Selling your Soul

           

The final part of the book AmericanBorn Chinese has a twist at the end. Jin wanted to look more American so badly that he sold his soul. It fooled many people until the Monkey King called Jin out. Jin’s cousin turned out to be the Monkey King, and also Wei-chen’s father. All of these twists and turns. Does your stomach hurt yet? That’s what happens, among other symptoms, when I do things that do not align with my values.

            In the end, then, this story seems narrated. It is not really from the view of the youth in the story and instead is a story that is told for lessons, as the twist shows. Not many adults appear throughout the story besides the dinner party the Monkey King wants to attend, and a parent or teacher here and there.

            When it comes to stereotypes, the characters are exaggerated with how they talk and the names used. Plus, there are references showing the ignorance of others with such phrases as “fresh off the boat.” The youth do not seem to have a choice and go along with the environment or adults. Probably the most exaggerated is when Danny’s cousin comes to visit.  Even though his cousin is supposed to be about the same age, the cousin is really the Monkey King, an adult.

           

A metaphor throughout the stories is the use of the Transformer toy. Just like the characters do not want to be their true selves, the Transformer is a robot that can change into another form. The only difference is that the robot is a toy and the characters want to permanently change. I thought the Transformer made a good representation of the struggle. Jin even wanted to be a Transformer when he grew up, and seemed to get his wish for a while in high school.

It’s not easy being Green

            The next book for class is a graphic novel, American Born Chinese, by Gene Luen Yang. My first taste of a graphic novel came during the last English class when we had a chance to create a comic based on a profile essay. I can see why some prefer a graphic instead of all text. It is easier to read and the drawings help to interpret what is happening. Although I have not personally read any graphic novels before this assignment, I had a blast creating a comic. I loved the chance to be creative in the pictures as well as the words and I hope to find reasons to create more.

           

As far as American Born Chinese, it is three different stories braided throughout the book. They all have one theme – something about the main character makes them different and not accepted. One, for example, is a monkey. He tries hard to hide that fact. The thing is, it is not possible to hide who you are. The closest who is able is Danny, until his cousin is around. When Danny is on his own, he gets away with people not knowing his background. Once everyone is aware of who his cousin is, then they believe that Danny is more like that, and Danny is bullied and eventually switches schools. Since he is on the basketball team, he wants to be able to stay, and confides in someone on the team who says it will be ok, and the friend may even mean it. Then there is the third story with Jin. At first, he is one of the only Asian students. Mostly, he sounds shy and like he wishes he could fit in and does not more because he is awkward more than anything. He makes friends with Wei-chen. While Wei-chen learns to be more American, he also teaches Jin to be more forward. I like their dialogue because it could be any two guys talking about girls and how to get through life. It will be interesting to see how all of the stories end.

Life and Dreaming

          Out of all the books we have read, “Brown Girl Dreaming” may be my favorite. Jacqueline Woodson writes from memory. Although she is doing this as an adult, I believe the perspectives are how she viewed the world at the time, as a child. Memory can be a funny thing and Woodson does a good job of capturing her world as it was. Woodson also overlaps what is happening in the greater world and how she and her family fit in.

            Woodson has a common theme in that she is always dreaming and making up stories. Family vacations, for example, are more interesting to her when she creates the story instead of telling what really happened in the summer. Does this make her more interesting in the eyes of her classmates? Maybe. What it does do for Woodson is keep up her writing and storytelling skills, which is a definite asset. One day Woodson’s teacher states “You are a writer.” It is not a made-up thing or a future aspiration and instead it is a current event.

            What we read about are the different transitions and settings – Woodson is born in Ohio and moves with her mom and siblings to Greenville to live with her grandparents. Woodson’s mom goes off to New York City and returns to Greenville, along with a new baby, to bring all the kids back. At this point, Woodson and her older siblings straddle between the two cities, visiting Greenville in the summer, until her grandfather passes away. After that, Woodson’s grandmother moves to New York and stays with them.

            Another part that is different once they move to New York is that Woodson has friends. When in Greenville, the siblings played with each other. In New York City, Woodson gains a best friend and even a second best friend forever. It is challenging when the other two can play with each other and Woodson must stay inside. Maybe even a deep feeling of missing out or, even worse, of being replaced. Either way, it is relatable and not just a childhood angst. Overall, I thought “Brown Girl Dreaming” expressed a great way to reflect on growing up and how life fit into the bigger picture of the world.

People

           

We started a new book this week. It is a memoir titled “Brown Girl Dreaming” by Jacqueline Woodson. Woodson writes in free verse on different topics described under each heading. I have enjoyed reading the first part of it. Even with the verses, it has been easy to read and follow. The person sitting next to me on the bus today recognized the book and started a conversation about it. She also liked it and is a student in the elementary education program.

