Summary- As the story comes to a slow ending Violet and Titus runaway together. Titus,however, no longer has the same type of feelings for Violet. He feels her presence as more of a burden, like an irresponsible little sister, rather than relationship material. As they check into the hotel I notice that Violet is almost completely not herself. She wants to have intercourse with Titus and he does not, he know that she is not herself and that the Feed has taken control of her emotions and driven her to the point of insanity. Finally Titus tells her what he's been feeling for a while now, he no longer wishes to be with her especially while she is in her destructive mood. Violet is torn to pieces and the only way she can control herself is by cursing at Titus then finally giving in to his silence.
For the next weeks as Violet's condition worsens Titus refuses to grow back with her. He has gotten back together with his ex-girlfriend, and seems to be quite happy. Violet calls him constantly, as any ex-girlfriend would, and leaves him long messages,but they are not normal messages. Violets Feed is eating away at her memories and she is afraid that she can no longer recall specific memories of her past, so begins to leave Titus messages on his Feed, and every message is a new memory. She tells Titus of her first memory of riding her bike, and of the first thing she remembers smelling and tasting. Titus listens to a few memories and then, as if to completely rid himself of Violet, erases them all from his Feed. Violet tells Titus all of her intimate secrets, how she knows that she will never have children, or love anyone, or grow old,and Titus completely disregards what she says. There was no way to understand what Titus was feeling if he was feeling anythong at all.
On the day of her daughters death, Violet's father sends out for Titus through some sort of messaging/communication. Titus comes over and as he absorbs the state in which Violet was in during the last moments of her life, his emotions begin to spill. Violets father hates Titus and blames him or all that has gone wrong with Violet and blames him for her death. Titus is fnally left alone with Violet and he looks into her dead eyes and begins to cry. The silence he put himself through for the months they were not together came out and he just sobbed and sobbed. He lost her to what he enjoys so much, the Feed, and he will live with that for the rest of his life.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Feed (180-240)
Summary:
Violet is completely malfunctioning. While at a party at Link's house, Violet has a meltdown and starts babbling about the decline of civilization. She starts screaming at everyone, and calls Quendy a monster for getting her body full of lesions, surgically, to try and blend in witht he new trend. After her hige rampage, Violet's body begins to spazz out, and she eventually passes out. When looked over at the hospital, doctors and technicians agree that she is declining and the Feed is making her body suffer greatly.
The pressure of Violet's condition seems to be weighting Titus down because he is gfoing out of his way to aboid her. Biolet told Titus of her dreams through messages, and he never responded. She the sent him a list of everything she wanted to do, but knew she would never be able to, and he also left her without a response. It seems to me that Titues is cooping with Violet's condition by avoiding it and he decides to get "mal" to deal witht he stress.
Quote:
"'Does anyone else want to go in mal?'" (Anderson 237).
Reaction:
Following Violet's breakdown, Titus has been completely not himself. I believe that, although he doesn't show it, he is suffering freatly. The only way that he can deal with Violets situation is by avoiding it, avoiding her, avoiding life. So that is why he decides to go in mal, or malfunction the Feed to get a rush of a feeling, much like a frug to your body a mal is to the brain.
Violet is completely malfunctioning. While at a party at Link's house, Violet has a meltdown and starts babbling about the decline of civilization. She starts screaming at everyone, and calls Quendy a monster for getting her body full of lesions, surgically, to try and blend in witht he new trend. After her hige rampage, Violet's body begins to spazz out, and she eventually passes out. When looked over at the hospital, doctors and technicians agree that she is declining and the Feed is making her body suffer greatly.
The pressure of Violet's condition seems to be weighting Titus down because he is gfoing out of his way to aboid her. Biolet told Titus of her dreams through messages, and he never responded. She the sent him a list of everything she wanted to do, but knew she would never be able to, and he also left her without a response. It seems to me that Titues is cooping with Violet's condition by avoiding it and he decides to get "mal" to deal witht he stress.
Quote:
"'Does anyone else want to go in mal?'" (Anderson 237).
