A reflection about reflections; a whole semester in English Class.

This semester, from January to May of 2009 I was taking the English class 3104 in the 112 section. It was a very good experience and certainly I can say it was better than the previous English class of the last semester. The dynamic of the class, the teacher and the students were different, the rhythm of the class was calm and comfortable. I made all the work but I didn’t feel stressed any time. The teacher was very respectful with students and give us a space to express ourselves without humiliate us. The semester before was terrible. In the English class I was always in a stress state since the class begins until it ends. As I am not too good speaking in English it was very bad to me being in that class and I felt fear of speak because the professor was very hostile with students. But thanks God this semester I had a better experience, I think I learned better because I was feeling better in the classroom and doing the homework.

The dynamics of this class were very different from what I had experienced. We work in groups almost all the time; had discussions in groups or with the entire class; had good and diverse readings; had oral presentations and saw movies to discuss. I believe it was a great idea to organize us in a group to work together the whole semester. We met each other, did friends, and when we worked together we had trust in each other and we could confront every body’s ideas. When we had discussions we the entire class we talked about many different interesting themes, we discuss the teachings and themes and state our opinions about the readings. Also we had different types of readings with very vary themes. I have to admit the most of the readings were interesting and with actual theme that we as young and students could relate with ours actuality. Oral presentation was the thing I didn’t like nor enjoy. I am very shy and I am not good expressing me so it is very difficult to me give oral presentations. I think they were good because they were in group and I felt accompany and so I was not too nervous. Most oral presentations were interesting. They were about good themes and one thing I liked about them is that you have, in many cases, to include your thinking and opinion about the theme you were talking. The oral presentation I like amore was about different types of marriages. This theme was very controversial and most of the students interested in it, also it generates a great discussion and anecdotes in our group when we were preparing the writing.

Also through the semester we were preparing different reflections about some themes we discuss in class, or about the readings. It was a very valuable experience, because it helps us to understand better the readings and it give also the opportunity to state our opinions about some of these themes. The Blog idea was also great. We were using technology, we didn’t spend paper, and we can visit, reread and personalize our blogs. In the blog we were writing about marriage, views of live, domestic abuse, the movie The Secret Life of Bees, the literary contest ceremony, and from the readings: Daisy Miller, Lolita in Tehran, George and the pink house, Maternal Instincts, Columbus in chains, A walk to the Jetty, The Storm, A worn path, To the hell with dying, everyday use, and A use of Force. My favorite readings were Lolita in Tehran, Maternal Instincts and A walk to the Jetty. I felt identify with a walk to the Jetty, with the character’s feelings and expectations; Maternal Instincts remembered me in some aspect my new neighbor who has three children and they are all from different men, but I think she is not as a mother like Laura, but she is a good mother and she does everything and anything by her children. In addition, the movie that we saw was beautiful and it made me cry. It present a lot social problems in the same background and it made me refection about the life, love, dreams, unfair social rules and the over passing of all those negative aspects.

In general, this experience of the blog and the reflections was one that helps me to practice English language, use different perspectives, analyze and think about some particular themes and state my opinion about the life experiences and the readings.

Lolita in Tehran

The Reading of Lolita in Tehran, narrates the experience of a woman professor teaching in Tehran. The story that we read present as a social background of the place through presenting the characters and their beliefs, behaviors and ways of think and express; all these using the analysis and discussion of the story Daisy Miller in her class.
There in Tehran are very strength social rules that reflect basically their religious beliefs. Within the discussion of Daisy Miler novel, the narrator presents the characters; those students and their behavior, beliefs and problems. Some of they were aggressive and defend over all their ideas; some were in the militia and involved in the war problems, and other were Muslims or Islamic activists. Theo point is that there was a great diversity of ideas in the classroom. Mr. Ghomi was one of the Islamic activists and also one of the most severe when he spoke about Daisy’s behavior. About her he said: “Daisy Miller is obviously a bad girl; she is reactionary and decadent” and “Daisy is evil and deserves to die.” Daisy represented for a part of the group a bad example from being revolutionary. But certainly, as the professor was saying, she was revolutionary because she was living against the normal tendency. Revolution shows change and differences so she was as the other woman the professor mention and revolutionary model.
Also we could see in the professor character the frustration of be in a society like that. Where they didn’t have the liberty to express their beliefs or ideas if they were different from what were permissible in society. She felt limited and frustrated in her life and also in the work of teach because she was not able to say what she want to. Also many of their students felt in the same way. They were all limited by the social standards.
I think they were many things unfair in the Tehran society. Things as rules, fights, government, and religious systems which acted to damage or hurt the people those were not equal. Characteristics like these are which took the society in detriment, and limit it from the progress and the happiness of people.

