I think that Sandra Cisneros would say that boys and girls should be raised equally due to different standards that they are raised by. If i were to ask Sandra If teenage boys and girls should be raised with equal morals, I'm pretty sure that she will say yes.

One reason why she would say yes is because throughout history, men were considered to be superior to women. And in some cases, This ideal is still happening. On pg. 88 in the book The House on Mango Street By Sandra Cisneros , it says, "Nenny says she wont wait her whole life for a husband to come and get her." And on page 89 "There is always one with the red lips who is beautiful and cruel." Since the book was written by Cisneros, She implies that girls should embrace their feminine side but shouldn't let men control them and should maintain their independence. Yes some boys are raised to have the upper hand in the family and get the idea that women should dedicate their live to their husband. Due to this, some women are actually used to this idea.

Another reason why Cisneros would say that boys and girls should be raised the same way is because boys can be aggressive, Due to male aggressiveness, guys are temped in a way. And some guys are raised to be strong, Guys will then believe that they are strong enough to take over women.

This may seem hard to believe but it is not. On page 100 it says, "Sally make then stop, i couldn't make them go away..." This here shows that Esperanza cannot "defeat boys' power in society. She ant even overcome it. Clearly, men take advantage. This happens if boys are raised to be aggressive while girls are raised to be smart and to be a house wife. And a lot of the time, men who are aggressive  take over women even if they may be smarter. Its like that.

In many families a girl who is beautiful, must stay safe. Guys will always like a girl who is beautiful. Girls are raised to stay safe and sometime especially to stay away from sex.until their ready. If they happen to have sex, then they may be considered to be sluts. On the other hand, guys who have sex, may be considered to be cool. This is all due to the way boys and girls are raised.  But maybe, if both guys and girls are raised with equal morals, then it would be a whole different situation. This is why Sandra Cisneros would say that girls and boys should be raised equally with equal morals.    

This is Me

                                                                    Playing Bass

Playing Bass is my favorite thing to do in my free time. And of course, it is my all time favorite hobby. In my family, I happen to play bass and also so does my godfather.  But, there is a big difference, He has been playing bass guitar for about 15 years and I’ve been playing for only 4 months, a huge difference.

            Sometimes, I’m considered to be a nice and smooth person. That’s just the same way I play bass, nice and smooth. But, if I haven’t been playing my bass in quite a long time, then that’s when I’ll get rough. I’ll pluck the freaking string so hard that it will feel good hitting the right notes and making the sound extremely awesome. That’s just me when it comes to playing bass guitar, just like a homeless man craving for food.

Then there’s my godfather who is an awesome bassist. Compared to me, I’m just an amateur and he’s an expert. I’m the baby learning how to walk while he the toddler running, skipping and jumping everywhere.  I’m only plucking the strings while he’s plucking, and slapping and popping the strings. His brothers and him used to be in a Spanish Rock band and I’m just the single bassist. When it comes to playing bass, my godfather is a beast. I’ve seen him play before and sometimes, I don’t even know what notes he’s playing because he’s just so fast. But soon, I’ll be just like him, I’ll be the toddler running, skipping, and jumping everywhere.

             

I’m in the Oven

 

The intense heat rushing throughout the Bay Area. I live in Oakland, very close to the ocean, but still I feel like if I’m in the desert. It’s at 95 degrees and I’m dying. Lazy, not wanting to do nothing the extreme hot weather is hitting me like the shock of freshly-lit charcoal on my dad’s grill.

The heat slaps me in the face, making me dizzy. It makes me move a lot; I don’t know what to do with myself. I’m in the mood for going for a swim. Only that would end my laziness of not wanting to do anything.

At this point, I do not want to be I’m my house. My only option is to go outside where the heat is not locked in my home like a prisoner in his cell. Being outside with dad, mom and my sister will make me feel better.

“Yo dad, get out the watermelon from the refrigerator so we can enjoy it.” And so he did. We might as well finish it and not let it the heat kill it. We enjoyed as we talked about the good times like ever before. “Ugh! I hate this F-ing weather” my sister said. Yes agree with her. The day would be a perfect day only if it was like 15 degrees lower. Until then I’m miserable. I can’t even sleep. The intense heat is driving me crazy day and night. I feel like I’m in the oven. If I can’t handle this heat, I sure wouldn’t handle being in Arizona with my uncle. He’s lucky enough to have a built in swimming pool. And all I can think about is being in refrigerator. I cant do nothing to change this weather, I just have to deal with it. 



Pandillas en East Oakland

 

 East Oakland is where I stay. Home to three Latino gangs, Border Brothers (BBs), Nortenos (chaps, Nortes, X4) and Surenos (X3). Yea I Know about this. I’ve been around Nortes and Border Brothers before, but I’m not gang affiliated. Yea I know the gangs signs, but won’t throw em up where I stay at. I might get shot and killed.