Reaction:
Following Violet's breakdown, Titus has been completely not himself. I believe that, although he doesn't show it, he is suffering freatly. The only way that he can deal with Violets situation is by avoiding it, avoiding her, avoiding life. So that is why he decides to go in mal, or malfunction the Feed to get a rush of a feeling, much like a frug to your body a mal is to the brain.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Feed (120-180)
Summary:
The plot builds with tension as Violet begins to malfunction. Her Feed has been going haywire and she is beginning to disregard the "Feed-way" of living. One of the symptoms of her new living style is her speaking her mind, and voicing her emotions regarding politics and economics, topic that are never brought to the dinner table. Violets was uninformed of these rules and had some awkward moments with Titus' father about some ludicrous topics. For instance, Titus' fathers company is going to tear down hundreds of acres of trees in order to build oxygen-producing factories. When Violet points out the irony in hid fathers actions he is deeply offended and asks her, indirectly, to leave their home. However, Violet literally could not get out o her seat. Her Feed was failing and causing her body to do so as well.
Titus keeps his promise to Violet, and brings her to the country-side. There they spoke of ways to control themselves against the Feed, and how to fight its urges. Later on that week Violet tells Titus that the technician assigned to fixing her Feed sees little hope in fixing her Feeds issues. He predicts that the Feed will soon permanently interfere and control her motor skills, and her brain will eventually give in to the Feeds control. Titus continues to have nightmares, but will not admit it or tell anyone of them. It also appears that someone has been hacking into Violets Feed, and interjecting in her dreams.
Quote:
"Later that night, I had a nightmares. Someone was poking my head with a broom handle. They tried to put it like in my ear. They said 'whispering makes a narrow place narrower'" (Anderson 151)
Reaction:
I believe this quote has major symbolism that has to do with the Theme of the book. Every dream that Titus has, has something to do with the plot of the story and foreshadows later events that will occur. This quote gets under my skin because all I think about is Titus and how naive he is and how nothing will happen to change him forever. The Feed is the broom and it is shoving information into his mind and weakening him. The voice that tells Titus that
"whispering makes narrow places narrower" is the government. They are warning Titus that sneaking around and going against the tide will only make things worse.
The plot builds with tension as Violet begins to malfunction. Her Feed has been going haywire and she is beginning to disregard the "Feed-way" of living. One of the symptoms of her new living style is her speaking her mind, and voicing her emotions regarding politics and economics, topic that are never brought to the dinner table. Violets was uninformed of these rules and had some awkward moments with Titus' father about some ludicrous topics. For instance, Titus' fathers company is going to tear down hundreds of acres of trees in order to build oxygen-producing factories. When Violet points out the irony in hid fathers actions he is deeply offended and asks her, indirectly, to leave their home. However, Violet literally could not get out o her seat. Her Feed was failing and causing her body to do so as well.
Titus keeps his promise to Violet, and brings her to the country-side. There they spoke of ways to control themselves against the Feed, and how to fight its urges. Later on that week Violet tells Titus that the technician assigned to fixing her Feed sees little hope in fixing her Feeds issues. He predicts that the Feed will soon permanently interfere and control her motor skills, and her brain will eventually give in to the Feeds control. Titus continues to have nightmares, but will not admit it or tell anyone of them. It also appears that someone has been hacking into Violets Feed, and interjecting in her dreams.
Quote:
"Later that night, I had a nightmares. Someone was poking my head with a broom handle. They tried to put it like in my ear. They said 'whispering makes a narrow place narrower'" (Anderson 151)
Reaction:
I believe this quote has major symbolism that has to do with the Theme of the book. Every dream that Titus has, has something to do with the plot of the story and foreshadows later events that will occur. This quote gets under my skin because all I think about is Titus and how naive he is and how nothing will happen to change him forever. The Feed is the broom and it is shoving information into his mind and weakening him. The voice that tells Titus that
"whispering makes narrow places narrower" is the government. They are warning Titus that sneaking around and going against the tide will only make things worse.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Feed (60-120)
Summary- Following the disruption of their feeds,they have been fixed. Everyone's feeds were placed back online and life went back to the way it was. That is except for Titus' life, at least for a short period of time. Calista, one of Titus' friends who's feed was also off-line,decided to hold a celebration of some sort. This party was to celebrate the re-boost of everyone's feeds. Titus and Violet are currently dating and beginning to learn new things about one another. For example, Titus discovers that Violet's feed is badly damaged and was not fully restored at the hospital. With this new information Violet begins a new experiment.
