Gran Torino

Today in class, we saw a movie named Gran Torino. Gran Torino is an American drama film from 2008 directed and produced by Clint Eastwood. Clint Eastwood also plays the main part in the film, a lonely, bitter and depressed man named Walt Kowalski.

The story follows Walt and his life as a recently widowed Korean War veteran. He lives in Michigan, in a neighborhood filled with gang violence. Next to Walt lives a Hmong family of four. The Hmong people are an Asian ethnic group from the mountainous regions of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and China. Walt dislikes his neighbors, their traditions and their culture, and wants nothing to do with them or any of the other Hmong people.

It all begins when Thao, one of his Hmong neighbors is forced by his cousin and his gang to steal Walt’s car, a 1972 Gran Torino. He gets caught and has to work for Walt as punishment for the crime. Through this period, Walt develops a relationship with Thao and his family. The Hmong family is being harassed by Thao’s cousin and his gang, and Walt does everything he can to help them. It’s dangerous and the consequences are obnoxious.

Immigrants do face challenges when starting a new life for themselves. The first challenge might be finding a place to live and securing a job. To get a job as an immigrant can be difficult, especially if they don’t speak the language. Finding educational recourses for their children might also be a challenge. In addition to this, cultural differences and new rules can be hard to get used to and accept. Gran Torino deals with cultural differences and focuses about the importance of helping others. It’s an excellent, powerful and emotional film worth seeing!





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To Kill a Mockingbird

We have a project in class where we are going to read a book of our own choice. I chose the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. It was published in 1960 and became a successful and requested book. It’s a classic of modern American literature, and has also been made into a movie with the same title as the book.

I’ve just finished the first four chapters, and can’t wait to read the rest. I’ve been introduced to Scout Finch, a six-year-old girl who lives in Maycomb with her father named Atticus and her brother, Jem. Her father is a lawyer with high moral standards. He loves his children and treats them with courteous detachment.

Scout and her brother meet a boy named Dill. He lives with his aunt for the summer, and they soon become friends. Scout and Jem tell him about their neighbor, Boo Radley. A legend says that Mr. Radley once stabbed his father in the leg with a scissor and became a dangerous man. Scout, Jem and Dill are curious, and want to know more about Mr. Radley. They often go by his house, a haunted house according to the rumors.

Early in September, Scout starts at school. It’s her first year and she is excited. Already before her first day is over, her teacher, Miss Caroline Fisher, hauls her up to the front of the room and hits her hands with a ruler and makes her stand in the corner of the classroom until noon. She doesn’t understand why she is punished and hates her teacher and everything about school.

This is what I’ve read so far. The book is written in a southern accent, which makes it more reliable. I’ve just read 4 chapters, but do already looking forward to read the rest. I’ve heard much about the book and its capturing gesture. I will continue writing when I’ve read some more.

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