The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick

I believe Mr. Persky was introduced to Rosa to help her overcome her fears.  He was able to explain things to Rosa in a simple form.  One of his comments was “if you are alone too much, you begin to think too much.”  I believe he was right.  If you have something that worries you that much, you really need to talk about it with someone you trust.  

Persky was trying to be that person for Rosa who clearly needed someone to talk to.  Persky was always trying to be there for her and every time Rosa had something negative to say about herself or the world, Persky was there to help her try to understand it.  His guidance was showing Rosa that she could move on with her life.  There was no need to carry such baggage from the past into her future.  Persky even explained his personal life to Rosa (p. 26) which included his current wife who was institutionalized; how he supports his son who is now 30 years old; and how his niece who is 49 sends him money for support.   He was probably hoping that by sharing these personal things with Rosa, she would understand him and his generation a little better.  He gave Rosa a chance to absorb all this information.  I’m sure he wanted to summarize certain moments in his life so she could reflect on her own life. 

Persky is the type of person who would say things like, “We must not allow our past to control our destiny” to Rosa. “For it is what we are that makes us who we are.”  In order for this to occur, we must be able to express those thoughts without condemning the whole world.   We need to be happy with ourselves for every day that comes.  To take every day as if it was given to us, we must be purposeful with them.  We are not to be ashamed of who we are, but be proud of who we are.  To me, Mr. Persky represented this symbol of hope and understanding which Rosa needed.  Hopefully, Mr. Persky will assist Rosa with her journey to recovery.   

The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick

The shawl was being used to secure this child, Magda, by her mother, Stella.  Stella is a very young girl who is responsible for her daughter who happens to be wrapped up in her shawl.  At this very moment, Stella is walking in a line and Magda is underneath the shawl protected and warm.  Stella is jealous of Magda and she would like to be the one protected from all that is going on around them.  So why doesn’t Stella walk away from the line? Because Stella knows that if she walks off the line she will be shot and Magda could die with her.  Stella even thought to herself, “If I just stepped out of the line for a moment then maybe I could hand Magda to someone.”  Stella’s thoughts had taken her over.  What if the person was too scared to take her daughter?  What if she fell out of her shawl and died? 

Stella’s hopes and dreams for her daughter to have a better life did not happen.  Her dreams were put into perspective.  The reality of the situation is that if she attempted to physically make her thought come true, she would be shot on the spot.  All she could do was look at her daughter and admire her beautiful round head and her small tooth.  Stella looked at her daughter’s tooth and noticed how it looked like a tombstone above a burial site.  

The shawl prevented Magda from experiencing anything unpleasant and gave her a sense of security.  All Stella could do now was to continue walking in line.  Her shawl had been used as a source of nourishment for her daughter.  Stella was unable to produce milk because her ducts were dried up.  So Stella used the shawl as a sponge.  She would allow the shawl to absorb any and all liquids she could produce.  The shawl would last up to three days giving Stella more time to think about what she was going to do next.  

I believe this shawl provided protection for Magda and the strength needed for Stella. This must have been extremely difficult for a person like Stella to be in this situation and to have a child to take care of at the same time.  For a child her age she demonstrated great strength that only love can provide.  This situation was extremely difficult for an adult to handle.  How could anyone expect a child of Stella’s age to handle or even try to understand such a situation?  No human being should ever be placed in such a situation nor should we (humanity) allow this to ever happen again anywhere in the world.

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

The Key

I believe it was the key to their home that helped provide the mother with some stability and hope that one day she and her children would return home.  If anybody was to ask where they were, they should say, “We were on vacation.”  She would not offend anyone by answering rudely.  That would not be lady like.

I believe this key became part of her existence because it allowed her to think positive thoughts.  It also allowed her to maintain some hope.  She clung to this key as if it was her life or at least her lifeline.  As she ran her fingertip on the edge of the key, she probably said something to herself like, “I will forget all about this moment and all that we had to endure just because we are different.”  She would check the key everyday like a mom or dad at home checking the house before going to bed.  She would place the key in her mouth to conceal it and keep it safe in her possession if she needed to.  She did place the key around her neck as if to say, “This is where I belong.” “We have a home.”  This is a temporary “home” because we are different.

When the sun came up on the day that the key was to meet its other half, she was very surprised to see what had been done to their home.  I am sure they all must have felt violated and disrespected, but mom held her ground.  She placed her key in the keyhole.  With every click and clack, sense of being home became a reality.    

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

The Tortoise

In a letter that was sent to him by his father, he was asked if he had a best friend.  I believe his father asked him this question in hopes that someone was there to help him through this ordeal.  He was going to grow up faster than his father had hoped he would and it was his job to guide him through this terrible time.  His father was hoping that a male figure would take on the responsibility of teaching his son how to do things right.  He knew it was his job to perform and now he couldn’t. 

