one goes the more that one learns and can see why female serial killers stay under the radar.

The Time Traveler's Wife (Reviews)

     The reviews for the Time Travelers Wife were mixed. People liked and disliked the movie just as much as they did the book. Different people liked the book more than the movie and those who liked the movie movie more than the book had more to criticize on the movie. 
     It was interesting to read the reviews for points were brought up that were not thought of and could change ones perspective of the movie altogether. Rioranch film reviews make the movie seem awful. What is suppose to be hart worming becomes depressing after a critic writes, "But when you think that the film has thankfully come to an end, there’s a scene where Henry visits his daughter and bereaved wife. It’s supposed to be heart warming (the wife runs through the meadow to embrace her husband before he disappears) but in reality it seems kind of awful. Rather than move on, are these characters doomed to wait around for the odd visit from a dead Henry? If it’s supposed to leave you with a warm, tingly feeling in your gut, it fails dismally."(Rioranch reviews). It was thought that it is so sweet that one will always be able to see her love one then attention is brought to the fact that she has not and will never move on, and is also constantly waiting for an even longer arrival and shorter visit than when Henry was actually alive.
     Reviews of the book were much higher. One proffessional website said, "
Grab a copy of The Time Traveler's Wife and throw yourself headlong into their story. It's time well spent. This is a highly recommended read, and I know it will be a gift I'll offer generously to others on my holiday list this year."(W. R. Greer Reviewsofbooks.com). After reading the book and then watching the movie both reviews are agreeable and do open ones eyes to what is unseen.

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The Time Traveler's Wife (pg269-536)

     This half of the book focuses more on the good parts of Clare and Henry being together and more of where Henry goes when he travels. Henry mostly travels to the past so compared to the movie the book is almost backwards. Also things from the past are revealed that are not revealed in the movie. Also there are different reactions to dramatic events in the book where the movie played them out to fullest.
     After being together while Clare is older it was only destined for them to get married. In the movie Henry almost misses his wedding for he unwillingly starts to time travel after the wedding while on their honey moon Henry starts time traveling again. The book has Henry their the whole time. The book does not really stress Henry's time traveling, only what it does to everyone emotionally. This is why it was surprising that Clare was not angry about finding out about Henry's vasectomy. She just comely said, "No. I can't do this anymore either. I give up" (Niffenegger 372). In the movie this scene was way more dramatic.
     In the book things that have already happened and have been told will be told again. Also things from Clare's past that were hinted at in the movie are explained in the book. Clare also seems less stressed out and more happy. The drama of having a child is not gone as thoroughly explained like in the movie. This happy couple stays in love no matter the problem and knows that they will be always in a way be connected even after Henry's death. This is because in a way its like he never died because a time traveling Henry from the past always come for his Clare. The book goes into more detail on how this effects Clare where the movie does not. In the end the book can be considered better than the movie for it holds more information and sides to the story.

The Time Traveler's Wife (pg1-269)

     After reading the first half of this book it was realized that although this is the same story it is different from the movie. The movie started of with Clare (Henry's wife) as a child meeting Henry. The book starts of almost in diary form showing different perspectives. The first point of view was of Clare talking of how difficult it is to be in a relationship with Henry. Then from present tense of the now it goes from present tense of Clare talking and telling of how she meets Henry in the library when she's older.
     Clare meeting Henry in the library is the first time that Henry meets Clare; however, Clare has met the older Henry many times before. Clare knew this because the older Henry knew how this meeting would come. So with Henry being confused Clare tells of her explaining by saying, "I try to explain. 'I'm Clare Abshire. I knew you from when I was a little girl..." (Niffenegger 4). This scene has Clare doing a lot of explaining to the audience and Henry. This is something that the movie and the book have in common.
     The book is almost set up in a play form where it goes from actor to actor. Clare is the actor mostly talking to the audience, one really can not say that Henry talks to the audience the most because they are different Henrys. What this means is that There can be a 30 year old Henry talking or a 25 year old Henry talking. So they are not all the same  and can be considered talking. In the movie its more of the Henry from the present. The book is also more detailed. It shows more of Henry's life before he met Clare and how he has gotten to certain points in his life where the movie skips over these parts.This first half of the book has gone over Henry's life and what Clare puts up with to be with the love of her life Henry. This is so much more when compared to the movie of witch is not as specific.

