Vocab:
-Jettison (97): To throw off (something) as an obstacle or burden; discard.
-Arraignment (97): A calling into question or a finding fault, esp. with respect to the value or virtue of something; critical examination.
Appeals:
"They went wild, but even as I sat down with their applause ringing in my ears, with laughter on their face, happy to feel accepted, to be part of them, knowing I had pleased them, I saw the derision on their faces, the clever smiles, laughing at the oddity of it, and I felt the same ache I felt as I gazed at the boy in the mirror. I remembered him, and how free he was, and I hated him even more." (105) This passage represents an emotional appeal. As I was reading this I could imagine what the scene looked like as if I were there. I can picture the student's faces that show both excitement and mockery as James dances around the classroom for their pure enjoyment. I could also imagine the feeling James had as he watched these children laugh and point and smile.
"His father was a black man, a railroad brakeman, and his mother a Native American, so he had a lot of Indian in his face: brown skin, slanted brown eyes, high cheekbones, and a weather-beaten outdoor look about him, a very handsome dude." (120) This appears to be a logical appeal because the description of James's stepfather is quite explicit and it is easy to picture what he might look like.
"When they tore down his house, it was like they ripped out half his arteries." (125) This is definently an emotional appeal because it is a similie that pertains to an emotional reaction. I am able to comprehend what it would feel like to be in the situation James's stepfather was in and understand his feelings about it.
Quote:
"He said that since I was the oldest living at home, I had to watch out for Mommy and my little brothers and sisters because 'y'all are special,' he said. 'And just so special to me.' It was the only time I ever heard him refer to race in any way, however vaguely..." (128) I found myself reading this quote several times because I couldn't understand what the referance was to race. The only conclusion I have come to is that James's stepfather is referring to race when he says "y'all are special".
Theme:
I belive the most prominant theme in this memoir is tolerance. There are clear elements of tolerance of race, tolerance of religion, and tolerance of people who are different from you or unusual in some way.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
The Color of Water-Week 1, Post B
Dear James,
You must learn to allow your mother time. I know how much you want to learn about your grandparents and other distant relatives, but clearly your mother has a reason why she refuses to talk about them. You may be a young boy but you can still catch on to signals that your mother prefers to keep her past private. It is easy to assume that your mother experienced a horrifically difficult childhood by her abrupt dismissal of any conversation of her past. I ask you to please give her sufficient time. She is a strong woman who loves you unconditionally. She will tell you when she is ready.
James, you must also learn to accept the fact that your mother is different. Yes, she is a white woman raising 12 mixed race children on her own living in a predominantly black town. People will stare. People will gossip. This is a harsh reality of life that will take some getting used to. When you’re receiving these strange looks, rather than feel ashamed of your mother you should be proud of what she has accomplished and recognize her unfailing strength.
Finally, you need to learn to let your mother cope with situations in her own way. I understand that bringing up your successful brother Dennis when you seem to be faltering in your studies or behavior can be annoying, but think of how she must feel to have brought up a child by herself who is now on his way to medical school. “The heights he attained, heights we puny mortals could only dream of achieving, were trumpeted and crowed by Mommy in every corner of the house. Dennis had finished college. Dennis had gone to Europe. And now, for his crowning achievement, Dennis, oh glorious Dennis, oh mighty Dennis---Dennis! Dennis!---sought the highest, most wonderful, most incredible achievement any human being, any son, could hope to achieve.” (70) It’s normal to feel this way about your high esteemed brother but, you shouldn’t let your mother know how obnoxious she’s being when she rants about him. Let her have that moment to be proud of her self when she has devoted her life to raising you.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, be kind to your mother. Show her appreciation. Show her devotion. Make her proud to be your mother and never allow yourself to feel ashamed to be her son. It doesn’t matter what color she is, she is your mother and she loves you as any other mother would.
Sincerely,
Emily
You must learn to allow your mother time. I know how much you want to learn about your grandparents and other distant relatives, but clearly your mother has a reason why she refuses to talk about them. You may be a young boy but you can still catch on to signals that your mother prefers to keep her past private. It is easy to assume that your mother experienced a horrifically difficult childhood by her abrupt dismissal of any conversation of her past. I ask you to please give her sufficient time. She is a strong woman who loves you unconditionally. She will tell you when she is ready.
