As you read Veronika Decides to Die post your thoughts on a certain part or aspect of the text. Remember to provide textual evidence in your analysis.
Your comment may be based on:
- a certain passage (at least TWO-THREE lines in length)
- a specific character
- certain image or tone
- a theme in this section
The section and page numbers which you will be responding to will be for PAGES 133-164 --
YOU MUST CITE (=LIST) THE PAGE NUMBER(S) TO WHICH YOU ARE REFERRING AND REMEMBER TO USE QUOTATION MARKS WHEN NECESSARY!
Please be thoughtful, analytical and appropriate in your responses.
USE correct English mechanics and grammar -- not SMS text!
You will be expected to make ONE posting of a minimum of a paragraph in length by the end of the period on May 30, 2008.
And yes, you will receive a grade for this assignment.
Best wishes!
69 comments:
EXAMPLE ENTRY BY A.CONSIDINE:
“That’s how it should be with you; stay insane, but behave like normal people. Run the risk of being different, but learn to do so without attracting attention. Concentrate on this flower and allow the real “I” to reveal itself.” (p.102)
I chose this particular passage spoken by Mari to Veronika because I agree with the advice it contains and also think it addresses one of the majors themes of this novel: namely that the pursuit and process of defining individuality is one of life's greatest tasks. Based on her conversations with Mari and her time in Villette, Veronika has begun to question what "sanity" and "normality" mean to her. Through various experiences, Veronika is learning that only she can create a truthful defintion of these terms by exploring her own uniqueness and by not worrying about what others think of her. In this passage, Mari is telling Veronika that it is okay not to follow the status quo; in fact, Mari encourages and dares Veronika to be different. However, Mari also warns Veronika that she should not make a dramatic show of her individuality nor be overtly rebellious. Rather, Veronika should learn proper social codes and be respectful of them because it is within these perameters that she can find her "true" self. The reason I agree with this advice is that I believe it is only by understanding and honoring rules, traditions and conventions, that we can make our own decisions about whether or not we can uphold them. If we try our best to abide by a rule, but then find that it is false, unjust, not useful, ridiculous, hypocritical, etc., then we are truly free not to act in accordance and should seek to change it in an appropriate manner. Furthermore, if we simply rebel without going through this process, then we deny ourselves the opportunity to deeply learn the reasons for why we think and act the we do. The final sentence in this passage also highlights the importance of "concentration" in order to achieve these goals. If we do not focus and pay attention to the details of what we encounter, we will not be able to make meaning of all that confronts us. I think what Mari is saying is that in order for people to understand themselves, they must realize the importance of doing so and make the discovery of one's own truth a priority by devoting time and thoughtful attention. This is the way to make meaning of our lives, and also one of the biggest challenges. But, if we avoid this difficulty, we risk losing the experience of being unique individuals -- as Irish writer, Oscar Wilde says, "A man who does not think for himself does not think at all.”
"P146
I would say that if someone only has a short time to live and decides to spend that time sitting beside a bed, watching a man sleeping, then that must be love."
She begins to notice more, to become interested in the other patients. She starts to see her past relationships much more clearly and understand why she felt her life had no meaning. Veronika found out after meeting Eduard, another patient in Vilette, that the love she had experienced before was not true love and that what she has with Eduad is true love , the fact of not having time to live anymore , she as a normal person should see life in all it colors and live it to the full but as we she , she prefers to spend that time sitting beside a bed, watching Eduard sleep .Which proves that she is in love with him and shows what love does to a person even if she is living the last moments of her life. This passage could affect the reader in a lot of ways, could let him realize about love and past relationships.
Saleh Bahr Al-Ulloum 2ndeE
Veronica decides to die, but her suicide attempt goes wrong and she wakes from a coma to find she will soon die from a damaged heart,
The character of Veronica evolves as she enters the hospital at Villette. She begins to appreciate the true meanings of life. When she first arrived, she was devastated and wanted to die, but day after day she begins to meet the people there and learns of their conditions, she gains the will to live and love, especially after meeting Edward, the psychopath. I personally don't consider people in such a facility crazy, they just think differently. After all, if it wasn't for them, Veronica would have ended up dead.
Sometimes a person loses the will to live, but it's resisting that feeling and thought that makes people stronger,and at the end of the day, that's what really counts.
theo ohanessian
"Many people dont allow themselves to love because of that. Because there are a lot of things at risk, a lot of future and a lot of past.
(p.148)
I chose this passage because in this particular passage Veronika understands that she needs to love no matter her past nor how it will affect her future because without love and desire she has nothing to live for and she also says that people are affraid of loving because of their past and the way it's going to change their future.
Ryan Mounla
"Many people dont allow themselves to love because of that. Because there are a lot of things at risk, a lot of future and a lot of past.
I will look at men in the street, right in theie eyes and I wont feel guilty about feeling desired" p 148.
This passage means that Veronica finally decides to do what ever she wanted without thinking of others opinion. She wants to feel confortable in whatever she does as long as she is being the real "I". This shows that after all these years of trying to impress the others, she finally decides to think about herself at first without feeling guilty.
I chose this passage because people learn from it that they shoudn't be afraid of showing the real "I".By trying to impress and doing whatever people want, it wont help you. You may just end like Veronica trying to suicide or being in a mental hospital.What I really appreciated is that it makes us ask questions about us. Are we really being the real "I"?
Maya Sabra 2nd E
Lea Kaedbey
I chose to talk about veronikas character because she really amired me when she figured out her personnality once she went to villette.
VERONIKA is a young,pretty twenty four year old, who has plenty of attractive boyfriends, goes dancing, has a steady job, a loving family.But all that seems not enough , something is still lacking in her life.
So after taking pills and trying to commit suicide, she was taken to a mental hospital.
Over there she is told that although she is alive now her heart is damaged and she has only a few days to live.