My story about be different and authentic

When I was 15 I was playing in a female basketball team. I had ever liked the sports and when I was 14 I had the opportunity to enter to a 16-17 female basketball team. I enjoy a lot playing this sport and I was selected to participate in a special league to play with other cities of my country. My brother was also in a team so I was every time in the field with him and my father. I enjoyed a lot with them and there I get a lot of friends. In the field I met Angel. He was the best shooter of his team. I became her friend and I was very eager and interested in him. One day I decide to invite him to a game in which I would be playing. As I hoped he was there. the next day I found him and we started to talk about the game. He told me “I enjoy the game but I didn’t know you were as machúa.” “I am not machúa” I responded very fast in my defense. “Of course you are”- he continued- “playing, you look like a male, and you move like a man and your sneakers are men’s sneakers.” I decide to chance the theme of conversation. But it really made me feel bad. I really liked to play basketball and I felt completely female doing it, and I loved my sneakers, they were the better, of course they were from men but since I saw them I wanted them and my father who is very open minded, and always teach me that, bought them to me.
After this situation with Angel, he made me feel as bad that I never came back to play basketball again. I left the team and the field. Now I think in how stupid I was for do that. I hide how I was and what I like just because other people thought it was not normal, not feminine. Now I am more educated and mature, and I understand better many things that I didn’t, so I see how wrong Angel was, and I have no fears to show me as I am really.

Daisy Miller Reflection

Daisy Miller is the story of a young woman that breaks all the social parameters with her behavior, and the opinion and thoughts from different points of the society about her acts. Daisy used to break the rules in the social aspects of the European society. She always assured her liberty and her power to decide about her life without thinking in what is suppose to be. Winterbourne is a man that becomes interested in Daisy, but he finishes rejecting Daisy’s behavior and differences in their ways of thinking.
This novel is a good example from what is be and feel different and how society discriminate and judge against those things are not into its standards. I think people never could be ashamed for be different and be authentic. The most unhappy people are those whom hide what their really are and left to do things they like.
Daisy was different, and thought and behaves very different from what was the general in that society she was. She knew that the people point out her but she didn’t hide what she was or thought, she never was ashamed to be different and break stereotypes, she just accept6 and recognize what she was. Daisy knew that the people who wanted to be with her have to know and respect how she was. Winterbourne can’t ever understand her and so he lost his chance to share more with her. The society’s control power can work more over him.
Basically the teachings of this story are to dare to be different and show the other to respect you. Because everybody is different and have different cultures, costumes and beliefs we have to learn to respect these differences and the others decisions.

REFLECTION ABOUT THE 43rd ANNUAL CONTEST AWARDS CEREMONY

The 43rd Annual Contest Awards Ceremony was an activity celebrated in UPR on April 22, in which some students were recognized for their participation and performance in English writing on three categories: essays, short stories and poetry. There were prizes for first, second, third and honorable mention places for each category. All the participants could enjoy the whole ceremony; the welcome, keynote speaker, music and awards with their parents and teachers. After that, they could share in a lunch.
The activity was not as I imagined. I liked it very much. Before the activity I did not want to go but when I arrived there I found Gabriel and Francisco, two friends, whom also won prizes, and Israel, my English partner, then I shared a little with them and meet their parents and started to feel more comfortably. In there, I can say I enjoyed the activity. It was in an appropriate place, with a good music. It was also very nice, that in the awards everyone can see a picture of the winner and read a short excerpt of the writings. First places could present their writings. The writing that I most like was which won the first place in poetry, “I Saw It” from Elisa Navarro. I really love poetry; it was also the category in which I participate with my poem “Her Scope in the World”. I had always thought that poetry is the most sublime form to express an idea or a feeling.
Elisa’s poem was great. When you heard it, it could hurt you inside. I mean that I feel identified with what the poem want to express. It makes you think in those times you had said for yourself “I don’t want to see that” and prefer to ignore many things in life just because they hurt you or you think you can’t do anything. I believe that it is true that the others pains and disgraces also affect us. It is just that we are always trying to look to the other side and avoid the feeling and the thought. Also it presented a theme that is very marked in our society, a situation that many of us had live.

