Summary:
In the beginning of part 3 in this novel, Sophie is in Dame Marie with her new born baby Brigitte and she has come to see Atie and her grandmother. They talk about how Louise, Atie's friend has taught her some of her letters so she would be able to read and right. At night Sophie starts to remember how Joseph use to play the saxophone to him and her baby and how nice those times were together. As the sun began to rise again, Sophie and her grandmother take a walk and she buys things such as beans for the house. Louise is there and she keeps on asking them if they want to buy a pig, but they just refuse. Grandmother and Sophie talk about how Atie has been drinking alcohol since she moved in with her mother, but at the same time she is there to look after her. Later, Atie goes out to the marketplace to get her calf checked out because it has a lump in it, and Sophie and her mother talk about Joseph and how this is just a vacation away from him for a while. As Brigitte slept, she looks back on her wedding day through the pictures she has in her wallet of Joseph and her. As Louise is saving up money for her trip to leave this area for a while, even more violence with the Macoutes (soldiers) occur. According to Sophie they treat people bad and do what ever they like, and that is one of the reasons why Louise is so urge to leave this violence. Sophie remembers when she was a child and how she moved in with a mulatto family which also helped her get out of Haiti. A loud argument between Grandmother and Atie breaks the barrier of her thoughts.
Quote:
"I brought one of my pigs,"( Danticat 131).
Reaction:
From when Louise is introduced in the book in the beginning of part 3 to this point, she has been wanting to give one of her pings to Sophie for sell. This time she decides to give a new born pig to her for free. I was surprised by this because she doesn't want any money back in return, but my idea is that maybe the pig might symbolize something. n my opinion the pig might represent Brigitte in a strange way. More of this story may connect the two as i keep on reading.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Breath, Eyes, Memory: A Novel ( pg.50-100)
Summary:
As Sophie and her aunt try to make it to the airport, children are protesting with violence against the soldiers. The troops are forced to use tear gas and shoot at the people to settle things down. A female troop is assisting Sophie so she could make it to her mother in New York and for the moment, Atie and Sophie are no longer together.On the plane, a little boy is also being assisted by the troop after his father is killed in the disaster, and he too is heading to New York to meet up with his fathers sister. Now in New York Sophie meets her mother and go to her home. On the way there she sees a lot of graffiti and kids throwing cans at passing cars. Inside the home is much safer and the mother is very protective of he child now that she has got her back. She says that she will never leave her ever again. Sophie's mother talks about education and how important it is, and how her daughter will not fall in love until she is eighteen. Marc, a man that the mother is going out with brings the two to a restaurant and talks about all the opportunities there are in New York and how Sophie should react to them. She seems to like Marc and connects well with her mother. Now in part to of this novel, Sophie is finally 18 and she meets a boy named Joseph who comes knocking at her door to use her phone and then they start a conversation about how they are both Haitian. He was a musician and as old as Sophie's mother and that was a big problem that they had. His home town was Providence and one day at dinner, he told Sophie that he would marry her. She did not have the bravery yet to tell her mother about Joseph, but according to her mother secrets are not easy to keep from her.
Quote:
" He looked somewhat like Monsieur Augustin,"( Danticat 67 ).
Reaction:
In this quote Sophie is comparing Joseph who she like, to Augustin. I think this is bad because he was known for leaving Tante Atie for Lotus, so I am thinking that Joseph might leave Sophie for another girl as well. Even though she is 18, I still believe she shouldn't rush it and marry an old man such as Joseph in such a rushing manner.
As Sophie and her aunt try to make it to the airport, children are protesting with violence against the soldiers. The troops are forced to use tear gas and shoot at the people to settle things down. A female troop is assisting Sophie so she could make it to her mother in New York and for the moment, Atie and Sophie are no longer together.On the plane, a little boy is also being assisted by the troop after his father is killed in the disaster, and he too is heading to New York to meet up with his fathers sister. Now in New York Sophie meets her mother and go to her home. On the way there she sees a lot of graffiti and kids throwing cans at passing cars. Inside the home is much safer and the mother is very protective of he child now that she has got her back. She says that she will never leave her ever again. Sophie's mother talks about education and how important it is, and how her daughter will not fall in love until she is eighteen. Marc, a man that the mother is going out with brings the two to a restaurant and talks about all the opportunities there are in New York and how Sophie should react to them. She seems to like Marc and connects well with her mother. Now in part to of this novel, Sophie is finally 18 and she meets a boy named Joseph who comes knocking at her door to use her phone and then they start a conversation about how they are both Haitian. He was a musician and as old as Sophie's mother and that was a big problem that they had. His home town was Providence and one day at dinner, he told Sophie that he would marry her. She did not have the bravery yet to tell her mother about Joseph, but according to her mother secrets are not easy to keep from her.