In this story we see the evolution of the character of veronika.She begins to notice more about herself,she starts to see her past relationships much more clearly and understand that her life had no meaning.
Since then, Veronika discovers things she has never really allowed herself to feel before: hatred, fear, curiosity, love, even sexual awakening. Against all odds, she realises that she is falling in love with one pf the patients in vilette and notice that she doesn't want to die anymore, she wants to continue her life by liviing every moment as if it where her. Here we learn that life is a wonderfull precious gift given by god.
Lea Kaedbey
Carine Halaby
Zedka
zedka is a normal person suffering from depression. She liked a man and was sad and hurt because she can't share her life with him. In these pages, Zedka is leaving Villette. Before she leaves, she talked to Veronika. The conversation seemed paradoxical: Zedka said that her departure from Villette will grant her freedom: she could do anything she wants, likes, desires... and if anyone commented her excuse will be Villette. However others think that going to an asylum will make you a remote person, closed, unexposed and cooped up.
Zedka's predictions of what she could do out of Villette seemed logic as well as her excuse. So her stay in an asylum wasn't as bad as others think: it gave her freedom which rare people had.
If we do something in life, life will always give us something in exchange.
Carine Halaby
In these pages, Verinoka has a totally different way of thinking about her life compared to the beginning of the novel. she discovers a new meaning of love and passion, something more than just ending up being in bed with a man. she discovers she still had many things to do in her life ad she felt stupid about not doing them before. with only 24 hours to live accordig to dr. Igor, Veronika decides to follow mari's advice which was to be c ompletely free and doing everything we wanted without considering what others would think about her.
She then, at night, masturbates in front of the schizophrenic Eduard as an act of total freedom of body, mind and soul. Eduard then starts feeeling love towards her and she will feel completely ashamed when he tells her, noting the fact taht Eduard was fully aware of the masturbation scene the night before.
she will also, in this section of the book, have an influence on the other inmates in vilette.Those who lived in different realities will start realising that they can't hide from life for ever, and that they will have to face it sooner or later, like Verinoka is facing the fact that she only has a few hours to live, thus making her more eager to live every second of her life and "seize every minute".
Youssef Y. Karam 2nde E
I chose writing about the main character in the novel ''Veronika decides to die''by Paulo Coelho.This character is called Veronika.In this passage,Veronika has only 24h to live as the Doctor Igor annouce to her.Although Veronika wanted to kill herself, she now realizes that she did a mistake.She wants to live her last day joyfully and do whatever she wants.Veronika knows that she is going to die but she is optimistic.She is not afraid of death,she is strong and confident.Also, Veronika asks a favor to Dr Igor:she wants to spend her last day out of the Villette Hospital.Unfortunatly for her, Dr Igor refuses.Veronika has a very strong personnality
-Tara Ataya:
In the novel, Veronica asks Dr. Igor if she can, in her last 24 hours alive, leave Vilett so that she could experience everything she did'nt before her suicidal attempt, and die outside. She told Dr. Igor everything she thought she will never have a chance to do, she even detailed the things while regretting the day she decided to end her life. She notices here that life is short and she wants to make the best of it, but she thinks it's too late. She described everything to him with such passion, and it's obvious that it ment so much to her. She wanted more time and she wanted to do everything, she was not ready to end her life so soon, she had alot of unfinished business.
"You're someone who is different, but who wants to be the same as everyone else. And that, in my view, is a serious illness."
I chose this particular passage spoken by Mary to veronika because i cannot agree with her more about what she said(that someone who is different but who wants to be the same as everyone else is a serious illness).In my view,she's right about that because being different from everybody else could be some sort of advantage for this person.She doesn't want that veronika changes from being differnet to being like everyone else.
I choose to talk about veronika the protagonist of this novel. She just knew that she was going to die in the following 24 hours ... During her internment in Villete she realises that she has nothing to lose and can therefore do what she wants, say what she wants and be who she wants without having to worry about what others think of her.Veronika experiences all the things she never allowed herself to experience. She wants to do everything , she wants to continue living and to things she didnt do them in her life.She feels herself strong in caracter .
He began to understand that love was something other than what his parents gave him.(P 145)
I chose this passage because it shows us that the love that he have for a women that he wants to marry is a love that comes from the heart and that nothing can breake this love.But the love that he and his parents have for each other is a family love that dosent really comes from the heart because we love our parents a lot for realy no reasons. Its a familial relation but to love someone u dont really know is a love that comes from your heart and is an unbreakable relation.And i think that real love can be more powerful than parental love.Real love makes the person feel safe and happy but parental love is another kind of love.
Bakr Saridar 2nde E
You are someone who is different, but who wants to be the same as everyone else. And that in my view is a serious illness. p.153
dont follow the crowd, u may get lost in it. Being different means being unique,in this world every person is different from the other. ' difference' is one of the major themes in this novel, however it is discussed from a negative point point of view. in " veronika decides to die" difference means being mad, ill
P 148
Many people dont allow themselves to love because of that. Because there are a lot of things at risk, a lot of future and a lot of past.
I will look at men in the street, right in their eyes and I wont feel guilty about feeling desired.
I chose this specific passage because it talks about love which is one of the main themes in this novel. Love is one big part of veronika's changement. She began to gain the will to live. And from this passage we can see that veronika wants to live, to love and be loved.