Sometimes I don’t feel safe walking late at night through my neighborhood where many guys who are mainly Nortes are out there posting like they own the street. Yea I’ve been threatened before by a Norte by wearing black. This may be crazy but it is.

I don’t really have a closet filled with bright color T- shirts. For example, I don’t really have red or blue T-shirts because I run the risk of being threatened by a Norte, BB, or a Sureno. When I go shopping I avoid buying t-shirts that are blue or red. If I did, obviously, I would standout to gang banger. If I were to wear a red T-shrirt, I will standout like the British.

Gunshots at night or even in the plain day. Those gunshots are not only from pistols like 9mmthat are shot manually, but there are gunshots being shot by automatic guns like Uzis. Yes this Is tough living in a city where all this shit happens. Drive bys near my house and all I can say is “DAMN”.  Gangs shoot and kill to prove a point. That point is states to not mess with them. This aint a surprise for me, This is just  East  Oakland, and I got to deal with it.

Sketches

I love to draw. Other than playing bass, drawing is my big time hobby. My hobby of drawing is way stronger than my hobby of playing bass. Drawing is one of those things that help me a lot with my emotions. For example, if I’m mad, drawing will help me release my anger.

I guess some people consider me as a good drawer. I don’t, but I’m confident that I’m good enough to compete against others. Animation is my thing. I hope to major in it. I know that I can because I just love to draw. My inspiration was Dragon Ball z, my all time favorite cartoons. Considered to be epic animation. Drawing is my favorite thing to do and someday, I’ll be famous for my work.

TREES

The word trees come out a lot in The House on Mango Street, and this of course must have an important significance towards Esperanza’s life. While reading the vignettes that show trees, there is a pattern going on and every time, the meaning of the symbol tree is getting much closer to being discovered. At first, it was hard to catch the meaning of trees in the vignettes, that is why rereading the sentences before it mentions trees and after it mentions trees was the way to find what it means in each vignette. In the end, all of the “results” would come together to make the final significance of trees.

On page 74, there’s almost an obvious answer of what trees mean and is the starting point to the investigation of what trees mean. This quote is very important toward Esperanza and what she is feeling. The quote says: "Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do not belong here but are here." This quote is important because Esperenza compares herself with the trees, she says that the trees do ot belong there but are there. IN one way, Esperanza is sort of simmilar to that. Shes where she is because shes there and of courres wishes that she would be somewhere else. For example, her dream house.

I think that the main important quote that basically shows the meaning of trees is on page 97. This qoute shows  alot of emotion, which is part of the meaning toward trees. This important qoute happens is about Esperanza and waht she's feelling. 

And then i dont know whybut i had to run away. I had to hide myself at the other end of the garden, in the jungle part, under a tree that wouldnt mind if i lay down and cried a long time.        

   The tree is somewhat a comfort palce for Esperanza when she feel sad. The quote is obviously showing that. But, this qoute is alos the misssing piece of the puzzle to now detremine what trees signifies. In the end, th tree shows isolation. Trees show isolation of Esperanza and discomfort in her own enviorment. The tree signifies Esperanza being an outsider in a way where she is embarassd from where she comes from.

The book The House on Mango Street By Sandra Cisneros is written to show something very important about the theme, but at the same time, the main point of each vignette is written with symbols. As you read it, you won’t realize what the symbols are and what they represent. Of course, I read the book and did not notice the symbols. But after re-reading the book, and reading the vignettes more than twice, then that’s when I’ll notice the significance of the symbols in the vignettes.

In the vignette, “My Name” happens to be an important one and the symbol of that vignette is are windows and so is for the other vignettes: No Speak English, Rafaela, and Sally. First of all, In “My Name”, there is a quote that tells a lot. “She looked out the window her whole life, the way so many women sit their sadness on an elbow…Ezperanza. I have inherited her name, but I don’t want to inherit her place by the window.”  The window here symbolizes only way out toward a better life. Since there must be no way out then the window is small, very hard to get through. The fact of sitting their sadness on an elbow just shows waiting, Waiting for a chance towards better life. Esperanze’s name means hope and this quote show somewhat of hope.

 In “No Speak English” the window is something sort of similar to the other vignette of My Name.  This shows the reason to not advance. Well In the U.S, whether you’re you don’t speak English or not, it will always affect you. In this Vignette, the window represents. No will. The will not to go further. The quote that shows this is “…or afraid of English. She wont come down, She sits all day by the window and plays the Spanish radio show…” The window in this vignette also symbolizes homesick.