James, you must also learn to accept the fact that your mother is different. Yes, she is a white woman raising 12 mixed race children on her own living in a predominantly black town. People will stare. People will gossip. This is a harsh reality of life that will take some getting used to. When you’re receiving these strange looks, rather than feel ashamed of your mother you should be proud of what she has accomplished and recognize her unfailing strength.
Finally, you need to learn to let your mother cope with situations in her own way. I understand that bringing up your successful brother Dennis when you seem to be faltering in your studies or behavior can be annoying, but think of how she must feel to have brought up a child by herself who is now on his way to medical school. “The heights he attained, heights we puny mortals could only dream of achieving, were trumpeted and crowed by Mommy in every corner of the house. Dennis had finished college. Dennis had gone to Europe. And now, for his crowning achievement, Dennis, oh glorious Dennis, oh mighty Dennis---Dennis! Dennis!---sought the highest, most wonderful, most incredible achievement any human being, any son, could hope to achieve.” (70) It’s normal to feel this way about your high esteemed brother but, you shouldn’t let your mother know how obnoxious she’s being when she rants about him. Let her have that moment to be proud of her self when she has devoted her life to raising you.
I guess what I’m trying to say is, be kind to your mother. Show her appreciation. Show her devotion. Make her proud to be your mother and never allow yourself to feel ashamed to be her son. It doesn’t matter what color she is, she is your mother and she loves you as any other mother would.
Sincerely,
Emily
Sunday, September 23, 2007
The Color of Water-Week 1, Post A
Vocab:
-Fedora (6): A soft felt hat with a curved brim, worn with the crown creased lengthwise.
-Typify (7): To represent by a type or symbol.
Appeals:
"I still remember the smell of the South. It smelled like azaleas. And leaves. And peanuts. Peanuts everywhere. Planters peanuts had their headquarters in Suffolk...You could buy peanuts by the pound in Suffolk for nothing. There were farmers growing peanuts, hauling peanuts, making peanut oil, peanut butter, even peanut soap. They called the high school yearbook The Peanut. They even had a contest once to see who could make the best logo for Planters peanut company. Some lady won it. They gave her twenty-five dollars, which was a ton of money in those days." (39) This passage represents an emotional appeal because the reader feels a full understanding of life in a small town. This town had one aspect about it that made it unique and they truly embraced it. The reader can understand how living in this peanut-obbssessed town could drive a person out of their mind, which explains the reasoning for the sarcastic tone it is described with.
"The biggest event Suffolk had seen in years was a traveling sideshow that came through town on the railroad tracks, with a stuffed whale in a boxcar. The folks loved that. They loved anything different, or new, or from out of town, except for Jews. In school the kids called me "Christ killer" and "Jew baby." That name stuck with me for a long time. "Jew baby." You know it's so easy to hurt a child. (39-40) I feel that this is an emotional appeal. This passage struck me hard and the reader can feel a real understanding for how she was treated in this small and small-minded town. Any reader knows what is it like to be picked on by other children when they were young, even if it was a rare and a small experience. From those experiences we can easily agree that it is indeed easy to hurt a child.
"...but even as a boy I knew that God was all-powerful because of Mommy's utter deference to Him, and also because she would occasionally do something in church that I never saw her do at home or anywhere else: at some point in the service, usually when the congregation was singing one of her favorite songs, like 'We've Come This Far by Faith' or 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus,' she would bow down her head and weep. It was the only time I ever saw her cry...Mommy's tears seemed to come from someplace else, a place far away, a place inside her that she never let any of us children visit, even as a boy I felt there was pain behind them."(50) This passage also represents an emotional appeal. The reader has learned that James's mother is an extremely strong woman. One can assume that she would not be very prone to tears because she is too stong-willed to allow herself to appear weak in front of others. So when I read this passage I can truly understand her emotions she feels in church and how significantely they affect her.
