Mango part dos

This book has inspired me to be spanish for the day, even though I don't speak any spanish what so ever. (well besides the common words such as hola, adios..etc..) So the second half of the book was pretty good. I liked this book, so far out of the three..its probably 2. Sorry, but montana comes before it. The reason i like this book is becuase its a very easy read, but it left room for the reader to analyze and put their own personal expeirecnes, and point of view on topics in place. In the section "Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark," when Esperanza sympathizes with her Father for the first time after her Grandpa's death, it connected to my personal experience when last year around this time, My dad's best friend died, and I saw him upset for the first time in my life. It was an experience that I would never forget, just like Esperanza wouldn't. I thought it was really cute when Esperanza brought up Sire, and how he stared her down, and she tried not to look,but then she found out that he had a girl friend, lois, so that crushed her dreams of ever having any type of relationship with him. I think that her use of nature and comparing herself to the "skinny trees" shows that she is stuck where she is, and has no way of getting out until she dies. But that condradicts itself at the begging, and end of the bok (full circle endingg!) where she says that they didn't live at mango street forever, that they did live somehwere else, and that one day she was going to have her own home. The next couple of short chapters, Esperanza talks a lot about beauty, and the beautiful people in her appartment building. She talks about Rafaela, and she talks about Sally. Those two people do have different beauties though. Rafaela, is really pretty, and her husband locks her up when he goes out becuase he's afraid that she's going to escape. It also shows that people are really stuck not only at mango street, but in their own lifes. They have no where else to turn, and they can't express their real emotions, and personality traits becuase they are trapped inside these specific boudaries. Sally, which is the next section, talks about how this girl is really pretty becuase she wears a lot of makeup, and short skirts. Once again anoter high school, cookie-cutter, stereotype of a "pretty girl" I absolutlely hate this sterotype becuase I think people can be really pretty without wearing a lot of makeup, and wearing the shortest skirts. Now a days, people are too into the outside, and don't really get to know people on the inside, and that really buggss me, but whatever. Back to mangos. These few sections about the women show what Esperanza's fate is going to be if she stays on Mango street. This shows that she needs to leave, so she can persue her dreams and become a writer, but in order to do that, she must leave Mango street. Through the rest of the book Esperanza goes through what every teenage girl goes through. She feels she's unattractive, and that no one will every marry her. She talks about how she wants to be the damsal in distress (hmm...Catherine much?) and have every boy fall in love with her. I think this book hits many important subjects. It talks about stererotypes, and being yourself and not being able to change it. It talks about how many people are trapped inside themselves, and feel like they can't express themselves, becuase if they do they won't be accepted into the community, and it talks about more physical topics, like abusive parents, and rape, and death, many subjects that people do not like to talk, or even relise that it is happening to them. This book was pretty good..and I think that its going to definetly be on my list of favorites.
next book: The Bell Jar.

mmmmannngooo

I love this book. Its so easy to read, and by the short chapters, I feel like I'm getting so much accomplished, that I should keep reading more. (even though I'm half asleep, I need to keep reading.) So I'm a little past half of the book, so hopefully I'm not ruining anything for you guys, because I forget whats in what half, and I don't feel like getting my book. So I'll try my hardest not to give anything away thats too important. But I feel like there is no story actually taking place. I feel like theres no important plot that makes the story interesting, but at the same time its really good. It's not like Montana where you have a freaky Uncle, and people shooting guns, but it has a different type of energy, and glow. A common theme that I find through out the book, is that they don't like who they are. They are always trying to change who they are, or imagine their lives as someone different. From the start of the book, Esperanza talks about how she doesn't like her name. She can't stands it, and wants to be called something else. They also play games to change who they are. This whole theme makes me think of this song by the Jonas Brothers called "I am what I am" where they talk about being themselves, and no one can change it. Going back to the chapter about hair, I think that when they discribe their hair, its not only talking about their hair, but their personalitys that go with them. She also talks about the sky, and the coulds a lot. I think its saying that her life is calm, and peaceful, and everything is okay at the current moment. I feel that Esperanza is very steryotypical, and has no hope for people that are not her friends, or her neighbors. I also think that she is very nosy, and knows everyone. I'm not sure if this is half way either, but the character Ruthie, reminds me of Carla Tates from the movie The Other Sister. I feel that Ruthie is very against her mom, and is in her own world. The character Carla Tates, (a mentally challanged girl,) is in her own world, and through out the movie begins to move away from her mom, and Ruthie asks her mom permission, and then starts to make decisions on her own. But we only know her for one chapter..so that comparsion is really pointless. But i don't like how Esparenza has to give money to Rachel and Lucy to be her friend! thats terrible. She should have just stayed friends with Cathy. So overall, I think this book is pretty decent. Can't wait to finish it!
have fun everyone whose going away over break!

