Apprentice Book
I chose to make my apprentice book based off of A&P by John Updike. I liked this story the most out of the short stories we have read so far because of the great description and the way I am able to connect with the main character Sammy. The details throughout the short story really stood out and made me feel like I was inside of the grocery store. I could feel, see and hear what was happening around Sammy. John Updike does a fantastic job of description and internal dialogue and makes you feel apart of the story. Also Sammy being around the same age as a college student made me feel more connected to him because just like him I have no idea what I’m doing half of the time and just try to wing it as I go. One thing that stood out to me while reading, and after reading this story, was the way that Sammy talks about everyone in the store as a sheep. This is what really led me to picking this story because it gave me Catcher in the Rye type of vibes and connects to real life what is happening all around us everyday.
Reflection: Bookmaking
I made my apprentice book about the use of the word sheep throughout the story and the images I used are the things that connect most to these lines. The white sheep on the front cover is used to show that on the inside of the gate mostly everything is the same and there are very limited differences between us. The shopping cart being very simplistic and containing items that most people buy on a regular basis at the grocery store. I chose to draw a bunch of grapes to show how everyone is connected all to the same vine and there are barely any stragglers at the bottom, hanging off and away from everyone else. I used a gate next to show how we all have an objective to pass through but need someone else to open it up for us because we are afraid to take the next step and open the door ourselves. I finally used a black sheep on the back to show that on the other side of the gate is something on the other side, something different but just the same as everyone else except for a few things that show individuality. I feel like people will always be following someone else in some way or another because it is the safest thing to do in nature. If someone is doing it right then you know that is what you need to do to survive, and if someone is messing up and getting knocked down over and over again you know not to follow that path. My hope for this is that people try to break the mold and do something different and be free from the restrictions that we set on ourselves and our societies. It may be scary but the only way to break free is to face fear head on.