Quote:
"A short silence. 'My mother died many, many, many years ago,' she said. 'My father, he was fox. No more questions tonight. You want some coffee cake?'" (25) This is the most information James has received about his mother's past at this point in the book. The statement "he was a fox." caught my eye. All James had asked was why he never met his grandparents and Ruth went on to tell him that his grandmother died, however, she then tells him his grandfather was a sly, untrustworthy man (aka, a "fox"). The reader knows the grandfather has also died and that is the reason James never met him, yet this is not the reply Ruth chooses to answer James's question. Clearly, Ruth feels very strongly about the kind of person her father was. This could possibly be the reason Ruth keeps her past an extremely private matter.
Theme:
Feeling ashamed of one's family is a theme that is quite apparent in this memoir. Ruth constately talks about her family in a sarcastic, embarrased tone. James displays this emotion as well when talking about his white mother and his 11 other brothers and sisters.
-Fedora (6): A soft felt hat with a curved brim, worn with the crown creased lengthwise.
-Typify (7): To represent by a type or symbol.
Appeals:
"I still remember the smell of the South. It smelled like azaleas. And leaves. And peanuts. Peanuts everywhere. Planters peanuts had their headquarters in Suffolk...You could buy peanuts by the pound in Suffolk for nothing. There were farmers growing peanuts, hauling peanuts, making peanut oil, peanut butter, even peanut soap. They called the high school yearbook The Peanut. They even had a contest once to see who could make the best logo for Planters peanut company. Some lady won it. They gave her twenty-five dollars, which was a ton of money in those days." (39) This passage represents an emotional appeal because the reader feels a full understanding of life in a small town. This town had one aspect about it that made it unique and they truly embraced it. The reader can understand how living in this peanut-obbssessed town could drive a person out of their mind, which explains the reasoning for the sarcastic tone it is described with.
"The biggest event Suffolk had seen in years was a traveling sideshow that came through town on the railroad tracks, with a stuffed whale in a boxcar. The folks loved that. They loved anything different, or new, or from out of town, except for Jews. In school the kids called me "Christ killer" and "Jew baby." That name stuck with me for a long time. "Jew baby." You know it's so easy to hurt a child. (39-40) I feel that this is an emotional appeal. This passage struck me hard and the reader can feel a real understanding for how she was treated in this small and small-minded town. Any reader knows what is it like to be picked on by other children when they were young, even if it was a rare and a small experience. From those experiences we can easily agree that it is indeed easy to hurt a child.
"...but even as a boy I knew that God was all-powerful because of Mommy's utter deference to Him, and also because she would occasionally do something in church that I never saw her do at home or anywhere else: at some point in the service, usually when the congregation was singing one of her favorite songs, like 'We've Come This Far by Faith' or 'What a Friend We Have in Jesus,' she would bow down her head and weep. It was the only time I ever saw her cry...Mommy's tears seemed to come from someplace else, a place far away, a place inside her that she never let any of us children visit, even as a boy I felt there was pain behind them."(50) This passage also represents an emotional appeal. The reader has learned that James's mother is an extremely strong woman. One can assume that she would not be very prone to tears because she is too stong-willed to allow herself to appear weak in front of others. So when I read this passage I can truly understand her emotions she feels in church and how significantely they affect her.
Quote:
"A short silence. 'My mother died many, many, many years ago,' she said. 'My father, he was fox. No more questions tonight. You want some coffee cake?'" (25) This is the most information James has received about his mother's past at this point in the book. The statement "he was a fox." caught my eye. All James had asked was why he never met his grandparents and Ruth went on to tell him that his grandmother died, however, she then tells him his grandfather was a sly, untrustworthy man (aka, a "fox"). The reader knows the grandfather has also died and that is the reason James never met him, yet this is not the reply Ruth chooses to answer James's question. Clearly, Ruth feels very strongly about the kind of person her father was. This could possibly be the reason Ruth keeps her past an extremely private matter.
Theme:
Feeling ashamed of one's family is a theme that is quite apparent in this memoir. Ruth constately talks about her family in a sarcastic, embarrased tone. James displays this emotion as well when talking about his white mother and his 11 other brothers and sisters.
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