In Caucasia, Danzy Senna tells the tale of two young girls, Cole and Birdie. The products of a biracial couple, they struggle with the growing racial tensions in 1970’s America. The sisters share an inseparable bond, always speaking to each other in their own language, Elemeno. “What was the point of surviving if you had to disappear? [Birdie] said it aloud” (8). She soon learns, much like the Elemenos, that she would have to learn to change form in order to survive.…
The national spelling bee is a big thing and takes a lot of motivation to get to the final level. We watched eight students on their journey through the national spelling bee and I am going to talk about three of them and what their motivation was to get them that far. I have chosen to talk about Neil Kadakia, Emily Staag, and Nupur Lala. Now all of these contestants were in the top ten and Nupur Lala was the winner, and I feel that they all had great motivation to do so great.…
The protagonist, Sister, tells us the story from her jaded point of view in the form of both narration and dialogue. She is the oldest daughter of two and lives with her Mother, uncle and grandfather and serves as the postmistress of the local post office. Her younger sibling Stella-Rondo has suddenly come home for the 4th of July holiday after being ways for several years. Stella-Rondo’s choice to reinsert herself into the family’s life is the spark that ignites the drama of the day ultimately leading to Sisters climactic decision.…
This story is told from the view of the younger sister, Katie, who learns about life, love and perseverance through the perceptive guidance of her sister Lynn. The two sisters have a bond that makes this story heart touching and holds the 6th-8th grade readers ' imagination. The format uses a child 's view to gradually introduce readers to topics of prejudice, cultural differences, and hardships. The following is an example from page 34.…
The movie Lincoln, directed by the infamous Steven Spielberg, is based on the life of Abraham Lincoln and his efforts to pass the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which would abolish slavery completely. With the assumption that the Civil War would end in one month, however, Abraham feels it it is imperative to pass the amendment by the end of January, thus removing any possibility that slaves who have already been freed may be re-enslaved. Radical Republicans believe the amendment will be defeated, due to the support of it not being completely assured, since they prioritize the issue of ending the war. Even if all of them are ultimately brought on board, the amendment will still require the support of several Democratic congressmen if it is to pass. With dozens of Democrats having just lost their re-election campaigns in the fall of 1864, some of Lincoln's advisers believe that he should wait until the new Republican-heavy Congress is seated, presumably giving the amendment an easier road to passage. Lincoln, however, remains adamant about having the amendment in place and the issue of slavery settled before the war is concluded and the southern States reintegrated into the Union.…
The movie Miracle tells the inspiring story of the 1980 United States hockey team and their journey to becoming the best hockey team in the world. Any hockey fan would be a perfect contender for watching the movie. The movie explores the many struggles that the team has to face to conquer their way through the Olympics, including on and off the ice. At a time when the country is in a period of struggle with the Cold War, Coach Herb Brooks has goals for the team that seem to be set a little too high. The film is pretty easy to follow and has many breathtaking moments, as long as you enjoy sports.…
I found the movie Kinsey to be both true to his work and to the essence of this dedicated man. Besides being highly entertaining, it was very relevant today to an audience which had no idea who Alfred Kinsey was or how his work had impacted their lives. Anyone who sees this movie will get to experience first hand how ignorant and misinformed people were about sex when Kinsey began studying human sexuality. Examples of this were the stated belief that performance of oral sex would reduce a woman's fertility, as well as most of the clichés about masturbation. These seem ridiculous to us now, but before Kinsey, they were considered common knowledge. When I saw the film, I laughed at such misleading ideas, while becoming aware of just how much pain, suffering, and loss of intimacy this misinformation caused.…
The lack of socialization impacted Nell's view on the world around her because it left her more knowledgeable about those that surround her. Nell looks more deeply into the souls of those she meets rather then judging. She does not often speak while out in society but quietly assesses everything and everyone that surrounds her. In court Nell states "You have big things. You're knowing big things. But you're not seeing into each others' eyes. You're aching after quietness. I've lived a small life. I know small things" she thinks that everyone out in the world only pays attention to what will make them better then everyone else; That they do not know how to pay attention to the smaller things in life, such as she does.…
These two girls are like two opposite sides of a magnet, strongly attracted toward one another and useless when they are split apart. Sula represents the negative end and Nel represents the positive end of the magnet. When Nel and Sula become friends they produce a perfect combination. They both grow up in completely different households and encounter different upbringings. Nel’s mother, Helene, does what she could to drive “her daughter’s imagination underground” (Morrison 18), raising her to be polite and obedient. Nel grows up to be a calm and well-behaved girl who has no choice but to follow her mother’s every…
This book emphasizes with Sara Louise and helped me see her point of view and better understand that all people have their own talents that they may not have discovered yet. This twin sister relationship was based off of jealousy and beauty that would have never have been if they were both treated equally and their mother and grandmother didn't play…
On the one hand, it illustrates how characters such as Lester and Jane spend too much time focusing on their body image and dedicating too much time on themselves, particularly in times of dissatisfaction and crisis, instead of figuring out the actual root of their unhappiness and strengthening their relationships to others. On the other hand, the mirror represents a tool that does not only contribute to a negative but also a positive change of the self. At a certain stage of one’s life one just has to hold a mirror up to oneself and reflect on the following: Who am I? Have I denied myself?…
Melody is the only child, when she was born, her mother was 37 years old. She was born in Honduras in a remote area. Melody father’s past away 2 month before she was born, so she only lived with her mother. Melody’s mother, never went to school, although she wanted to go to school her parents couldn’t afford it, but it was her determination to not let Melody crossed the same path she did. She was determine to work hard, to give Melody the best she could, she long for her daughter to receive a good education, and some day play an special role in their society. The language they only spoke was Spanish.…
When a person’s perspective about the world changes, they are able to see the world through ‘new eyes’. These new eyes could allow an individual to see the world the way another person does, enlightening them with a new understanding of that individual’s life and personal experiences. In “The Lamp at Noon” by Sinclair Ross, the relationship between Paul and Ellen is strained. They are mentally isolated from each other. Paul becomes accustomed to this isolation and does not understand Ellen’s need for companionship and purpose. In order for Paul to understand Ellen’s world, he must first overcome the barriers set between them.…
* Nell is doing work that men do and she is not used to doing heavy and a lot of work. She has to go through a lot to earn herself a meal. Nell, not only works to get herself a meal but also gathers food for her sister.…
The themes of this short story include jealousy, obsession with narcissism and the emergence of another identity. In this short story, jealousy is displayed when Monica has the narrator choose between the real her and the Monica in the mirror. In the story, “Once, she said, “You know, sometimes I think you like me better there”—she pointed to a mirror—“than here”—she pointed to herself. She said it teasingly, with a little laugh, but in her look was an anxious question.” The Monica in the mirror was described in this excerpt: “a fresh Monica, a vibrant Monica, a Monica with a glow of pleasure in her face. She was dressed in clothes that no longer seemed a little drab, a little elderly, but were handsomely understated, seductively restrained.” The real Monica is depicted in the excerpt “Not for a moment did the mirror make her look young, or beautiful, for she was not young and she was not beautiful. But it was as if some inner constriction had dissolved, some sense of her drifting gradually into unhappiness.” Jealousy is what drove the…