"Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle!"
(a.k.a. A Pair of Tickets)
3. I didn't really have much of a reaction to this chapter as to the others in this book. It was a horrible thing to have to leave your own undeveloped children on the side of the road like that, only to be rescued several moments later without them in a miracle. What is OSHA? Lili sounds cute, sort of like my little cousins! & dang, that fancy hotel for only $34 per night? That's cheap! It's ironic how Jing-Mei comes to China, expecting all those authentic Chinese delicacies, yet she ends up eating "hamburgers, french fries, and apple pie a la mode" (278). It's quite tragic how almost directly after Suyuan dies, her old schoolmate coincidentally bumps into the twins at the mall. Yay, happy ending! <3
4. Auntie Lindo does not do what An-Mei wants: write to her twin sisters that their mother had died. Auntie Lindo is stubborn in this manner and believes that what she thinks is the best, that her own point-of-view is what should be done, not anybody else's. Once again, she thinks she knows everything, but she doesn't. Nuh-uh.
5. The main conflict has to be An-Mei vs. herself (internal: man vs. man). She believes that she is not Chinese, when really, "once you are born Chinese, you cannot help but feel and think Chinese". This proves true through An-Mei's attempts at haggling at the first thought of a misunderstanding and taking pictures at memorable moments. At the end, the conflict is definitely resolved. An-Mei realizes "what part of me is Chinese. It is so obvious. It is my family. It is in our blood" (288) and knows that she will always be Chinese.
6. I believe the pair of tickets symbolizes "Spring Water" and "Spring Flower", An-Mei's two twin older sisters. With the pair of tickets, she was able to fly back to China, to return to her heritage; her twin sisters helped her realize that her Chinese heritage was always within her, because it was the part that her mother had left for her. The tickets also was a way to get onboard the plane, to fly away from her Americanized lifestyle and come back to who she really is.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Double Face
"DVS shoes!"
(a.k.a. Double Face)
3. Oh dear, Waverly and Lindo are exactly alike! They both criticize each other about how Americanized/Chinese they are! Haha, I thought it was funny when she described "You do not have to sit like a Buddha under a tree letting pigeons drop their dirty business on your head. You can buy an umbrella. Or go inside a Catholic church" (254). Doesn't she know that Buddhism does not go with Catholicism? Aw, I felt sorry for Lindo when Waverly implied, "I'm my own person," and Lindo thought, "When did I give her up?" Somehow, when Mr. Rory is mentioned, I imagine a man with a goatee, wearing a tight black shirt and super tight leather pants. xD The Chinese see parts of their faces as fortune cookies, predicting the outcome of their lives. My mother just told me to squeeze my nose, because if you had big nostrils, money would pour all out. x_O" Thanks, Mom. I find if amusing how Waverly only believes in the Chinese stereotypes, not taking the time to question her own mother about her true past, the real one. Also, it's sort of ironic that Ying-Ying ends up working at a fortune cookie factory, the all-time Chinese stereotype for Americans, and does not know what it is at first. Aw, the "Lindo, can you spouse me?" was a really really really cute/innocent/sweet way to propose to her, even if he did not intend for it to mean it that way. xD I think the Lindo sacrificed her Chinese heritage so that Waverly can have all the advantages and opportunities of an all-American girl. Her heritage is still there, just hidden, deepdeepdeep down inside of her.
4. Waverly talks to Mr. Rory, telling her what she thinks her mom wants. She takes control of everything, implying that she is confident and ready to take anything on. She thinks she knows, but sometimes, she doesn't, which makes her kind of careless and oblivious to the signs that her mother hints at her.
5. I believe the main conflict in the chapter has to be Waverly vs. Lindo (external: man vs. man), because Tan compares and contrasts Waverly and Lindo, how each has become the other, yet totally different, by their facial features, their actions, and their thoughts. This whole chapter was a juxtaposition of Waverly & Lindo and Chinese & American. The ending was sort of open-ended, for the imagination to wonder, but it results in a more positive manner, so the most likely answer to Lindo's thoughts would be: She can never lose her Chinese heritage no matter how hard she tries. It has just been buried by all the Americanized stereotypes of the Chinese. In return, her daughter received all the advantages a true American could receive and now, she has a successful and bright future.
6. In this chapter, Tan was really emphasizing the relationship between American and Chinese, Waverly and Lindo. Her juxtaposition weaved in and out endlessly and fluidly while she taught us many Chinese stereotypes in the American world. It enhanced the conflict between Waverly and Lindo, helping the audience understand how such a problem could arouse in our world today because of our environments.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
(a.k.a. Double Face)
3. Oh dear, Waverly and Lindo are exactly alike! They both criticize each other about how Americanized/Chinese they are! Haha, I thought it was funny when she described "You do not have to sit like a Buddha under a tree letting pigeons drop their dirty business on your head. You can buy an umbrella. Or go inside a Catholic church" (254). Doesn't she know that Buddhism does not go with Catholicism? Aw, I felt sorry for Lindo when Waverly implied, "I'm my own person," and Lindo thought, "When did I give her up?" Somehow, when Mr. Rory is mentioned, I imagine a man with a goatee, wearing a tight black shirt and super tight leather pants. xD The Chinese see parts of their faces as fortune cookies, predicting the outcome of their lives. My mother just told me to squeeze my nose, because if you had big nostrils, money would pour all out. x_O" Thanks, Mom. I find if amusing how Waverly only believes in the Chinese stereotypes, not taking the time to question her own mother about her true past, the real one. Also, it's sort of ironic that Ying-Ying ends up working at a fortune cookie factory, the all-time Chinese stereotype for Americans, and does not know what it is at first. Aw, the "Lindo, can you spouse me?" was a really really really cute/innocent/sweet way to propose to her, even if he did not intend for it to mean it that way. xD I think the Lindo sacrificed her Chinese heritage so that Waverly can have all the advantages and opportunities of an all-American girl. Her heritage is still there, just hidden, deepdeepdeep down inside of her.
4. Waverly talks to Mr. Rory, telling her what she thinks her mom wants. She takes control of everything, implying that she is confident and ready to take anything on. She thinks she knows, but sometimes, she doesn't, which makes her kind of careless and oblivious to the signs that her mother hints at her.
5. I believe the main conflict in the chapter has to be Waverly vs. Lindo (external: man vs. man), because Tan compares and contrasts Waverly and Lindo, how each has become the other, yet totally different, by their facial features, their actions, and their thoughts. This whole chapter was a juxtaposition of Waverly & Lindo and Chinese & American. The ending was sort of open-ended, for the imagination to wonder, but it results in a more positive manner, so the most likely answer to Lindo's thoughts would be: She can never lose her Chinese heritage no matter how hard she tries. It has just been buried by all the Americanized stereotypes of the Chinese. In return, her daughter received all the advantages a true American could receive and now, she has a successful and bright future.
6. In this chapter, Tan was really emphasizing the relationship between American and Chinese, Waverly and Lindo. Her juxtaposition weaved in and out endlessly and fluidly while she taught us many Chinese stereotypes in the American world. It enhanced the conflict between Waverly and Lindo, helping the audience understand how such a problem could arouse in our world today because of our environments.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Waiting Between the Trees
"Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"
(a.k.a. Waiting Between the Trees)
3. Whoa, Lena and Ying-Ying really need to communicate more. They refuse to think based on what they think the other is thinking, which is totally complicated and it'd be much easier to just say their feelings to each other. They're mother and daughter for goodness sakes! And Ying-Ying doesn't want to talk because Lena pays for her "so-so" security?! What was the jade jar symbolic of? I couldn't fathom its significance. Ew, Ying-Ying married a guy old enough that she called him "Uncle"!? Gross. I can't believe she killed her son to get revenge for an idiotic man who cheated on her. Why take your own child's life when you could have taken the husband's life? ;) & it serves him right; he finally got killed by one of his women! Yay! Aw, Mistah St. Clair sounds like a sweet man, like he really wanted to impress Ying-Ying in such an innocent way. Did he become "a ghost" when Ying-Ying told him about her past?