            Woodson is African American and the third child, born in 1963. Her father decides to name her “Jack” after him. Woodson’s mom edits the name to “Jaqueline” to make sure that it stays in the feminine form. The family lives in the North, residing in Columbus, Ohio. Woodson’s mom, Mary Ann, is originally from Greenville, South Carolina. Every winter, Mary Ann and her three children return to Greenville. Eventually, Mary Ann and the children stay in Greenville after Mary Ann and Jack end their relationship. They live in the same house where Mary Ann grew up, with her parents.

           

The topics Woodson writes about includes what she learned about her family’s history, playing only with her siblings, and why they considered traveling at night to be safer. Woodson weaved all of this with the undercurrent of the different marches. Over a hundred years later and segregation had only ended on paper, not in practice. I liked the description of the lady next door who would have been fired if she marched. Instead of marching, she made sure to provide full dinners and social time for those who did, to help them stay strong and alert. In the description, once people began to arrive, the blinds and the doors both closed, keeping everything private. Anybody wandering by probably would not think twice about it.

           

I really liked when Woodson described different interactions with people in town. She mentions her mom or grandmother not interacting with certain businesses because they treated customers different. At one store, for example, someone specifically follows any African-American customers to make sure they are not stealing. The fabric store, on the other hand, is completely opposite. As customers, they are not treated by their race and instead are treated like people. People, treated like people. What a basic concept. Yet in the fight to have equality, we are constantly reminded of all our different labels – race, gender, etc – possibly making it sound racist to state that those labels don’t matter. That’s not exactly what I am stating. I embrace and want to learn about people, and those factors can be characteristics. They are also thought of stereotypically. It’d be like stating that since I am a woman I want to get married, stay home, and have lots of kids. Instead, getting to know someone as a person, you would probably find out something completely different. People being treated like people...YES!

Yaqui Delgado through the Youth Lens

                

When it comes down to it, Piddy is lucky. Yes, she is being bullied and yes, she gets pretty beat up. Piddy is lucky because she has people who care. In the beginning, Piddy acts and is treated more like a child. Piddy works with her mom’s best friend, Lila, and Piddy also shares some of the responsibilities of the house when her mom, Clara, works late. Both of these bring Piddy more into an adult world, although she is treated more like a child with certain assumptions. Some of those assumptions include the idea that Piddy must be going off because of a boy or bringing on trouble. When Piddy finally decides to stick up for herself and take charge, it is the turning point. She has to tell her mom and they meet with school administrators. The administrator assumes Piddy’s mom will make the final decision on what to do next, and it is Piddy who speaks up. Even more to the point, though, is the fact that Piddy’s mom does not dismiss Piddy’s choice, fully supporting her daughter.

            The book has a definite theme of poverty. The difference between this book and Eleanor and Park seems to be the support. Even though Clara and Lila are not wealthy, they have each other and they both support Piddy. The difference in wealth can be seen when Piddy visits her best friend Mitzi.

Their worlds and their concerns are completely different. In Eleanor and Park, Eleanor does not have any support until Park and fights for survival. Piddy has the social support outside of school and is able to follow what her mom does – working, cooking, cleaning -  and deals with it.

           

Overall, I thought the book was ok. The author made a lot of cultural points through the use of the characters. There seemed to be an assumption that a teenager would tantrum and run away like a young child and consequently may or may not be heard. It took a long time for Piddy to change, making her character flat. I wanted to see more interactions and maybe even more of Yaqui’s information. As the reader, I found it difficult to understand the entire picture and how the bullying seemed to appear suddenly. I did like the subtle connection to Joey and his parents, which seemed to showcase how many people observe problems such as abuse and bullying and will not do anything about it and let the tradition carry on. Piddy’s relationship with Joey helps her make that connection and the decision to press charges.

Looking at Eleanor and Park through a Youth Lens

                

Adding to the discussion of the books we are reading in class, we learned about a youth lens. The youth lens is a way to analyze the adolescent(s) in our texts. The analysis is divided into five parts: characterization, setting, plot, theme, and metaphor. For today’s post, I am going to look at the characters of Eleanor and Park, from the book with the same title, through the youth lens.