His son was reaching out to him through their letters.  Although his son did not have a best friend or a mentor as his father had hoped, he did have a pet tortoise (p. 60) which he kept at the barracks window to keep it cool at night.  Its home was a wooden box with sand with a white stone on top to prevent it from escaping.  After all, if anybody was to leave, it should be him and his family.  They did nothing wrong.  His tortoise was not given a name.  Instead, it had an I.D. number etched in its shell.  This I.D. number was the same number that was given to his family.  In a place where you are housed like animals, you do not have a name.  “After all, it is your name that identifies you as a person/human being.”  Those in charge did not want that to occur.  

In his dreams he would hear the tortoise clawing at the inside of the box.  The tortoise probably felt the same way as the boy.  He, too, would have liked to remove himself from this environment, these people, the food and the temperature.  This became home to all of them. In his return letters he did not mention any of this to his dad.  This was probably done to keep each other from losing their sanity.  If the truth were told, the sole reason they were there was because they were Japanese. 

It was very difficult for his father to accept and now he had to explain it to his son.  It was easier to keep the lie going.  A boy of this age should be playing with his friends or going to school, doing the normal things, not caged up like some animal because he is different.  How was his dad going to explain such a thing through censored mail?  How was his son to understand that his government placed him in this camp to protect themselves from people like him?  

I believe they needed to say only what needed to be said.  It was the only way to keep the lie from exposing the truth.   “We should not hide ourselves behind the mirages of ourselves.”

When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka

The little girl was not able to contain herself.  She needed to say something.  The man in front of her tapped her on the shoulder.  He began to speak to her in his language -- it was Japanese (p. 28).  The little girl could not answer him because she did not speak Japanese. He was probably thinking to himself, “How is it that this little girl does not know her own native tongue?”  Thinking once again to himself, “I know why I am here.  Do you know why you are here?”  All the little girl could do was to watch the man go all the way to the end of the train as he slowly placed his hand on his gun holster just to make sure it was still there.  The little girl was probably thinking that he is here to protect us.  After all, it’s not everyday you are on a train and somebody decides to throw a brick at it.  Although it was not time to sleep, all the shades had to be pulled down.  As the last shade was brought down, the inside of the train became very dark.  Anybody looking in probably only saw shadows or images of people.  Just like the train passing by, no one would think anything out of the ordinary.  These people were going somewhere far away.  

The little girl thought of positive things like horses, specifically, Mustangs she remembered reading about in National Geographic magazines.   Nevada had a lot of them and they all were wild horses.  She would imagine the cowboy snapping his finger and there it would be -- his new horse.  This inspired her brother to want to be a Jockey but he had never been on a horse before and mother reminded him that Jockeys are small men.  She asked him if he wanted to be a small man.  This thought never entered his mind.  They truly embraced the Western Fairy-tales.  This gave them hope and a sense of returning home soon.

Push by Sapphire

I believe there is a lot more in store for Precious’ future.  Through hard work, determination, and utilizing the proper resources, she is now capable of a future she has always wanted.  If she continuous to use these resources a guide and not as a crutch, she will succeed.  Unfortunately, some people have used the system as a crutch and this has given a bad name to those who use the system for its true purpose.  Precious chose not to become one of them. She chose to forge forward.  With this type of motivation, no one or nothing can stop them from achieving their goals.

In class we mentioned cycles.  Well it’s pretty obvious to me that she was the one to break the cycle of abuse.  She was the one who initially knew something was wrong with her so-called parents’ behaviors.  She was the one person who wanted to move forward with her life.  This to me is the beginning of breaking the cycle.  I think if she keeps going in this direction, she will be successful in finding her own place in the world. That, in and of itself, would be a huge accomplishment for Precious.

I believe she will be seeking (and obtaining) a job.  She will then seek childcare services for Abdul or utilize the one she is currently using.  She will need to keep everyone in the loop by communicating with them.  Once all of this is in place, I think she will talk with her social worker about Mongo and wanting to bring him home.  This would bring Precious to another level of adulthood and motherhood.

There should be more people like Ms. Rain in this world.  I like the encouragement she has been giving Precious -- work hard, push and keep pushing yourself.  You will get there.  Only you can make your future come true.  She now has the ability to look at Mongo as her other son.  She wants Mongo and Abdul together with her.  She has acquired a good sense of how the system works.  To me that shows responsibility and commitment to her children.  She has learned to accept help and to utilize the resources around her. 

