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.

Cilie and Nettie

                                    Celie and Nettie

In Alice Walker’s novel The Color Purple, there are two very important characters that play a big role in this story. Those characters are Celie and Nettie, African American sisters. They both share similarities and big differences. Their main difference was that they both went through a very rough childhood. They then went through separate ways leading to very different ways of life which change who they are completely.

Celie has gone through a lot that’s stuck with her for most of her life. To start off, she was sexually abused at a young age by her step father. She was raped because her mother did not want to have sex with Celie’s step dad because she knew that she would end up pregnant. Cilie’s mom could not withstand another pregnancy. Celie describes her situation in brutal detail in the first letter of the novel.

“You gonna do what your mammy wouldn’t…Then he push his thing inside my pussy. When that hurt, I cry. He starts to choke me, saying you better shut up and get used to it.” (1)

This experience was very brutal for her. She even says that she feels sick every time.  This quote shows her disgust towards herself. This did not happen once but twice and Celie got pregnant twice by her step father. Not only that, but when she was in labor and gave birth to her child, her father gave one of them away. “He took my other little baby, a boy this time, But I don’t think he kilt it. I think he sold it to a man and his wife over at Monticello” (3) This just shows that her father was cruel enough to sell Cilie’s baby and make her suffer again. That’s just another experience she won’t forget.

           

Celie then marries Mr.___ and once again lives a horrible life. Mr.___ married Celie not because of love, but because he needed a wife to take care all of his children. Almost throughout the whole novel, Celie does not stand up for herself and must do everything that Mr.___ tells her to do. Celie does not have a voice in Mr.___ home. “Harpo ast why his daddy why he beat me (Celie) Mr.___ say, cause she my wife. Plus she stubborn…he beast me like he beat the children.”(22) Celie is beaten only because she is Mr.___ wife. Her being beat only because he Mr.___ wife, just shows that she has no voice in Mr.___ home. She says that when she receives the beatings from him, she makes herself like wood and takes the beatings. That shows how strong she is. Another thing that Celie has to go through in her everyday life is to do everything Mr.___ tells her to do. Whether she does it or not, she still might receive a beating from Albert just for the hell of it.

           

Throughout the entire novel, there is someone very important to Celie and also helps Celie change. That person is Shug Avery. Shug is a very important woman to Celie because she brings hopes up. It is said to be that Celie survives being with Albert only when Shug stays with them. Well this is because Albert loves Shug and not Celie. Celie is just a useful person.

“Pretty soon it be time for Shug to go…one day she say to me well. Miss Cilie, I believe it time for me to go…she come over and put her hand on my shoulder. He beat me when you not here…what he beat you for? For being me and not you.”  (76)

This shows that Mr.___ beats Celie only for who she is. Celie takes care of his children and does everything she’s told to do. And what it looks like,Mr___’s thank you is a hit to the face. Since Shug Avery stays in Mr.___’s home, Mr.___ pays all his attention towards her and not Cilie, Which is why Cilie says she receives the beating for being who she is and not Shug Avery.

            One thing that really affects Cilie is when Albert has “sexual relations” with her. In one of the letters, Cilie talks to Shug of what she feel when this happens.

“Most times, I pretend I aint there…Just do his business, get off, go to sleep…She start to laugh(Shug) do his business, she say…you make it sound like he going to the toilet on you. That what it feel like, I say. (77)

This is important because it shows what Celie feels when Mr.___ has sexual reactions with her. This has happened with her dad. So she basically knows what it feels like. But, the fact that she still lives day after day even though she’s treated like crap,  just happens to show her determination of trying to live better.

             Nettie on the other hand, Is much different than her sister Celie when it comes to explain their lives. Celie and Nettie went through rough childhoods. Sometimes your childhood can be similar to what your future would be like. For example, there’s Celie. But, with Nettie it’s different. Destiny chose Nettie to live a better life unlike her sister Celie.

           

Unlike Celie who is like a servant instead of a wife, Nettie is missionary that is living in Africa with a caring couple who cares for her...

“Corrine and Samuel and the Children are part of a group of people called missionaries…they feel they were born for missionary work in Africa. We’ve been together. They’ve been like a family to me.” (129)

Apparently, Nettie feels that she now has a family who cares for her. She’s has a rough childhood without the support of a loving mother and father. Probably, if she wouldn’t have met Corrine and Samuel, then she would have ended up like her sister Celie, miserable. Do to this, Nettie is also very independent.

Unlike Celie, Nettie is much braver and fights back. First of all, Albert doesn’t love Celie at all. He loves Nettie. On day, Nettie goes to see Celie and she’s welcomed by Mr.___. So then Nettie was off to school. Mr.___ starts to creep on her and begins to follow her on his horse. Then all of a sudden, Mr.___ pops out and tries to rape Nettie. But, Nettie defends herself and hits Mr.___ with her books despite the consequences. Celie didn’t know what happened until she read on of the letters that Nettie wrote.

“…He followed me on his horse…After while, I had to rest. And that’s when he got down from his horse and started to try to kiss me, and drag me back into the woods…I started to fight him, I hurt him bad enough to make him let me alone.” (126)

This shows how strong and brave Nettie is and stands up for herself. She did no want to be sexually abused and feel what her sister felt and still does. She saved herself from a horrible experience.

            As you can see, Celie and Nettie have very different lives, Celie was miserable until she stepped up and had the confidence to leave Mr.___.  Nettie, who leaves and become a missionary with a loving couple who cared for her throughout many years, but all of this happened because of Celie’s most important decisions that changed their lives completely. That decision was to marry Mr.___. “I see him looking at my little sister. She scared. But I say I’ll take care of you. With God help.” (3) Celie was willing to protect Nettie from Mr. ___ at all costs. Celie then says “I ast him to take me instead”(7) This was the turning point of everything. Nettie was saved. In conclusion, the way Celie and Nettie lived was because on of Celie’s most important life changing decisions.

