Summary
Marguerite spends the summer with her dad and his new girlfriend Dolores in Southern California. Marguerite has trouble dealing with Dolores because Dolores is kind of a neat freak. Marguerite's dad takes her to Mexico which gets Dolores mad because he never took her to Mexico, making her think that he favors his children more than his wife to be. In Mexico, Marguerite's dad cheats on Dolores and gets drunk forcing Marguerite to drive his car in order for them to get home. Marguerite having never drove a day in her life, drives her dad's car towards home, with her drunk father sleeping in the back seat. when they arrived home dolores and marguerite dad has an argument and he walks out, then marguerite and dolores had an argument which turned into a fight and ended with Marguerite getting cut. when Marguerite;s father tells her she has to leave the house for a couple of days to go stay with some of his friends Marguerite decided to run away. After experiencing the harsh streets of california and enduring the hardship of having to live inside of a car, Marguerite knew it was time for her to go home, she she called her mother and she sent a ticket for her to return back to San Francisco. Marguerite's brother Bailey starts to have problems with their mother and moves out because he felt that he was a man and doesn't need no one telling him what to do. Marguerite gets a job as a conductor on the bus after several times of being turned down by trolley companies. Having being through a lot Marguerite starts to question her womanhood. She went through a phase thinking that she was either a lesbian or a hermaphrodite because she doesn't seem to have what other girls have. In order to prove to herself that she was straight she decided to have sex with a boy from her street which ended up with her getting pregnant at the age of sixteen. With her new son in her life she no longer felt empty or lonely, she now knew what it meant to be accepted and loved.
Quotation
" Without willing it, I had gone from being ignorant of being ignorant to being aware of being aware. and the worst part of my awareness was that i didn't know what i was aware of" (Angelou 264).
Reaction
In a weird way I can connect to the quote because sometimes act like I know something when I really don't because I don't want to seem stupid. And sometimes I know that something is going to happen, but when it does happen it cathces me off guard. With Marguerite feeling this way it shows that she was growing up and knew that what ever she wanted her life to be, that was what it would be.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (pages 160-220)
Summary
The time finally came for Marguerite to graduate Lafayette County Training School, and every seem to be very excited. Momma made Marguerite a new dress for her graduation and also bought her a Mickey Mouse watch, along with the other gifts she received from people. On the day of the graduation, nothing seemed to be magical because the white speaker who came to the school had a message to deliver to the students. The speaker told all the graduates including Marguerite that they weren't going to amount to nothing because they were Negroes and that was all they were ever going to be. With the spirit of graduation gone, it was brought back by the valedictorian by singing the black national anthem, which assured everybody that things were going to be alright. Marguerite and Bailey ended up moving back to California to live with their mother in San Francisco, California after Bailey witnessed the cruel ways blacks were treated in the South. with leaving in California Marguerite was put into a white populated school because of her advanced knowledge. Marguerite came to love George Washington High School, because one particular teacher looked past the color of her skin. Marguerite's mother also remarried a man named Clidell whom Marguerite had a great relationship with. Marguerite learned from Clidell the things people do to get themselves to where they want to be.
Quotation
"The air of collective displacement, the impermanence of life in war time and the gauche personalities of the more recent arrivals tended to dissipate my own sense of not belonging" (Angelou 206).
Reaction
I am very fascinated with the way she describes how surrounding and how that surrounding ended up changing her mood of belonging. In a way I can relate to her her mood because when I first came to a America, I felt out of place. It wasn't my home, since I left my real home behind, but the more I took in my new environment, the more i got used to it and felt welcomed to it. To Marguerite the way San Francisco has changed makes her feel even more outcast and unwelcome than before.