4. Ying-Ying waited until her husband died to remarry St. Clair. This shows that although her husband was a jerk, she still respected their marriage and did not violate the Chinese traditions of her heritage. By remarrying, she also somewhat got revenge against her defeated past husband, becoming another man's wife like that. Although strong and bitter like so, she also trusted herself to purposely weaken herself to fade away her pain and give St. Clair the opportunity to make his approach. She isn't afraid of the future and she is sympathetic for giving St. Clair the chance to win her heart.
5. The main conflict in Ying-Ying's childhood memory should be herself vs. overcoming her past to move onto the future (internal: man vs. self). After that jerk of a husband, she spends a long while trying new things, pushing herself out of her comfort zone, to become a new person. I know, because she tried going from a high-class, spoiled rich girl to a lowly farmer's countryside cousin's place to stay. After ten years of that, she also left for the city to try becoming a shopgirl and this resulted in meeting St. Clair. By the end, I believe it is resolved, because most of her upsetting past was caused by [Insert his unworthy name here] and he finally died by one of his lovers, so I will conclude that he took with her the past of their love/marriage. She finally was able to move on, to find the strength, to let Clifford St. Clair marry her.
6. One of the most significant symbols in the story was the watermelon, of course. When "Uncle" [Jerkface] drunkenly sank a knife into a watermelon, roaring with laughter as he did so, and said "Kai gwa?" At the time, it translated into "Open the watermelon" for Ying-Ying, but later on, she would learn that it had something to do with reproduction. The watermelon represented her innocence and virginity, and he pierced right through it, cracking through its perfection, hurting Ying-Ying every step of the way.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
(a.k.a. Waiting Between the Trees)
3. Whoa, Lena and Ying-Ying really need to communicate more. They refuse to think based on what they think the other is thinking, which is totally complicated and it'd be much easier to just say their feelings to each other. They're mother and daughter for goodness sakes! And Ying-Ying doesn't want to talk because Lena pays for her "so-so" security?! What was the jade jar symbolic of? I couldn't fathom its significance. Ew, Ying-Ying married a guy old enough that she called him "Uncle"!? Gross. I can't believe she killed her son to get revenge for an idiotic man who cheated on her. Why take your own child's life when you could have taken the husband's life? ;) & it serves him right; he finally got killed by one of his women! Yay! Aw, Mistah St. Clair sounds like a sweet man, like he really wanted to impress Ying-Ying in such an innocent way. Did he become "a ghost" when Ying-Ying told him about her past?
4. Ying-Ying waited until her husband died to remarry St. Clair. This shows that although her husband was a jerk, she still respected their marriage and did not violate the Chinese traditions of her heritage. By remarrying, she also somewhat got revenge against her defeated past husband, becoming another man's wife like that. Although strong and bitter like so, she also trusted herself to purposely weaken herself to fade away her pain and give St. Clair the opportunity to make his approach. She isn't afraid of the future and she is sympathetic for giving St. Clair the chance to win her heart.
5. The main conflict in Ying-Ying's childhood memory should be herself vs. overcoming her past to move onto the future (internal: man vs. self). After that jerk of a husband, she spends a long while trying new things, pushing herself out of her comfort zone, to become a new person. I know, because she tried going from a high-class, spoiled rich girl to a lowly farmer's countryside cousin's place to stay. After ten years of that, she also left for the city to try becoming a shopgirl and this resulted in meeting St. Clair. By the end, I believe it is resolved, because most of her upsetting past was caused by [Insert his unworthy name here] and he finally died by one of his lovers, so I will conclude that he took with her the past of their love/marriage. She finally was able to move on, to find the strength, to let Clifford St. Clair marry her.
6. One of the most significant symbols in the story was the watermelon, of course. When "Uncle" [Jerkface] drunkenly sank a knife into a watermelon, roaring with laughter as he did so, and said "Kai gwa?" At the time, it translated into "Open the watermelon" for Ying-Ying, but later on, she would learn that it had something to do with reproduction. The watermelon represented her innocence and virginity, and he pierced right through it, cracking through its perfection, hurting Ying-Ying every step of the way.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Magpies
"Maggie likes Magpies?"
(a.k.a. Magpies)
3. First off, I thought this chapter was awful long. I hate how An-Mei's aunt and uncle curse at her mom, while her mom silently absorbed all the insults; she didn't do anything to them, so why were they making her feel bad? Aw, poor An-Mei's brother, getting left behind like that. Did they ever reunite? An-Mei was right; when you're a Chinese child, you can never scold at a parent. It's disrespectful and there's a possibility that you might get disowned! xD "Everything was too big" (221); was An-Mei's outfit a symbol, a sign that her new life was going to be too much, but manageable for her to survive? I liked how Tan used descriptions like "Chinese stone gate" and "big black lacquer doors" to desscribe Wu Tsing's house. It seemed extravagant and authentic for such a foreign place. Uh-oh, "lacquer" also was used to describe the symbolic vase in "Rice Husband". Does that mean that Wu Tsing's house is a symbol, too? How was the clock with the tiny people significant? I bet it's a symbol, but I can't figure what it is a symbol of. & I really liked the sentence "But I remember clearly when all that comfort became no longer comfortable" (227); it would sound really lame if I wrote that in my essay, I admit that, but when Tan uses it, the sentence just fits perfectly with the transition and it sounds right. Okay, so An-Mei's mother brags about the grandiose of her life, at first, then states outright that it is "shameful". Was she lying before or did she say so to convince An-Mei to come with her? What was the story behind the sapphire ring that An-Mei's mom showed her? Was it a symbol? (Okay, I admit, I'm scrutinizing the chapter way too much for symbols. xD Scrutinize, oh dear.) Second Wife is a real ... JERK for involving An-Mei's mother in the situation, forcing her into Wu Tsing. I TRULY ABHOR HER. But An-Mei's mom should have just told Popo the truth; maybe her mother would understand and not shun her, maybe not, but at least she tried and opened up to her mother. I thought An-Mei's mother was smart for committing suicide, giving her strength to An-Mei like that, but kind of tragic. Hehe, I liked the ending. My pyschiatrist would say that you needed to make an appointment with him. xD Really, concubines are not that much more than prostitutes, are they?
4. Second Wife fed First Wife opium, draining her power. Second Wife threatened Third Wife to do what she said or else she would become a concubine in the streets. Second Wife arranged for Wu Tsing to sexually abuse Fourth Wife, forcing her to become who she was. She also tended and nurtured Fourth Wife's son as if he were hers in front of Fourth Wife's face, but he's not. Second Wife nicely gave Fifth Wife money to visit her village, but is just trying to use the opportunities as reminders of Fifth Wife's low-class origin. Second Wife is a luring, devious, manipulative witch. The end.
5. I believe the main conflict has to be An-Mei vs. Rose (external: man vs. man). Even though it An-Mei's mother has issues against Second Wife and maybe An-Mei is struggling against herself to lost her innocence, the whole point of the flashback to An-Mei's childhood was to explain to Rose that she is worth more than she believes. An-Mei is trying to find a way to transfer her strength to Rose, just like how An-Mei's mother did so to An-Mei, and with the flashback, An-Mei describes how she achieved the strength for Rose to see that she, too, can achieve this same strength if she believed. In the end, I believe the conflict was resolved in the previous chapter "Without Wood"; Rose does find the strength to stand up to her husband.
