Katrina

Marley and Me  Summary-      Two adults, young in marriage, get a puppy… The phrase “Getting a puppy” doesn’t seem to fit in this scenario, does it? Weird as it sounds, that is exactly what happens. John and Jenny, a couple living in Florida are not ready to become real parents   . They opt to get a dog to help them get used to having that extra person around the house. What they don’t realize is how big of a change this will be, the care, patience, and time it will take away from their luxurious, calm life with just themselves. The miniature <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(244, 22, 1);"><span style="color: rgb(251, 113, 14);">  <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(244, 22, 1);"><span style="color: rgb(251, 113, 14);">  <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(244, 22, 1);"><span style="color: rgb(251, 113, 14);">puppy that rides home in John’s car for the very first time, soon enough becomes a “97-pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever,” as the book says. Marley has many different encounters with their screen door and the act of busting it open leaving a massive hole in the middle. Being afraid of thunderstorms while living in a state where they happen often, Marley gashes open a wall in fear of the storms. Not only was he strong, he had a big stomach. Marley would slobber all over guests and eat just about anything he could get his mouth around. Although Marley had appalling behavior, his heart was full of love, loyalty, and joyfulness. He would trot around the house giving big slobbery kisses with his tail going WHAP, WHAP knocking anything that gets in his way. Marley’s experiences in life created unforgettable memories throughout John and Jenny’s lives. In this true story, Marley’s love and excitement for life allowed John and Jenny to realize, “Unconditional love can come in many different forms.”

<span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(250, 127, 0);">Theme-

The theme <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(244, 22, 1);"><span style="color: rgb(251, 113, 14);"> in //Marley and me// is Unconditional love, and living life at the absolute fullest and making it memorable. Love can mean <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(244, 22, 1);"> <span style="display: block; font-size: 120%; color: rgb(244, 22, 1); text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(251, 113, 14);">many different things, but there is one in particular theme inside it all. In the book, their dog Marley is described as a “barreling 97pound steamroller of a Labrador retriever.” He breaks down walls in fear of thunderstorms, shuts down a public beach, and many other crazy, hilarious events. Whenever John and Jenny are mad at Marley, he always gave them back big slobbery kisses. Marley would constantly whip his tail back and forth showing his excitement for being around people. The other theme in //Marley and Me// is living life. Not just living every day, but also taking full advantage of life. In other worlds, living each day, week, and year, fully. There is not one second in any day where Marley is not showing emotion, but instead he is simply having a grand old time. He would always pull on the leash whenever he is out of the house because he just can’t wait to see who or what is ahead. Marley doesn’t sit and wait for life to come at him; instead he goes to life and lives it like a dog should. Where would the Grogans be without Marley? Where would the unconditional love and the excitement for life be? Marley is the protagonist in this book, and shows the theme through his actions and his loyalty.<span style="color: rgb(240, 104, 0);"><span style="color: rgb(246, 102, 14);"><span style="color: rgb(239, 1, 19);"><span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(172, 47, 249);"> Opinions-

In the book, //Marley and Me//, the author (John Grogan) gives good detail and figurative language which helps create the characters in the book. When the characters of a book are well described, the personality of the characters are better understood. With this, the reader is able to comprehend the story better, and is one reason why I liked //Marley and Me//. Example: “ ‘All right, what have you got this time?’ I’d say, and as I approached he would begin evasive action, waggling his way around the room, hips sashaying, head flailing up and down like a whinnying filly’s, so overjoyed with his forbidden prize he could not contain himself. When I would finally get him cornered and pry open his jaws, I never came up empty-handed.” One thing the author was very good at in this book was humor. With all of Marley’s accidents and scenes John Grogan makes it a hilarious book with his words and relations. Example: “And when he pooped outside, I carried on as though he had just delivered the winning Florida Lotto ticket.” One part of the book I didn’t like as much was at the end when Marley dies. It is hard to hear about a dog passing away when they love life so much. It is hard because John described Marley in such and excellent way throughout the book it was as if I had actually known the dog. Another explanation why I enjoyed this book is because I own a yellow lab, Duke, who is very similar to Marley. He and Marley are alike because they both: eat everything they see or smell, grab anything they can get into their mouths, while on a walk they always pull with all their might on the leash, and are always full of energy. Because of these similarities, I can better understand the frustration, silliness, and love they get from their dog Marley. <span style="font-size: 120%; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Duke

Marley

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link to Ashley's web page [|John Grogan's website about His new book, The Longest Trip Home] [|Amazon Marley and Me]