The time finally came for Marguerite to graduate Lafayette County Training School, and every seem to be very excited. Momma made Marguerite a new dress for her graduation and also bought her a Mickey Mouse watch, along with the other gifts she received from people. On the day of the graduation, nothing seemed to be magical because the white speaker who came to the school had a message to deliver to the students. The speaker told all the graduates including Marguerite that they weren't going to amount to nothing because they were Negroes and that was all they were ever going to be. With the spirit of graduation gone, it was brought back by the valedictorian by singing the black national anthem, which assured everybody that things were going to be alright. Marguerite and Bailey ended up moving back to California to live with their mother in San Francisco, California after Bailey witnessed the cruel ways blacks were treated in the South. with leaving in California Marguerite was put into a white populated school because of her advanced knowledge. Marguerite came to love George Washington High School, because one particular teacher looked past the color of her skin. Marguerite's mother also remarried a man named Clidell whom Marguerite had a great relationship with. Marguerite learned from Clidell the things people do to get themselves to where they want to be.
Quotation
"The air of collective displacement, the impermanence of life in war time and the gauche personalities of the more recent arrivals tended to dissipate my own sense of not belonging" (Angelou 206).
Reaction
I am very fascinated with the way she describes how surrounding and how that surrounding ended up changing her mood of belonging. In a way I can relate to her her mood because when I first came to a America, I felt out of place. It wasn't my home, since I left my real home behind, but the more I took in my new environment, the more i got used to it and felt welcomed to it. To Marguerite the way San Francisco has changed makes her feel even more outcast and unwelcome than before.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (pages 105-160)
Summary
Marguerite gets a job as a house maid for a white woman Mrs. Cullinan wants to quit because she starts to call her Mary. In order to get fired Marguerite decides to break Mrs. cullinan's best dishes which she knew was the pride of her family. Bailey gets in trouble for coming home way past his normal time due to being mesmerized at the movies with an actress that looks just like his mother and gets whipped by Uncle Willie. The annual revival were held and for the fisrt time Marguerite gets a leader on why the the whites show "charity". Which was a was for the preacher to express that whites gave to the blacks, but they only do it knowing that they are the masters. Marguerite makes a new friend named Louise which symbolized from her leaving adulthood and coming back to childhood. Bailey finally has his first love with a girl named Joyce, that turns out to be a girl just looking for the finer things in life which he couldn't provide. Marguerite is hit with the harsh reality of death after Mrs. Taylor a close friend to the family dies. At the funeral, Marguerite endured the sorrow of having to stare at a dead woman's body who she sort of grew close to up to her death.
Quotation
"Even if I have the tongue of men and of angels and have not charity, I am as nothing..."(Angelou 122).
Reaction
Reading this line from the book i felt like i just stumbled onto something that i never really thought about before. To me, the quote meant that it is one thing to be giving, but if you are a giving person and always brag about it, that is not right. It is nice to do something good, but don't let it go to your head because then you are comparing yourself to God, which is impossible. I really thought this was a interesting quote, because in so many ways it connects to the way things happened in the time of segregation and racism.
Marguerite gets a job as a house maid for a white woman Mrs. Cullinan wants to quit because she starts to call her Mary. In order to get fired Marguerite decides to break Mrs. cullinan's best dishes which she knew was the pride of her family. Bailey gets in trouble for coming home way past his normal time due to being mesmerized at the movies with an actress that looks just like his mother and gets whipped by Uncle Willie. The annual revival were held and for the fisrt time Marguerite gets a leader on why the the whites show "charity". Which was a was for the preacher to express that whites gave to the blacks, but they only do it knowing that they are the masters. Marguerite makes a new friend named Louise which symbolized from her leaving adulthood and coming back to childhood. Bailey finally has his first love with a girl named Joyce, that turns out to be a girl just looking for the finer things in life which he couldn't provide. Marguerite is hit with the harsh reality of death after Mrs. Taylor a close friend to the family dies. At the funeral, Marguerite endured the sorrow of having to stare at a dead woman's body who she sort of grew close to up to her death.
