I'm ecstatic and sad to have finished The House On Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. I'm happy because I wanted to see what happened at the end, but sad at the same time because it was such an amazing book. I found myself not wanting to put it down, and wishing it was longer because Esperanza's story was so good. She's a character that I've actually learned so much from. Not only about coming of age, but how to be a strong, caring, and kind person. She has gone through a lot yet still manages to put a smile on her face.
One thing I took from this book was how much it means to be kind. Esperanza has such a passion for people, and never judges anyone. One line that stuck out to me was "One day I'll own my own house, but I won't forget who I am or where I came from. Passing bums will ask, can I come in? I'll offer them the attic, ask them to stay because I know how it is to be without a house." Although she doesn't have her own house, she still dreams big. And she doesn't let any of the negative people in her life affect her feelings towards people in general. Many people wouldn't open their homes to bums. But she looks at them differently, and doesn't judge a book by the cover, but by the pages. Some people say struggle makes you stronger. Esperanza's story is a perfect example of this.
Another thing that I got from that quote was to never forget where you come from, or who you are. As we grow up, we struggle to find who we are. Sometimes in the process to do so, we forget where we come from. Although you might be ashamed of your upbringing, where you live(d), it makes us who we are. Every obstacle, or achievement is another lesson learned, and it only makes us stronger as a person.
Not only was this book incredibly inspiring and such an interesting story, it was also written beautifully. There's so many things that I took away from this book. I STRONGLY recommend this book to anyone, and everyone. Before reading this book, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, and was only reading it because I had to. But while reading it, I've learned to never judge a book by its cover. I've learned this from Esperanza. This was an amazing reading experience for me, and this is definitely one of my favorite books I've read this year!
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The House on Mango Street
So far, I am seriously enjoying The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Not only is it a great story, but it really helps you understand the struggle of coming of age for yourself, others and makes you think deeply about it. Not everyone deals with growing up the same way. Everyone comes from different families, places, etc.
We all have different responsibilities and roles in our family, and life. But Esperanza's role in her family is a difficult one. Esperanza is like a mother figure for all of her younger sisters. She takes care of them, and makes sure that they're okay. Many kids have to grow up fast to take care of their younger siblings. Esperanza deals with this very well. One quote that really stuck out to me, and showed the importance of Esperanza's role was "Because I am the oldest, my father has told me first, and now it is my turn to tell the others." Esperanza has so much weight on her shoulders. I never had to deal with this, since I'm the youngest, but my sister has. However, it's a different situation with us. My sister never had to really take care of me, because fortunately we have such an amazing mother and father that was always there for us. But she did have to make sure she was being a good role model for me. And I could only imagine how hard this is, especially being a teenager and going through of a time of mistakes. But Esperanza, as well as my sister always managed to pull it off.
Another quote that made me think was "I wonder if she made the best of what she got or was she sorry because she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be." This is a good example of childhood and adulthood. When we're young, we have so much ambition. We have dreams of what we want to do, and the kind of person we want to be when we grow up. But as people get older, they start to see all of that changing. What we want and what we have are completely different. We may not always be the person we wanted to be, but we're stuck with who we are. And since it's all we have, we have to suck it up, and just accept our life for how it is and realize that everything happens for a reason. The way someone is brought up can also restrict them from being the person they want to be. And to break free from that person takes a lot of strength and courage, because all we know is what we were brought up around. Esperanza is brought up in a poor neighborhood, and although she has so many dreams and a clear view of who she wants to be, her childhood life is holding her back.
As I continue to read this book, the more I love Esperanza. She is such an inspirational character and handles adult tasks very well. She is facing some serious inner struggle, though. She feels trapped, and doesn't know how to get out. Not only is her life not the best, but she's a child, and can't really do anything about it. Esperanza inspires me to work hard, and try to never give up. She makes me realize that so many kids have it much harder than I do, and to take advantage of every opportunity I have. I can't wait to finish the book, and see how Esperanza deals with the problems she is faced with.