The Time Traveler's Wife (movie- 2nd half)

     After being so upset about Henry's vasectomy when a Henry from the past calls Clare to pick him up from this time travel she sleeps with him. The next week Clare was pregnant and told Henry after he was wondering why she was acting so weird. The only thing that she could say was that "...it's not like I cheated on you". After all thin was was Henry's baby that she was having; however, it was just the younger Henry who did not yet get a vasectomy.
     Clare's whole answer to the whole situation was that they were not going to argue. Every time that they argued Clare lost the baby so this time she said there was going to be no stress while she was pregnant. Henry on the other hand was stressed and overwhelmed with worry. He did not want a child with the same genetic order that he had and did not want Clare to be disappointed again. This was all until that Henry went on one of his uncontrollable time trips and saw Alba (their daughter) who was very alive and happy. Knowing that something had to be done in the past to make the future like that happened he went to go see Dr. Kendrick who helps him and his daughter in the future. So Alba was born and she can control her time traveling and also where she goes unlike her father. That was how Alba cam back to tell herself  in the past what happens to their father. Henry dies by being shot while some people where hunting. After a while everyone new Henry was going to die and the all anticipated when it was going to happen. Once it did happen Henry from the past was still coming to the past and still returning to the meadow where Clare still left clothes out for him.She kept the mindset "just in case (he comes back)". So that was how the movie ended; however, they all reunited at the meadow as a family and once again they were all waiting and anticipating Henry's next visit.

The Time Traveler's Wife (movie- 1st half)

     This movie is about a girl named Clare who falls in love with a time traveler named Henry. Henry has known Clare since she was five and she has been in love with him ever since.
     The movie starts off with Clare meeting Henry at the library. For Henry this is the first time ever meeting Clare (well his first time remembering meeting Clair). Henry told Clare in a different time that the met that this would happen. So she tells Henry everything and asked him out on a date at Henry's favorite restaurant. Later on after the date the both go back to Henry's place. This is where Clare tells Henry about the first time ever meeting which was in the meadow out in back of Clare's house. From there Henry and Clare start dating. After odd situations Clare's friends find out about Henry's situation which the movie said was because of his genetics.
      Time past on and Clare and Henry are now married and the stress of Henry disappearing and staying gone was starting to  kick in. Knowing her stress Henry met Clare after work and took her into a store with a whole lot of TVs and handed her a scratch ticket. This was when the lottery number's were read off as Henry said them aloud before they were even said. Henry had bought Clare the 5 million dollar lottery ticket of which the used to buy their dream home that had Clare's art studio. A little while later Clare gets pregnant and keeps loosing the baby that is also a time traveler like Henry. Henryy was getting tired of Clare's disappointment so he get a vasectomy.

The Coldest Winter Ever (394-413)