Quote:
" He looked somewhat like Monsieur Augustin,"( Danticat 67 ).
Reaction:
In this quote Sophie is comparing Joseph who she like, to Augustin. I think this is bad because he was known for leaving Tante Atie for Lotus, so I am thinking that Joseph might leave Sophie for another girl as well. Even though she is 18, I still believe she shouldn't rush it and marry an old man such as Joseph in such a rushing manner.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Breath, Eyes, Memory: A Novel (Pg.1-50)
Summary:
This begins with Sophie(the narrator) making a mother's day card for her aunt Atie, who she has a close connection with as the story starts in Haiti. They sit outside where young kids are having fun under the hot sun. Atie would not accept the card because her aunt said that the card must go to her "mother" this year. Here in Croix-des-Rosets, many people had homes that they could either afford or build themselves, but people like Monsieur Augustin was able to afford a bigger house for him and his wife to live in. As the story progresses, The women in the community start to question about the plane ticket that was sent to her and what was it for, but she didn't give them an answer. As the city settled down, Sophie finds out the news that their is a date set for when her mom Martine, wants her back. In the morning she makes a promise to her aunt that she will not fight with her mother in New York because they have so much in common to have dividers between them. As the day approaches, Atie believes that Sophie needs her grandmother;s blessing before leaving so they take that trip for that. Back home now with Atie, she starts to cry because she doesn't want to leave. He aunt tells her to be strong like a mountain, which don't cry, as the taxi takes them away to the airport.
Quote:
" Don't you ever tell anyone that I cry when I watch Donald and his wife getting ready for bed"( Danticat 17).
Reaction:
This quote to me illustrates that there is something that Atie might be missing in her life and I am inferring that it my be a man and her own child. I was began to question why she would cry after watching them in their window and this is one of the reasons I came up with. Also, with Sophie leaving her, Atie will no longer have the happiness she once had without her.
This begins with Sophie(the narrator) making a mother's day card for her aunt Atie, who she has a close connection with as the story starts in Haiti. They sit outside where young kids are having fun under the hot sun. Atie would not accept the card because her aunt said that the card must go to her "mother" this year. Here in Croix-des-Rosets, many people had homes that they could either afford or build themselves, but people like Monsieur Augustin was able to afford a bigger house for him and his wife to live in. As the story progresses, The women in the community start to question about the plane ticket that was sent to her and what was it for, but she didn't give them an answer. As the city settled down, Sophie finds out the news that their is a date set for when her mom Martine, wants her back. In the morning she makes a promise to her aunt that she will not fight with her mother in New York because they have so much in common to have dividers between them. As the day approaches, Atie believes that Sophie needs her grandmother;s blessing before leaving so they take that trip for that. Back home now with Atie, she starts to cry because she doesn't want to leave. He aunt tells her to be strong like a mountain, which don't cry, as the taxi takes them away to the airport.
Quote:
" Don't you ever tell anyone that I cry when I watch Donald and his wife getting ready for bed"( Danticat 17).