Violet begins to trick the Feed in her head, and scramble with it. She has cracked the system, which has to do with placing people in personality groups and selling ads and merchandise to them accordingly. She, along with Titus, use this knowledge to their enjoyment and begin changing their personality likes. Titus and Violet are becoming closer, and Violet begins to revile more of herself to him. She tells him that she just recently got her Feed because of her family's paucity of money. She is also home-schooled, and knows intellectual things, and events that have been going on in their world. The topic of democracy and republicanism is argued upon harshly, and Violet voices her concerns regarding the Feed and what it does to people. She says the Feed dumbs people down and Titus then begins to question his intelligence.
Quote- " That night when I got home, I was looking out the window being sorry, and my mother was like, 'What's wrong?' I didn't answer for a while. Finally I said, 'Do you think I'm stupid? I mean, am I dumb?' " (Anderson 114)
Reaction- Titus has just come from a heated conversation with Violet, in which she refers to Feed users as ignorant and self-centered. Titus apparently took her brood generalization personally and goes home with the idea still lingering in his mind. It seems that Violet is getting to Titus, and really making him think about the consequences of excessive use of the Feed. Although Titus is affected by Violet's dicussion for a short while, he is cheered up by his parents with a new car.
Violet begins to trick the Feed in her head, and scramble with it. She has cracked the system, which has to do with placing people in personality groups and selling ads and merchandise to them accordingly. She, along with Titus, use this knowledge to their enjoyment and begin changing their personality likes. Titus and Violet are becoming closer, and Violet begins to revile more of herself to him. She tells him that she just recently got her Feed because of her family's paucity of money. She is also home-schooled, and knows intellectual things, and events that have been going on in their world. The topic of democracy and republicanism is argued upon harshly, and Violet voices her concerns regarding the Feed and what it does to people. She says the Feed dumbs people down and Titus then begins to question his intelligence.
Quote- " That night when I got home, I was looking out the window being sorry, and my mother was like, 'What's wrong?' I didn't answer for a while. Finally I said, 'Do you think I'm stupid? I mean, am I dumb?' " (Anderson 114)
Reaction- Titus has just come from a heated conversation with Violet, in which she refers to Feed users as ignorant and self-centered. Titus apparently took her brood generalization personally and goes home with the idea still lingering in his mind. It seems that Violet is getting to Titus, and really making him think about the consequences of excessive use of the Feed. Although Titus is affected by Violet's dicussion for a short while, he is cheered up by his parents with a new car.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Feed (1-60)
Summary: The book Feed bt M.T Anderson takes place in the distant future, and is a place where computers control our minds. Every human being has a microchip in their mind that tells them everything and anything they need to know. This system is called the Feed, and its everywhere. The main character's name is Titus and, much like every other teen in the story, he has no control over the control the Feed has on him. Everyone actually enjoys the Feed and everything it has to offer. In the beginning of the story Titus and his friends take a trip to the moon for Spring Break, and they are bombarded with ads, and suggestions that fill their Feed's with information. They are nothing without their Feed's in their minds.
The plot takes an interesting turn as they encounter Violet, a strange girl who travels alone on the moon. She is not like the other girls of her time, she is not as dependent on the Feed, and prefers mellow activities. As the group goes to a club to intoxicate their Feeds and have as much fun as possible, a hacker comes into play. The hacker touches thirteen people's heads at the club and disrupts their Feed's, among those 13 were Titus,Violet, and his 4 other friends. Now the friends are at the Hospital, and without their Feeds, and they realize what the real world is like without computers in their heads. As days go by Titus and Violet build a small bond and begin to enjoy eachothers company as Feed technicians prepare to reinstall their life-sucking technology back into their minds.]