     Winter has a problem and it could have been the end of her. Staying in a mentally abusive relationship and doing whatever for money is what would soon get Winter locked up for 15 years. To think that this could have been avoided if the word "No" was spoken.
     After Bullet decided to unlock Winter from the apartment he took her for a walk. After scaring her in a tone that she loved he asked her to do a drop off with him. This drop off was taking a trip out of stat to exchange drugs and guns for money. When asked if she would do it with him she got a bad feeling; however, she still agreed to do whatever that Bullet wanted. So in preparing for the trip Bullet took Winter back to Brooklyn where Winter the person who use to rule Brooklyn no longer felt safe. So after Bullet left to go to his second apartment to pick up some things Winter got distracted. This led Simone who still held anger to Winter for letting her stay in jail smash the window of the car that Winter was in. After a while Winter was winning the fight until Bullet came back and Winter got distracted by looking at him to provide protection like he provided everything else for her. That was when Simone got a broken glass bottle and swung it across Winter's face. That was when Bullet fired his gun in the air and everyone scattered. As he ran over to help winter and her now bleeding face the cops arrived. This was when Bullet hopped up, walked across the street, and then down the street like nothing ever happened and he did not know what was going on.
     Winter was thrown in jail because i rental car that she was now leaning against  was rented in her name, had drugs stuffed in teddy bears, and weapons in the trunk. If she simply said the truth Bullet would have been arrested and Winter would have been let go. Now 250,055 days into her 15 year sentence she was stepping outside of prison for her mother's funeral. This was like an awful family reunion. Everybody was there, Winter, her father, 3 sisters, and dead crackhead mother in a casket. This is where Winter got to speak to Porsche her younger sister who always wanted to be like Winter following exactly in Winter's footsteps. That is when Winter thought, "But I wanted to warn her about certain things in life. Usually I'm not at a loss for words. But I didn't feel good enough to tell her what I really thought. I knew what she would think: Winter, you're just saying that' cause you're in jail. Winter, you're just saying that because you're old. ...Winter you're just saying that because you're jealous. So instead of saying what I had learned, what was on the tip of my tongue, I said nothing at all. .... She'll learn for herself. That's just the way it is." (Souljah 412-413). Winter finally learned her lesson and it was just to bad that it took her loosing her freedom to realize it. Now her sister is going through the same thing and unfortunately she will probably end up the same way. Using men and only careering about the superficial things in life will only end badly.
The End.

The Coldest Winter Ever (pg 346-394)

     Winter only looking out for Winter and the fastest way to do that has gotten herself into even more problems than she even knows. Being with Bullet is like being in jail. He is over protective, suspisous, jelous, and not the type of person anyone should be with.
     Bullet has Winter locked up in there apartment and her every move is being watched. Winter found out that she was three months pregnant and new it was not Bullet's baby because she was not with him three months ago and new if Bullet found out he would kill her. On top of that he was trying to keep her away from her father by not telling her what prision he was at. So after getting and abortion Bullet grew suspisous because she was not home when he called. Also the doorman who Bullet pays to be his little spy told him that Winter kept leaving the apartment. Bullet even had to violent pitbulls gard the no pets allowed apartment so that she could not leave and on top of that Bullet did not return home for two nights and three days. This ment that Winter was left home straanded in her room for three days with out any food.
     So when Bullet finally came into the room Winter said, "Im hungry'.., which had Bullet reply, 'Oh, so you remember who feeds you, with Winter helplessly saying, 'I never forgot" (Souljah 392). With things like this happening one would think that Winter would try to get out of this horrible relationship; however, she stays because he takes care of Winter whom believes that is all a man should do for her. This is all going to put Winter in a bad situation that she can not get out of and all because of Bullet and her thinking will soon change for people have said to Winter time and time before that gold diggers who also can not do anything for themselves, will end up repaying the supporters some how and with Bullet it could be with Winter's life itself.

The Coldest Winter Ever (pg242-346)

     Winter still absessed with money and using people still is not living right. She has no job, degree, or place of her own. Insted she is living off of people and beging the gold digger that her mother trained her to be.
     Living with Souljah is not as bad as Winter thought it would be. She had all of the conections, a nice place, and Lauren as a friend. Laurn is Souljah's sister who is more like Winter than imagined. After a few months Winter was getting closer and closer to her goal of getting enough money and getting back in touch with Midnight who Souljah had more connections to than she was letting on. So Souljah was having an AIDS fundraiser where Winter was a colector and with about $7000 in her basket she stole the majority of it and even recieved a check for all of her work.
     On Winter's way back to the mansion to get her stuff she walked into Lauren who Souljah called the trickster for a reason that Winter would soon find out. Winter packed her studd and told a lie that she was going to see hger mother in the hospital. Lauren being suspicious mad Winter help her  with some boxes. When Winter was not looking she checked her bags and saw all that cash. So Lauren took all that cash and put bottles in the bag so Winter wouldm't notice the weight change. Winter only figure this out while she was on a bus going to Jersey. The next day it was Winter's birthday of which she forgot and a man that she ws using called  her to congratulate her and come and pick her up and take her to key west. Bullet the guy she was using said, "You know you mine's now' with Winter thinking, '...Bullet thought that he had to fight to make me his girl. I'd lett him believe it, too. Little did he know, I was when he pulled the whip around the bend" (Souljah 345-345). The only reason was because he had money, would take care of her, looked good, and she had no better offers. Winter was falling back into a cycle that her father had warned her about before which he warned would not work out. He said that she had to make her own and getting it from others never last and would hurt her in the end unless she could support herself.