P 145
He began to understand that love was something other than what his parents gave him.
here we can notice that eduards has just noticed that there is two different love in life
first of all,the love of your parents wich means the tenderness and care and lovethey chood give you in your childhood,to be a happy child the love of our parents is so important it teaches us many things how to play, eat,and the most important how to behave,if u had much love from your parents you will give much love to your chlildrens
second of all the true love that is so different from the love of your parents .it happens between ussually a girl and a boy you have feelings for someone you dont know that you met by chance and want to spend your whole time life with him or her forever .its beautifull,
As I don't have my book to choose a specific passge, I chose writing about a very important character in the novel, Veronika. She is the protagonist in this story and is very intersting to analyse because her attitude varies as we read and evoluate in the novel. Veronika only has 24h to live and she wants to LIVE it as much as she can. After failing in her attempt to suicide, she realises the real values of life. Dr. Igor told her that she doesn't have long to live and this encourages her to see all the bright sides of life. From p.133 to p.164, Veronika appears as a very optimistic person, she wants to spread her happiness and joy over Villette because life is short. At the same time, she doesn't want to spend her last hours in this hospital and is hoping that her doctor would let her leave the place so she can do everything she wanted to do like "talk to the lady who sells flowers in the spring" and say "I love you" to her mother and many other things. Unfortunetly Dr. Igor doesn't agree and she spends her last day at the hospital. This beautiful, young woman captured my attention all along the story because i find her very interesting, strong and confident. She is agreable to read and her optimisme really made me think over.
I chose to talk about Eduard because I beleive he plays a major role in the section 133-164. In fact he is the caracter that we learn most about.We learn that he is in love with Veronika and that he is a very sentimal person,that he was awar of what was happening when Veronika was masturbating in front of him.Eduard turn out not to be affected by the ECT,he remembers what happens before the treatment. We even discover that he wasn't the friendless person we thouht he was(he had a big friendship with Mary).We even discover that hee is a smart person: he knows how to escape from Villete but hasn't had the signal .He is such an interesting and complicated person that it leads us to ask is he really is a schyzophenic.
tarek azhari
"This existence of ours and whose writings can be summed up in one word: Live. If you live, God will live with you"
Wow, it's just what I tell myself every time I feel vulnerable and bitter. I say, hell with it, I simply want to live. What's life? This question seems like a strange one. Well, let's think about it. If you had to explain to someone what "life" is, what would you tell them? I'd say it's breathing, eating, sleeping, walking, talking etc. It's simply what we do every other day! We wake up in the morning, wash up and get dressed and head to school, study and interact with other people. That's what life usually is, but if you really want to LIVE, like experience the inexperienced, see the unseen and hear the unheard, you have to put God on your shoulder and do that! I mean, we should take risks, do memorable things, and enjoy our time by simply looking over reality and more into your visions, dreams and fantasies! If you don't show God that you want to Live and be happy, he will just ignore you and keep up with someone who wants to. God is fair, but only if you're fair to yourself; make yourself happy, let yourself live, let everything you do engrave a glimpse of joy in your heart, a pretty smile on your face. In conclusion, a mundane life could be a book of similar pages lost in history, but a real life is a memorable novel with fantastic chapters.
"i want to leave here so i can die outside...so afraid of catching a cold" (P139)
i chose this particular passage spoken by Veronika to Dr.Igor because it was probably the first time Veronika opened up so much to someone by telling Dr.Igor exactly what she wants and what she does'nt want. she is a very closed up person and saying that to someone was probaly extreemly hard on her. in this little passage we got to know her more then we did in the whole book! we found out that she is a sentimental person who has affction and desire but we also decover she is hopeless: she just found out she has 24 hours to live and she wants to do everything she could never do because she was to afraid to and she was saying to herself that she has all her life to do them.
"Perhaps it was time to return to the world, to face up to things out there, to say that everyone could be a member of great Fraternity, even if hey had never been in a mental hospital."
(p.135)
I chose this particular passage because it does not only fit the story but it refers to real life also. In the novel, the great Fraternity is group of mentally challenged friends that stick together, and consider themselves as a strong unit. This passage reflects the thoughts of Mari who stepped in the room while Veronika was masturbating. She found that she had to do something to stop the young girl, even if it does not concern her.
People should think exactly how Mari thinks. There is nothing in your world that does not concern you. You might sometimes face people that would ignore you or reject you, but you do not care what they might think. It is your world, what you think is right is the right thing, and there is no shame to do what you feel is correct, while others think is wrong.
VERONIKA is a twenty four year old woman from Slovenia, she is beautiful, intelligent and had generally a nice life. Vernika always wanted to put an end to her live but one day she had put her suicide into action. So she had taked the pills. the next day when she woke up, she found her self in Villet. We can notice a big change in her personality. Before she entered that mental hospital she always cared on the other people's opinions about her actions and while she was in Villet she stoped caring about what people think. And that is showed when she began to masturbate infront of Eduard whithout caring if he agreed or not or if he loved her or not.
Mohamad Mehio
2nde B
"I feel like starting to live again, Eduard. ....At least, we haven't got that fear, Eduard. We've already been immates of Villete." (p.138)
I chose this particular passage spoken by Mari to Eduard because I agree with her to stop thinking badly, and that she had to tell her friends to discover their own lives, and Live. These things adresses a very important theme: Live. In the half of this passage, she had told Eduard that she don't want to be a lawyer anymore, because she wanted to teach the people the truth about existence to 'Live'. And finally, she told Eduard that they were been immates of Villete.
This passage can affect the reader in a lot of ways.
Fouad zoubeir
" People will say : She's just been realeased from Villete and now she's making her husband crazy too. And he willl realize they're right, and he'll thank God because our marridage is starting all over again and because we're both crazy, like those who first invented love." ( page 164)
I chose this particular passage spoken by Zedka to Veronika because I realized that what she said is totally logical. In fact she will meet his husband after years spent at Villete without a his love and she really misses him. She agree that she is still crazy and she will do her husband like her so she will think he is normal as her and she will enjoy being with him. He will realize the beuty of being like her regardless of what people will say about them being crazy. They will tahnk God because their marriage will start all over again because it will be a new life she will be living with him and she is confident about the joy they will have being together as those who first invented love.
