Character Sketch: Dusty Hanson, The Lottery by Beth Goobie

June 14th, 2007
ELA9 Mrs. LaMotte
Elizabeth Selinger

The Lottery
Character Sketch: Dusty Hanson

Let’s say you’re in grade ten and have an older brother. He’s a few years older, taking university classes, and teaching you how to drive. However, let’s say he still lives at home, because your mother is distant workaholic, and he worries about you growing up. Let’s say he’s been the only strong person to look up to in your life. You love him more than any other person in the world. Let’s say that all the things being said are added up. The result is Dusty Hanson, from the viewpoint of the main character, Sal.

Dusty is a stereotypical older brother in the way that he’s overprotective. A good example of this is near the end of the book, when Willis visits the Hanson house to practice his and Sal’s duet. In one part it says, “— he’d kicked up a mini-uproar that morning when he’d heard Willis was coming over,” and he insists upon answering the door and somewhat defending Sal. Though he has the obvious reasons to be on guard – his past with Shadow, the fact that Sal is the victim and Willis the president – the fact is clear by the way he subtly banters with Willis, disgusted by him; demands a guarantee from him, and watches him so warily during practice. He wants to be a shield for his little sister, and keep her safe and well to an extreme. Another section of the book showing this trait in Dusty is when Sal thinks that he can’t get his own life because he cares too much about her’s.

Though he strives to keep his sister safe; Dusty’s desire to keep her well goes to a further extent – her psychological security. His character is very intelligent, or at least thoughtful. It is stated that Dusty is a psychology major at the University of Saskatchewan, and twice in the book he references his texts in attempts to explain Sal’s behavior to their mother. Also shown are segments where he is acknowledged to be studying or working on projects. While this may demonstrate academic intelligence, Dusty is also portrayed as a very thoughtful and observant person. He almost catches on when Sal primarily questions Lizard, very casually, about the Lottery. Throughout the book he seems to be noting her behaviors and trying to help and be a support, even though he doesn’t actually have an honest understanding of the situation.

If the original summary of this character was taken back into focus, Dusty Hanson looks the perfect person to have around at this point in Sal’s life. However, one feature holds him at a far from perfect position: his passive stance concerning confrontation. Right through about the first three-quarters of The Lottery, the main character maintains that her brother would never challenge any of her issues. For instance, when Sal mentions the Lottery while driving (to which Dusty gives a remarkably cold response), and then decides not to question Dusty about his reaction because she thinks he will only back off the subject. Or, another case in point is after one of Sal’s The Wall Live screaming sessions, when she knows Dusty won’t ask her straight out why she’d been screaming at such a level. According to Sal, no one in her family tackles important matters head-on, not even something as key as her father’s suicide. This explains Dusty’s mannerisms, and the wall he has to break down before he can conquer that passive trait.

At this point, all of the subject’s characteristics involve his younger sister. He cares for her visibly, and even beyond her, Dusty has quite a caring persona. The author illustrates this through Dusty’s quiet worry for his mother at the beginning of the book, when he warns Sal of their mother’s concern about her hypnosis while screaming, and requests Sal tell her good-night before bed. It even displays the previously mentioned section in which Dusty indicates toward his studies on scream-therapy to explain Sal’s actions. An event such as this really shows his concentrated nurturing and attention on both Sal and his mom. Later in the story, Dusty reveals the truth about his high school years: how, although Lizard won the Lottery, Dusty tried to stick by him. He was tremendously loyal and really troubled himself by caring about his best friend so much. This is a distinct quality in a young male person especially, because today’s society makes it a lot harder for that gender of teens to show real caring in a setting with peers.

Still on that note, Dusty continued to make more of an apparent break from his peers. Despite the fact that residing with Lizard didn’t work out, he started what is written in the novel as “random acts of intelligence” against Shadow Council. After he graduated, Shadow apparently still wanted a kind of vengeance, selecting Sal Hanson as Lottery winner. This only goes to show exactly how major a stand like Dusty’s was. No one during Sal’s term does anything remotely close to what Dusty describes he did. It appears this character is nonconforming as they come, if he wants to be. Indicating this furthermore is the mention of his supreme talent in basketball, and yet he’s never joined a basketball team. Even though basketball may have been his way to deal with his father’s death, in a conformist a talent such as that would only lead to teams. Another part that could be mentioned is his shag carpeting in the basement – definitely not something regular in modern day.

