The Theme is Freedom

Freedom is the theme of the White Mountains.

"The bitter thing was all the spirit, all the gallantry, was wasted. For even more than inferiors, they accepted and looked forward to being Capped. It was a part of becoming a knight, or of turning from a girl to lady. Thinking of this, I saw how good things could be meaningless in isolation. What value did courage have, without a free and challenging mind to direct it?" ( Page 111)

In this chapter and quote, the author is trying to tell the reader that even thought a person who is capped thinks they are strong, beautiful, kind they will never be as free as a person untouched by the tripods. That person has been wasted because of the tripods capture of his/her brain. Even though your happy there is nothing worth living for because you are capped, all your natural thoughts have been taken away from you. Being capped is similar to the government trying to hypnotize you into doing whatever they want. If you do follow the government around like a little puppy, you are not free. It is like being capped by a tripod. If you do not have freedom you don't have anything worth living for, because all those reasons have been taken away by the tripods or governments. Will saw all those people at the castle having a wonderful time at these festivals and dinners, but now Will is thinking these people can't have proper thoughts. What is the point of having all these happiness's in your life but you can't enjoy them? That's the horror you would have to face if you were to be in his time.

This chapter shows that the family living in the big red castle think they are living a free and amazing life because they can go hunting and they can have tournaments to show how strong and brave they are but their lives are actually fake because they have all been capped so they don't have freedom of speech or thought because they are all controlled by the tripods. The people in the castle seem to accept that boys will run away and think that it shows their spirit but again this is all fake and a lie. The way the nobles live in the castle is a very different pattern of life to where Will came from and ladies are brought up to be gracious and men have to be brave and courageous so it is a very different lifestyle to where Will came from and where he is in this chapter.

The capping takes away all these enjoyments in their lives. They can still enjoy themselves, although they do not feel the feelings that would naturally come out when they do. They don’t feel as happy and enjoyable as free person.

By: Sarah Gaafar

The Castle Of The Red Tower

How were the Tripods able to control the people?

The Tripods were able to control the people by capping them. BUT, there is more than just answering this question. The first one is that I think that the Tripods washed away all the memories they have when they were young when they placed the "cap" on their heads as what Ozymandias told Will in the second chapter. I also think that the tripod controlled people by the cap but, it is WAY more complicating then this answer. But I think they have like the people who made the tripods control it, or their family control the tripod. I think this because a machine, the tripod can not control many peoples' brains all at once so that is one estimate of how the tripods can control people. Some evidence thinking back to chapter one, it said that it was made by the men in black I do not know but this made me think that since the villagers know everyone, then the tripods will know everyone because I think that one reason it is controlled by people. But the problem with this answer is if it is controlled by people, then would anyone know that it is controlled by people and are they capped because if they are not capped then the tripods might find out that they do not have a cap then another tripod will come take the people out, who is controlling it, then cap them. This can cause a problem because if they cap the people who are in charge of that tripod then the tripod will give way and everyone who has been capped by that tripod will get brainwash and forget everything.

Find evidence (quotations from the novel) to show that even though Will is comfortable living at the castle, he is frustrated that the Comte, Comtesse, and Eloise have been capped.