6. The theme of this chapter is to find the strength within yourself to not let others receive joy from your sorrow by swallowing your own tears. This is repeated throughout the whole chapter: "It is useless to cry. Your tears do not wash away your sorrows. They feed someone else's joy. And that is why you must learn to swallow your own tears" (217).
Emily Huynh, Period 4
(a.k.a. Magpies)
3. First off, I thought this chapter was awful long. I hate how An-Mei's aunt and uncle curse at her mom, while her mom silently absorbed all the insults; she didn't do anything to them, so why were they making her feel bad? Aw, poor An-Mei's brother, getting left behind like that. Did they ever reunite? An-Mei was right; when you're a Chinese child, you can never scold at a parent. It's disrespectful and there's a possibility that you might get disowned! xD "Everything was too big" (221); was An-Mei's outfit a symbol, a sign that her new life was going to be too much, but manageable for her to survive? I liked how Tan used descriptions like "Chinese stone gate" and "big black lacquer doors" to desscribe Wu Tsing's house. It seemed extravagant and authentic for such a foreign place. Uh-oh, "lacquer" also was used to describe the symbolic vase in "Rice Husband". Does that mean that Wu Tsing's house is a symbol, too? How was the clock with the tiny people significant? I bet it's a symbol, but I can't figure what it is a symbol of. & I really liked the sentence "But I remember clearly when all that comfort became no longer comfortable" (227); it would sound really lame if I wrote that in my essay, I admit that, but when Tan uses it, the sentence just fits perfectly with the transition and it sounds right. Okay, so An-Mei's mother brags about the grandiose of her life, at first, then states outright that it is "shameful". Was she lying before or did she say so to convince An-Mei to come with her? What was the story behind the sapphire ring that An-Mei's mom showed her? Was it a symbol? (Okay, I admit, I'm scrutinizing the chapter way too much for symbols. xD Scrutinize, oh dear.) Second Wife is a real ... JERK for involving An-Mei's mother in the situation, forcing her into Wu Tsing. I TRULY ABHOR HER. But An-Mei's mom should have just told Popo the truth; maybe her mother would understand and not shun her, maybe not, but at least she tried and opened up to her mother. I thought An-Mei's mother was smart for committing suicide, giving her strength to An-Mei like that, but kind of tragic. Hehe, I liked the ending. My pyschiatrist would say that you needed to make an appointment with him. xD Really, concubines are not that much more than prostitutes, are they?
4. Second Wife fed First Wife opium, draining her power. Second Wife threatened Third Wife to do what she said or else she would become a concubine in the streets. Second Wife arranged for Wu Tsing to sexually abuse Fourth Wife, forcing her to become who she was. She also tended and nurtured Fourth Wife's son as if he were hers in front of Fourth Wife's face, but he's not. Second Wife nicely gave Fifth Wife money to visit her village, but is just trying to use the opportunities as reminders of Fifth Wife's low-class origin. Second Wife is a luring, devious, manipulative witch. The end.
5. I believe the main conflict has to be An-Mei vs. Rose (external: man vs. man). Even though it An-Mei's mother has issues against Second Wife and maybe An-Mei is struggling against herself to lost her innocence, the whole point of the flashback to An-Mei's childhood was to explain to Rose that she is worth more than she believes. An-Mei is trying to find a way to transfer her strength to Rose, just like how An-Mei's mother did so to An-Mei, and with the flashback, An-Mei describes how she achieved the strength for Rose to see that she, too, can achieve this same strength if she believed. In the end, I believe the conflict was resolved in the previous chapter "Without Wood"; Rose does find the strength to stand up to her husband.
6. The theme of this chapter is to find the strength within yourself to not let others receive joy from your sorrow by swallowing your own tears. This is repeated throughout the whole chapter: "It is useless to cry. Your tears do not wash away your sorrows. They feed someone else's joy. And that is why you must learn to swallow your own tears" (217).
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Best Quality
"The Worst Fukien Landlady"
(a.k.a. Best Quality)
3. What did the cat and the jade pendant symbolize? I couldn't understand the connection between their significance within the story and everything else that happened. When Suyuan said "Even you don't want them, you stuck," I interpreted that she meant heritage, even though she was talking about the neighbors. I loved the scene where Tan portrayed Jing-Mei poking her "pet" crab; her authentic descriptions made me picture myself in Jing-Mei's position, squatting on the kitchen floor, poking a crab who was clawing back at me. Gosh, such Chinese bickering/boasting! They remind me of my family gatherings! ;D Waverly is such a butt; why does she have to go making Jing-Mei feel bad like that? If you want to insult her, just do it! Why the heck does she have to be so sneaky about it too? I hate how Jing-Mei insults Waverly, only to have it backfired, then kiss up to Waverly all over again. OH; was the eleventh crab supposed to represent Jing-Mei: "... I was starting to flail, tossed without warning into deep water, drowning and desperate" (205), that how her best quality is being unique and caring from the others? Since Jing-Mei's family consisted of three people, when Suyuan died, one of the ingredients in the dish that Jing-Mei cooked for her father changed from the sauteed crab's soy sauce to the bean-curd's red chili sauce. Is this supposed to signify something? What was the importance of the number 3? It was mentioned a lot of times, from the number of main ingredients in the dishes to slapping the window to how long ago Suyuan died.
4. Suyuan doesn't eat the eleventh crab, afraid of possessing the bad luck. Even a beggar wouldn't want it, and their family was of a much higher position than a beggar, so why would they want it? This reflects Suyuan's pride in herself and her family that she eventually passes on to Jing-Mei. Know your self-worth and don't underestimate yourself.
5. I guess the main conflict is Jing-Mei against herself (internal: man vs. self). Throughout the whole chapter, she struggles to find her own self-worth, demeaning herself below all others, not knowing that she is of equal worth as them. When Suyuan finally presents the jade pendant to Jing-Mei, the conflict is resolved. She realizes how much she is worth to her mother, and to the world. The pendant shows her that she is the "best quality" there is and nobody else can be like her. She is a one-of-a-kind and she now knows that. Her life's importance is to keep living as herself, her true whole self, and nobody else.
6. The scene where Jing-Mei played with her "pet" crab reflected a frightening mood. Tan's word choice of: poked, jumped, claws, clear, dropped, cold, tall, dread, clatter, tap, hot, screaming, thrust, bright, red, bubbling... It really made me feel sorry for the poor crab and I almost shivered at the thought of dying in a slow, painful death like that.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
(a.k.a. Best Quality)
3. What did the cat and the jade pendant symbolize? I couldn't understand the connection between their significance within the story and everything else that happened. When Suyuan said "Even you don't want them, you stuck," I interpreted that she meant heritage, even though she was talking about the neighbors. I loved the scene where Tan portrayed Jing-Mei poking her "pet" crab; her authentic descriptions made me picture myself in Jing-Mei's position, squatting on the kitchen floor, poking a crab who was clawing back at me. Gosh, such Chinese bickering/boasting! They remind me of my family gatherings! ;D Waverly is such a butt; why does she have to go making Jing-Mei feel bad like that? If you want to insult her, just do it! Why the heck does she have to be so sneaky about it too? I hate how Jing-Mei insults Waverly, only to have it backfired, then kiss up to Waverly all over again. OH; was the eleventh crab supposed to represent Jing-Mei: "... I was starting to flail, tossed without warning into deep water, drowning and desperate" (205), that how her best quality is being unique and caring from the others? Since Jing-Mei's family consisted of three people, when Suyuan died, one of the ingredients in the dish that Jing-Mei cooked for her father changed from the sauteed crab's soy sauce to the bean-curd's red chili sauce. Is this supposed to signify something? What was the importance of the number 3? It was mentioned a lot of times, from the number of main ingredients in the dishes to slapping the window to how long ago Suyuan died.