Quote:
"Computers were all outside the body. They carried them around outside of them, in their hands,like if you carried your lungs in a briefcase and opened it to breathe." (Anderson 47)
Reaction:
This quote came from Titus and was said after the Feed's were hacked into and he had nothing in his head. It is very disturbingly comical qoute in both ways. Disturbing because Titus, and everyone around him, considers the Feed-technology, to be like an organ to him. He needs the Feed like he needs lungs to breathe. It is comical because we are actually living in the time of which he speaks and he is exaggerrating.
The plot takes an interesting turn as they encounter Violet, a strange girl who travels alone on the moon. She is not like the other girls of her time, she is not as dependent on the Feed, and prefers mellow activities. As the group goes to a club to intoxicate their Feeds and have as much fun as possible, a hacker comes into play. The hacker touches thirteen people's heads at the club and disrupts their Feed's, among those 13 were Titus,Violet, and his 4 other friends. Now the friends are at the Hospital, and without their Feeds, and they realize what the real world is like without computers in their heads. As days go by Titus and Violet build a small bond and begin to enjoy eachothers company as Feed technicians prepare to reinstall their life-sucking technology back into their minds.]
Quote:
"Computers were all outside the body. They carried them around outside of them, in their hands,like if you carried your lungs in a briefcase and opened it to breathe." (Anderson 47)
Reaction:
This quote came from Titus and was said after the Feed's were hacked into and he had nothing in his head. It is very disturbingly comical qoute in both ways. Disturbing because Titus, and everyone around him, considers the Feed-technology, to be like an organ to him. He needs the Feed like he needs lungs to breathe. It is comical because we are actually living in the time of which he speaks and he is exaggerrating.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
When I Was Puerto Rican (151-213)
Summary: Upon moving to her new Santurce house, Negi has no idea that her mother is going to New York. Hector's accident has caused major health concerns and he must see the doctors in New York. While Mami is in New york with Hector, Negi is forced to live with her starnge Uncle and Aunt, along with their two opposite daughters
Thursday, October 14, 2010
When I Was Puerto Rican (106-151)
In the story thus far Negi is taking small steps into becoming a woman. Negi has taken the responsibility of taking care of her brothers and sisters while her mother works nearly all day. After the hurricane that demolished Macun passed, the efforts to clean-up began immediately. Negi's mother had to get a job to support the family in such a tough time. She got a job sewing at a factory, and she very much enjoyed the time and money that she received from her efforts. Negi now had to assume the role as "new-mother" of the family and take the place of her mother. This transition took away most of Negi's childhood splendors, forcing her to be strict and harsh with her siblings.
Negi also experienced some innocent games with a neighbor Tato. They would go behind the outhouse and show each other their private parts, and Negi learned new things about boys and their privates. Also Gloria told Negi of becoming a senorita and the things that would come along with such a great change. Mami's recent employment was becoming the new gossip of the town. She broke away from the house-wife role and was becoming independent. Unfortunately, the town frowned upon change and believed strongly in tradition and therefore they spread lies about Negi's Mami saying she was actually obtaining her money from sleeping with men.
Negi made a big mistake, when she assumed the role of annoyed kid rather than responsible sister, when she choose to look away as Hector got on the bike unsecured. Young Hector was seriously injured in the bike accident, therefore forcing his mother to temporarily quit her job and care for him. This caused a large amount of tension between Mami and Papi, and Mami had enough. She decided to move back to Santurce and live with a family friend, and Papi was nowhere to be found. Negi also has developed some troubles with socialization
2.Quote: " 'You're always so bossy,' Norma yelled. 'You think you're a grown-up or something.' I wanted to cry that no, I didn't think I was a grown, and it wasn't fair that they all got to ride on the bike and I didn't. I wanted to remind them that Mami didn't want us playing with Jenny, but it would be wrong to say it in front of her."(Santiago 127)
3.Reaction: Negi's mothers news employment required her to become the woman of the house and at the young age of nine this was torture. Growing up dirt poor with such a large family robbed Negi of her childhood and all of the fun that came along with it. She could no longer do simple fun things, she now had to watch over her younger siblings and make sure they were behaving properly. Nergi did not enjoy or want this major responsibility, and that shows in the above quote. Negi wants to drop all responsibilities and be reckless, but her responsibilities kick in and she must act as the party-pooper.