            The first question is how Eleanor and Park are positioned in relation to the adults. Both characters are not taken seriously by adults. Eleanor’s step-dad, Richie, for example, wants full control. The police officers who answer the call do not seem to completely believe Eleanor. At least the gym teacher takes Eleanor seriously when there is evidence because Eleanor’s clothes are literally in the toilet. Park does not meet his dad’s expectations, and is not allowed to get his driver’s license until he can prove he can drive a stick shift. Park’s mom finally sets up the driving test for him. Overall, Park’s parents are the most supportive adults in the story

            The second question involves the setting. Part of the control Richie has over Eleanor, for example, means that when Eleanor is at home she is confined to her bedroom and usually stays on her bed since that seems to be the safest place. Even the bathroom does not work as a relief because there is no door. Eleanor has to be selective about when she bathes, for example. The only relief Eleanor finds is after she begins to feel comfortable at Park’s house, and eventually she lives in Minneapolis with her aunt and uncle. Park is constrained, as mentioned, by his dad. Most of it has to do with the expectations of male characteristics, which is why they do not get along related to driving and when Park wears eye liner.

         

   The plot weaves a love story around the themes of bullying and poverty. The adults mostly seem to accept things as they are on individual levels, especially Eleanor’s mom. Even though she is being abused, Eleanor’s mom sees it as her life and does not even try too much to shield her children from it. What is interesting is that Tina is one of the bullies, yet when Richie is chasing down Eleanor, Tina takes Eleanor’s side. Also, Park decides to drive Eleanor to Minneapolis and he has to convince his father that he means to come back. In other words, although the teens might fight against each other, they still tend to be on the same side as each other, and separate from the adults.

            Finally, the author seems to have specific opinions of how to portray youth. She seems to contrast it most through the character of Eleanor. An example is the comments Eleanor makes about Romeo and Juliet and how silly and unrealistic they are as characters. Another example is how Eleanor tends to go with the flow as far as how she handles bullying. The two main characters seemed like realistic versions of youth, with each of their experiences allowing them to mature in that area.

Friendly Warning

     The newest book for English Literature class is “Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick yourAss,” by Meg Medina. The title is referencing a female in the high school. Piddy, the main character of the book, finds out this information from a kid named Vanesa. Piddy has no idea who Yaqui Delgado is or what she did to deserve the threat. Piddy finds out more from Darlene, her friend who also happens to work in the guidance office and is in the know. Are you following all of this yet? Yes, drama from the start. The reader learns as Piddy does, following her thoughts and actions.

            Piddy lives with her mom and they move right before the start of the school year because the apartment is falling apart. The highlight of moving is that Piddy, who is almost 16, will finally have her own room. It goes downhill from there. When Darlene clarifies the message, that becomes all that Piddy can focus on. Piddy is not even aware WHO Yaqui Delgado is until that point.

            I find this story somewhere in-between reading Eleanor and Park and Feed. It has been easier to follow than Feed, yet I am not as engaged in the story as I was in Eleanor and Park. A difference in the bullying between this book and the other two is that Piddy is Latina, and the group picking on her is also Latin. The Latin culture is expanded through Piddy’s interactions outside of school with her mom and Lila and especially at the salon where she works part-time. The discussions revolve around shape and size and looks, which Piddy relates to her friend from the old neighborhood, Mitzi. The fact that the bullying may be over a guy is weird to Piddy. Mitzi attracted guys, not Piddy. As Piddy begins to pay attention, she realizes that maybe guys are noticing.

            To me, the story also feels more like middle school than high school with the thoughts, emotions and actions expressed, even though Eleanor was also the new high school student bullied. I hear all the time about kids being bullied. Sometimes the kids are in elementary school. I am just as curious about what will happen between Piddy and her mom, and if she will find out more about her dad and the relationship they had. I am also curious if anything more will develop with the boy from her old neighborhood. Those storylines are more interesting to me right now than the bullying Piddy is trying to avoid. The bullying has more been in her head and is only clear in pieces, such as getting showered by chocolate milk. Stay tuned!

Hands On

In-between reading Feed and our next book we have a subvertisement assignment. The idea is to find an ad and then change it to show a new idea. I have had a hard time finding an ad that had a topic I could restate. Then I saw the ads for tools. I think this really hit home because I have been around a lot of guys lately who are into their tools. Listening to them is like listening to another language being spoken and I am able to recognize a word here and there. Screwdriver. Tape measure. Hammer. These are all items I have used and would want as a part of my tool box. Yet, when I looked at the ads, they were clearly aimed at a male audience. One ad made it sound like you were a girl if you didn’t buy their product. Why is that supposed to be a bad thing? I have noticed more guys with tools and these same guys will create some beautiful items. Many of these guys, in my experience, will make the garage into their hang out. To go along with the stereotype, I am suggesting that these ads are putting women into the “thing” category, and that guys successful with tools will also be successful with women. Easy. Cause women are easy to screw. That’s what these ads make me think of, anyways. The tool company seems to have built its audience. My thing is to say what is obvious instead of trying to hide behind the words being used or the size of the item in the photo. Below are the original and redone images.