Reaction:
This quote to me illustrates that there is something that Atie might be missing in her life and I am inferring that it my be a man and her own child. I was began to question why she would cry after watching them in their window and this is one of the reasons I came up with. Also, with Sophie leaving her, Atie will no longer have the happiness she once had without her.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Bad Boy ( Pgs. 106-206)
Summary:
Walter's new was Stuyvesant where his first year grades were horrible. Speech therapy was recommended, but he didn't go because people didn't seem to care if he went anyways. Walter than starts to talk about his friend Mickey and how he caught a men snatching a woman's pursue, that was one of the things that happened on Harlem streets that according to Walter. When he turned 15, he needed a job and was told he could come down to the Garment Center, a company that once was the busiest place in New York. He gets the job, but its not enough to do things like buy himself cloths that he would like. His mother was struggling to and she relied on he lottery hoping she would win someday. Slowly Walter began to do better, his writing appearing in the Life magazine and earning 14 dollars a week at his job. Walter talks about how basketball got him interested in it again because it could give him a free scholarship to college. During one of his practice sessions outside a kid by the name of Frank Hall was getting jumped, and Walter went out to help him. Soon they became close friends. As school started back up again, he was getting corrections of all the weaknesses in his writing which was overload for him at the time. He started to get a lot of warning notices about how he was doing poorly and he forged his mother's signatures, but he soon got caught. He soon gets confronted by both of his parents where he admits how he caused to much destruction, and he changes for the better.
Quote:
"All in all it has been a great journey and not at all shabby for a bad boy"( Myers 206).
Reaction:
I think Walter Lee Myers is trying to say that even though he was involved into a lot of trouble, he still loves the life that he lives. The live that he lived was one fulled with books and ideas that he could express through writing. Walter believes its been a long trip for him and it was not bad for a person like him.
Walter's new was Stuyvesant where his first year grades were horrible. Speech therapy was recommended, but he didn't go because people didn't seem to care if he went anyways. Walter than starts to talk about his friend Mickey and how he caught a men snatching a woman's pursue, that was one of the things that happened on Harlem streets that according to Walter. When he turned 15, he needed a job and was told he could come down to the Garment Center, a company that once was the busiest place in New York. He gets the job, but its not enough to do things like buy himself cloths that he would like. His mother was struggling to and she relied on he lottery hoping she would win someday. Slowly Walter began to do better, his writing appearing in the Life magazine and earning 14 dollars a week at his job. Walter talks about how basketball got him interested in it again because it could give him a free scholarship to college. During one of his practice sessions outside a kid by the name of Frank Hall was getting jumped, and Walter went out to help him. Soon they became close friends. As school started back up again, he was getting corrections of all the weaknesses in his writing which was overload for him at the time. He started to get a lot of warning notices about how he was doing poorly and he forged his mother's signatures, but he soon got caught. He soon gets confronted by both of his parents where he admits how he caused to much destruction, and he changes for the better.
Quote:
"All in all it has been a great journey and not at all shabby for a bad boy"( Myers 206).
Reaction:
I think Walter Lee Myers is trying to say that even though he was involved into a lot of trouble, he still loves the life that he lives. The live that he lived was one fulled with books and ideas that he could express through writing. Walter believes its been a long trip for him and it was not bad for a person like him.
Bad Boy ( Pg. 62- 106 )
Summary:
In this part of the reading, Walter's relationship with his mother changes because he lies and tells his father that she was the source of his injuries. As his 12th birthday comes up thought, they grow closer because his uncle named Lee was killed. During the funeral he tells the reader how this was the first time he had seen adults cry and how it was full of pain. The family helped each other through the phase and school started. Mr. Lasher put Walter in advancement class because he was doing well in normal classes. He talks about how he reads so much and one of his favorite books being "The Little Men." Rockaway Beach was an area were the whole family felt comfortable and and free from their problems, and that's where the family would go every week when they had a chance. Back at him, Walter wanted to write about something dramatic and he comes up with the idea of writing about his neighborhood. Shakespeare was among the people he liked because of their style of writing. Even though it seems that Walter is on a good track, him and 4 other friends get chased by the police after one of his friends took hold of the bus and drove it. Back in trouble for Walter Lee.
Quote:
" At thirteen I wanted to see the world around me the way I thought a real writer would have seen it" (Myers 78).
Reaction:
This quote helps show that as Walter grows older, he has a future in mind and how he wants to pursue it. He is young, but I think the way he approaches his writing career is smart and how he talks consideration of others. He wanted to know the world around him better and the way he stores it to remember past events is by writing them down.