Negi also experienced some innocent games with a neighbor Tato. They would go behind the outhouse and show each other their private parts, and Negi learned new things about boys and their privates. Also Gloria told Negi of becoming a senorita and the things that would come along with such a great change. Mami's recent employment was becoming the new gossip of the town. She broke away from the house-wife role and was becoming independent. Unfortunately, the town frowned upon change and believed strongly in tradition and therefore they spread lies about Negi's Mami saying she was actually obtaining her money from sleeping with men.
Negi made a big mistake, when she assumed the role of annoyed kid rather than responsible sister, when she choose to look away as Hector got on the bike unsecured. Young Hector was seriously injured in the bike accident, therefore forcing his mother to temporarily quit her job and care for him. This caused a large amount of tension between Mami and Papi, and Mami had enough. She decided to move back to Santurce and live with a family friend, and Papi was nowhere to be found. Negi also has developed some troubles with socialization
2.Quote: " 'You're always so bossy,' Norma yelled. 'You think you're a grown-up or something.' I wanted to cry that no, I didn't think I was a grown, and it wasn't fair that they all got to ride on the bike and I didn't. I wanted to remind them that Mami didn't want us playing with Jenny, but it would be wrong to say it in front of her."(Santiago 127)
3.Reaction: Negi's mothers news employment required her to become the woman of the house and at the young age of nine this was torture. Growing up dirt poor with such a large family robbed Negi of her childhood and all of the fun that came along with it. She could no longer do simple fun things, she now had to watch over her younger siblings and make sure they were behaving properly. Nergi did not enjoy or want this major responsibility, and that shows in the above quote. Negi wants to drop all responsibilities and be reckless, but her responsibilities kick in and she must act as the party-pooper.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
When I Was Puerto Rican (53-106)
1. Summary
The invasion of the Americanos is taking place. Negi and her mother, along with all of Macun's mothers and their children, attend the community meeting. At this community meeting Americans doctors and specialists discuss the importance of hygiene and healthy lifestyles including nutrition. The Americans are a part of the organization supporting Puerto Rico's poor-class. The school is also incorporated in the efforts being made by the Americans, by providing new food and vaccinations. These new things bring issues to Negi as well as her class mates, and raise some touchy problems with imperialists and Americanization. On the first days of school whith their new gadgets, and such Negi discusses politics with her friend Ignacio, and at the time not even adults were discussing politics outside of the home. This stirred up trouble when Esmeralda goes to school and continues to eat the government issued food. She complains about the powdered milk, and talks back to Dona Lola. Esmeralda knows what is expecting her at home if news gets to them, so she plays sick, and seemingly gets away with her misbehavior and disrespect toward an adult. A couple of weeks go by and she is sick from the powdered milk served to her but also from the nerves driving her unsane regarding her lying to her mother. Negi was then sent to live with her grandparents in Santurce for a week. Her grandparents hadn't seen her in years and as their time was running out they wished to spend time with her. At their home in Santurce, Negi enjoyed time sewing with her grandmother and sitting alongside her grandfather. She also experienced some time where she could think about things very thoroughly. She thought about her father and the way he would be missing on Sunday's, this led her to think about the arguement between her parents, and that ultimately led to her missing them. Negi also began to experience church and how strongly her grandparents felt about religion. Negi was becoming closer wirth her abuela and she would soon miss her time without her. The term jamona comes to play as the section ends, and it is used in a negative way toward older women. The term is udes to describe a woman who can not get married because of age or appearance, and Negi explaind that her mother and father's issues have led her mother into becoming a jamona.