I think once she gets her own place that she can truly call home, all of these pieces will come together.  She will be able to find work, utilize the caregiver she has been using for Abdul, maintain the medical assistance for Mongo and be able to find love with another.  She has accomplished a lot since the beginning of the story.  She is an inspiration to all of us.  

Push by Sapphire

Is this an American Dream story or the opposite? Is it a story of hope or a story of despair? Or is it not that simple -- and why?

This is and is not an American dream story.  Here we have a young girl named Precious who was molested by her so-called father.  This abuse continued until she was in her teenage years.  When she became pregnant with her first child by her father, she unknowingly exposed the dark secret.  The hospital staff knew about it and they gave that information to the proper authorities who did nothing.  So what was Precious to do about it?  

We could say the American Dream began for Precious the day she got kicked out of school.  One day Mrs. Linchenstein (p. 15) went to her home and explained to Precious that there was a school that she thought would be able to serve her better.  She gave Precious the address and location through the intercom.  Precious knew she wasn’t going to go anywhere without education. 

She went to the teaching center called Each One Teach One (p. 39).  This is where Precious’ life physically and mentally changed forever.  Precious met Ms. Rain.  Her teaching style was well-crafted.  She provided all her students with insight, caring, loving strength from within and understanding of all that is around you.  She truly was what Precious needed and wanted all her life.  She needed someone to show her that she was worth loving and she could be loved by another person -- the kind of love that would enable a child to grow and develop into a healthy and emotionally well-balanced person.  

Just like a well-planted seed, if you tend it well it will become a beautiful flower.  This particular institution provided such nurturing to take place.  Precious and all the other students who came from similar situations became better people for it.  Precious was given great contributions by her classmates.  She, in turn, showed them that no matter what is thrown in front of you, you can overcome.  They are the ones who showed Precious how to let go of the anger and resentment she had about everything and everyone.  They showed her not to be afraid of letting your guard down.  Be yourself.  Together they would support one another during difficult times and use humor to lessen the pain.   Ms. Rain was the glue that kept Precious on track by telling Precious, “You need to push yourself.”  Precious knew that the only person she was going to rely on was herself.  

We need to remind our selves about the American Dream.  Yes, it is our tax dollars and funding from the government that provide funds for such programs like Each One Teach One. These programs provide children with some of the basic needs like food, shelter and water.  They also provide safety to a majority of women who have left their homes because of abuse or safety concerns.  They give services to those who may not be heard by giving them a voice.  

Precious is just one of many people who lacked the necessary tools needed to succeed such as education.  It may not be the perfect system ( you can’t please all the people all the time), but it is better than no system at all.  The system can work if those who work in the system show others how to navigate through it properly.  Isn’t that what it is all about?

Fun Home by Alison Bechdel

            When I started reading this book, I was pretty unimpressed.  As I continued reading, I became more and more interested in what Bechdel was trying to say in her story.  The pictures added so much to the writing.  This seemed like such an unusual yet affective way to translate her own story into A Family Tragicomic.

            Children see themselves through their parents.  One of the gifts and curses of our youth is to try to mimic our parents.  We seem to beam inside when we do something “just like mom” or “just like daddy.”  Somehow our identities are wrapped inside and around our parents.  Eventually, through our own growth, this changes and we become our own person.  Sometimes, through their aging, our parents begin to look at us in the same way we once looked at them.

            Although Alison grew up in a “museum” with her mother and abusive father always at odds, she longed to understand both of them.  She wanted to understand her mother’s standing in the home.  She already thought she knew her father as the “head” of the household.  He was the tyrant; the one who everyone cringed when he walked in the room.

            Mom had to make sure that everything dad wanted was done.  She lost herself and her own personality and dreams “obeying” her husband.  She made sure he wanted for nothing because there would be hell to pay if he lacked something – anything.  The children made sure they did everything to keep their father happy.  They knew how he would react if his rules weren’t obeyed. 

            Yet, Alison’s life and writings seem to parallel her father’s life in so many ways.  As a young adult in college, she reached a new dimension when speaking with both of her parents.  She asked the questions she had always wanted to ask.  Some of the answers she got from her mother were not what she expected.  Some of these honest answers were exactly what she expected and some were certainly more than she needed or wanted to know.

            When approaching her father with her own identity and his identity, she was a little apprehensive.  She wasn’t sure how he would react to her identity.  She was less sure how he would react to talking about his identity.  She was relieved when he spoke openly about his own life.  She was grateful to have this time with him and his understanding of who she realized she was.  The similarities and comparisons were uncanny.  She always knew he would be there for her and she was happy to have his understanding and feel his love. Pages (230-232) " but in the tricky reverse narration that impels our entwined stories, he was always there to cath me when I lept". The End.