The Coldest Winter Ever (pg134-242)

     Once again Winter is putting herself in a deeper whole when she needs to be climbing to the top. With Winter focousing on clothes, money, parting, and staying on top she keeps making mistakes. Her first mistake was to start talking to a revengful exfriends boyfriend (money train). This caused an anonomous source to call child services and report her location. This got Winter put in a group home for teens.
     In this group home Winter started what she would call her street hustle where her friend stole things and Winter sold the items to the people in the group home. Meanwhile Winter's once beutiful and eye catching mother has become a crackhead, her father is being transfered to prisions and her sisters are still with child services. Somione Winter's pregnant friend who stole stuff got caught steeling and needed Winter to bail her out of jail. Winter knowing she had a stash for the baby was not trying to bail her out knowing that she wasnt going to get that money back. So Winter just left her there not wanting to give up what she considered hard earned cash. So coming home one day almost late for cerfew 5 girls including pregnant Somione were waiting there to jump Winter and some people in the group home were in on it. So going back there after they left was still not safe.
     Now Winter is left at the Mercy of Sister Souljah who acasionaly took in troubled teens for a little while. Winter cant stand pitty or being pitied ecspecialy by Souljah who she can not stand because she believes is fake and views of life are all wrong all while Winter ironicly ends up in this situation. Winter doesnt think how her father tought her and it is really backfireingg on her. When Souljah asked her what was going on that a close friend brought her here Winter simply said, "It aint nothin'. Just some jealous girls at the place where I stay" (Souljah 238). This has always been her problem she makes every situation about her, unimportant, or even worse. When someone who is willing to help ask if there is a problem telling that there isnt a problem will not help. Winter likes to be private and that's okay but telling nothing is not going to help. It was interesting because the person who brought Winter to Souljah already told her everything so hiding what was told didnt do anything. Winter thinks becomeing 18 soon will help get her out of these situations but a number does not change choices being made. As soon as she relizes that she could grow up and take the help people are giving her willingly so she would not have to worry about those situations.

The Coldest Winter Ever (pgs1-134)