In this part of the reading, Walter's relationship with his mother changes because he lies and tells his father that she was the source of his injuries. As his 12th birthday comes up thought, they grow closer because his uncle named Lee was killed. During the funeral he tells the reader how this was the first time he had seen adults cry and how it was full of pain. The family helped each other through the phase and school started. Mr. Lasher put Walter in advancement class because he was doing well in normal classes. He talks about how he reads so much and one of his favorite books being "The Little Men." Rockaway Beach was an area were the whole family felt comfortable and and free from their problems, and that's where the family would go every week when they had a chance. Back at him, Walter wanted to write about something dramatic and he comes up with the idea of writing about his neighborhood. Shakespeare was among the people he liked because of their style of writing. Even though it seems that Walter is on a good track, him and 4 other friends get chased by the police after one of his friends took hold of the bus and drove it. Back in trouble for Walter Lee.
Quote:
" At thirteen I wanted to see the world around me the way I thought a real writer would have seen it" (Myers 78).
Reaction:
This quote helps show that as Walter grows older, he has a future in mind and how he wants to pursue it. He is young, but I think the way he approaches his writing career is smart and how he talks consideration of others. He wanted to know the world around him better and the way he stores it to remember past events is by writing them down.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Bad Boy (Pg.41-62)
Summary:
In this section of the book, Mrs. Conway calls Walter a Bad Boy for the 1st time in the book because he has such bad conduct in class. She then isolates him from the class by putting him in back of the class where nobody can sit next to him. This is where he is given a book called " East o" the Sun and West o" the Moon" given by Mrs. Conway. All of a sudden Walter started to read and eventually like the book, but could not take it home as he wished. He later earned 1st page of the Jubilee Issue for a class poem he wrote called "My Mother." Walter Dean starts to take about 125th street in Harlem and how a black priest protested for more jobs there. He was successful and the transformation there was better than before because it seemed more alive. As the story goes on, Walter enters 6th grade where the teacher is a male named Mr. Lasher and he explains how he will not tolerate any fight or bad conduct in his class. Dean slowly became 1st or 2nd in every class, but after hopping on the back of a cab bumper because he thought it was a good idea, he has bruises on his legs. Walter just can's seem to stay out of trouble.
Quote:
" Dow the street we came, my white teacher and me, with all my friends looking at me and a few asking if it meant I was going to get a beating" (Myers 57).
Reaction:
I was shocked a little when this teacher exactly walked home to talk to his mother face to face about his conduct in class and how he wasn't going to accept bad behavior from Walter. I thought it was going to be a deal deal with Mr. Lasher just sending a note home or calling his parents, but he went to the household. Before this incident, Walter never mentioned that the teacher was white so that again shocked me to see that from all the teachers he got in trouble with, a white teacher holds Walters hand through Harlem streets all the way to his house to speak with his parents, and I think that shows what Mr. Lasher expects from Walter.
In this section of the book, Mrs. Conway calls Walter a Bad Boy for the 1st time in the book because he has such bad conduct in class. She then isolates him from the class by putting him in back of the class where nobody can sit next to him. This is where he is given a book called " East o" the Sun and West o" the Moon" given by Mrs. Conway. All of a sudden Walter started to read and eventually like the book, but could not take it home as he wished. He later earned 1st page of the Jubilee Issue for a class poem he wrote called "My Mother." Walter Dean starts to take about 125th street in Harlem and how a black priest protested for more jobs there. He was successful and the transformation there was better than before because it seemed more alive. As the story goes on, Walter enters 6th grade where the teacher is a male named Mr. Lasher and he explains how he will not tolerate any fight or bad conduct in his class. Dean slowly became 1st or 2nd in every class, but after hopping on the back of a cab bumper because he thought it was a good idea, he has bruises on his legs. Walter just can's seem to stay out of trouble.
Quote:
" Dow the street we came, my white teacher and me, with all my friends looking at me and a few asking if it meant I was going to get a beating" (Myers 57).
Reaction:
I was shocked a little when this teacher exactly walked home to talk to his mother face to face about his conduct in class and how he wasn't going to accept bad behavior from Walter. I thought it was going to be a deal deal with Mr. Lasher just sending a note home or calling his parents, but he went to the household. Before this incident, Walter never mentioned that the teacher was white so that again shocked me to see that from all the teachers he got in trouble with, a white teacher holds Walters hand through Harlem streets all the way to his house to speak with his parents, and I think that shows what Mr. Lasher expects from Walter.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Bad Boy Pg 21-42
Summary:
In this section it Walter is starting to become a "big boy" according to his mother where he gets to have his own keys to the house. But on the other hand he was still getting beatens by his mother if he got a C or lower in conduct, which usually meant that he got into trouble a lot at school. Now Walter is in the 4th grade and is still getting in trouble, while is sisters Viola and Gerry are growing up in the process. Ms. Parker is his new techer and he already starts to get in trouble with her beacuse of a book that he threw, which hit her by accident. He would have got a beaten, but all of a sudden he had an incident of having to get his appendix removed. After the visit to the hospital he was told to stay in bed which he didnt listen to but got away with it. When he becomes to get more healthy, Jakie Robinson starts to become a star in his neirborhood.