This material concludes that the character Dusty Hanson of The Lottery by Beth Goobie is overprotective, intelligent, passive, caring, and nonconforming. Additionally, that he’s thoughtful, observant, and loyal. Consequently, he could be seen as complex or entirely not, as typical older brother type, or an expressively pleasing character of many coats. Overall Dusty Hanson is much like the book itself – looking typical at first glance, but if explored, something quite unexpected and multifaceted.

References

1) http://www.britainexpress.com/ > click on History and Culture > click on The Middle Ages > Click on Town Life in the Middle Ages (under Society)

2) http://www.camelotintl.com/ > click on soldier (feathered headgear) – “Click Now To Enter Heritage” > click on Medieval Life

3) http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ > click on Medieval England > click on Medieval Manor Houses

4) http://www.historyonthenet.com/ > click on Medieval Life > click on Houses

5) http://www.kathimitchell.com/ > click on Social Studies > click on Middle Ages

6) http://www.learner.org/exhibits/middleages

7) http://www.thinkquest.org/ > search for fief > click on Medieval Fiefdom

8) Trueman, Dawn & John. (1974). The Peasant’s World: The Manor. Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited.

9) Trueman, Dawn & John. (1973). The Peasant’s World: The Town. Canada: McGraw-Hill Ryerson Limited.

Feudalism: Towns & Villages

In the 1200s, northern Europe's largest towns--London, Paris and Ghent--contained no more than 30,000 or 40.000 residents. Southern European cities like Venice and Florence had over 100,000. The world s largest cities--Constantinople and Baghdad--each had about a million people. How do these figures compare with the population of your city or town?

Europeans established the world's first universities in the 1100s. Like the world outside then, the university could be a violent place: Oxford University in England had rules that specifically forbid students from bringing bows and arrows to class.

Under Medieval law, animals could be tried and sentenced for crimes, just as though they were people. There are records of farm animals being tried for injuring or killing people. Animals were charged with smaller crimes, too. Some mice were taken to court for stealing part of the harvest, and, in another case, a flock of locusts was convicted --in absentia--of eating crops

A feudal society very much like that of Europe's developed in Japan in the 1100's. The Japanese called their knights "samurai," and, like the knights of Europe, they fought on horseback. As in Europe, Japanese feudalism developed at a time of anarchy.

In the early Middle Ages, Europeans told time in a way that would seem very strange to us today. They divided the day into 7 hours' of equal length. Because summer days are longer than winter ones, a winter 'hour" was about 60 minutes, but a summer one was 150 minutes! By the late 1300s, Europeans had mechanical clocks and often installed them in the towers of churches and town halls.

- The knight on horseback would have been impossible without an important innovation that reached Europe from India in the 700s-- the stirrup Mounted warriors could now maneuver their horses more effectively and carry heavier armor and weapons.

A number of European advances during the Middle Ages were made possible by the Moorish occupation of Spain. Most important was the use of Arabic numerals, which we still use today. The Moors also brought new words to Europe. "Algebra," "lute," "magazine," "orange ," and "tariff" all come from Arabic. In addition, the Moors introduced a game that quickly became popular from Cadiz to London: chess.

What kind of meal was "fit for a king"? King Richard II of England sometimes gave feasts for as many as 10,000 people at once. One of these required 140 hogs, 14 oxen, 12 calves, 12 boars and 3 tons of salted venison.

http://www.themiddleages.net/life/facts.html


Pictures of planned towns:
http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/education/medieval_town_plans.htm

Other site:
http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/education/medievaltowns.htm

Introduction Mayans?

The Maya civilization was one of the most culturally powerful and thickly populated societies in the world. Its people were noted for their art, architecture, and developed mathematical, astronomical, and writing systems. Mayan history is divided into three parts: 1500 B.C. to 300 A.D. was the Pre-classic period, 300 to 900 A.D. was Classic, and 900 to 1500 A.D. was Postclassic.