In short, it was a very good activity and I hope it to continue and that other students could have the same good experience.

Contemporary concept of marriage

Marriage in the Judaism
Marriage is one of the most important rituals of Judaism. It is consider as a holy tradition. In Jewish literature, the word use to refer to marriage is “kiddishin” that means “sanctification”. Religion of Judaism presents marriage as the ideal human state. Depending on Judaism, marriage is considered as the spiritual bonding of two people for God’s commandment, and according with Jewish legal aspects, marriage is a private contractual agreement that have legal rights and obligations. For Jewish, marriage have two purposes: companionship and procreation. Torah (Judaism book) tells that the marriage is the state in which adult people could be complete. It says: "A man who does not marry is not a complete person." (Lev. 34a) "Any man who has no wife lives without joy, without blessing, and without goodness." (B. Yev. 62b).
Judaism promotes and praise marriage institution, and describes it as very important component of the Jewish society, which has to be based principally on harmony and respect and result in familiar stability.
The role cultural plays in the marriage
Marriage is elevated by Judaism and for many Jewish because it is said that this institution has allow the survival of their people through generations in other countries and in places where they were oppressed. During many time marriage has helped to preserve Jewish culture and religion traditions.
Wedding ceremony on Judaism
Wedding’s day, groom and bride are suppose to fast, recite psalms, and ask God for forgiveness for their transgressions to prepare to enter in the marriage. Before the wedding ceremony it is a tradition that the groom veil his bride, and the couple are escorted to a marriage canopy where the bride circles his groom seven times (as symbol of the seven blessings of the Torah to the marriage). After that they bless the wine and recite other blessings and then they pass to the rings ritual. Wedding rings are the heart of the wedding ceremony, after the couple uses the rings they are told to be married. When the groom put the ring in his bride index finger he says: “mekudeshet” that means “be sanctified to me” and vice versa with the bride. Immediately after the ceremony the couple went to a private room (that symbolizes the new home) to break their fast, and after it they have a traditional party with meal, music and dancing.
Opinion
In my opinion it is good how Judaism present marriage because it is an institution that contributes a lot to their social organization, and the maintenance of their culture. Also I believe that marriage is presented a little utopian by Judaism. Because it says that marriage is the perfect human state, and I think that there are some people that do not born to marry, I don’t think marriage is for every people just for those whom can take it. Also, a person to feel complete does not need to stay with another person. I think that we born alone so we can live alone and be happy.

Marriage

Marriage definition varies into different places, cultures, religions and social relations. But basely marriage is said to be the joining between two people, although there exist some cases in which people could marry with an animal as a dog or with something else. Marriage represents a basic element of many societies because it is suppose to be the roots of the families that form the society.

There exist many types of marriage, as I mentioned before, that are different depending many factors with which it could be involve. In class we were discussing, comparing and giving our opinions about those different types of marriages. We could see that it is very interesting how some cultures see marriage, and how different can be the marriage from what we are accustomed to think.

The marriage can be described from different perspectives; cultural, with its special traits, celebrations and laws, religious, as sanctification or as a commandment of God, and in many other forms. There exists marriage based in unequal relations, one (principally the men) have authority above the other. Other marriages are arrange, the familiar, economical or other external forces precede and control the marriage. It does not matter how old and young are the people, they can marry. Marriages in which one of the people is many years old than his or her partner, this are named May-December marriages. Even in some cases people had married with dogs, it is incredible but is true. Everything is in the cultural teaching in the societies, and marriage is not an exception. So we can find very different traits, definitions and other things about marriage depending its context.

