The Shawl 2

The character Rosa takes quite the emotional journey throughout the book.  She is traumatized in the concentration camps by the brutal Nazi's and she is devastated by the murder of her young daughter Magda. Her daughter's murder was truly a tragedy, Rosa was doing such a good job of hiding her and then Stella ruined it by taking the shawl.  Although I don't really know what Rosa was like before being in the concentration camps I do believe that experience changed her.  It is impossible to watch your child get murdered and not be affected.  After Rosa is out of the concentration camps she moves to the States with Stella and she builds a successful life, she owns an antique store and does well for herself.  Rosa doesn't believe that she deserves the life that she has built for herself so she smashes everything she has worked for and it all crumbles in front of her eyes.  Rosa is very much in a victim mindset.  Her experiences in the concentration camps have left her almost living in the past.  She doesn't believe her present or her future deserve to be bright.  She wants to live in the dark, dark, dark.  In Florida, Rosa lives in a grimy hotel, which resembles more of a black hole than a hotel.  She deprives herself of everything she truly deserves. After her traumatic experiences she deserves to live the best life possible but she continues to tell herself that she is a victim, and shouldn't.  She writes letters to an imaginary Magda trying to keep her memory alive but I really think it is more harmful than helpful to her.  By writing letters to Magda she lives in the past, a past that has hurt her immensely. She doesn't know how to take those experiences and grow from them. All she lets herself know is how to be a victim.

The Shawl 1

The opening of this story makes me believe that the shawl is some sort of symbol of protection or safety.  The little baby girl Magda is wrapped in the shawl and as long as she's in the shawl nothing can hurt her. Not the weather or the lack of food. Rosa and Stella even go as far as saying it is magic because it manages to keep Magda alive for three days without food.  Even though Magda is extremely malnourished but she still manages to live for some time and learn how to walk.  The shawl also has some sort of magic mystique because it manages to hide Magda.  Magda helps out her cause by staying quiet.  "Then Stella took away the shawl and made Magda die. When Stella steals Magda's shawl she runs or hobbles in search of it and manages to get taken by a Nazi soldier when Rosa goes to get the shawl for her.  The shawl's magic runs out when it's not with Magda and Magda dies.  While I really don't think the shawl was 'magic' I do believe there was some mystique to it.  It was a little safety blanket that made Rosa feel better about Magda. Stella was definitely jealous of Magda and her magic shawl.  I think Stella was extremely jealous of the love and care that Rosa gave to Magda and she just wanted to feel some of that affection.  I don't think that Stella went about things the right way and I don't think she caused the death of Magda it was definitely just a bad coincidence.  She was just searching for a bit of protection and safety for herself.  In the concentration camps you never know when your time is going to be up, so I think Stella was just looking for something to make herself feel better about everything.

Emperor 2

I really liked the in-class writing question that we had on Friday so I would like to continue my blog post on that.  To me the clear answer to the question about the horses was that they represented freedom and they kind of represented the Japanese as well.  The horses were brought over by the Spaniards and freed, but they aren't free forever. At least not all of the horses some of the horses are captured by cowboys, according to the daughter.  When I read that line I immediately began to think of the horses as the Japanese and the cowboys represented the American government.  The cowboys think they can do whatever they want and capture the horses whenever they feel like it just like Americans and the American government think that they are entitled to everything and can do whatever they want as well. The horses are just kind of innocent creatures that have been freed and allowed to run wild, similar to the Japanese.  They have made the trip over to the United States they want to work towards the best life possible and the Americans are intruding on their freedom.  They come in and take, take, take. Just as the cowboys do. The horses represent freedom because they are everything that the boy and girl aren't right now.  They are allowed to run free and do as they please. But these poor children have been uprooted from their lives because of the choices of a few of their kind.  A large group of Japanese people ruined it for everyone and it is very unfair. So I believe that the horses represent the freedom that these kids wish they had again.  The horses are also kind of a representation of the American dream for immigrants.  They were brought over by people and set free and allowed to make what they could out of the world.  The mother came over from Japan and had 2 children and has tried to make the best out of this great opportunity she was given but there's people intruding on her dream just like there are people intruding on the lives of the horses.