The awakening (or not)

I am so happy that this book is over. It was slow moving, and too dramatic. I think that Edna has a lot of family issues. She no longer spends time with her family, or children, and on the days that she would spend at home on Tuesdays, she no longer does. Also, she does not want to go to her sisters wedding (which I don't really understand? Its her own sister....) I think her turning into an artist, helps her to escape and to relax a little from her crazy world. Another reason why I think she paints is because she needs a confidence booster. She is always after people to compliment her. I feel she is very self-conscience, and needs someone to always be there telling her what a good job she is doing. One of the reasons why Edna is beginning to separate from Mr. P and the family is because he is never at home with her, and is always at the club, or on business trips. I think Edna needs the love and care like a little child does. She is constantly craving attention, by starting drama, or being depressed. When Mr. P leaves on his trip to New York, I think it finally hits Edna that she doesn't appreciate what she has, and doesn't see what she has until its all gone. Before Mr. P left for his trip, when they had the Dr. over, and he figured out that Edna was seeing someone else && that he said that he doesn't want to know anyone else secrets, it relates to Nannies today. (they were talking about it on the radio today, thats why I brought it up.) The Nannies in modern life don't want to know the secrets that are going on with the families they work with , because some times it can mess things up between the wife and the husband if something does get out, and no one wants to be the person to split up a wedding. But anyways, back to when Mr. P left, and Edna was home alone. When she was cleaning out the garden, and realizing what a great life she has, she was taking her life from a new aspect, and wanted change. So by cleaning out the garden, it showed the change that she is going through into a strong independent women. Of course she falls for Arobin, but than freaks out on him and leaves. I think the biggest thing that made Edna the independent person she is, is when she moves out. That was big for people in that time, and not many people did. By moving out, she claimed her own territory, and became someone she wanted to be.
I think the title of the book shows that she is waking herself up, and seeing that she is unhappy with the life that shes living. she can't be independent, and do what she wants to do. She is not happy when she is with her family, and have the burden of a family, and a husband. She need to be free, and I think thats why she likes the water so much. The water lets you be free, and have complete control over your body. You can just float away, and let reality leave. When I'm in the water, at swim practice, it is my escape from my life because at that time I can just let myself free, and not think about anything.
So happy this book is over =]

The Awakening (first half)

This book is probably one of the worst books I've ever read. I have no idea whats going on, there is wayyy to many characters, and it has no plot line. But putting that all aside, I think this book leaves a lot more for the reader to interpret than Montana did. I think that the beach is edna's mental and physical escape from whats going on in her life. I also think that she's having a difficult time with her husband, and that he is putting her in very stereotypical roles, and she isn't liking it. During the part when she finally learns how to swim, and she keeps looking back at everyone on shore, it shows that she would really like to leave him, but she is afraid, and will never truly leave him. I think Edna is very stuck up, and that she needs to get her way, or nothing. and Mr. Pointiller doesn't let her have her way sometimes, and she gets frustrated. I think that Edna and Robert are having an affair, and that adele loves robert, and she's jealous of whats going on between them. This book is really boring, and very slow moving. It keeps adding more characters, and not introducing them, and it really frustrates me because i have no idea who they are and then I get reallly confused. Another part I was confused about was when they had that big family party..are they all realated? and whats up with the lady in black? who is she? I truly don't want to read any more of this book, but i have to. So hopefully it will start moving a little faster....