We all have different responsibilities and roles in our family, and life. But Esperanza's role in her family is a difficult one. Esperanza is like a mother figure for all of her younger sisters. She takes care of them, and makes sure that they're okay. Many kids have to grow up fast to take care of their younger siblings. Esperanza deals with this very well. One quote that really stuck out to me, and showed the importance of Esperanza's role was "Because I am the oldest, my father has told me first, and now it is my turn to tell the others." Esperanza has so much weight on her shoulders. I never had to deal with this, since I'm the youngest, but my sister has. However, it's a different situation with us. My sister never had to really take care of me, because fortunately we have such an amazing mother and father that was always there for us. But she did have to make sure she was being a good role model for me. And I could only imagine how hard this is, especially being a teenager and going through of a time of mistakes. But Esperanza, as well as my sister always managed to pull it off.
Another quote that made me think was "I wonder if she made the best of what she got or was she sorry because she couldn't be all the things she wanted to be." This is a good example of childhood and adulthood. When we're young, we have so much ambition. We have dreams of what we want to do, and the kind of person we want to be when we grow up. But as people get older, they start to see all of that changing. What we want and what we have are completely different. We may not always be the person we wanted to be, but we're stuck with who we are. And since it's all we have, we have to suck it up, and just accept our life for how it is and realize that everything happens for a reason. The way someone is brought up can also restrict them from being the person they want to be. And to break free from that person takes a lot of strength and courage, because all we know is what we were brought up around. Esperanza is brought up in a poor neighborhood, and although she has so many dreams and a clear view of who she wants to be, her childhood life is holding her back.
As I continue to read this book, the more I love Esperanza. She is such an inspirational character and handles adult tasks very well. She is facing some serious inner struggle, though. She feels trapped, and doesn't know how to get out. Not only is her life not the best, but she's a child, and can't really do anything about it. Esperanza inspires me to work hard, and try to never give up. She makes me realize that so many kids have it much harder than I do, and to take advantage of every opportunity I have. I can't wait to finish the book, and see how Esperanza deals with the problems she is faced with.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Red
Red edited by Amy Goldwasser is a book of essays written by teenage girls. These essays give you a feel for how teenage girls think, and how their lives are. I found this book really interesting and actually enjoyed it. I always raced my way through one essay, to get to the next one because they were just so good.
The creativity and language of each essay is what really captivated me. I felt like I was in the mind of each girl, and a part of their life. In one essay "The Fourth Floor" by Kathryn Pavia, her language is so beautiful and you feel like you're really there in that very moment. When she says "The elevator thumped rhythmically as the numbers lit up, counting down three... two... one..." I felt like I was in the elevator. I could hear the "beep, beep, beep" in my head, and the smooth feeling of riding. Another thing she says in this is "The cafeteria was quiet except for the hum of coolers and heat lamps, some muffled footsteps, and bits of conversation seeping in from beyond the sliding doors." For this line, I actually closed my eyes for a second. And I was able to hear and picture it. However, it was then cut off by the sound of my Maltese, Spike's barking.
I thought it was really cool to get in the mind of other teenage girls. It's crazy to see how similar our lives are, and that we're not alone. We face a lot of the same things, and it's great to see how others cope, or deal with these situations. People don't only learn from their mistakes, but others as well. Sometimes it takes a tragedy or something unfortunate for someone to learn not to do it.
I learned a lot from these girls. I wouldn't say that they've made a huge difference in my life, or I am influenced by them, but they've changed certain things I do. Boys, girls, family, drama are a part of every one's life. The way you handle it is what matters, though. You can get involved, mad, or sad. But what changes your opinion or the way these things interfere with your life all depends on what you do with it. These girls showed me that it's okay to be nervous, scared, feel alone, etc. Because you're not the only one that feels that way.
The creativity and language of each essay is what really captivated me. I felt like I was in the mind of each girl, and a part of their life. In one essay "The Fourth Floor" by Kathryn Pavia, her language is so beautiful and you feel like you're really there in that very moment. When she says "The elevator thumped rhythmically as the numbers lit up, counting down three... two... one..." I felt like I was in the elevator. I could hear the "beep, beep, beep" in my head, and the smooth feeling of riding. Another thing she says in this is "The cafeteria was quiet except for the hum of coolers and heat lamps, some muffled footsteps, and bits of conversation seeping in from beyond the sliding doors." For this line, I actually closed my eyes for a second. And I was able to hear and picture it. However, it was then cut off by the sound of my Maltese, Spike's barking.
I thought it was really cool to get in the mind of other teenage girls. It's crazy to see how similar our lives are, and that we're not alone. We face a lot of the same things, and it's great to see how others cope, or deal with these situations. People don't only learn from their mistakes, but others as well. Sometimes it takes a tragedy or something unfortunate for someone to learn not to do it.
I learned a lot from these girls. I wouldn't say that they've made a huge difference in my life, or I am influenced by them, but they've changed certain things I do. Boys, girls, family, drama are a part of every one's life. The way you handle it is what matters, though. You can get involved, mad, or sad. But what changes your opinion or the way these things interfere with your life all depends on what you do with it. These girls showed me that it's okay to be nervous, scared, feel alone, etc. Because you're not the only one that feels that way.
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Crank
Crank by Ellen Hopkins is about a girl named Kristina, (also know as Bree) who was dragged down by the "monster", Crank. Crank is a street/slang term for crystal meth. On the first page of crank, Kristina says,
Life was good
before I
met
the monster.
After,
life
was great.
At
least
for a little while.
This is a very meaningful poem in this book because it shows us the journey of crank. Life is good before the monster comes along, but then it's great. But only for a little while. While reading crank, I was actually disturbed by a lot of what was happening. I couldn't believe the effect it can have on a person's mind, family, and body. It takes them to a whole other planet, where nothing matters, except knowing when they're going to get high again. So does lack of confidence and love lead you to foolish, destructive things?
Kristina was never a very confident person. She always felt like the odd, ugly one. Until she reached high school, and boys actually started to give her attention; and girls wanted to be her friend. Kristina loved the new reaction she got from guys and girls. They thought she was beautiful, confident, and a leader. But on the inside she was just lonely, insecure, and wanted to be loved. Kristina never wanted to go back to how things used to be, so she made up Bree. Bree is everything she ever wanted to be, and represented the new her. Bree was fun, carefree, and someone everyone wanted to be friends with. Unlike Kristina. She became so infatuated with Bree, she forgot who she really was. She wasn't confident in herself, so she was very vulnerable and became involved with crank.
Kristina's mom and dad are divorced. So she always longed for a guy to give her the love she missed from her father. However, she chose all the wrong guys. Brendan, is a guy she met, who she did crank with. He eventually winded up raping her. This shows how addicts surround themselves with the wrong people while doing drugs. They're not in the right state of mind, and don't really care about who they're around. Until something tragic like getting raped happens. Even that wasn't enough to scare Kristina into stop doing drugs.
This book really changed my opinion on addicts and drugs. Addicts are people that have a problem. They can't control their addiction without professional help. They become a friend of the monster. At first, they think the monster's their best friend. That it'll always be there to cheer you up. But sooner or later, they find out that the monster is only dragging them down the path of self destruction. But the monster is clever. He catches you and puts you in a trap before you can realize this, and for most people by the time they do it's already too late. I always said that I would never try drugs ever in my life, and after reading crank it made me realize that doing so is probably one of the best decisions I could ever make.
Life was good
before I
met
the monster.
After,
life
was great.
At
least
for a little while.
This is a very meaningful poem in this book because it shows us the journey of crank. Life is good before the monster comes along, but then it's great. But only for a little while. While reading crank, I was actually disturbed by a lot of what was happening. I couldn't believe the effect it can have on a person's mind, family, and body. It takes them to a whole other planet, where nothing matters, except knowing when they're going to get high again. So does lack of confidence and love lead you to foolish, destructive things?
Kristina was never a very confident person. She always felt like the odd, ugly one. Until she reached high school, and boys actually started to give her attention; and girls wanted to be her friend. Kristina loved the new reaction she got from guys and girls. They thought she was beautiful, confident, and a leader. But on the inside she was just lonely, insecure, and wanted to be loved. Kristina never wanted to go back to how things used to be, so she made up Bree. Bree is everything she ever wanted to be, and represented the new her. Bree was fun, carefree, and someone everyone wanted to be friends with. Unlike Kristina. She became so infatuated with Bree, she forgot who she really was. She wasn't confident in herself, so she was very vulnerable and became involved with crank.
Kristina's mom and dad are divorced. So she always longed for a guy to give her the love she missed from her father. However, she chose all the wrong guys. Brendan, is a guy she met, who she did crank with. He eventually winded up raping her. This shows how addicts surround themselves with the wrong people while doing drugs. They're not in the right state of mind, and don't really care about who they're around. Until something tragic like getting raped happens. Even that wasn't enough to scare Kristina into stop doing drugs.
