...and Fast Food Nation

1. I believe that after Oskar's search with Mr. Black and his conversations with Abby and William Black, he realized how he has been as a son to his father and mother. He is a very loving son to his father and has been quite cold with his relationship with his mother. He reflected on these and felt guilty about doubting his mother's love for him which is why he tried to make it up to his mother by saying things like, "It's okay for you to fall in love again." He learned that he had to change and when his Stuff That Happened to Me was already full, he told himself that maybe he does not need to start a new volume.

2. Thomas Schell discovered what has become of Oskar. He followed Oskar as Oskar tried to search for the lock and to learn more about his father. This reminded Thomas of what his son did the same when he left; his son searched and tried to learn more about him as well. I think it was a sad discovery for Thomas Schell because in the novel he asked, "Why can't people say what they mean at the time?". It seems to him that people have to be lost so that others will look for them and try to show them how they care.

3. As a young child, I love going to fast food restaurants. To me, it means kiddie parties, collectible toys, and playgrounds. As a high school student, (back in the Philippines) fast foods played a different role for me. My friends and I bonded over fast food. My sisters, dad, and I usually eat at a fast food restaurant on weekends. When I moved to the U.S., I had to get a job, go to school, and pretty much manage my time. I had tons of duties and responsibilities. I never had the time to go out to eat. I just grab whatever's in the fridge. Since 2008, I have probably eaten fast food for only five times or so.

4. After reading Fast Food Nation, I learned that there is more to fast food than inexpensive meals with free collectibles available almost everywhere. The fast food industry is a product of synergy - that of Ray Kroc, Walt Disney, and the people who worked for and with them. The fast food industry is a picture of success but with this success is a number of problems. One of which is how this industry advertises and markets their products to children, most especially in schools. I am not really bothered by this fact because I believe that consumers contirbute to these problems but it cannot be denied that if these products, fast food and sodas, were not available and accessible to children, they wouldn't be tempted to buy.