4. Suyuan doesn't eat the eleventh crab, afraid of possessing the bad luck. Even a beggar wouldn't want it, and their family was of a much higher position than a beggar, so why would they want it? This reflects Suyuan's pride in herself and her family that she eventually passes on to Jing-Mei. Know your self-worth and don't underestimate yourself.
5. I guess the main conflict is Jing-Mei against herself (internal: man vs. self). Throughout the whole chapter, she struggles to find her own self-worth, demeaning herself below all others, not knowing that she is of equal worth as them. When Suyuan finally presents the jade pendant to Jing-Mei, the conflict is resolved. She realizes how much she is worth to her mother, and to the world. The pendant shows her that she is the "best quality" there is and nobody else can be like her. She is a one-of-a-kind and she now knows that. Her life's importance is to keep living as herself, her true whole self, and nobody else.
6. The scene where Jing-Mei played with her "pet" crab reflected a frightening mood. Tan's word choice of: poked, jumped, claws, clear, dropped, cold, tall, dread, clatter, tap, hot, screaming, thrust, bright, red, bubbling... It really made me feel sorry for the poor crab and I almost shivered at the thought of dying in a slow, painful death like that.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
W/o Wood
"Woo-Woo"
(a.k.a. Without Wood)
3. Again with the "mothers know best" idea. I don't think Rose's psychiatrist was a good one; he seemed boring and unhelpful. Did Ted want a divorce because of the other woman? Rose is right; with the many American choices, one is bound to choose the incorrect one. I think Rose is over-thinking her divorce with Ted. How can one stay in bed for three days? I'd be bored to death. Rose scared me a little when she started to laugh in the middle of her argument with Ted, but it served him right! That loser, he's not going to kick Rose out of the house now that she's speaking up; that's what he gets for doing "monkey business"! By the way, the house sounded really nice; I imagine high ceilings and windows from the ceiling to the floor. I loved Tan's descriptions and her choices of flower names. What was the whole story about China Mary about?
4. I nearly clapped out of joy when Rose finally stood up to Ted. This scene reveals that Rose was once a fragile, weak, and manipulated girl, but she has found her backbone to grow into a strong and self-determined woman. This is her breakthrough in life.
5. I believe the main conflict of this chapter is Rose vs. herself (internal: man vs. self). She struggles within herself to figure out what she wants and what's wrong in her life: why she still loves a man who wants a divorce with her, why she should despise him, why she lets other people use her and throw her away, why she won't listen to her mother, but other people... Yes, this conflict gets resolved in the end when Rose finally stands up to Ted, refusing to give up the house, finally knowing what she wants. She realizes that she doesn't have to rely on Ted anymore; he has another woman, whatever. He cheated on her and he just can't get away with the upper hand, not when the one that was hurt the most was Rose. Her ignorance has driven her to take control of herself.
6. I think one of the most important themes is: the solution to your problems lies within yourself, not outside. One has to believe that one can overcome his or her problems to be able to do so. One has to stand up for oneself, be proud of who he or she is, and take control of his or her life. This is revealed when Rose refuses to share her feelings with her mother over the phone and her mother insists that she "should speak up for [herself]."
Emily Huynh, Period 4
(a.k.a. Without Wood)
3. Again with the "mothers know best" idea. I don't think Rose's psychiatrist was a good one; he seemed boring and unhelpful. Did Ted want a divorce because of the other woman? Rose is right; with the many American choices, one is bound to choose the incorrect one. I think Rose is over-thinking her divorce with Ted. How can one stay in bed for three days? I'd be bored to death. Rose scared me a little when she started to laugh in the middle of her argument with Ted, but it served him right! That loser, he's not going to kick Rose out of the house now that she's speaking up; that's what he gets for doing "monkey business"! By the way, the house sounded really nice; I imagine high ceilings and windows from the ceiling to the floor. I loved Tan's descriptions and her choices of flower names. What was the whole story about China Mary about?
4. I nearly clapped out of joy when Rose finally stood up to Ted. This scene reveals that Rose was once a fragile, weak, and manipulated girl, but she has found her backbone to grow into a strong and self-determined woman. This is her breakthrough in life.
5. I believe the main conflict of this chapter is Rose vs. herself (internal: man vs. self). She struggles within herself to figure out what she wants and what's wrong in her life: why she still loves a man who wants a divorce with her, why she should despise him, why she lets other people use her and throw her away, why she won't listen to her mother, but other people... Yes, this conflict gets resolved in the end when Rose finally stands up to Ted, refusing to give up the house, finally knowing what she wants. She realizes that she doesn't have to rely on Ted anymore; he has another woman, whatever. He cheated on her and he just can't get away with the upper hand, not when the one that was hurt the most was Rose. Her ignorance has driven her to take control of herself.
6. I think one of the most important themes is: the solution to your problems lies within yourself, not outside. One has to believe that one can overcome his or her problems to be able to do so. One has to stand up for oneself, be proud of who he or she is, and take control of his or her life. This is revealed when Rose refuses to share her feelings with her mother over the phone and her mother insists that she "should speak up for [herself]."
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Four Directions
"FYI--Forever You & I"
(a.k.a. Four Directions)
3. Man, this chapter is long... to me, anyway. When the chapter mentioned the argument of Waverly's hair, an image of Kate Gosselin's unique haircut popped into my head. xD If Waverly is Chinese, why does her daughter's name sound Japanese: Shoshana? I can't believe Waverly gave up chess; I can't believe she lost her confidence and ability to conquer whatever laid in her path. I guess she's less of a brat now, but I stopped believing in her character as much. Still, I hate that her mother bragged about contributing to her victories when really, she didn't play THAT big of a role in Waverly's wins... Okay, well, she did, but she sounds like such a show-off, I don't want to admit it. Marlene sounds cool: "...piss up a rope...". I agree that it's practically against the laws to tell a Chinese mother to shut up, seriously. Ew, I can't believe Waverly counted 146 hairs on Marvin's hairy chest when in fact, Marvin is such a jerk and player. Rich sounds like a really devoted and nice guy overall. Waverly over-thinks her mother's actions way too much. Most of the time, her mother does not even intend to hurt Waverly; yet, Waverly inputs the hurt on herself, creating her own troubles and paranoia.
4. At the family dinner, Rich refuses to use a fork and forces himself to use chopsticks. He is considerate of Waverly's culture and family and tries to blend in with the rest of them. He really wants to leave a good impression on Waverly's family and be accepted, showing that he's caring and really does love Waverly for who she is.
5. The main conflict of this chapter should be the between Waverly and Lindo (external: man vs. man). Waverly's inner thoughts and self-protectiveness prevents her from accepting reality and trying to predict every move before it happens. However, things don't always turn out to be as they seem. Waverly constantly translates her mother's actions into negativity and interprets this as all part of her mother's scheme to make Waverly's life horrible. Lindo, on the other hand, just comments as her typical Chinese self and waits for her daughted to open up her feelings for Lindo into her life. I think the conflict was finally resolved when they had their mother-daughter talk at the end of the story.