     This is a book by Sister Souljah about a girl named Winter Santiaga. Born and raised in Brooklyn New Yorks was winter raised as its princess and who she thought herself would soon be its queen. Winter was born in one of Brooklyn's worst snow storms ever and thats how she got her name. Her father was Ricky Santiaga  the biggest drug dealer in Brooklyn. She was truly a ghetto princess and everyone who new her father treated her like one.
     Winter's mother had her at 14 years old which she thought was fine because her man soon to be husband could support them all plus more. This was trouble for disaster because that was what Winter's mother tought her. Winter's mother did not work and Winter only went to schl when she felt like it. So her mother tought winter to be a miny her. She tought Winter not to date people below her and to use men  for what they could give her. With this type of teachings Winter thought that she was grown at a young age- seven to be exact. This might have been nessacery for a drug dealers daughter who was over protective. She learned that she kept family business in the family. Winter also knew to keep her father and mother's teachings seperate. This because Winter's father would kill or cut anyone who looked at his daughter to long and her mother tought her that this attention was good. With this being so Winter lost her virinity at 12. Winter had 3 little sisters who her parents made her watch since Winter wouldnt go to school. There were twin girls and another girl 3 years older than the twins who also felt that she was more grown than she actually was.
     With years going by and with the Santiaga business growing they moved out of Brooklyn. Winter and her mother knew that this was because of more than expanding drug rings. So now stuck in Long Island Winter and her mother were goiing crazy being isolated after all they were ghetto queens who needed their loyal followers to be intertained. The kids were fine because they all had huge rooms to intertain them. So in the last sraw Winter's mother demanded her new car of which wasnt in her driveway when she woke up. Santiaga was getting it after he made a quick "run". He new it was dangerous but his wife wanted to go so bad that he took her along. This is when everything started to go wrong. New people on the old block started coming up and wanted to test Santiaga, so on his run His wife got shot in the face. From there is just a matter of weeks Santiaga was arrested, the girls were taken away, Winter's mom was slowly goinging crazy, and Winter the ghetto queen in training was left out to survive on her own. If she listened to her father's lessions more than her mother's than this might not have been sso hard. So after it was set up for Winter to get some more cash she started thinking, "A winter outfit was gonna make me feel alright" (Souljah 118). So she spent the majority of her money on new clothes before she met with one of her father's workers called Midnight who she had the biggest crush on of which was definately not mutual. So when he met up with her there was a problem and now he could not give her the cash. So again she was trying to live off of her "sugar daddy" of which her mther always tought her to have even though her mother said she didnt need one because her husband was everything. Winter kept making mistakes that her father always warned her about. So she would have to fix that mistake until Mdnight could get they money that ws stored away that the FBI didnt know about.

Laughing in the Dark (214-295)

     Gaines needed to get her life back on track. To make this happen she had to do what ws best for herself and her child. In so the first step was divorcing Ziggy. Once Gainesd did this life kept getting better. Gaines ws getting raises at her new job at the Post, was making new positive friends, and enjoying time with her daughter.
      Then people started dieing and getting sick. Gaines's grandmother had 3-4 strokes and died. A few months before her grandfather died. Then so did her father just as their relationship started to become the best than it had ever been. Soon some of her gay friends who helped her emotionally in life were getting sicker from aids. Four of them died from it and slowly led Gaines back into depression. Life had become so great and then the people who helped make it that way slowly slipped away. This was effecting her work and Gaines was in jepordey of loosing her job. So in noticing that she was the most unhappy that she had been in a while she took a vacation. Then she woke up one day and relized that all the great people in her life that had passed di not want this for her and she knew that they were in a better place.
     After all of this happened Gaines met Chris who she believe that her friends some how sent to her from the heveans above. Over this difficult but love filled year Gaines learned so much met knew people, and finally learned how to love herself. In this being so Gaines relized that her time before this she could categorized summerized and put behind her and focous one the good and live off of that. This is when Gaines wrote, "... my life thus far could be broken into three parts: there was my childhood, when I learned that I was black and struggled to understand what that meant; there was my my young adult life, when I searched for the definition of a woman and what my relationship should be to a man; and there was this time, the exciting time, when I had gone beyound sexuality, beyond woman and man, to humanness" (Gaines 273). With this thought being reached Gaines had accepted herself, was writting a book, helping people in situations of which she use to be in, and marring someone she truley loved and became friends with before an intimate partner of which she believed made the relationship stronger. So now there is only so much more that could be reached because her understanding of life was learned and relized that it didnt have to be miseerable.