Domestic violence in “The Secrets life of bees” and “George and the pink house”

The theme of the domestic violence is presented in both “The Secrets life of bees” and “George and the pink house”.
In “The Secret life of bees” it is presented in Lily’s family. T-Ray abused from Deborah first, and after she died, he abused from Lily. He used to beat, insult and punish them, so he did physical and emotional abuse. The abuse was reflected in the actions of the characters; Lily was sad and hurt every time, and her mother was in a severe depression when she left her house. Those symptoms are manifestation of domestic violence. Also this movie has scenes of domestic violence in which we could see T-Ray submitting Lily to a painful punishment. What is sure is that the abuse is evident in the familiar nucleus and it is the base of the drama in the movie. The family is supposed to be that place in which we should receive the major samples of love but in its place Lily received blows. Abuse make from life sad and miserably.
In “George and the pink house” also, is presented the theme of domestic violence. George was the man of the house, the “macho”. He abused from all his family, his wife and his children, beating and submitting them to a lot of works. Some people in the town told he killed his wife with blows. I believe he did it. He was a severe man and he was not conscious of what he was doing. His son, who was intelligent and educated, excused his father because he was not educated and had a very difficult life. I understand it demonstrate that people who abuse from other are the most who need help.
Domestic violence is a serious problem in many societies. Sometimes it is not easy to detect but the keys are there. The overcome is possible and none human should pass through a life like that.

Domestic Violence

Domestic Violence is a serious problem is our society. It is a type of abuse that occurs in the family or between family members. Domestic violence can be against its partner or ex-partner, child or parent. It also can have a lot of forms: physical, emotional, sexual, verbal, social, and others.

Some examples of this abuse are:
· intimidation
· physical assault or harm
· Sexual assault
· stalking
· forbid the partner from study or get a job
· name-calling or putdowns
· keeping a partner from contacting their family, friends or other people
· withholding money
It is very hard to detect domestic violence because most of cases are not reported. It does not have specific victims, but it passes to people of different ages, social classes, sexes and types of relations.

Reflection: The Storm

The short story “The Storm”, written by Kate Chopin, has two different aspects or two different central themes. Both are related, or better thinking, one theme is the metaphoric reflection of the other.

The first theme is the presentation of an atmospheric event, in this case a storm. It describes how the storm develops, its coming, its consequences, how all is during it, and how all is after it. The first traits of the storm, the preview silence, the mystery, the violence, and the disaster.
The other part of the story is like a different story that occurs inside the storm. The situation presented also share some traits with the situation of the storm. The main character of the story is Calixta, who is married with Bobinot and has a four years child named Bibi. Bobinot went out with Bibi to a store, but a storm develops and they have to remain in the store until the storm goes out. At home, Calixta did not notice the approaching. Then a friend named Alcee Laballiere, arrives to her house and asks her if he could be there until de storm passes and she said yes. They were old friends but she did not see him after she get married. Calixta was worried about her child and her husband, and her friend starts to counsel her. Then in a sensual moment, they started to remember one time they were together and they did it again during the storm. After the storm passes Alcee Laballiere get out of the house and Bobinot and Bibi came back and everything continue its course.

The Storm is not a moral or immoral story. It is just a story that narrates a peculiar situation that can be consider immoral. Calixta was unfaithful to her husband Bobinot with Alcee Laballiere, an old friend. It is a sensible theme; there are no excuses for unfaithfulness but a lot of reasons why it can occur. In Calixta’s case maybe in that moment she felt scared and alone and maybe that was the reason why she was with Alcee. The act of Calixta to be unfaithful in the story can be compared with the storm. As the storm it has its silent and mysterious part, the violent part or the action, and after it, the disaster that it left. All this is represented in the story, the same process for two different themes.

My opinion about unfaithfulness is very different from how the story presents. It presents unfaithfulness as normal, something like a storm, that is unpredictable, it just passes and that’s it, without consequences. I think that everything you do, each movement, thought, word or decision have consequences. I think faithful and loyalty are the most important traits that a person could have, especially for be a friend or a couple.
The things that you hide, soon or later get out and everybody know it. So be loyal and be sincere can avoid a lot of problems.

"The Secret Life of Bees"

The movie The Secret Life of Bees is a new movie released on October 17, 2008 based on Sue Monk Kidd novel. With Dakota Fanning, Queen Latifah and Jennifer Hudson develop a very emotional drama movie. The film has many diverse themes as racism, abuse, death, love, help, freedom, mental problems, friendship, and the searching of the truth.