6. Definitely, the flashback to when Waverly was 10, really enhanced the storyline. First off, it briefed the readers of how their distant relationship began and progressed. It told us the story behind Waverly's change from being a chess champ to a lost cause, the one who gave up on her life because nobody stopped her. The flashback that Tan used really gave the chapter more meaning with the history of the relationship between Waverly and Lindo.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
(a.k.a. Four Directions)
3. Man, this chapter is long... to me, anyway. When the chapter mentioned the argument of Waverly's hair, an image of Kate Gosselin's unique haircut popped into my head. xD If Waverly is Chinese, why does her daughter's name sound Japanese: Shoshana? I can't believe Waverly gave up chess; I can't believe she lost her confidence and ability to conquer whatever laid in her path. I guess she's less of a brat now, but I stopped believing in her character as much. Still, I hate that her mother bragged about contributing to her victories when really, she didn't play THAT big of a role in Waverly's wins... Okay, well, she did, but she sounds like such a show-off, I don't want to admit it. Marlene sounds cool: "...piss up a rope...". I agree that it's practically against the laws to tell a Chinese mother to shut up, seriously. Ew, I can't believe Waverly counted 146 hairs on Marvin's hairy chest when in fact, Marvin is such a jerk and player. Rich sounds like a really devoted and nice guy overall. Waverly over-thinks her mother's actions way too much. Most of the time, her mother does not even intend to hurt Waverly; yet, Waverly inputs the hurt on herself, creating her own troubles and paranoia.
4. At the family dinner, Rich refuses to use a fork and forces himself to use chopsticks. He is considerate of Waverly's culture and family and tries to blend in with the rest of them. He really wants to leave a good impression on Waverly's family and be accepted, showing that he's caring and really does love Waverly for who she is.
5. The main conflict of this chapter should be the between Waverly and Lindo (external: man vs. man). Waverly's inner thoughts and self-protectiveness prevents her from accepting reality and trying to predict every move before it happens. However, things don't always turn out to be as they seem. Waverly constantly translates her mother's actions into negativity and interprets this as all part of her mother's scheme to make Waverly's life horrible. Lindo, on the other hand, just comments as her typical Chinese self and waits for her daughted to open up her feelings for Lindo into her life. I think the conflict was finally resolved when they had their mother-daughter talk at the end of the story.
6. Definitely, the flashback to when Waverly was 10, really enhanced the storyline. First off, it briefed the readers of how their distant relationship began and progressed. It told us the story behind Waverly's change from being a chess champ to a lost cause, the one who gave up on her life because nobody stopped her. The flashback that Tan used really gave the chapter more meaning with the history of the relationship between Waverly and Lindo.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Rice Husband
"I believe that everything happens for a reason." -Marilyn Monroe
(a.k.a. Rice Husband)
3. I doubt that Lena's mom was pyschic. I think her predictions were just coincidences. That's all. Goshdarnnit, I wish Harold would stop dealing with numbers with Lena. They're husband and wife, for goodness sakes! It's immoral to split prices with your partner in life like that. Their house sounds really nice, fancy schmancy. Were Harold and Lena really in love? What is love? I think Lena's mom is being really "ASDFKL;" when she tells Lena about the pock-mark man, scaring Lena, making Lena eat all the rice in her bowl, then telling her, "But that's still too bad. Yesterday, there was still rice in your bowl." What does she expect Lena to do: travel back in time and finish all the rice in her bowl?! Geez, she learned her lesson; now leave the poor girl alone. I think it's crazy that Lena would not eat to make Arnold suffer. Scientifically, that is not possible and outright crazy. Ooh, Lena's father dabbing his bacon into his egg yolks sound really good. And if Arnold was really destined to be Lena's husband, then Lena changed her own fate by "killing Arnold" so she got Harold. Did Lena marry Harold because she wanted him to herself and not other women? Geez, Lena was by his side the whole time, encouraging him, lending him money to start his business, giving him tips and ideas and what does she get in return? NEGLECT FROM HER HUSBAND. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't even be that successful. Harold doesn't want to admit this and it's stupid how selfish and insensitive he is. I wouldn't mind at all if Lena got a divorce. However, that tantrum that Lena threw at the end of the chapter was kind of a random outburst. I would have been frightened if I were Harold, after all those years and suddenly, BOOM. Why doesn't she want to confront Harold again?
4. Lena does not take action in her marriage. I think she is afraid to speak up and control part of her life with Harold because she doesn't want to lose her marriage and all she has worked for. When her mother visits, she knows that her mother will see the destruction in Lena's marriage. She awaits it and knows that what her mother will say is true, but she tries to deny it for some reason.
5. I think the main conflict is split into two parts. Lena and Harold (external: man vs. man) struggle in their marriage to keep things in balance, forcing themselves to split everything into two; yet, Lena struggles against herself (internal: man vs. self) to confront to Harold that she is unhappy in the marriage. In the end, half of the conflict is resolved because Lena pulls herself together to confront to Harold that she feels something wrong about their marriage, but they still haven't decided what is wrong with it yet.
6. Up until now, for sure, the table that Harold made was the most obvious symbol in the whole book, to me. It symbolizes Lena and Harold's marriage. The fancy, yet poorly-constructed bedside table in the guest room represents their life together. Lena has tried to tell Harold to fix it, but Harold sees no point to fixing it. She wants to correct their fragile marriage, but Harold does not see what needs to be changed.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
(a.k.a. Rice Husband)
3. I doubt that Lena's mom was pyschic. I think her predictions were just coincidences. That's all. Goshdarnnit, I wish Harold would stop dealing with numbers with Lena. They're husband and wife, for goodness sakes! It's immoral to split prices with your partner in life like that. Their house sounds really nice, fancy schmancy. Were Harold and Lena really in love? What is love? I think Lena's mom is being really "ASDFKL;" when she tells Lena about the pock-mark man, scaring Lena, making Lena eat all the rice in her bowl, then telling her, "But that's still too bad. Yesterday, there was still rice in your bowl." What does she expect Lena to do: travel back in time and finish all the rice in her bowl?! Geez, she learned her lesson; now leave the poor girl alone. I think it's crazy that Lena would not eat to make Arnold suffer. Scientifically, that is not possible and outright crazy. Ooh, Lena's father dabbing his bacon into his egg yolks sound really good. And if Arnold was really destined to be Lena's husband, then Lena changed her own fate by "killing Arnold" so she got Harold. Did Lena marry Harold because she wanted him to herself and not other women? Geez, Lena was by his side the whole time, encouraging him, lending him money to start his business, giving him tips and ideas and what does she get in return? NEGLECT FROM HER HUSBAND. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't even be that successful. Harold doesn't want to admit this and it's stupid how selfish and insensitive he is. I wouldn't mind at all if Lena got a divorce. However, that tantrum that Lena threw at the end of the chapter was kind of a random outburst. I would have been frightened if I were Harold, after all those years and suddenly, BOOM. Why doesn't she want to confront Harold again?
4. Lena does not take action in her marriage. I think she is afraid to speak up and control part of her life with Harold because she doesn't want to lose her marriage and all she has worked for. When her mother visits, she knows that her mother will see the destruction in Lena's marriage. She awaits it and knows that what her mother will say is true, but she tries to deny it for some reason.
5. I think the main conflict is split into two parts. Lena and Harold (external: man vs. man) struggle in their marriage to keep things in balance, forcing themselves to split everything into two; yet, Lena struggles against herself (internal: man vs. self) to confront to Harold that she is unhappy in the marriage. In the end, half of the conflict is resolved because Lena pulls herself together to confront to Harold that she feels something wrong about their marriage, but they still haven't decided what is wrong with it yet.
6. Up until now, for sure, the table that Harold made was the most obvious symbol in the whole book, to me. It symbolizes Lena and Harold's marriage. The fancy, yet poorly-constructed bedside table in the guest room represents their life together. Lena has tried to tell Harold to fix it, but Harold sees no point to fixing it. She wants to correct their fragile marriage, but Harold does not see what needs to be changed.