Quotation
"Even if I have the tongue of men and of angels and have not charity, I am as nothing..."(Angelou 122).
Reaction
Reading this line from the book i felt like i just stumbled onto something that i never really thought about before. To me, the quote meant that it is one thing to be giving, but if you are a giving person and always brag about it, that is not right. It is nice to do something good, but don't let it go to your head because then you are comparing yourself to God, which is impossible. I really thought this was a interesting quote, because in so many ways it connects to the way things happened in the time of segregation and racism.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (pages 55-105)
Summary
As Marguerite had predicted, her father did take her and her brother Bailey to St. Louis to live with their mother. With going to St. Louis, Bailey really grew close to his mother and made her a nickname. Marguerite on the other hand, had a hard time connecting to her because they looked nothing alike, which made her come to the conclusion that she was adopted. An unfortunate event happened to Marguerite when she was living with her mother in St. Louis. Marguerite was raped by her mother's boyfriend Mr. Freeman. In court Mr. Freeman was released that same day, but was killed a couple of days later by someone unknown. With no warning Marguerite and Bailey were sent by to Stamps, Arkansas because of Marguerite's condition after being raped. In Stamps, Marguerite meets a new friend Mrs. Flowers who introduced her to poetry, and would forever have a profound impact on her life.
Quotation
"Words mean more than what is down of paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of deeper meaning"(Angelou 95).
Reaction
This quote really got to me because I felt it was true and I could relate to it. When I write words , it doesn't really mean anything I say them aloud. It is kind of like the freedom of speech, if you have something to say, it is better to say them, rather than expressing yourself on paper.
As Marguerite had predicted, her father did take her and her brother Bailey to St. Louis to live with their mother. With going to St. Louis, Bailey really grew close to his mother and made her a nickname. Marguerite on the other hand, had a hard time connecting to her because they looked nothing alike, which made her come to the conclusion that she was adopted. An unfortunate event happened to Marguerite when she was living with her mother in St. Louis. Marguerite was raped by her mother's boyfriend Mr. Freeman. In court Mr. Freeman was released that same day, but was killed a couple of days later by someone unknown. With no warning Marguerite and Bailey were sent by to Stamps, Arkansas because of Marguerite's condition after being raped. In Stamps, Marguerite meets a new friend Mrs. Flowers who introduced her to poetry, and would forever have a profound impact on her life.
Quotation
"Words mean more than what is down of paper. It takes the human voice to infuse them with the shades of deeper meaning"(Angelou 95).
Reaction
This quote really got to me because I felt it was true and I could relate to it. When I write words , it doesn't really mean anything I say them aloud. It is kind of like the freedom of speech, if you have something to say, it is better to say them, rather than expressing yourself on paper.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
To Kill A Mockingbird (pages 1-19)
Summary
"To kill A Mockingbird" is a story written by Harper lee about the finch family who lived in Maycomb County, Alabama in the 193o's. The finch family consists of Atticus, Jem Scout, and Calpurnia. Atticus is the father of Scout and Jem and no longer has a wife to help him raise the kids since she died when they were very little.Scout and Jem are brother and sister, with Jem being the oldest of them. Calpurnia is the caregiver for the Finch family and was considered family even though she was an African American woman. In the start of the story which is told by Scout, it began with Scout reminiscing about how Jem, her brother, broke his leg. In the summer Jem and Scout made a new friend by the name of Dill. All three of them began to grow a fascination for the Radley family, who was the neighbors that lived down the street. The Radleys' kept to themselves and some people in the town thought that it was wrong what they were doing. This new thrill that Dill, Jem, and Scout had for the Radley is going to result to something bigger than they expected.
Quotation
"But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told it had nothing to fear but fear itself"( Lee 6).
Reaction
I was fascinated by the last line of the Quote. when I really put some thought into it i realized it was true on a personal level for me. I have nothing to fear but fear itself because me being afraid of something is not much, but failing at what i do can be really scary.