2. Quote
" ' I've never gone hungry!' I screamed. 'My Mami and Papi can feed us without your disgusting gringo imperialistic food!' "(Santiago 82)
3.Reaction
This quote comes with deep meaning behind it, and does not only have to do with the issue of food. The real issu here is America's input and intrusion on Puerto Rico's culture. P.R has been on its own without much help from America, and it has created its own culture and social system. Negi is simply expressing the way almost the entir population feel, out loud. And although her methods were badly-timed and in the wrong and not to mention innappropriat moment, her words were 100% true and sincere.
The invasion of the Americanos is taking place. Negi and her mother, along with all of Macun's mothers and their children, attend the community meeting. At this community meeting Americans doctors and specialists discuss the importance of hygiene and healthy lifestyles including nutrition. The Americans are a part of the organization supporting Puerto Rico's poor-class. The school is also incorporated in the efforts being made by the Americans, by providing new food and vaccinations. These new things bring issues to Negi as well as her class mates, and raise some touchy problems with imperialists and Americanization. On the first days of school whith their new gadgets, and such Negi discusses politics with her friend Ignacio, and at the time not even adults were discussing politics outside of the home. This stirred up trouble when Esmeralda goes to school and continues to eat the government issued food. She complains about the powdered milk, and talks back to Dona Lola. Esmeralda knows what is expecting her at home if news gets to them, so she plays sick, and seemingly gets away with her misbehavior and disrespect toward an adult. A couple of weeks go by and she is sick from the powdered milk served to her but also from the nerves driving her unsane regarding her lying to her mother. Negi was then sent to live with her grandparents in Santurce for a week. Her grandparents hadn't seen her in years and as their time was running out they wished to spend time with her. At their home in Santurce, Negi enjoyed time sewing with her grandmother and sitting alongside her grandfather. She also experienced some time where she could think about things very thoroughly. She thought about her father and the way he would be missing on Sunday's, this led her to think about the arguement between her parents, and that ultimately led to her missing them. Negi also began to experience church and how strongly her grandparents felt about religion. Negi was becoming closer wirth her abuela and she would soon miss her time without her. The term jamona comes to play as the section ends, and it is used in a negative way toward older women. The term is udes to describe a woman who can not get married because of age or appearance, and Negi explaind that her mother and father's issues have led her mother into becoming a jamona.
2. Quote
" ' I've never gone hungry!' I screamed. 'My Mami and Papi can feed us without your disgusting gringo imperialistic food!' "(Santiago 82)
3.Reaction
This quote comes with deep meaning behind it, and does not only have to do with the issue of food. The real issu here is America's input and intrusion on Puerto Rico's culture. P.R has been on its own without much help from America, and it has created its own culture and social system. Negi is simply expressing the way almost the entir population feel, out loud. And although her methods were badly-timed and in the wrong and not to mention innappropriat moment, her words were 100% true and sincere.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
When I Was Puerto Rican (1-53)
Summary:
The story begins with a young girl, who recently moved to New York from Puerto Rico. She begins the story by discussing how to properly eat a guava. This guava represents her life in America versus life in Puerto Rico. She concludes the prologue by saying although the guava's in New York are not as good as the guava's in P.R they are there and remind her of home. Negi is Esmeralda Santiago's nickname, and she lives with her mother, father, two sisters, and soon to be born little brother, in Macun Puerto Rico. Her father is a handy-man around the house but also does work away from home, and her mother is a stay at home mother, especially now that she is eight months pregnant. Negi faces many troubling realizations while living in her new home, like encountering the phrase jibara, which means from the country. Her and her sisters are accustomed to life on the country, and the perks that come with it, like free time to play in the yard, and exposure to animals of all sorts. The turning point in the section is when Negi's father is accused of adultery by his wife, and the arguments begin. He will leave at sunrise one morning, and not return until sundown two days later. Negi's mother, who recently gave birth to her son, cannot take the come-and-go attitude of her husband, so she decides to pack up her children and head to the city. They go to Santurce, a highly populated city in Puerto Rico(and where my mother is from). The living conditions are no better than those at their country home, but htey have running water, which is in paucity in their home. No more than two days following the move, Negi and her sisters are enrolled in school.