Quote:
"...I was raised in the Dean household as the baby of the family, and considered the Deans to be my real family"(Myers 38).
Reaction:
This quote is important to understand beacuse there will be a lot of people coming into his life, but the way he is connected to other people in his family in different ways. At this point of the story, Walter knows who is in his real family and who is not, but he considers the people who he was with the longest to be his "real family"
In this section it Walter is starting to become a "big boy" according to his mother where he gets to have his own keys to the house. But on the other hand he was still getting beatens by his mother if he got a C or lower in conduct, which usually meant that he got into trouble a lot at school. Now Walter is in the 4th grade and is still getting in trouble, while is sisters Viola and Gerry are growing up in the process. Ms. Parker is his new techer and he already starts to get in trouble with her beacuse of a book that he threw, which hit her by accident. He would have got a beaten, but all of a sudden he had an incident of having to get his appendix removed. After the visit to the hospital he was told to stay in bed which he didnt listen to but got away with it. When he becomes to get more healthy, Jakie Robinson starts to become a star in his neirborhood.
Quote:
"...I was raised in the Dean household as the baby of the family, and considered the Deans to be my real family"(Myers 38).
Reaction:
This quote is important to understand beacuse there will be a lot of people coming into his life, but the way he is connected to other people in his family in different ways. At this point of the story, Walter knows who is in his real family and who is not, but he considers the people who he was with the longest to be his "real family"
Friday, October 1, 2010
Bad Boy Pages 1 - 21
Summary:
The main character Walter Dean Myers starts to recall his family tree and how his mother Mary Dolly Green gave birth to him before she died, leaving Walter with his father George Myers and his dad's wife Florence Dean. They divorced and Florence married Herbert Dean and since she was white, she moved to Harlem because she was no longer accepted in Germany. Walter begins to talk about being "home" in Harlem where the streets were full of joy and music, as he sung "Jesus Loves Me" on the way to his church with others.His mother was one who cleaned a lot and at the same time took care of him and her other children. Thier bond is close and at a young age, Walter starts to learn how to read to his mother, but when he was jumped to the second grade, he found out he had a speaking problem.
Quote:
"Mama, who was determined that I should never be hungry, arranged with the grocer to give me food if I was hungry and put it on her account"(Myers 9).
Reaction:
As I was reading this novel, I pictured a urban setting in my head, and the mother wanting the best for her children. The kids way of saying mother is really "Mama" and this improved my understanding about the setting even more. It is good to understand this quote as well because this shows the connection between the step mother and son, as it stands for now. because it could change later on. I keep in my head that they are not kin.
The main character Walter Dean Myers starts to recall his family tree and how his mother Mary Dolly Green gave birth to him before she died, leaving Walter with his father George Myers and his dad's wife Florence Dean. They divorced and Florence married Herbert Dean and since she was white, she moved to Harlem because she was no longer accepted in Germany. Walter begins to talk about being "home" in Harlem where the streets were full of joy and music, as he sung "Jesus Loves Me" on the way to his church with others.His mother was one who cleaned a lot and at the same time took care of him and her other children. Thier bond is close and at a young age, Walter starts to learn how to read to his mother, but when he was jumped to the second grade, he found out he had a speaking problem.
Quote:
"Mama, who was determined that I should never be hungry, arranged with the grocer to give me food if I was hungry and put it on her account"(Myers 9).
Reaction:
As I was reading this novel, I pictured a urban setting in my head, and the mother wanting the best for her children. The kids way of saying mother is really "Mama" and this improved my understanding about the setting even more. It is good to understand this quote as well because this shows the connection between the step mother and son, as it stands for now. because it could change later on. I keep in my head that they are not kin.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)