Federigo's Falcon by Giovanni Boccaccio

Theme Words:
- Love
- Sacrifice
- Fate
- Loss
- Family

Quote 1: "And with the object of winning her love...spending money without any restraint whatsoever,: (Boccaccio 161).
        Federigo is so in love with this woman that he spent his entire fortune trying to win her heart. It shows how much he really cares for her and what he will do in order to be with the one of his life.
Connection 1: This is seen in everyday life. men will shower women with gifts in order to win their affection. Sometimes it is enough but other times the connection is not there. It is every man's dream to find the woman that he loves and will spend the rest of their life with but love is hard to achieve. You have to fight for it just like Federigo did.

Quote 2: "My thought therefore turned to the falcon you have asked me for and, knowing its quality, I ruptured it a worthy dish to set before you." (Boccaccio 164).
       Frederigo sacrificed his beloved falcon in order to win the heart of his true love. He will do whatever it takes to make her happy not knowing that she wishes to have the falcon still alive.
Connection 2: Everyone will encounter someone in their life that they will do anything for. They will give up an arm and a leg to make this person happy even if that person does not feel the same way. Sometimes the sacrifice can be obvious, other time it can be subtle. Nevertheless it is still there and the theme of sacrifice is clearly seen in "Federigo's Falcon".

The Pardoner's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

Theme Words:
- Greed
- Ambition
- Betrayal
- Revenge
- Manipulation

Quote 1: "Now let me tell you where your profit lies...So that we shared it out- the two of us- wouldn't you take it as a friendly act?" (Chaucer line 230-237)
       The two rioter are so driven by greed that they are planning to kill a good friend of theirs. This truly shows how corrupt one can become if they let greed take over their actions.
Connection 1: It is seen everyday in politics, congressmen are so focused on gaining supporters and winning elections that they forget to accomplish what they promised to do in the first place. They are driven by greed to get more money and more attention that they forget what is most important. This is the same idea that is proposed in "The Pardoner's Tale". The three rioters are so focused on getting rich that they forget what their original goal was.

Quote 2: "Well sirs, if it be your design to find out Death, turn up this crooked way," (Chaucer line 180-185)
        The three rioters original goal was to seek revenge on Death for killing a friend of theirs. Their goal drove them out on a path that ironically only meant their demise.
Connection 2: This is a classic instance is seen in many movies including "Taken" and "The Godfather". Revenge can make a person go crazy if that is all they seek. It clouds the judgment of those affected just as it did the three rioters in the story.

Beowulf by Sameus Haney and Grendel by John Gardner

Beowulf

Theme Words:
- Good vs Evil
- Courage
- Human Nature
- Loyalty
- Identity

Quote 1: "Often, for undaunted courage, fate spares the man it has not already marked." (Haney 572)
        Beowulf explains that fate will fortune the ones who are brave and have endless courage. It is interesting to see how Beowulf uses this theory through all of his adventures. He knows that as long as he fights with all of his strength then he will die an honorable death and be rewarded in the afterlife.
Connection 1: This idea can be seen in many modern movies such as "The Dark Knight" and "Gladiator". The main hero believes that if you fight for the right cause and with determination, no matter what the outcome, you will be rewarded for your deeds. This can also be seen in modern religions such as Christianity. There is the idea that if yu do good things then good things will be rewarded in the afterlife.

Grendel

Theme Words:
- Identity
- Hate
- Injustice
- Good vs Evil

Quote 1: "An evil idea came over me-so evil it made me shiver as I smiled- and I sidled across to the table." (Gardner 83)
       Throughout the story Grendel is constantly struggling to find out what is right and what is wrong. He continuously switches his opinion on the matter and it shoes the struggle that is inside all of us when making  decisions.
Connection 1: One of the purposes in life is to find out what is is good and what is evil. we try to discover who we are and what our identity is. That is the main internal conflict that grows inside of Grendel in the story. This theme has been used in countless literary works and is a common thought that runs through our minds everyday.

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime By Mark Haddon

Theme Words:
- Isolation
- Logic
- Love
- Truth
- Innocence

Quote 1: "It was nice in the police cell." (Haddon 23)
        Christopher does not understand most emotions that humans feel on a daily basis. He likes to be isolated and be alone with his thoughts. This is why he finds the police cell so confronting. It is seen throughout the book that his best ideas are thought of when he is alone.
Connection 1: we can all relate to this in our everyday life. sometimes it is best to just be by yourself so you can think through problems with no distractions. It is seen in other literary works, such as "The Hunger Games", that when a character needs to make a big decision, they like to be by themselves so they can think over all of the possibilities.

Quote 2: "We do this because sometimes father wants to give me a hug, but I do not like hugging people, so we do this instead, and it means that he loves me."
        It is difficult for Christopher to express love to others, even to his own father. He must find his own ways to express his feelings even if it does not make sense to others.
Connection 2: Christopher is not the only one who struggles with showing his emotions. Most people in today's society have issues expressing what they really mean. Christopher does a good job of coming up with ways to show that he is scared, worried, excited, or cares about a subject. It is interesting to see his thought process and makes you wonder what is going on inside other people's minds.

This Commonplace Blog Includes:

Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon 

Beowulf by Sameus Haney 

Grendel by John Gardner

Pardoner's Tale by Geoffrey Chaucer

Federigo's Falcon by Giovanni Boccaccio