Thank you, Fouad Zoubeir... 2nd B
"veronika was disconcerted at first and then realised that she had nothing to lose. she was dead, what the point of continuing to feed the fears or preconceptions that had always limited her life?" in this passage veronika convinces herself that she should not stop herself from doing anything because she had few hours left and had nothing to lose. i think she was rite because everyone sais she is crazy and she was going to die so she can do anything without anyone commenting on her actions because no one actually cares.
"Look at me in the eye and never forget what I'm about to tell you. There are only two prohibitions, one according to man's law, the other according to God's. Never force a sexual relationship on anyone, because that is considered to be rape. And never have sexual relations with children, because that is the worst of all sins. part from that, you're free. There's always someone who wants exactly what you want." (p.123)
I chose this particular passage spoken by Mari to Veronika because I agree with the advice she gave her. Knowing that she have helped her alot and gave her advices but as she was thinking she didn't have the patience to teach important things to someone who was about to die, although she did. Through many experiences, Mari has passed in her life and learned alot which can explain the things she is teaching Veronica. I definetly agree with what she said because truely there are only two prohibitions in life; to force something on someone and to rape. Mari looked very peacefully giving a smile to Veronica and wishing her a good night sleep. I think what Mari is doing is great, Veronica has little time to live. She needed advices, she needed comfort and company which Mary has definetly offered her even though she was struggling in the first with the fact that she wasn't aloud to talk to her knowing she will die. She could'nt avoid her.
Gide Haidar 2nde A
"Veronika didn't know why, but that young man had become part of her world, or the little that remained of it. She was certain that Eduard was capable of understanding hr music, of admiring her talent; even if he couldn't utter a word, his eyes said everyrhing, as they did at that moment, at the door of the ward, speaking of things she didn't want to hear about."(p.146)
I chose this passage wich includes what was going in Veronika's head at that moment. This passage explains to us how attached Veronika is to Eduard and how much he has affected her life in the strangest of ways. She has felt love...the feeling that is the hardest to find in life. She loved that Eduard was maybe the first one who understood her musicand admired her amazing talent and supported her. And also, i chose this paragraph in particular because it does not only shows us the love that Veronika has for Eduard but it shows that even mentally challenged people can have a love life two. It shows that disturbed people have a shot at a real life ! And deserve to live in an environement that respects theme no matter who they are or what they do. These people are humans two and should be respected and treated the same way were respected and treated. So in conclusion this paragraph is an amazing one and shows that evrybody deserves a chance to love.
"If only everyone could know and live with their inner madness. Would the world be a worse place for it? No, people would be fairer and happier" (p123)
While reading this passage, ideas came rushing to my head wondering how life would be if everyone allowed themselves to be who they really are, living life with no limits. But, as Mari said in this novel, people replaced all their emotions with fear. We all fear to be too happy, too honest, too succesful, and most importantly, take risks and allow ourselves to dream... People should not be afraid to live life to the fullest, but however, they are.
We're all mad, and everyone of us is different from the other, so why not living our inner madness and prove to the world that madness is not a flaw...it's a blessing, and that the strongest people are those who allow themselves to be mad? because at the end, it's YOUR life and no one has the right to judge you exept your God. So live your life the way you please to before it's too late...
Sarah Ariss.
"possibly.Basically everrything that happens in our life is our fault and ours alone.A lot of people go through the same difficulties we went through and they react completely differently.We looked for the easiest way out:a seprate reality" page 151 in the novel VERONIKA DECIDES TO DIE by paolo cohello this passage is a real nice passage because after that marry told edward that it is like she touched his feeling and she explaining to him that the way that they solved their problem was the easiest way although there was other people who faced the same thing (troubles) but they solved them by other ways better ways mature ways and this passage is like the summary of everybody in vilette and espacially about the reason why they are there.i chose that passage because it shows us that marry cares about the people in villette and by sayin the WE in "we took the easiest way out" shows us that it is like a team and she is facing with them the insanity although she is not insane Omar moussally 2nde A
veronika
we noticed in the novel that veronika has a very special personalty.
first of all veronika has a lot of curiosity. In fact she want to experience every thing she didn't do it outside vilette .
second of all veronuika is a very educated peson she loves to read and to know what everything is happeninng around her.
also veronika is a person who like to have freinds . we noticed that she had a lot of freinds in vilette ,zedka mari eduard she didn't have like these freinds outside vilette. somehow we noticed that eduard was in love in her and he didn't escape vilette because he wnted to see her on the morning.
In the passage that i choose,Veronika is talking to Dr.Igor telling him that she wants to leave Villete in her last 24 hours to live to accomplish a lot of things she never did before. But since she was too tired she asked Dr.Igor to give her some kind of medicine or injection so she can stay awake and leave the mental hospital in which she spend almost a week in, and in which she experienced a lot of new stuff like for example masturbating in front of a person, or playing the piano from her heart in a way she never did before.
While talking to Dr.Igor she detailed the things she wanted to do in a very passionate way while regretting the day she decided to end her life. She really wanted to do all those things and she just needed more time in order to finish them.
I think, we should live every single day of our life happy, accomplishing things we never did before and its not only because we know we are going to die.
P 148
"Many people don't allow themselves to love because of that. Because there are a lot of things at risk, a lot of future and a lot of past.
I will look at men in the street, right in their eyes and I wont feel guilty about feeling desired."
This passage shows us that each person should be himself. Furthermore, After taking the pills Veronika regains the will of life because of love, wich is the major theme in the novel.
In fact, this passage tells us that Veronika wanted to think about herself independantly without sharing other's ideas and that by being herself life will much easier
"the women outside told me to masturbate and to find out how far i could go. could i really go farther then i've ever been before?"
in this passage Mari told Veronika she should masturbate and to see how far she could go and was willing to try.
i think she should try it because she will die and she has nothing to loose it's nice to try stuff we never tried in our lives especially if our lives are a hopless case.
by remy Rebeiz
"Basically everything that happens in our life is our fault and ours alone. A lot of people go through the same difficulties we went through, and they react completely differently. We looked for the easiest way out: a seperate reality."
i chose this particular passage spoken by Mari to veronika,explaining to her that everyone go through difficulties and each one has his own reaction about it. And there reaction could change there world by a good way or a bad one.I chose this quote that i find very important and its very close to our life, because many of us can't face the realities and by a very small reaction,they may rune there intire lives... Veronika regret what she did and after a period of time that spent in vilette she realize the real life outside. this life may be depressed but its also full of happiness and good times waiting for us... She realize the sadness she used to live is from her own reactions and it could be much better if she followed her dreams(piano) and react in a different way.
Aya Shanshal 2nd A
"Veronika looked back...to leave vilette" (p.146)
Veronika is gentle with her acts.. There's a question that she hadnt reached yet and it's that why is eduard become a part of her world ?! She was wondering and she realised that the reason is maybe because he understands her a lot and he knows her personality and she is searching for someone that can understand and support her. She knows how to express herself with her eyes that can represent fear or joy and hapiness sometimes, eduard and her they were speaking about love eventhow she didnt want this to happen. And then she stated speaking to herself that eduard and her dont have similar feelings at the end she him a kiss. Actually i think she is inconscient about the acts she is doing she is not aware of what is she doing she thinks shes maybe right but i think shes not because eachone will get his way at the end and also she has no more time to spent in life so let the last couple of days be out of problems and guiltiness because what she is doing, i think it can get her to problems that may ruin and desroy her life.
"I'm going to allow myself to do a few foolish things, just so that people can say:'She's just been released from villete.'...,because everyone will say:'She's just been released from Villete.' p.163
I chose this particular passage because it reflects Veronika's point of view for the one particular word: "LIFE" which sums people who knew the truth about existing of ours as said Mari. This passage shows how Veronika changed in Villete, how she learned how to not care about people's opinions and how she benefits from every moment of her life and to look at the positive side of it. She taked caziness and madness as an excuse to all her foolish acts and she would tell them that she's crazy without shame, as if being crazy was so normal. And they would understand her and say that it is ok since she's just been released from Villete. As we can see Villete was very positively affectual in Veronika's life that she wants to live again and it disappoints her to have one day left on this earth that means to her now. Veronika got bored of life and became mad because she used to keep everything to herself. People's opinions used to affect her and she was ashamed of being crazy, therefore she chose to leave this world and commit suicide.
Katia Chehayeb
"You've got nothing to lose. Many people don't allow themselves to love, precisely of that, there are a lot of things at risk, a lot of future and a lot of past. In your case there is only the present."(p.162).
This passage means that Veronika is about to die she has to live the present only, she doesn't have to think about the future or about her past because it will not help her in anything.
I chose this passage because I think that Zedka is trying to give Veronika an adviceto live her present in her own way and try to live her last hours with love because she will not loose anything , she has an opportunity to live her last hours with love and happiness. Veronika has to try to forget that she is going to die and lives in a happy way. And I agree with Zedka's advice because I think she could do whatever she wants because she will not have to face the consequences of her acts so she can love Eduard without thinking of the consequences.
Maya Yassine 2nde A.
"A lot of people would talk about the horrors in other people's lives as if they were genuinely concerned to help them, but the truth was that they took pleasure in suffering of others, because that made them believe that they were happy and their life had been generous with them. She wasnt going to give this man an opportunity to take advantage of her state, in order to mask his own frustrations."p 25
every bodysays that they feel sad when they see some1 suffering but in mosy cases thats not true, they usuely feel happy and lucky because they didn't have that problem. karl nader 2nd A
"i want to leave here so that i can die outside. i need to visit Ljubljana castle. it's always been there, i've never even had the curiosity to go and see it at close range. i need to talk to the woman who sells cestnuts in winter and flowers in te spring. we passed each other so ofen, and i never once asked her how she was. and i want to go out without a jacket and walk in the snow, i want to find out what extreme colf feels like, i, was always so well wrapped up so afraid of catching a cold." p139
i choose this passage spoken by Veronika to Dr Igor because it shows us that Veronika still believe in life. she wants to go out to see her city again. the same city she read about in the magasine at the begining of the novel. she is ready to do everything in her last few hours. i thing that Veronika realised that life isn't what she thought, she wants to see life again and is hoping to have it back. we feel that she regrets taking the pills. she knew now, after seeing all these mad people in Villette, that everyone creats his own life and that everyone is mad.
Dana Jamaleddine 2nde A
"Many people dont allow themselves to love because of that. Because there are a lot of things at risk, a lot of future and a lot of past." Love is a major theme in the novel Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Cohelo. In Vilette Veronika experiences pure love as she falls in love with a mad man, Eduard. In deed, with love comes several risks. But isn't love, the most magnificent feeling that man can experience, worth taking risks? In fact love frees you from your past, your present as well as your future. Veronika only understood this divine meaning of love after she realized that in few days she'd be gone. She allowed herself finally to be happy, to do whatever she want, whatever she thinks is right to do, to be free from all other opinions. In other words she allowed herself to love, to apprreciate what life may offer. In my opinion, love is risky and sometimes harsh. However, once you have found the right and appropriate love, it becomes a great emotional stage that only pure and satisfied ones reach to understand the real meaning of happiness and life. Who hasn't experienced love, hasn't taste the real happiness and joy that is crtainly somewhere around us just waiting for us to seek and if determmined to reach.