The phrase that she encounterred earlier in the story jibara returns to haunt her at her new school. The perks she oonce enjoyed while living in the country, where seen as crude and un civilized in the city, earning her the label, jibara. Negi's father comes to Santurce at an attempt to court his wife back, and his attempt was successful, because the next day they are back at their home, but the problems are not yet resolved,as a new member steals their mother's lap.
Quote:
" 'What a jibara,' when Christmas came around and I'd never heard of Santa Claus. 'What a jibara...What a jibara... What a jibara." (Santiago 39)
Reaction:
Growing up in the country, where ther was no running water and no electricity,Negi does not realize that she is a jibara. She is struck withthe reality that she is what her mother spoke so illy of, and what she does not want to be. A similar event may happen to anyone who grows up or even adapts to an enviornment. When that person leave sthe enviornment they are stuck with the reality of the outside world and that is what occured with Negi. I believe this quote is very powerful, because it shows that the people who are secluded, or isolated from urbanization, are outcasts and odd-balls. The reeaction of Negi is seen through innocent eye, and that is why she does nto truly understand many of the things that are happening around her, but as a reader I feel a connection and bond with Negi, as she questions being an outsider.
The story begins with a young girl, who recently moved to New York from Puerto Rico. She begins the story by discussing how to properly eat a guava. This guava represents her life in America versus life in Puerto Rico. She concludes the prologue by saying although the guava's in New York are not as good as the guava's in P.R they are there and remind her of home. Negi is Esmeralda Santiago's nickname, and she lives with her mother, father, two sisters, and soon to be born little brother, in Macun Puerto Rico. Her father is a handy-man around the house but also does work away from home, and her mother is a stay at home mother, especially now that she is eight months pregnant. Negi faces many troubling realizations while living in her new home, like encountering the phrase jibara, which means from the country. Her and her sisters are accustomed to life on the country, and the perks that come with it, like free time to play in the yard, and exposure to animals of all sorts. The turning point in the section is when Negi's father is accused of adultery by his wife, and the arguments begin. He will leave at sunrise one morning, and not return until sundown two days later. Negi's mother, who recently gave birth to her son, cannot take the come-and-go attitude of her husband, so she decides to pack up her children and head to the city. They go to Santurce, a highly populated city in Puerto Rico(and where my mother is from). The living conditions are no better than those at their country home, but htey have running water, which is in paucity in their home. No more than two days following the move, Negi and her sisters are enrolled in school.
The phrase that she encounterred earlier in the story jibara returns to haunt her at her new school. The perks she oonce enjoyed while living in the country, where seen as crude and un civilized in the city, earning her the label, jibara. Negi's father comes to Santurce at an attempt to court his wife back, and his attempt was successful, because the next day they are back at their home, but the problems are not yet resolved,as a new member steals their mother's lap.
Quote:
" 'What a jibara,' when Christmas came around and I'd never heard of Santa Claus. 'What a jibara...What a jibara... What a jibara." (Santiago 39)
Reaction:
Growing up in the country, where ther was no running water and no electricity,Negi does not realize that she is a jibara. She is struck withthe reality that she is what her mother spoke so illy of, and what she does not want to be. A similar event may happen to anyone who grows up or even adapts to an enviornment. When that person leave sthe enviornment they are stuck with the reality of the outside world and that is what occured with Negi. I believe this quote is very powerful, because it shows that the people who are secluded, or isolated from urbanization, are outcasts and odd-balls. The reeaction of Negi is seen through innocent eye, and that is why she does nto truly understand many of the things that are happening around her, but as a reader I feel a connection and bond with Negi, as she questions being an outsider.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)