Lily is the main character, a 14 years old young who accidentally killed her mother at her 4 years. Lily had a complicated, unhappy life, without a mother, with a crazy father that abused her, and their Negro employer, Rosaleen seemed to be the only one who cared or loved her. When the civil rights act was signed by the president Johnson, Lily went out to town with Rosaleen to register Rosaleen’s vote, but they were intercepted by three white racist men whom humiliated and beat Rosaleen. T-Ray, Lily’s father took her to home and commented that Rosaleen was going to the hospital and that probably those men would kill her. Then Lily decided to escape her father, who told her that her mother didn’t love her and she didn’t come back to look for her, help Rosaleen to escape and save her life, and discover if her mother truly loved her to fill that empty space she has in her life. So Lily and Rosaleen escaped to South Caroline to Tiburon town, because this place was written on her mother’s picture. When they arrived to Tiburon Lily saw a honey container with the same pictures that her mother possessions and that was how they finish in August house, a place with apparently relation to Deborah, Lily’s mother. After a lot of lies Lily and Rosaleen achieved to be received in August house to remain there working for a time to collect money to visit their imaginary sick aunt. There Rosaleen, but specially Lily stared a new life, meting new special people August, May, June, Neil, Zach whom helped her to learn many new things, to discover many things about herself and what she want of her life, and to have another perspective of the people, details and life.

August taught Lily ‘the secret life of the bees’, and the rules and the clues to do work with bees. In the movie, the work with the bees represents the necessity of love that every human has; that necessity that everybody has of comprehension, patience, respect, and affection, those traits of humanity and community. The bees’ life is an example for us as humans. If somebody treats you with violence, you respond with violence, but if that person treats you with love, you respond at the same manner, it is a basic rule in bees’ life, and it is also in human’s life. Lily tried to send bees love, and at the same time she discovered the love was around.

None character in this movie escape for the pain. Pain for the injustice, the death, the abuse, the rejection, and other. May is the character who represents the pain. She was affected by everybody’s problems. Lily and May had a conversation about feelings and about how May feels everything with a great intensity, and how exist, some people that don’t feel anything. Lily said she want to be like May, that she want to feel, but May recommend that sometimes the only way to survive was do not feel, and she was all right cause in her case, she didn’t could resist the pain.

My favorite parts of the movie are when Lily was with August in the place of bees and she told that she could not imagine something better that someone who could love her, and when June decided to marry with Neil; because these two parts demonstrate the strength of love in humans’ life.

This is a movie with a lot of teachings about life, necessities, unity, strength, sacrifice, compassion, equality, and love.

I enjoy the movie and I believe I learn something from it:
1. Love is important, if you want to receive love, you have to gift love.
2. We all are equally, no matter color, place, name, culture, ideas, we are all humans; racism is the most despicable act over the Earth.
3. To win you have to take a chance.
4. Sometimes you have to sacrifice some things for other, that things are details, and if the other person is happy, the sacrifice has a lot of worth. (I saw in the act of pain the house of Caribbean pink just because May liked that color)
5. Love is think in what the other wants, be equally, and be fair.

It is a good movie to enjoy in family or just to see and reflection about. I recommend it!

Don’t be afraid to say “I love you”!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reflection: A Worn Path By: Eudora Welty

“A Worn Path” is the story of all the vicissitudes, difficulties and problems that an old black woman had in her path. In the story, this woman, named Phoenix had to pass a hard path to arrive to the town to get a medicine for her grandson who is sick. During the woman path, the story presents some themes as: necessity, prejudices, difficulties in life, and acceptance and recognition of something (can be the destiny or the chances).
The necessities are expressed in the old woman appearance. When the narrator describes her and told that she used an umbrella as her cane, that she took the hunters dime, that she lived too far of the town and had to pass a terrible path to arrive to the town, and when the nurse give her the medicine and another dime.
The prejudices and the rejection are presented in the situation with the hunter and when the woman was in the town for how some people there treat her. She was prejudiced for how she looks, for her age, and for her personality. She was prejudices by the hunter for her race, her skin color, for many reasons she was prejudiced and treated bad.
During the story, in many events, the narrator shows us Phoenix thinking and recognizing her life conditions. It shows us her as poor. Also she (the character) declared she was very old and uneducated, and that she live far away of the town and she had to take a hard path. I believe that the animals, trees and branches and she found in her path represent those things that we find in our paths, in our life.
I believe the title of the story is both, literal and symbolic. Literal, by the way, the path, that the woman had to cross to arrive to her wished destiny, and symbolic because it mean the path of our life, the things, the difficulties that we pass through our life.