Yasmine Chawaf 2A
before you say again that you're going to die i want to tell you something. there are people who spend their entire life searching for a moment like the one you had the last night but they never achieve it that s why if you were to die now you would die with your heart full of love"
i chose this particular passage spoken by zedka,who was about to leave vilette,to veronika to help her facing the imminent death she was exposed tO.she told her about love ,this beautiful feeling that can change everyone's life just when you think about it so how it could be if yu know that you're approaching death and your heart is full of love to the person you have appreciated a lot?so as a conclusion i think that every person should live his life as he where on a journey enjoying every moment and smiling in face of all the difficulties and to live in joy and love as if it was the last day of your life.
theresa al haddad
One of the most important characters in "Veronika Decides to Die" is Eduard. After her suicide attempt, Veronika entered Vilette, the mental hospital, and met this guy. At first, she appeared kind of scared of him, but after her long talk with Dr. Igor about Schizophrenia, she changed her mind about him and decided to get closer with him. She played the piano for him and offered him the joy and comfort of his life. Later on in the novel, she went even further and masturbated in his presence, trying to look sexy in front of him in order to reach her purpose, which is the feeling of freedom. Veronika didn't know that at that specific moment, Eduard was not in his own reality. He saw everything Veronika did in front of him and felt what he never felt before. Even though he's a schizophrenic, he felt what every person on Earth feels: Love. The more Veronika played the piano, the more his heart got filled with love. He admitted his love for Veronika when the nurses tried to calm him. It was the worst moment to admit that emotion, but he didn't succumb to those nurses: this definitely underlines his romantic personality!
Eduard thought of climbing wall there the and then ,of leaving and never beeing seen in Slovenia again. But the girl was sleeping and he needed at least to say good bye to her.."p.148"
I choosed this paragraph to present to audience the important thing of love..
Because Eduard loved veronika he coudn't leave her befor saying good bye to her..
this is important to Eduard bnecuse he can speek to veronika all his problems, and a good thing to have a partner that you love were you live.
“I want to ask two favors. First, that you give me some medication, an injection or whatever, so I can stay awake and enjoy every moment that remains of my life. I am very tired, but I don’t want to sleep” p.139.
I choose this particular passage spoken by Veronika to Dr Igor because it shows really that the psychology of Dr Igor is very effective. By telling his patients they only have a very short time to live, they will find the will to live again and will appreciate being alive.
Veronika has still twenty four hours of life and there are so many experiences waiting for her. She began to realize that every second of her life was worth living and she began falling in love with life and wanting to live again. She discovered that life was meaningful and that all simple things that make up every day life give pleasure to the existence. She began taking pleasure in things that before frightened her. She allows herself now to feel things that people usually hide including hatred, love and sexual awakening. She regretted overdosing herself hoping to have life back. Half of her life has been unknown to her and she wanted to know what was going on in the world.
karim chamaa 2ndeA
I chose to talk about Veronica. She's the protagonist in this story. Veronica is a twenty four year old beautiful woman. She has a loving family who supports her. A lot of boyfriends. But as she says she still fell that something is missing. After being admitted to Villet for taking pills she discovers that life has so much more to offer. Through out the novel, her character evolves. In his book Coelho raises he question: "Is life worth living?" For Veronica it's not seeing that her life is based on routines. But on p.139 when she asks Dr.Igor her two favors, we can see that she started to believe that life is actually worth living. She asks if he can give her something to keep her awake, which means that she finally believed that it's important to enjoy life, and to make the best of it. Her second favors was of she can leave the mental hospital, that indicates that she finally found an answer to life, the answer that filled the question that used to haunt her and was one of the reasons why she tried to put an end to her life. To get out, and appreciate what little time she has left.
Passage: "I've got lot to do, things that I always postponed for some future date, in the days when I thought life would last for ever." (p.127)
I chose this passage spoken by Veronika to Dr. Igor because it should give a lesson to every person in this world. We all think that our life will almost last forever, neglecting the fact that we will die at any moment. Therefore, we delay all our plans for the future even though sometimes we won't get the chance to do them. Thus, we should always do whatever we dream of before it's too late. Here in this passage, we can feel how much Veronika regrets the moments she has wasted without doing the things she had always wanted to do. Accordingly, we should live our life doing whatever comes to our mind, being shameless and careless for what other people believe. It's unfortunate that we don't realize that until we experience it, but then it would be too late. Perhaps we should learn from other people's experiences so that we take advantage of every moment in our lives. At the end, one must appreciate the value of life in order to reach contentment. Live your life as if there is no tomorrow (which is the real case of Veronica).
samer ezzeddine
p140: veronika said:
"there won't be a tomorrow, as you well know. i'm tired, Dr. Igor, very tired. thats why i asked for tablets. is spent all night awake."
[...]
"if I've still got twenty-four hours of life left, and there are so many experiences waiting for me, i decided it would be better to put aside a despair."
This passage shows that Veronika changed her mind since the beginning of the story when she was desperate and wanted to surrender to death. Her starting the sentence with "there won't be a tomorrow" proves that Veronika is well aware and alert of her situation, and she is reacting accordingly. Now, considering the few hours left for her in this world, she wants to take advantage of every moment. This is why she refused to sleep at night, since sleep is a temporary absence from life and a in a way a waste of time. After finding a meaning to life at Villette, Veronika realizes that " there are so many experiences waiting for [her]". So, she decides not to waste time being negative or pessimistic, or having another hysterical attack. Death is coming the next day whether she likes it or not, and it would be better for her to live up the rest of her life and every experience left.
P. 137:" Then, last night, I too asked myself what was I doing in this hospital....Obviously, I'd be struggling with a lot of other long-forgotten things,...But all that is just part of life, I think: and the price you pay for having to deal with those minor problems is far less than the price you pay for not recognizing they're yours."
This passage shows us how much the people in Villette got affected from Veronika's story and what's happening to her. For the first time ever, someone as young as Veronika goes to Villette, someone who has so much more to live for, someone who made a mistake(tried to kill himself), and now changed his mind and wants to live again. Mari and Eduard just realized that they've been hiding from their problems, and that those problems are just part of life in general "But all that is just part of life". They are changing their perspective on life; they want to get out of Villette and experience love, do stuff that they've never done before (simple stuff that they haven't even thought of), following their dreams... This is an extremely important passage because it is a turning point in this story. It also makes readers realize the same thing that Eduard and Mari did; they shouldn’t bail on life because they have one single problem.