Religion & Values

Their religion revolves around the cyclical nature of time
They believed that heaven had 13 different layers, and the underworld had 9 layers
Gods weren't distinct, they merged with eachother regularly; the Maize (Corn) God was a central diety
Animal and human sacrifices were made if something bad was coming
The Mayans practiced "bloodletting". Ex: pulling thorn-studded ropes through tongues
To them, the night sky was a window showing all supernatural worlds

Mayans powerpoint info

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_civilization
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_religion
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maya_society

Social Structure
- kingdoms - capital city & neighborhood with lesser towns
- royal court, everything focused especially around royal family
- cities were basically enormous royal households
- slaves were used for sacrifice
- lower beings' spaces were built around the royal temples & etc.
- peasant workers did work for building projects
- increased burden of work may have caused lower class Mayans to revolt against the elite


Religion and Values
- cyclical nature of time
- hundreds/thousands of celestial/terrestrial cycles
- cycles were all observed and written as separate calendars (infinite duration)
- Maya shaman intrepeted cycles and prophesizated the future or past based on calendars
- if prophecized of bad times, then sacrifices were made
- sacrifices: small animals: chickens, "bloodletting" by high officials, human sacrifices
- heaven, earth, underworld
- heaven: 13 different layers for various gods
- underworld: Xibalbá, 9 layers, aged Maya gods of death and putrefaction. final resting place of souls, gods would torment any one there
- night sky: window showing all supernatural activities, constellations of gods, narratives, intersection of all possible worlds
- Maya gods: not separate like Greek, rather merged with eachother
- good & evil aren't permanent characteristics, and not only good is admirable
- inappropriateness of something changes through seasons, because tradition based on cycles

- Maize (Corn) God - major god, model of life
- Maya bodily ideal is based on young Maize God, seen in artwork

- universe - flat & square but infinite in area
- worshipped the circle (balancing of forces)
- symbols: swastika, perfect cross

- 260-day calender, the tzolkin, used to determine important activites relating gods & humans
- date which born determines fate through life
- 365 day solar calender, the haab, recorded moon and Venus

- rituals, practice a lot of bloodletting
- thorn-studded ropes through tongues, human sacrifice - low social status like slaves sacrificed on tops of pyramids

Science Project

Written Project Plan


Date Project is Due:
March 8th, 2007

Name of Student Scientist:
Elizabeth Selinger


1. Investigative Question(s) – problem to be solved.
What is the purpose of your experiment?
Does microwaved water affect plant growth compared to regular water (over the course of one month)?


2. a. Hypothesis – based on Investigative Question, written in future tense.









b. “If… then… “ statement of the Hypothesis.
If a plant is watered with only microwaved water, then it will have slightly retarded growth and/or other bad side effects.



3. Materials – List Materials needed (vertically, not in a sentence)
- 2 identical pots of soil
- 2 plant seeds of the same type
- window(s) with room for both pots to get the same amount of sunlight
- a microwave
- water (preferably a water source where the water will have close to the same things in it every time used) (will use Culligan water)
- measuring cup
- tape/adhesive


4. Procedure – Numbered, step by step instructions.
1) Place pots of soil in (close to) identical positions near window
2) Use tape/adhesive to secure pots in place
3) Plant 1 seed per pot
4) Take 1 picture of each plant (overhead view)
5) Record observations
6) Measure 2 amounts of water (a and b), exactly the same amount
7) Microwave water (a) for 3 minutes
8) Pour water (a) into plant 1 and water (b) into plant 2
9) Repeat steps 4 – 8 once per day


5. Identify the “Control” (conditions or materials that stay the same) for your experiment.
The controls in this experiment will be: the type of seed, amount of sunlight, amount of water, size and type of pot, [anything else except condition of water].

6. Identify the “Variable” (conditions or materials that change; only change one thing at a time) for your experiments.
The only variable will be the water condition; for one plant the water will have been microwaved, for the other the water will be basically untouched.


7. Attach sample data sheets you will use to record your data (sketches, log, chart, etc.).


Day 1
Day 2
Plant 1
Picture:





Observations:





Picture:





Observations:

Plant 2





Picture:




Observations:





Picture:




Observations: