Chapter 18- End!!
Ch.
18: In chapter 18 Joey gets sick with lockjaw. During this his entire body goes
stiff and they fear he will not make it. Major Martian, Sergeant Thunder,
Albert, David, and other orderlies there work around the clock to get Joey
better. Joey says it thinks they want him to live because it is as if he and
Albert are brothers and both mean so much to everyone. One night while Albert
is sleeping Joey is finally able to move his neck and wakes Albert up. Everyone
is so excited that Joey is going to be ok.
Ch.
19. This chapter is short but in it Major Martian announces that everyone will
be home hopefully by Christmas however the horses are not going. Sergeant
Thunder is very mad, calling the horse’s soldiers and speaking of how many of
them will be killed. Albert hears the news and it devastates.
Ch.
20 In this chapter everyone is getting ready for the horse auction. Everyone
pulls together money and at the auction Sergeant Thunder was going to bid on
Joey. During the action a man was bidding hire than they could afford and right
before the end Emilie’s grandfather steps forward saying he will bid as much as
he as to because that horse belonged to his Emilie.
.
Ch.21
this is the last chapter of the book. Both the Sergeant and the Major talked to
Emilie’s grandfather and after being touched by the story tells Albert he will
sell him Joey for a English penny and the promise that he will love and care
for Joey as much as his Emile did. Joey and Albert return home around Christmas
time. As they ride through the celebration for the heroes they know the true
heroes are the soldiers (man and horse) who did not make it back. Albert
marries and he and Joey have a happy ever after life.
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I thought that a few of the author's techniques with these chapters were pretty interesting.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I thought it was interesting that he didn't straight-out say that the horses at the auction would likely be killed and used for meat. He insinuated it, but didn't say it straight out (that I could see). I wonder if Mr. Morpurgo wrote it like that because that is a sensitive subject, and younger kids who are reading it might not realize why the soldiers are dreading that auction, and it might spare those younger readers some heartache. Or maybe he did it because the imagination is often more vivid than if he just flat-out said what would happen to them.
Also, I thought it was interesting how Joey didn't really seem to live "happily ever after." It kinda seemed like Joey wasn't truly happy after they went back home. Maybe that was just to show that war is horrible, and nothing is the same when soldiers return. But it just seemed like there was this weird jealousy going on between Joey and Mazie (Albert's wife) and I guess I would have preferred if she doted on Joey and they all lived happily ever after, rather than her not liking the horse.
Overall, I thought this was a really good book. I'm not sure about using it for a middle school classroom--I kind of think it's more for 5th graders. But I liked it, and I think it would be a great book to tie together a Language Arts class and a Social Studies class.
Albert needs to marry someone who actually appreciates horses, especially since Joey is a war horse! After Emilie's grandpa purchased Joey, I had mixed feelings about where I wanted him to belong. It was sweet how Grandpa tracked down Emilie's prized possessions, but Joey did technically belong to Albert first. It would of been useful to the reader if Michael Morpurgo included an epilogue or an additional conclusion in the future. I would of liked it if the story provided more details about Emilie's passing away, even though it would of been a bit sad to read. I enjoyed War Horse, but there was description left out through the entire story. Maybe this was to appeal to an adolescent audience? It was difficult to relate as a math and science educator, other than repetitive animal science.
ReplyDeleteThis part of the book was the most anxious for me because it came down to the last minute that on whether or not Joey would be able to stay with Albert. When they found out that all of the remaining survivor horses would be sold in an auction, it was terrible. After all of the workers wanted to put their money together I thought for sure they would be able to outbid everyone else. When the bidding began and the butcher wanted to win Joey though because he was such a healthy horse I thought that the novel would have a traumatic ending just like a lot of the other scenes. Emilee's Grandfather showing up was not a relief to me but the act of kindness that he shows at the very end threw the entire conclusion I had created in my mind for a loop. Joey and Albert ending up together was perfect and the best way for this novel to end, giving happiness and hope to the readers.
ReplyDeleteThese last few chapters were much a roller coaster ride! When Albert discovered that Joey had Tetanus, I thought that Joey would die. I was convinced that he was too ill to recover. When Joey started making progress, I was elated! It was touching to read about Albert taking care of Joey when he needed him the most. Once Joey recovered, I really wasn't expecting another major setback but Michael Morpurgo definitely surprised me. I was so unsettled reading about the horse auction. It reminded me of reading about slave auctions in Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe. I was shocked when Emilie's grandfather bought Joey at the auction. What a twist! I definitely applaud the author for this happy ending! I really enjoyed reading "War Horse" a lot more than I had anticipated. I love that Joey is the narrator and we hear what he is thinking. I have always been fascinated by horses so this book was a good read for me.
ReplyDeleteI have really enjoyed War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. The last few chapters are all about Joey and Albert being reunited. Then we are thrown a curve ball when they put the horses up for auction. When reading the book, I thought that this was the end for Joey and Albert. I thought that Joey would be bought by someone else. However, Emilie's grandfather shows up at the auction and outbids everyone and buys Joey. After this occurred, my favorite part of the book happened. The part of the book where Emilie's grandfather gives Joey back to Albert for one English penny and a promise. This conversation they had about Joey really showed how important Joey was to everyone. It showed that Joey was important to the late Emilie, her grandfather, and of course Albert. I thought the end was very good, and I enjoyed Albert and Joey going back to the farm. I have enjoyed War Horse and think it would be a great book for an English or History class in the middle school level.
ReplyDelete