Emily Huynh, Period 4
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Be Perfectly Contented by Being Yourself
Woods' English 2A: "Two Kinds"
3.
5. This time, I believe the main conflict is man vs. man, Jing-Mei vs. her mom, an external conflict. Jing-Mei constantly struggles to prove to her mom that she just wants to be herself and nothing more; yet, her mom wishes for her to be more than what she can be. Throughout the chapter, they constantly bicker and show disapproval towards each other. I believe the conflict is resolved after the big fight they had and Jing-Mei "went there" and it was a "Oh no, she didn't!" moment. After all, her mother died and took whatever was left of the conflict with her.
6. Seriously, I believe the theme/life lesson here is: BE YOURSELF. There's nothing more to that. If you're forced into a life that wasn't meant for you to live, you definitely won't be truly happy. Oh, and don't live life with regrets! Do everything to the fullest. (Fiona, I'm talking about you! Sort of.) Always take chances and live the way you want to. Don't change because somebody else tells you to. Make your own judgments.
3.
- I love how Jing-Mei's mom is so optimistic with "no regrets" but I absolutely despise how she forces her daughter to become something that she's not, a person that she wished she was but didn't have the chance to be. I know her mom is doing it out of love and wants the best for her but it's only forcing her to become more distant with her mom. Can't her mom see that? Maybe I'm reacting a little bit more on this issue because I have "been there" and "done that". I hate the feeling of being under parents' pressure.
- What's a Peter Pan haircut? I googled it, but I don't think the results are accurate. Did Jing-Mei's haircut make her look forward to her future because Peter Pan was somebody who flew, somebody who was independent or was it because of something else?
- I think all Asian children have been through that point in life where they have wanted their parents to love them; therefore, they change accordingly, but they truly want their parents to just love them for who they are.
- Why was her mother so disappointed in Jing-Mei? She's just a little child trying to please her mother, for goodness sakes! Her mother is driving her to rebellion and insanity!
- Jing-Mei promised herself that she wouldn't let her mom change her, but she did. She turned into a rebellious monster. That, or she's a really disrespectful brat who doesn't appreciate anything that her mother does for her and yells at her mom.
- Otay, I know that Jing-Mei's mom is a little bit forceful at times, but isn't Jing-Mei taking things for granted here? Her mom didn't have the opportunity to experience her childhood in America, and unlike her, her mom has to work hard to earn the money to keep her family alive. Yet, here's Jing-Mei, making her mom give up hope. Why not just talk to her mom about her feelings? Why does she have to act like such a little brat?
- The little girl playing the piano on The Ed Sullivan Show remarkably reminded me of Jing-Mei, n'est-ce pas?
- I don't think it's a very smart idea to have an old, deaf, distracted, past-haunted man to be a piano teacher. Jing-Mei cheated through her lessons a lot. It's true that she never did give herself a fair chance at playing the piano, but it was partly her mom's fault for pressuring her so much that she was forced to go against it.
- What is it with all the Chinese parents and their pride?
- I never realized Waverly was so stuck-up.
- Waverly did try. She tried to be the worst at the piano so that her mother would stop obsessing over her "natural talent".
- Again with the quiet responses of the mother, huh, Amy Tan?
- Waverly should have been disowned for saying such things to her mom. "I never want to be your daughter. I wish you weren't my mother. I wish I'd never been born. I wish I were dead." She hit all the wrong spots. Tsktsk.
- Hey, Amy Tan mentions "why she had hoped for something so large that failure was inevitable". I know the answer! Her nengkan (which was mentioned in Half and Half)!
- I just realized that in this section, The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, all of the mothers lost their hope. I see a pattern!
- Why was the piano a "shiny trophy that [Jing-Mei] had won back"? Was it a trophy of winning her true self back?
- I liked this ending, too. It gave me a "perfectly contented" feeling inside.
5. This time, I believe the main conflict is man vs. man, Jing-Mei vs. her mom, an external conflict. Jing-Mei constantly struggles to prove to her mom that she just wants to be herself and nothing more; yet, her mom wishes for her to be more than what she can be. Throughout the chapter, they constantly bicker and show disapproval towards each other. I believe the conflict is resolved after the big fight they had and Jing-Mei "went there" and it was a "Oh no, she didn't!" moment. After all, her mother died and took whatever was left of the conflict with her.
6. Seriously, I believe the theme/life lesson here is: BE YOURSELF. There's nothing more to that. If you're forced into a life that wasn't meant for you to live, you definitely won't be truly happy. Oh, and don't live life with regrets! Do everything to the fullest. (Fiona, I'm talking about you! Sort of.) Always take chances and live the way you want to. Don't change because somebody else tells you to. Make your own judgments.
One Part Milk + One Part Cream = Half and Half!
Woods' English 2A: "Half and Half"
3.
5. I think the main conflict is Rose's indecisiveness, an internal one, man vs. self. She can never decide on what to do, causing the "Bing" incident (because she kept thinking of the possibilities of what she should have done, but didn't react to what she could have done) and the fail to her marriage (she never decided on anything, so her husband got annoyed of this trait and decided on a divorce). I don't think this conflict is resolved yet, because she still is indecisive; however, she is finally beginning to realize the outcomes of this bad personality trait and analyze her life.
6. This chapter definitely connects to the allegory at the beginning of the section because it literally mentions the book called The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, a book that explained that "children were predisposed to certain dangers on certain days, all depending on their Chinese birth-dates. I guess Bing was destined to be swallowed up by the ocean. In the allegory, the mother told her daughter that she was going to fall but she didn't listen and fell anyway. Bing didn't listen to his sister and mother and went too close to the water and fell in. Not listening to your elders, no matter how know-it-all and cocky they sound, will result in bad consequences. This is a very common Chinese belief.
P.S. Did y'all notice Amy Tan's foreshadowing when she mentioned the little boy's feet in The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates "already in the air" and Bing's feet "already in the air"? I didn't notice that repetition the first time!
3.
- So, Rose's mom still believes in God, but just doesn't want to admit it?
- Wow, Rose really knows her mom. She can perfectly imagine how the conversation is going to go, eh?
- Chagrined! Wasn't that a word on the STAR exam or some other test?
- When Amy Tan started narrating the history behind Rose&Ted, it reminded me of how Dana and Kevin had that flashback to how they met.
- On page 117, there's a sentence that goes: "He is American," warned my mother, as if I had been too blind to notice. A waigoren." Um, did Amy Tan punctuate that wrong? Or is it just me? I think she's missing her second opening quotation marks.
- I think Rose's marriage was kind of forced; therefore, it did not work out in the end. (As human beings, we tend to prove our nengkan, ability to do anything we put out minds to.) So, when Rose's mom disapproves of Ted, Rose persists even more to date Ted. Ditto with Ted's mom [She didn't directly reject Rose, but hinted at her disapproval in marriage.] and Ted's response. It wasn't love that led to their marriage, but the strength of their stubbornness. Opposites did attract, but I don't think this was the case.
- I'm somewhat like Rose. We're both very indecisive.
- Otay, seriously? You don't just go to a SECLUDED spot near a city named DEVIL'S SLIDE and not expect something bad to happen. In addition, we Asians tend to be supserstitious. So, why in the world did Rose's family not see this coming?
- The "little boy" in the book called The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates reminded me of Bing, the "little boy" of the family. Ooh, is this a connection?
- Why didn't Rose stop Bing?! I wanted to slap Rose in the face back into reality! Did she not realize that her brother was going to die if she didn't do something about it?
- I think that Amy Tan is showing an example of where two cultures can not intertwine with balance when Rose's mother tries to ask God (American culture) and the Coiling Dragon (Chinese culture) for forgiveness, both at the same time. Also, in the book of The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, Rose's mom couldn't translate the Chinese lunar calendar into American dates; therefore, she had faith that she could prevent every single one of the dangers, but she couldn't, hence, the "Bing" incident.