"To kill A Mockingbird" is a story written by Harper lee about the finch family who lived in Maycomb County, Alabama in the 193o's. The finch family consists of Atticus, Jem Scout, and Calpurnia. Atticus is the father of Scout and Jem and no longer has a wife to help him raise the kids since she died when they were very little.Scout and Jem are brother and sister, with Jem being the oldest of them. Calpurnia is the caregiver for the Finch family and was considered family even though she was an African American woman. In the start of the story which is told by Scout, it began with Scout reminiscing about how Jem, her brother, broke his leg. In the summer Jem and Scout made a new friend by the name of Dill. All three of them began to grow a fascination for the Radley family, who was the neighbors that lived down the street. The Radleys' kept to themselves and some people in the town thought that it was wrong what they were doing. This new thrill that Dill, Jem, and Scout had for the Radley is going to result to something bigger than they expected.
Quotation
"But it was a time of vague optimism for some of the people: Maycomb County had recently been told it had nothing to fear but fear itself"( Lee 6).
Reaction
I was fascinated by the last line of the Quote. when I really put some thought into it i realized it was true on a personal level for me. I have nothing to fear but fear itself because me being afraid of something is not much, but failing at what i do can be really scary.
Friday, October 2, 2009
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (pages 1-55)
Summary
The book " I Know why The Caged Bird Sings" starts off with Marguerite the protagonist is at church and reminisces about how she and her brother Bailey ended up in Stamps, Arkansas in around the 1930's. when Marguerite was 3, and Bailey was 4 their parents sent them packing from California to Arkansas to live with their grandmother Annie Henderson or Momma as they called her. Momma also took care of her other son who was crippled ever since he was a child and was known by the name of uncle Willie. Momma owned a store in Stamps which was a town filled with racism and segregation being a part of the south. Momma was a very strong believer in religion and had both children and her son go to church every Sunday. In the beginning of the story Marguerite mentioned that her and her brother Bailey hated Reverend Taylor, reasons being that he only came to their house to eat and was disappointing when they were done eating before he got there. The discrimination in the book shows through the Caucasian females making fun of Momma or trying to arrest any Negroes that they thought has sexual relations with a white female. The father that both Marguerite and Bailey thought was dead shows up to Stamps and connects with his family.
Quote
" when I was a child I spake as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things" (Angelou 34).
Reaction
When I read this line it immediately clicked to out topic of becoming of age. The quote speaks for itself because it is basically saying that there comes a time when we all have to grow up and act like the mature adults that we are. I actually agree with the quote because if it wasn't true we would act like children and no one would want to grow up.
The book " I Know why The Caged Bird Sings" starts off with Marguerite the protagonist is at church and reminisces about how she and her brother Bailey ended up in Stamps, Arkansas in around the 1930's. when Marguerite was 3, and Bailey was 4 their parents sent them packing from California to Arkansas to live with their grandmother Annie Henderson or Momma as they called her. Momma also took care of her other son who was crippled ever since he was a child and was known by the name of uncle Willie. Momma owned a store in Stamps which was a town filled with racism and segregation being a part of the south. Momma was a very strong believer in religion and had both children and her son go to church every Sunday. In the beginning of the story Marguerite mentioned that her and her brother Bailey hated Reverend Taylor, reasons being that he only came to their house to eat and was disappointing when they were done eating before he got there. The discrimination in the book shows through the Caucasian females making fun of Momma or trying to arrest any Negroes that they thought has sexual relations with a white female. The father that both Marguerite and Bailey thought was dead shows up to Stamps and connects with his family.
Quote
" when I was a child I spake as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things" (Angelou 34).
Reaction
When I read this line it immediately clicked to out topic of becoming of age. The quote speaks for itself because it is basically saying that there comes a time when we all have to grow up and act like the mature adults that we are. I actually agree with the quote because if it wasn't true we would act like children and no one would want to grow up.
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