First evidence that Will is comfortable living at the castle is that he was settled there and there was Eloise to accompany him and he actually didn't want to leave her like in this quote '"They chose well. I'm glad Eloise." She said, "I wanted to say good-bye. Will." "It won't be for long. A few days. Then, when I am Capped..." She shook her head. "I shall not see you again. Did you know?" "But I am staying here. Your father said so, this morning." "You will stay, but not I. Did no one tell you?" "Tell me what?" "When the tournament is over, the Queen goes to serve the Tripods. It is always done." I said stupidly, "Serve them where?" "In their city." "But for how long?" "I have told you. Forever." Her words shocked me, but the look on her face was more shocking still. It was a kind of rapt devotion, the expression of someone who hugs in secret her heart's desire. Dazed, I asked her, "Your parents know this?"' found on page 135. This quote shows that Will is frustrated that the Comte, Comtesse and Eloise are going to be capped and serve the Tripods in their city. I think that Will likes Eloise because he was shocked by her words and along the journey to the White Mountains, he thought about her and how she appears in his mind. So, Will, is actually more frustrated when Eloise is going to be Capped than the Comte, and the Comtesse. Also this is the quote that I think show that even though Will is comfortable living at the castle, he is frustrated that the Comte, Comtesse, and Eloise have been capped. "Nothing as far as I can see." He nodded at Beanpole. “He knows more than I do." Beanpole said, "They are not like the villagers, or townsmen. The villagers, finding us, might have called the Tripods, but these not. They think it good for boys to leave their homes. Their own sons go far away." I suppose I was little confused still. I said, "Then they might help us!" Beanpole shook his head, sunlight flashing from the lenses in front of his eyes. "No. After all they are capped. They have different customs, but they obey the Tripods. They are still slaves. They treat us kindly, but they must not know our plans." I said, with a new alarm, "If I talked... I might have said something about the White Mountains." Beanpole shrugged. "If so, they have thought it was a fever dream. They suspect nothing, believing only that we are wanderers, you two from the land beyond the sea. Henry took the map, from your jacket. We have it safe." I had been thinking hard. I said, "Then you'd better make a break for it, while you can." "No. It will be weeks before you are fit to travel." "But you two can get away. I'll follow when I am able. I remember the map well enough." (pg.108) I chose this quote, because I think if you think about this passage, it tells that Will likes this place, and that he wants to trust the people here. This is the quote that I thought showed that even though Will is comfortable living at the castle, he is frustrated that the Comte, Comtesse, and Eloise have been capped.

Find evidence (quotes) to show how Will feels about being capped.

This is the quote that I think that shows how Will feels about being capped. "I said, "How are you?" It was not just a polite question. By now, if the capping were going to fail, he would be feeling the pains and discomfort that would lead, in due course, to his becoming a Vagrant. He said, "I'm fine, Will." I hesitated, and blurted out, "What was it like?" He shook his head. "You know it's no permitted to talk about that. But I can promise you that you won't be hurt." I said, "But why?" "Why what?" "Why should the Tripods take people away, and Cap them? What rights have they?" "They do it for out good." "But I don't see why it has to happen. I'd sooner stay as I am." He smiled. "You can't understand now, but you will understand when it happens. It's..." He shook his head. "I can't describe it." "Jack," I said, "I've been thinking." He waited, without much interest. "Of what you said-about the wonderful things that men made, before the Tripods." "That was nonsense," he said, and turned and walked on to the village. I watched him for a time and then, feeling very much alone, made my way to the den." (pg 18) I chose this passage for it because this tells the reader that Will is scared to be capped, and we can know that by reading the part when Will asked "How was it?" and Jack answering back saying that it won't hurt him. It also tells me that he is nervous about being capped. Finally, this passage tells me that he has some thinking of escaping the control of the Tripods.

The White Mountains

Who are you like? Well, I'm like Will in 'The White Mountains" by John Christopher. You might not know this book... so what I decided to do is tell you the summary of this book before I start. Here is the summary.

Long ago, the Tripods-huge, three-legged machines- descended upon Earth and took control. Now people unquestioningly accept the Tripods' power. They have no control over their thoughts or their lives. But for a brief time in each person's life - in childhood - he is not a slave. For Will, his time of freedom is about to end - unless he can escape to the White Mountains, where is possibility of freedom still exists.

I think that I am like Will in a few different ways. The first way is that he was determined to take the watch and show it to his cousin Jack. I am like Will because I am always determined to finish what I have started. In the last track meet, ISAKL we were racing a 1500 and half way there, I felt really tired and I couldn't run anymore. I felt really tired and couldn’t stand anymore but instead of not finishing the racing I ran and finished the race as fast as I could. I did not care about losing but I finished it for my team. My team did not come last or first but they all tried their best and that is all that mattered and that we all had fun!

My last connection to Will is that he had stared to become a little curious in the book and that has happened to me. When I lived in Alexandria, Egypt I was curious about what was behind a door in my loft. As I thought about it more, the more I wanted to see what was on the other side of the door. I had to see what was on the other side so at night after I got out of my bed with a flash light and climbed up the stairs into the loft. It was dark so I had to rely on my flash light. When I reached the door I opened it tying not to make a sound but in doing so my dad woke up and made me go back to bed.

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