Rebutal to Eric.

   The question that Eric answered was that Should the number of years of required schooling be changed? After reading his blog post, i saw that there are something that are very weak. something that he says is that after high school, you go on to college. Well not all people go on to college for various reasons. When we talk about the number of years required, we're basically talking about from preschool to kindergarten and then elementary school to middle school which then goes to high school. We cant really put collge because like i said, its your choice if you decide to go to college or not. the amount school years is 14 is you dont flunk.

   Having this amount of school years are actually good beacuse theres is so much things you need to learn other than the basic material. If you want to go to college, then of course, you do need all 14 years of school. Thats a law. Eric, i know you want to go to college but trust me you need all of those years to go to college and you need to do good, which i bet you do.

I rea lize that your talking about hifh scool, but not onliy high school, but an early college high school. Dude,all of the years of high school are needed even though its just a normal high school. High school isneeded to to go to college. Wanna go to college, suck it up and deal with all years of school. Really no big deal, time pasts like a flash. By the time you know it, you'll be done with high school.

Celie' Relation with God.

 Celie has a way to talk with God. Celie writes lettes to God. In those letters, she talks about her eceryday life. Some of the things that she says are pretty shocking. Alot of violence goes on in her life. AS i keep reading, i realize that Celie does not live a good life. It seems that most of the time, she's just a miserable. To start it off, she was sexually abused by her own father which is really disgusting. Thats a very harmful experience that will follow her for the rest of her life.

"You gonna do what your mammy wouldn't....Then he push his thing inside my pussy"

I ean thats juyst wrong. Why would a ather want to do that just for the f*****sure? Thats just f*****.Since shes gone through a lot of shit, she doesnt really have no one to talk to but God. God is like her only friend. Sometimes, i think that she writes the letters to feel good and to just realese her feelings. I consider that a good reason to why write letters to God.

Celie has a lot of guts to be stay alive beacuse she has gone through so much. Her mother died, she was abused sexually by her father, she doesnt know where her little sister is at, she's married to a son of a b****, shes takes beating from him and is treated like shit. I think that if some would to go through all that, i think that , that person would of probablly commited suicide. Imean, thats just too much to handle.

Her letters play a big roll in her life because her letters to god mean everything to her because those letters are considered to be like her true friends. Writing out her everyday life is like talking to a true friend who cares about her. That is why her letters to God is very important to her. God is like her true friendor even better, a familly.

Should Teens be allowed to Vote?

   I think that teens should be able to vote because everyone should have a voice when it comes to laws. In my opinion, if teens had the right to vote, there would probably be many laws that wouldn't of happen.Our nation fought for independence, to vote, to live free without the rule of a king. Voting was a big issue and still is in my opinion. Students like teenagers, play a big role in our society. The teenagers who want to succed in life, are the ones who are very smart, talented and of course must have common sence.

   For example if students where able to vote for the Dream Act, then there would of been a very high chance that it would of passed and very well educated students with strong talents would be able to go to college. A lot of the teenagers who are smart and talented are condidered to be the future of our nation. Those who study, go to college and vote are the ones who also improve our nation.
 This is very impoertant fact when it comes to voting

It allows them to get rid of bad governments and makes sure that any government listens to its people...http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=588.

Something that catched my attention and that i agree with a lot is

16 year olds are mature enough to make important decisions such as voting. Their bodies are fully adult, they have been educated for at least 10 years...All this allows them to form political views and they should be allowed to put these across at election time. There is no magic difference between 16 and 18 - indeed, many 16 year old are more sensible than some 20 year olds. http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=588

Really, i agree with this because teen agers that are 16 years old and are very mature to be able to vote. Really theres just a two year difference between 16 and 18, not very much. There are many teenagers that are intrested in politics which most of the time involves voting. Teenagers should recieve the right to vote because it will make a change.

Can I Handle College?

One of my big goals in life is to go to a good college and study engineering. I want to become an Aero Engineer. Of course, to become an aero engineer, a lot of work has to be done. One thing for sure, to become an engineer,  a lot of math has to be taken. Math is one of my weakest subjects and so is science. Because of this, somethimes i just want to give up on that goal because science, and math is difficult for me. That's why somtimes i just want to give up. I mean, I'm in high school know and the years wiill pass like a flash and by the time I know it, I'll be applying for colleges.

Im not a very good test taker and most of the time get nervous when taking big tests. I lnow that to get into colleges, i have to take a serious of tests like the SAT's, ACT's and entrace exams. the thought of tests just freak me out. I'm not a very good test taker and I know that in college, its all about tests, essays, and projects. If you cant do that well, then maybe college is not for me. I'm one of those students that don't learn things right away like other students do. I just wish i can learn things like science, and mat like a flash.

Iknow that to become an engineer, you have to take a lot of math, probably untill your done with Calculus which is considered one of the hardest and most complicated math. I mean, i can bearly handel geometry which may be considered an easy subject for many students. I need to take a lot of science, which is another subjet that i struggle a lot. Maybe that career isn't suited for me.

Like always, one must always have a plan B. My plan B is to become an animation artist. drawing is one of my favorite things to do. It's one of my hobbies other than playing Bass guitar. Doing something that i love as my career is living a good life. I love to draw and maybe become an animation artist.

I dont know, but i think that college will be to difficult for me and maybe wont be able to deal with it. Maybe college isn't for me. Time will tell.