When the Emperor was Divine 1

I think the mother in When the Emperor was Divine is an extremely vital character.  She plays a very strong role. She is the sole provider for her children, she is the emotional, physical, and mental soldier for her family.  She provides for her two children while her husband is off in jail, because the government fears he may be some sort of traitor or spy.  She has tried to give her children the best life possible by allowing them to grow up very American.  They are English speaking kids, they do not speak Japanese they participate in normal children activities such as baseball and piano.  The mother is very much the emotional leader or rock of the family.  It is her job to help the children cope with the fact that their father is no longer around.  She has to play both mom and dad.  She puts up a facade for her children.  She never allows them to know when things are not going as well as they could be going.  The mother knows all along that she and the children are going to be taken into the internment camps but she still goes on with life as everything is okay for her children.  She is the physical leader for her family, she brings home the bacon, makes sure everything is all set for her kids, looks after the home and their pets.  She is a wonder woman for her children.  I believe that so far in this book the mother is the most important character.  She is everything to her kids. She wants to give them the best life possible and she wants to shelter them from any heartache.

Push 2

In class today my group wondered why it took Precious so long to start doing something about her situation.  For many years she was abused sexually, physically, emotionally, and mentally, and teachers just passed her through the system, but why didn't she stand up for herself? I came to two conclusions: Precious must have been afraid of any possible consequences that come with 'snitching' or 'squealing', or she didn't have the faith or trust in anyone around her to say anything.  I think Precious was deathly afraid of what would have happened if she had actually told the school what was going on at home, or gone to the local police, or someone else she could have helped.  Her mother was an extremely violent person and I have no doubt that there would have been serious repercussions if Precious would have told someone with authority what was going on.  If Precious would have told anyone that she was being sexually abused by her father I think her mother would have killed her because she was so worried about keeping him in her life.  I also believe that Precious kept quiet because she didn't trust anyone.  She didn't believe that anyone would help her and I think that's what kept her shut for so long.  No one did anything to prove to Precious that they cared or wanted to help.  All teachers did was pass her along for so long and the school system punished her for things that she didn't really have control over so I think she was scared to go to them because all they had provided were bad times in her life.  I think she didn't go to police because of the time period and the type of community she lived in. I'm sure that she had only had bad experiences with cops before so she didn't think that they were capable of doing any good for someone like her.

Push 1

The book Push highlights the flaws of many institutions.  While these flaws may not be the case in every community they are the case in too many communities.  Precious is passed along from grade to grade because no one wants to step in and take the initiative the set her on the right track.  Teachers, administrators, social workers, counselors, principles,...everyone passes her along. Everyone knows there is a problem but none of them want to put in the effort to contribute to the solution. To go along with what we discussed a bit in class Precious is failed by just about everyone.  She is failed by the school system, her family, the community, social services, the police,  and the hospital. The school system allows her to go from grade to grade without making her earn it.  Precious could have very well graduated as an illiterate 18 year old because the school didn't want to have to put in the effort to actually help her learn.  It's sad, because someone her age should not be unable to read and write. These are basic skills taken for granted but no one wanted to help Precious.  Precious is failed by her mother, her father, and her grandmother.  Her mother abuses her in ways no child should be abused and tells Precious she is to blame for the bad things that happen to her. Her father is a no good scum bag who forces Precious to do things she doesn't want to do and he forces her to face lifelong battles.  Kids don't disappear Precious is responsible for her kids for her whole life.  Her grandmother fails her because she doesn't do anything about Precious' situation at home.  She allows all her daughter to hurt Precious. She has the choice to pull her out just like she took Precious' first child but she just sits back and watches.  Precious is failed by social services, the hospital, and the police because they don't do anything about her situation.  They know who the father of her child is and that it's not an acceptable situation and they allow it to happen.  Precious is failed by her community because they know what is going on.  Her neighbors hear the abuse but they don't do anything about it.  It is amazing how Precious perseveres because she was given a formula to fail and she eventually finds a way to make the most of it.