This book really changed my opinion on addicts and drugs. Addicts are people that have a problem. They can't control their addiction without professional help. They become a friend of the monster. At first, they think the monster's their best friend. That it'll always be there to cheer you up. But sooner or later, they find out that the monster is only dragging them down the path of self destruction. But the monster is clever. He catches you and puts you in a trap before you can realize this, and for most people by the time they do it's already too late. I always said that I would never try drugs ever in my life, and after reading crank it made me realize that doing so is probably one of the best decisions I could ever make.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Romeo & Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a story about love and hatred. Which are the total opposites of each other. Put both of them together, and it makes any situation bloody, and violent. But in the midst of all this fighting Romeo and Juliet young, and have nothing but love for each other. Is this a bad thing?
Love is very fragile. Anything you are told can easily break you. There are gonna be people who want you together, and people who do everything in their power to break you apart. But if it's true, nothing can tear you down. You'll be able to withstand everything and anything. If you have to second guess yourself, then it's probably not meant to be. Because if it is true, you just know.
Can young people be in love? Or do they just think they are? For me, it's both. I think anyone, no matter what you're age is, can be in love. I just think when you're younger, you're very selfish. And to be in love, you have to think of someone else before yourself. You can't be self centered, you have to put their happiness before yours. But I also think since we are self centered, we can't be in love. We might think we are, but we're probably not. Especially because for us, looks are what matter most. So we're not in love with the person and their personality. We're in love with the way they look or how popular they are.
Baz Luhrmann did amazing job portraying love and hate together. He shows how easily things can fall apart, and how easily things can fall together. He put the movie into a modern time to show us how this may relate to our lives, and how fast we can fall if it's true and meant to be. Even though I didn't understand everything they were saying, Luhrmann made their actions, chemistry and body language clear so you can understand what was going on. He used the settings to really help what was happening in the scenes. "While Luhrmann had faith in the relevance of the story, he knew that to reach out to a new audience he would have to make it hip and sexy. That meant a dramatic setting, an analogy for the originial violent, Verona."
Love is very fragile. Anything you are told can easily break you. There are gonna be people who want you together, and people who do everything in their power to break you apart. But if it's true, nothing can tear you down. You'll be able to withstand everything and anything. If you have to second guess yourself, then it's probably not meant to be. Because if it is true, you just know.
Can young people be in love? Or do they just think they are? For me, it's both. I think anyone, no matter what you're age is, can be in love. I just think when you're younger, you're very selfish. And to be in love, you have to think of someone else before yourself. You can't be self centered, you have to put their happiness before yours. But I also think since we are self centered, we can't be in love. We might think we are, but we're probably not. Especially because for us, looks are what matter most. So we're not in love with the person and their personality. We're in love with the way they look or how popular they are.
Baz Luhrmann did amazing job portraying love and hate together. He shows how easily things can fall apart, and how easily things can fall together. He put the movie into a modern time to show us how this may relate to our lives, and how fast we can fall if it's true and meant to be. Even though I didn't understand everything they were saying, Luhrmann made their actions, chemistry and body language clear so you can understand what was going on. He used the settings to really help what was happening in the scenes. "While Luhrmann had faith in the relevance of the story, he knew that to reach out to a new audience he would have to make it hip and sexy. That meant a dramatic setting, an analogy for the originial violent, Verona."
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Shug
Shug by Jenny Han is about a girl named Annmarie. Annmarie is going through a seriously tough time right now. She's in a very awkward stage, and it's very hard for her to deal with. She finds things wrong with her, and seems to think there's nothing good about herself. She's very harsh on herself. And some of her closest friends aren't acting so nice anymore.
Self-esteem is a big problem for teenage girls. Even if they're one of the prettiest girls, they tend to find a flaw with themselves. Twelve to fourteen years old is a hard age to deal with. It's when you're the most impressionable, and vulnerable. You believe everything that you hear, and are always looking for things you can perfect.
I think celebrities don't help with self esteem. They set an image of what every girl is supposed to look like. This is why a lot of girls feel so low about themselves. They see these beautiful girls, on T.V. and in magazines. They think that's what they should/want to look like. But, they don't realize that it's all fake. Photoshop, tons of make up, lighting, is what make these girls so beautiful. And even they probably don't like something about themself.