‘’ I want to feel the rain on my face, to smile at any man I feel attracted, to accept all the coffees, men might buy for me. I want to kiss my mother, tell her I love her, weep in her lap, unashamed of showing my feeling, because they were always even though I hid them.’’(Page 139)
I chose this particular passage spoken by Veronica to Dr.Igor because it reveals the differences between Veronika's states instead her attempts to suicide and after. Now that she knows that she is going to die she appreciated her life and wants to take advantage of every moment she has of it... By living these 24 hours, she wants to accomplish what she didn’t do during her 24 years. Therefore, she wants to try stuff she never tried in her life before because she has nothing to loose, since she already knows her destiny. This passage shows that the person never realize the importance of something on less he's going to loose it.
Thank you,
Karim el Khatib
2nd B
"Basically everything that happens in our life is our fault and ours alone. A lot of people go through the same difficulties we went through, and they react completely differently. We looked for the easiest way out: a separate reality."
In this passage Mari explains to Eduard and tells him the thing they both did to escape life's problems, and that is creating a separate reality. She thinks that everything bad that happened in their lives is their own mistake because they hadn't the courage to face their problems. They choose the easiest way out and that is not to face reality. I choose this passage because in life, there are many people who have not the courage to face life's problems... So, in order to escape their problems, and to heal their wounded soul, they decide not to face them, to create a separate reality and to be convinced with it... They will live in an inner world, that they have created, and force themselves to forget their problems, and to hide their wounded soul... So, by not doing anything and watching life instead of living and fighting for it, people do the biggest mistakes in their lives… They sometimes lose valuable things and they sometimes lose people who means to them, and they sometimes lose their entire lives, and all this because they hadn’t the courage to face problems... So, this lets us ask ourselves: Are we living our life and fighting for it? Why giving up on things we love and loosing things we like? Why to take the easiest rode if we know that we will cry at the end of it? Shouldn’t we fight for what we want?
“People talked more openly to a psychiatrist than they did to a priest because a doctor couldn’t threaten them with hell. During his long career as a psychiatrist, Doctor Igor had heard almost everything they had to tell him.” (P.143-144)
I chose this particular passage because it shows us how in reality people trust a psychiatrist more than a priest. Unlike a priest, when you are talking to a psychiatrist, you can feel very confident and safe. He cannot threaten you with hell, with god or anything else. He doesn’t have the power to do so, even if you are confessing. When you are discussing with him your problems, he can help you with many ways. He can give you advises, encouragement, and if it is a big problem, he can gave you a specific treatment. If it’s a priest, all what he can do is gave you encouragement and sometimes advices and do his best to comfort you. But the problem is that what happens between you and him is going to cost you the interference of god’s punishment if you are confessing about big mistakes.
Thank You!
Ali Nawfal 2nde B
You're the only man on face of the earth with whom I could fall in love...You will not miss me"
I chose this particular passage spoken by Mari to Edward because it shows that veronica is a very sensitive woman who cares about the feelings of others. She loved Edward for a simple reason that when she will dye he will not be sad or miserable, simply he won't miss her. We can notice an irony in this passage because veronica founded her love when she knew that she's going to die.
"Before you say again that you're going to die, I want to tell you something. There are people who spend their entire lives searching for a moment like the one you had last night, but they never achieve it. That's why, if you were to die now, you would die with your heart full of love" (p: 147).
I chose this specific passage spoken by Zedka to Veronika because I agree with her. Lots of people die without having the chance to experience the pleasure that life may provide them, more particularly “LOVE”.
LOVE is a marvelous sensation inspired by Life, once life is lost, the heart won’t beat anymore because as simple as it can be… empty. On the other hand, if it is full of bliss and passion.. it will stay breathing life, beating to the end of eternity, and it will be marked in the memory of the beloved people ! Each and every one of us is destined to die, whether u like it or not but the way you are going to reach it, define life.
So if u took the chance to enjoy and feel just ONE moment in your life, the meaning of “death” won’t be that tragic…
"Veronika!
The Schizophrenic had spoken to her. He said her name. With a mixture of surprise and shame...Veronika! He had said her name again. Making a superhuman effort."(p141-142)
I chose this particular passage spoken by Eduard to Veronika because both of them are experiencing true LOVE for the first time in Vilette. Veronika was finaly free, wanting to see the things she never saw in any man she was with, and she saw that in Eduard, the only person who respected her as she is, did not judge her and actually was there for her when she needed him. On the other hand, Eduard felt for the first time loved for himself, for the kind person he is, and not judged for being a 'schizophrenic'.
After all, I believe that every person is here for a reason, Veronika was to help Eduard overcome his stat of mind and so was Eduard to help Veronika experience feelings she restricted her self from.
I would like to talk about Veronica the main character of the novel:"Veronica Decides to Die”. From the page 133 to 164 when Dr. Igor told the poor protagonist that she has ONLY 24 hr to live. She decide to do everything that she wasn't able and didn't have the chance to do, she wants to live her last day like she still has several years to live she has a strong, confident personality, and so optimistic from not being scared from death. Her only dream was to leave the Vilette hospital and try to live her life normally and joyfully.