- I liked the ending. It gave me a content feeling, but I couldn't interpret its meaning.
- Last minute addition: I think the Bible is supposed to symbolize the balance in their family. It is literally used to balance the dinner table, where all the festivities are at. Also, it is literally "underneath the table" which is faith that Rose's mom is not shown, but known.
5. I think the main conflict is Rose's indecisiveness, an internal one, man vs. self. She can never decide on what to do, causing the "Bing" incident (because she kept thinking of the possibilities of what she should have done, but didn't react to what she could have done) and the fail to her marriage (she never decided on anything, so her husband got annoyed of this trait and decided on a divorce). I don't think this conflict is resolved yet, because she still is indecisive; however, she is finally beginning to realize the outcomes of this bad personality trait and analyze her life.
6. This chapter definitely connects to the allegory at the beginning of the section because it literally mentions the book called The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates, a book that explained that "children were predisposed to certain dangers on certain days, all depending on their Chinese birth-dates. I guess Bing was destined to be swallowed up by the ocean. In the allegory, the mother told her daughter that she was going to fall but she didn't listen and fell anyway. Bing didn't listen to his sister and mother and went too close to the water and fell in. Not listening to your elders, no matter how know-it-all and cocky they sound, will result in bad consequences. This is a very common Chinese belief.
P.S. Did y'all notice Amy Tan's foreshadowing when she mentioned the little boy's feet in The Twenty-Six Malignant Gates "already in the air" and Bing's feet "already in the air"? I didn't notice that repetition the first time!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Knock-Knock, Nobody's There.
Woods' English 2A: "The Voice from the Wall"
3.
5. I'm not sure of the conflict because my brain was very confused in this chapter, but I think the main conflict is an internal one, man vs. self, Lena vs. her imagination. Lena was born with a big imagination, but it developed and expanded even further as she grew. However, Lena's mind is not filled with unicorns and rainbows but with gore and torture. Throughout the chapter, she struggles with reality and figments of her imagination, where she always makes the worst out of situations, but discovers the not-so-bad truth. I think Lena is afraid of going forward in life; yet, her imagination makes everything worse than they seem. In the end, her mom leaves her in a state of depression, making reality worse than her imagination...turning her imagination into her savior, away from reality.
6. Otay, I'm going to focus on Amy Tan's writing technique of mood, especially in the beginning. The word choice (sharp, whittle, broken, jagged) made the opening really creepy. I was somewhat scared and confused at the same time, but it made me anticipate the mood of the chapter to be gory and bloody.
3.
- I don't know if the first paragraph was supposed to be humorous, but I laughed. It began so dramatically and ended with "Either that, or he died of influenza...". I realized that Lena St. Clair has a very big imagination when she began to describe the story of her great-grandfather's death from her own point-of-view.
- Was the beggar really a traitor? What did Lena's grandfather have to do with the death? What is the worst possible thing that can happen to you?
- What was the "thing" in the basement? (I doubt that it was really a thousand-year-old man.)
- I used to sometimes walk around the house with the same big eyes, the "scared" expression, thinking that my eyes would grow bigger, but I don't anymore. It was silly of me to try to change myself.
- Wow, Lena's mother saw danger in everything, just like Lena. I wonder if this is an inherited trait?
- What's with Lena's mom and the dangers of making babies? Was that what happened to her: Lena's dad made Lena's mom have Lena? Maybe so, but Lena's dad seems really nice from what I know. What if Lena's mom got into some sort of trouble on the streets and accidentally got pregnant and was rescued from her single-parent life by Lena's dad?
- Whoa, was Lena's mom afraid of being sexually harassed by a man on the streets or something? She didn't even try to protect her daughter! Just herself!
- Did Lena's mother even want the baby? Why did she keep bumping into corners with her stomach?
- Although Teresa, the neighbor girl, fights with her mom a lot, the arguments are filled with family love and compassion. Lena and her mom have never fought before, but somehow, their relationship is distant and cold, misunderstanding and somewhat unrelated. It's ironically weird.
- Wow, Lena's mother really needs to go see a therapist. She's kind of freaking me out.
- I didn't quite understand the ending. Was Lena imagining her relationship with her mother when she would finally have the courage to "pull her through the wall"?
5. I'm not sure of the conflict because my brain was very confused in this chapter, but I think the main conflict is an internal one, man vs. self, Lena vs. her imagination. Lena was born with a big imagination, but it developed and expanded even further as she grew. However, Lena's mind is not filled with unicorns and rainbows but with gore and torture. Throughout the chapter, she struggles with reality and figments of her imagination, where she always makes the worst out of situations, but discovers the not-so-bad truth. I think Lena is afraid of going forward in life; yet, her imagination makes everything worse than they seem. In the end, her mom leaves her in a state of depression, making reality worse than her imagination...turning her imagination into her savior, away from reality.
6. Otay, I'm going to focus on Amy Tan's writing technique of mood, especially in the beginning. The word choice (sharp, whittle, broken, jagged) made the opening really creepy. I was somewhat scared and confused at the same time, but it made me anticipate the mood of the chapter to be gory and bloody.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Whiz[ard] of Waverly Place!
Woods' English 2A: "Rules of the Game"
3. I think that...
5. I will admit that I didn't fully understand what the conflict was. I thought maybe it was Waverly vs. her mother because her mother was always pressuring Waverly and bragging about her as if she was an inanimate object and Waverly always kept her feelings inside until the very end where she yells at her mom. However, I realized the conflict was her heritage. It was man vs. man, an internal one, where Waverly's two cultures (Chinese and American) battle it out with each other. How do I know? Um, I don't, but this is what I think. Maybe it's because Amy Tan juxtaposes her two cultures throughout the whole story, comparing the contented mystery of her Chinese soup to the luring secrets of American chess and Chinese etiquette to American snottiness, (NO OFFENSE).
6. One of the themes stated would definitely have to be "Is shame you fall down nobody push you" (96). You should realize that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. Every time you try, it is counted as success. You should never give up before starting. That's just ... bogus. This is definitely an important theme and a moral for life.
3. I think that...
- When I first read the mini opening about "biting back your tongue", I realized, "Hey, that sounds like me!" Once a young Asian child, I have learned that if you follow your parents' orders, they get what they want and you get what you want. Yet, the bond between the two is somewhat distant.
- Why didn't she want to know what her soup was made of?
- Oh dear, the exquisite descriptions of food
smelledcaptured me as if the delicacies were in my room and I craved for dim sum real bad (which I eventually got ;) ). - Why was the alley the best playground?
- When I read about the Ping Yuen Fish Market, I thought about my friend telling me how she had always wanted to purchase a tortoise and saving it as a pet, instead of making it into food.
- Waverly's mom seems to threaten her in a caring way, just like my mom! "Don't do that and don't do this or else your fingers will get chopped off!" or something of that sort. I know parents mean well when they say that, but it's sort of creepy.
- I didn't understand why Amy Tan talked about Hong Sing's, the cafe. It was not relevant to the rest of the story, to me.
- Why did Waverly's mom tell her that Chinese people "do best torture"?
- When Vincent asked Waverly, "Why is the sky blue? Why must you always ask stupid questions?" I was reminded of the times when my cousins were young and used to annoy me with these "Why"s.
- I think it's typical that Waverly's mother would encourage her to enter into the chess tournament in such a cold and indirect manner. My parents often do that to me.