Image takes away from what really matters-personality. The way you look shouldn't affect other peoples opinions about you. What happened to when how you treated others was all that mattered? Apperance has become such a big part in peoples life. It's either something people are constantly worried about, or something people are constantly judging you on. It's very unfortunate that some people overlook inner beauty. You might be missing out on a really amazing person!
Self-esteem is a big problem for teenage girls. Even if they're one of the prettiest girls, they tend to find a flaw with themselves. Twelve to fourteen years old is a hard age to deal with. It's when you're the most impressionable, and vulnerable. You believe everything that you hear, and are always looking for things you can perfect.
I think celebrities don't help with self esteem. They set an image of what every girl is supposed to look like. This is why a lot of girls feel so low about themselves. They see these beautiful girls, on T.V. and in magazines. They think that's what they should/want to look like. But, they don't realize that it's all fake. Photoshop, tons of make up, lighting, is what make these girls so beautiful. And even they probably don't like something about themself.
Image takes away from what really matters-personality. The way you look shouldn't affect other peoples opinions about you. What happened to when how you treated others was all that mattered? Apperance has become such a big part in peoples life. It's either something people are constantly worried about, or something people are constantly judging you on. It's very unfortunate that some people overlook inner beauty. You might be missing out on a really amazing person!
Monday, February 7, 2011
All-Star Mentor
http://pagesofreality123.blogspot.com/2010/12/edward-cullen-is-so-2008.html
Thai definitely deserves to be an All Star Mentor. Not only does she write deeply, but she writes beautifully. You can tell how much what she is reading impacts her life, and how she really feels about it. She puts so much thought into each one of her posts, and really pushers herself to write more, which really inspires me. I chose this post because I felt like it was so true, and I agreed with her completely. She explained her feelings in detail, and elaborated very well! Thai has such well written posts, and will inspire anyone to go above and beyond to write a fabulous post!
http://peaceloveandpages.blogspot.com/2011/01/poetry-response-speak-now.html
I absolutely loved Ashley's post on the song, "Speak Now". She unpacked and interpreted the song so well. We share the same passion for Taylor Swift, so it was so cool to read about how this song made someone else feel. Her theory was very smart, and something most people don't think about while listening to a song. She dug real deep to find what this song could mean. I liked her theory, because I can relate to it. Which is what writing is mostly about, being able to relate to someone else's story.
http://untoldstoryinsideyou.blogspot.com/2011/01/too-much.html
Zarrin's post on Slam by Nick Hornby was very thought provoking! I read this book over the summer, so I liked how we had different views and opinions on this book. Another thing that I liked is how she used vocabulary words, which shows that she actually understands how to use them, and is using them to help her become a better writer. Her work is very detailed, and hardly ever goes off topic. She has such a strong voice in each of her posts, and her personality and opinions really show.
Thai definitely deserves to be an All Star Mentor. Not only does she write deeply, but she writes beautifully. You can tell how much what she is reading impacts her life, and how she really feels about it. She puts so much thought into each one of her posts, and really pushers herself to write more, which really inspires me. I chose this post because I felt like it was so true, and I agreed with her completely. She explained her feelings in detail, and elaborated very well! Thai has such well written posts, and will inspire anyone to go above and beyond to write a fabulous post!
http://peaceloveandpages.blogspot.com/2011/01/poetry-response-speak-now.html
I absolutely loved Ashley's post on the song, "Speak Now". She unpacked and interpreted the song so well. We share the same passion for Taylor Swift, so it was so cool to read about how this song made someone else feel. Her theory was very smart, and something most people don't think about while listening to a song. She dug real deep to find what this song could mean. I liked her theory, because I can relate to it. Which is what writing is mostly about, being able to relate to someone else's story.
http://untoldstoryinsideyou.blogspot.com/2011/01/too-much.html
Zarrin's post on Slam by Nick Hornby was very thought provoking! I read this book over the summer, so I liked how we had different views and opinions on this book. Another thing that I liked is how she used vocabulary words, which shows that she actually understands how to use them, and is using them to help her become a better writer. Her work is very detailed, and hardly ever goes off topic. She has such a strong voice in each of her posts, and her personality and opinions really show.
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