Sarah Shatila
i chose for this assignment the charactere of veronica. she is actually the main character of the storie "veronica decides to die".while reading the book i realised that veronica had many phases to go throug.as i have to specifie my answer from the following pages:133->164",all you need to know is that veronica donsn't want to die anymor.let me just give a breif resume of veronica's situation befor these pages, she wanted to die because acording to her she didn't have anything to live for.she was desprate for no reason.when she learned that she just had a week to live for ... she was very happy at first.days have gone by and veronika realised that she didn't know evrything in life.she learned what are the values of life such as living for the moment. she experienced love,hate,joy... she had many freinds in villette.now for the sumurey of the pages i have to disguss, veronika wanted to leave villette to live the 24houres she had left outside of this"prison".when she confronted Dr.Igor about her request, he gave her a negative answer, and didn't want her to leave.all we need to know about veronika is that she is a girl who regrets acting fast by killing herself.she wants to have a long and happy life, but for now she just have 24houres to make her day by seeing evrything she wanted to see, and by doing evrything she wanted to do.
what we can learn through this character is that we have to be patient, and have the most fun we can get out of our life,without regreting evrey dission,and by just accepting ourselfs.
I want to leave here so I can die outside. I need to visit Ljubljana castle, and I've never even had the curiosity to go and see it at close rang.(page 139)
I chose this passage because we can notice that Veronika, in her last 24 hours, decided to leave Villete so that she can live her life, even for hours, and discover the outside world and go visit places that she always dreamed of visiting. And also to be able to discover the entertainment that she had never experienced it in her entire life. In fact, she thinks that going to the Ljubljana caste would cure her curiosity and make her satisfied and relieved after she did something that is of value to her. And this is true because each one of us, in his life, has priorities and dreams that he works hard to achieve before his death. And this seeking and enthusiasm to achieve what we want, takes from us our whole life, so what would be the case if we have only 24 hours?
"how much time have i got left...i want to ask two favors...(p.126-127)
i chose this passage because it shows us,that Veronika who wanted to suiscide,is now killing hereself just to take advantage of the time left.
In fact,before,Veronika didn't even think about the other sides of the life.she didn't imagine that she will love a person this much,like Eduard,"the schizophrenic".And now,she is Regretting of what she did to herself and about everything she didn't realize it existence.
So we can see that Veronika,the unbreakable person in the old life,is now week infront of the man she loves.
Muhieddine Sinno.
2nde A
“For a time in my life I stood looking at the wind. I forgot the sow. I did not live joyfully....But one day i judged myself ready, and I went back to work. I told men about my visions of paradise.....Fine let him say that i left the hospital in order to avoid seeing a young girl dying; she will be there in heaven and she will intercede for me"(p.153)
This passage I chose in “Veronica decides to die” is spoken by Edward out loud in the library. This one passage reflects a lot of themes in this novel like: Hope. For Edward, even if he, at first, did not manage to live and profit of his life fully, he then realized that its time to wake up and sow all the goods of this life. He realized that he didn’t want to be stuck in Vilette anymore but he wanted to get out and live the life he always wanted to live and experience the things he always wanted to experience. The determination of Edward to get this wish shows us that it’s never too late to go out and fix our mistakes or profit of everything we missed. It gives us hope that if we allow ourselves to be a little mad, we could be ourselves follow what we believe in not worrying about other people’s opinion. This passage could be the passage that gives hope, and pushes to any reader to go after what they believe in.
Lara Talih 2nde B.
"I want to leave here so that I can die outside...because they were always there even though I hid them"(page 139)
I chose this passage because it shows the importance of life. This is what the whole story is all about. After I read this passage I learned something really important, we should live every day of our life as if there is no tomorrow. Veronika was too late; she didn't have the time to do what she always wanted to do. She was willing to fight and try to stay awake for two days but her doctor advised her not to. This passage affected me deeply and changed all my vision towards life. Now I am more confident less timorous because time is running out. Life is about having fun the limits we have for fun “school, rules, work" are all there just so we can organize the fun: I should have a job I like unlike Veronika I should go do everything I would like to do before I die because life is short and time is running. If we don’t we will be lying in the bed just like Veronika regretting it.
Passage Analysis
“I might go into a church…finally, to death.” (Pages 139,140)
This passage portrays Veronika beginning to unleash her wild side that was always suppressed by regulations and religion. She thus, explores life as she never did before enjoying all of life’s pleasures. Now as she approaches death, she wants to live life to the fullest, experience new things in order to break out of her routine. Life’s meaning has changed, she now has a clearer view of what is happening around her she now sees the world in a different perspective. Things that didn’t mean anything to her in the past, now have a large amount of significance; details of her every day life that she didn’t bother to notice, now have alternative meaning. The world she knew in black and white is now full of flamboyant and ostentatious colors. Even sex a routinely pleasuring tool is becoming the instrument in which will help her break free of all that was holding her back, from all that was standing in her way from becoming crazy. In other words, she wants to “lose control” and become free to do what she desires. She wants to experience orgasm like she never did before. She doesn’t want to pretend anymore; she wants to be authentic and honest, to herself and the world around her. She wants to reveal her true feelings not to hide or fake them. She wants to risk everything she worked so hard to avoid all her life: she wants to experience forbidden things. Veronika wants to give herself to the world. Taken together, this passage embodies what the novel is all about: being the person that you are, to be free and not care about people’s comforts or what they think of you, to be crazy and out of your mind, not disguise yourself, to be daring and audacious.
I am commenting on the poem that Eduard read in the small unused library in Villete. The poem in general talks about life and how to live your life. Eduard read this poem because he was blaming himself for not living his life in the right way, and we could also take this poem in consideration so we would live our life the way we want without fear of anyone because at the end it's to late for us. In our life, we should take each chance that life can occur to us, for example" eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart", and cherish each moment with joy and happiness. But we should never forget that at the end of the bridge that we are crossing, there is a god who is going to judge us on our actions..
The main character of the book is Veronika. She is a young girl with youth, boyfriends, loving family, a good job but still she finds life empty so she decides to take her own life but her failed attempt leads her to Villette a local mental hospital in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Here she meets different inmates of the hospital who have a great impact on her life, like Zedka who is depressed in spite of having a loving family. Then there is Mari a really successful lawyer who wished to do something different but she starts having panic attacks. Eduard with whom Veronika falls in love. He wishes to live his life on his own terms.
By Samir Berj
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