- Waverly's mother is proud, too proud, if you ask me. She shows off her daughter because she is proud of her, but she does so in a way that reflects the fact that she has nothing else to be proud of; therefore, she uses her daughter as a trophy to show off and brag to the world. However, Waverly isn't a trophy. She has feelings.
- The ending was very mysterious and it made me want to read more about what happened to their relationship.
5. I will admit that I didn't fully understand what the conflict was. I thought maybe it was Waverly vs. her mother because her mother was always pressuring Waverly and bragging about her as if she was an inanimate object and Waverly always kept her feelings inside until the very end where she yells at her mom. However, I realized the conflict was her heritage. It was man vs. man, an internal one, where Waverly's two cultures (Chinese and American) battle it out with each other. How do I know? Um, I don't, but this is what I think. Maybe it's because Amy Tan juxtaposes her two cultures throughout the whole story, comparing the contented mystery of her Chinese soup to the luring secrets of American chess and Chinese etiquette to American snottiness, (NO OFFENSE).
6. One of the themes stated would definitely have to be "Is shame you fall down nobody push you" (96). You should realize that trying and failing is better than not trying at all. Every time you try, it is counted as success. You should never give up before starting. That's just ... bogus. This is definitely an important theme and a moral for life.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
"Congratulations! IT'S A BOY!"
Woods' English 2A: "Moon Lady"
3. At the very beginning of the chapter, when Amy Tan talks about how Ying-Ying misplaced her heritage; I began to wonder where the "Moon Lady" of the chapter title would appear. I loved how she started off the chapter all mysterious-like. It kept me reading and learning about the strict Chinese culture. I was somewhat bored when she talked about the adults reading poems and gossiping. I connected with Ying-Ying when her mother scolded her about what girls can't do, but boys can. Ugh, I despise that about the culture. I realized that her shadow was a symbol, but I couldn't figure what of. Why does she keep talking about the shadow and its reactions? There were parts where there was nothing going on, except descriptions of local color and I got really bored then. Honestly, those parts are supposed to be "important" but I just skim through them because of my lack of interest. What was that part with the imprisoned bird catching the fish all about? Oh my dear; when Ying-Ying spread turtle blood all over her clothes, I wanted to slap her silly. Are you serious, Ying-Ying? That makes everything more noticeable and on a special day, you're not supposed to slather yourself with blood! That's unlucky! Then, I felt more sympathetic when everybody laughed at her in her undergarments. I really can't believe nobody cared about Ying-Ying enough to notice that she wasn't even on the boat until a long time after! That's so sad! The man was nice for fishing her out of the water and saving her life, but he was a bit scary. I honestly thought he was going to do something bad to her, but he didn't. I believe the Moon Lady appeared very randomly out of nowhere in the chapter and I was VERY surprised to find out that she was a he, in reality. Did Ying-Ying really think that man was beautiful and radiant with a voice of an angel? That's kind of creepy. Why was he a man anyway? Were there no pretty women who could sing as well as he did? I'd like to see the man, just out of curiosity. Last, but not least, I loved the ending. It was short, yet very powerful: "I wished to be found."
4. Ying-Ying: she gives her half-sisters part of her special pastry, but not the parts with the filling, only the parts with the dough. This proves she is selfish. Also, when they race to the stone bench to sit down and eat, she uses her advantage as the bigger sister and sits in the shady and cool spot, leaving the sunny and hot areas for her younger sisters. VERY SELFISH, indeed, but then again, she was only a child and children are known to be selfish.
5. I believe the main conflict is the internal one, human vs. self. At the very beginning of the story, the author introduces the conflict: Ying-Ying struggles to remember her true self, to remember who she really is inside by remembering her wish to the Moon Lady. She then narrates a flashback, where the conflict started. At the end of the chapter, the conflict is resolved. She finally remembers how she lost herself, through innocence, trust, restlessness, wonder, fear, and loneliness. She remembers that she wished to be found.
6. d. Wow, Amy Tan uses so many writing techniques that I get lost in her words. First and foremost, the chapter consists mainly of a flashback, years ago when she was just a wee little child. It helps me understand how the conflict came to be and gave me many more details of her childhood to help me understand Ying-Ying better. I'm pretty sure the author foreshadowed many times, but I forgot where. Her word choice is absolutely amazing. It forms so many images in my head, of the boat on the water, of Ying-Ying in her bloody clothes, of the Moon Lady performance, etc. In addition, somehow, even though she used very extravagant words, her story flowed with many similes and metaphors. There weren't any awkward breaks or anything of that sort! It simply weaved into a beautiful piece, just like a puzzle.
3. At the very beginning of the chapter, when Amy Tan talks about how Ying-Ying misplaced her heritage; I began to wonder where the "Moon Lady" of the chapter title would appear. I loved how she started off the chapter all mysterious-like. It kept me reading and learning about the strict Chinese culture. I was somewhat bored when she talked about the adults reading poems and gossiping. I connected with Ying-Ying when her mother scolded her about what girls can't do, but boys can. Ugh, I despise that about the culture. I realized that her shadow was a symbol, but I couldn't figure what of. Why does she keep talking about the shadow and its reactions? There were parts where there was nothing going on, except descriptions of local color and I got really bored then. Honestly, those parts are supposed to be "important" but I just skim through them because of my lack of interest. What was that part with the imprisoned bird catching the fish all about? Oh my dear; when Ying-Ying spread turtle blood all over her clothes, I wanted to slap her silly. Are you serious, Ying-Ying? That makes everything more noticeable and on a special day, you're not supposed to slather yourself with blood! That's unlucky! Then, I felt more sympathetic when everybody laughed at her in her undergarments. I really can't believe nobody cared about Ying-Ying enough to notice that she wasn't even on the boat until a long time after! That's so sad! The man was nice for fishing her out of the water and saving her life, but he was a bit scary. I honestly thought he was going to do something bad to her, but he didn't. I believe the Moon Lady appeared very randomly out of nowhere in the chapter and I was VERY surprised to find out that she was a he, in reality. Did Ying-Ying really think that man was beautiful and radiant with a voice of an angel? That's kind of creepy. Why was he a man anyway? Were there no pretty women who could sing as well as he did? I'd like to see the man, just out of curiosity. Last, but not least, I loved the ending. It was short, yet very powerful: "I wished to be found."
4. Ying-Ying: she gives her half-sisters part of her special pastry, but not the parts with the filling, only the parts with the dough. This proves she is selfish. Also, when they race to the stone bench to sit down and eat, she uses her advantage as the bigger sister and sits in the shady and cool spot, leaving the sunny and hot areas for her younger sisters. VERY SELFISH, indeed, but then again, she was only a child and children are known to be selfish.
5. I believe the main conflict is the internal one, human vs. self. At the very beginning of the story, the author introduces the conflict: Ying-Ying struggles to remember her true self, to remember who she really is inside by remembering her wish to the Moon Lady. She then narrates a flashback, where the conflict started. At the end of the chapter, the conflict is resolved. She finally remembers how she lost herself, through innocence, trust, restlessness, wonder, fear, and loneliness. She remembers that she wished to be found.
6. d. Wow, Amy Tan uses so many writing techniques that I get lost in her words. First and foremost, the chapter consists mainly of a flashback, years ago when she was just a wee little child. It helps me understand how the conflict came to be and gave me many more details of her childhood to help me understand Ying-Ying better. I'm pretty sure the author foreshadowed many times, but I forgot where. Her word choice is absolutely amazing. It forms so many images in my head, of the boat on the water, of Ying-Ying in her bloody clothes, of the Moon Lady performance, etc. In addition, somehow, even though she used very extravagant words, her story flowed with many similes and metaphors. There weren't any awkward breaks or anything of that sort! It simply weaved into a beautiful piece, just like a puzzle.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