Laughing in the Dark (127-214)

     As these pages were read it was relized that Gaines grows up; however, she does fall back into her usual paterns that of course involve men. Gaines ws moving from place to place looking for jobs and better oppertunities. During this time she married two more times and before that made some very bad choices in the boyfriends that she chose.
     Gaines married her secound husband whose mother hated Gaines because she felt that Gaines stole her son away. He did not get along with Andrea Gaines's daughter but surprisingly her hateful mother'n' law took very good care of Andrea when needed. This was a bad marriage from the start for it was called off the day of and then they got married two weeks later. Once Gaines relized that he was crazy she had no choice but to leave for Andrea's sake. Then her boyfriend after her secound husband was a(n) ex pimp and tried to get restarted with Gaines. He tried to force her into this by whipping her. It was a good thing that a friend noticed the swellings, scars, and brusies and had her report the abuse. After this Gaines tried to get her life back on track. In doing this Gaines got a job which was owned by two all black owners. One was a father and the other his daughter. Mr. Cummings liked Gaines however Gaines did not feel that way about him. So he offered her money to have her go to dinner with him. In Gaines remembering her past she agreed. She was rapped twice and there was no justice. She felt that men had used her and always have and this was a way to use them before they used her. So Gaines started having sex with him for money and gifts. This shortly ended. After this Gaines wanted to be finacially supported with out a man.
      This all led to Gaines meeting Judy who Gaines felt to be a sister to her. They both brought out the best qualities in each other. Soon Judy and her child moved in with Gaines and her child. Then soon Judy met her future husban and Gaines met Ziggy her soon to be third husband. This is where Gaines who had came out of a slum was slowly moving back into one. Soon Judy moved out and Ziggy moved in. He only worked if it involved music for he was a musician. This ment that Gaines was left to pay all of the bills. Soon Gaines's job offered a better oppertunity in California. So in Ziggy not ready to move Gaines was left to support two house holds. During this time Gaines is raising Andrea and is now a reporter who feels as if she has betrayed her people. In an explanation Gaines said, "...I was forced to relize I was now different from the people out on the street.'Can you ever go home?'I kept asking myself. Could I br 'street' again" (Gaines 213). In the middle of  another marrige crisis, financial worries, and fears of what will become of Andrea because of fear that Gaines is not around enough Gaines now feels Guilt. She is no longer the person people are covering in stories but the person covering the stories. This all could truly send Gaines back into a deeper slum insted of the better life that she has dreampt of

Laughing in the dark (68-127)

     As usual Gaines was following the lead of a man and something went wrong. Ben the father of Gaines's child was doing heroin and got Gaines to try it. This was not a difficult task for Gaines just went along with it and said sure. So after enjoying it so much they started to do it on the weekends. Thank god they had enough sense not to get high around their daughter Andrea.
     During this time Ben and Gaines were at different places in life so they were living in different places. On a visit to Gaines's house ben brought a friend and some heroin. So after they shot up Gaines remembered that she made arrangements for them to go out to a concert. In wanting to go Ben told Gaines to hold they drugs and seringes in her purse. So of coures Gaines did what Ben pleased. Sitting high at the concert Ben and his friend left Gaines alone to go to the bath room. After an hour alone she looked over and relized that Ben and his friend had been busted for selling drugs to an under cover cop and thety were now making their way over to Gaines. Relizing that Gaines had drugs in her purse she ran out towards the exiting crowd. It was not hard to notice Gaines for  there were only three black people who attended the cocert of which two had just been arrested. They cought Gaines, gave her an exsessive bail, and she was imprisioned for a month and had a five month probation guilty plee insted of five years in jail. Once again Gaines relized that she was the one who suffered while Ben got of scot free. Ben could not be charged because he had no drugs on him at the time.
     Once out of jail Gaines relized how wrong her life had went. She was a brides mate in her ex-best friends wedding. She saw how happy Ginny was married, educated, had good supportive friends who did the right things in life, and succeding in life way better than Gaines. Life was now more of a struggle than Gaines ever imagined. She relized that just typing was not going to help support her and that having been charged with a felony would not get her a job. Gaines recalled going to interviews thinking that people would be understanding and then saying, "But employers didn't see it my way, and once interviewers took a look at my application, they said, 'I'm sorry' " (Gaines 127). This all made Gaines go back to school, try harder, and look back on her mistakes so that she would not make new ones. This was difficult, depressing, and an ordeal that Gaines was forced to face and was very helpful but or how long is the question.