Reflection: A Worn Path

Christopher Columbus

Born: 1451
Birthplace: Genoa, Italy
Died: 20 May 1506
Best Known As: The explorer who opened the door to the Americas
Christopher Columbus sailed from Spain across the Atlantic Ocean in 1492, landing in the "new world" of the Americas and gaining lasting fame. Using ships and money provided by Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castille, Columbus sailed west in search of a sea passage to India. He had two goals: open trade routes for Spain and bring the word of Jesus Christ to the non-Christians he expected to meet. He sailed with three ships (the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria) and on his first trip made landfall somewhere in the Bahamas. He returned to Europe to spread the word, and was named "Admiral of the Ocean Seas" by Ferdinand and Isabella. He made three more voyages in the following years, always believing that he had reached Asia, and his success opened the door for Spain to conquer the Americas. Five centuries after his daring voyage, Columbus is still famous but is also the subject of heated discussions about whether he was a good-guy hero who discovered new worlds or a not-so-nice guy who helped grab the Americas from their native inhabitants. Still, he has long been known as the man who "discovered" America, and the second Monday in October is celebrated as Columbus Day in the United States.

“Jamaica Kincaid” By: Annie John Chapter Eight: A walk to the Jetty

In the chapter “A walk to the Jetty” the narrator, who is also the main character, Annie John, narrates the day in which she is going out of her country to Europe to study to be a nurse. She tells all the details from that day, how were the things in the house, her parents’ and everybody’s attitudes, her wishes, thoughts and expectations for do and be something different, something else.
Some themes that are presented in that chapter are:
· The Love- it is presented in what feel her parents about her and her about her parents although she didn’t want to express it. Sometimes she said that she want not to see her mother again and the things that she had seen all the time she was there, “But as I was lying there my heart could have burst open with joy at the thought of never having to see any of it again”, but at the end of the chapter she express that she feel those nostalgic and melancholic feelings that you have when you are saying goodbye to something that you love: “But then, just as quickly, my heart shriveled up and the words “I shall never see this again” stabbed at me. I don’t know what stopped me from falling in a heap at my parent’s feet.” (145)
· Feminism, express that a woman could study, work and live without being with a man. We can see it in how Annie saw and described her parents relation, and when she said answering to her parents to the idea that she could came married: “How absurd!”
· The expectations of change and be different- It is presented in Annie’s wishes to go out. We can see it when she said: “but I would have chosen off to live in a cavern and keeping house for seven unruly men rather than go on with my life as it stood.”
“But as I was lying there my heart could have burst open with joy at the thought of never having to see any of it again”
“When I turned away I didn’t look back.”- trying to forget the past. It can express those feelings that every people have about searching something more, something different and maybe something better.
This story remember me before enter in the university and go to live alone in another town with most of the people and things different from what I know. I was happy to go out my home before I did, and then, after go out, I could realize how I like to be in my home and how I love my family and live with them.
I feel identified with the character in some of her feelings because I am always looking for more, to change. I really like what I am and the things I have, it is just that many times I think that I need something different to my life.

“Jamaica Kincaid” By: Annie John Chapter Five: Columbus in Chains

Columbus in Chains is the chapter five of “Jamaica Kincaid” where the narrator, a girl, tells some events of her life that occurred simultaneously in her school and in her home. She presents some characters, her mother and father, her school mates, her teachers, and her best friend.
Something that is funny from this chapter is the way that the narrator presents herself as prefect in school, intelligent and bright, well behaved in class and home, and the opposite in other circumstances and with her friends. She recognize it in the story, that she was doing some things wrong, that she was conscious she should not do that but she wanted and she liked it and at the same time express her panic, her fear about loose her place and privileges, especially in her home, but also in school.
I believe about the part of the story when she wrote Columbus picture, that we could feel identify with her and with her reason and feelings. Our feelings when we are obligated to do something that we do not like, how our thoughts and feelings are influenced with external things and other people thoughts. Also she feels the fear about the result of her actions, as we many time feel about the consequences of our actions.
Sometimes we cannot control what is inside of us and want to go out. She just has a thought and posts it. Many times we can’t suppress our wishes, thoughts or feelings even if after do it we became remorseful. The girl losses her position in school just for that reason, it show us the weak equilibrium of the things. This anecdote teaches us our weakness and the weak equilibrium from the things around us.
Restrictions and emotions
The story also presents a point of view of restrictions that human have in their society. Some things that you can do, another that you can’t; good and bad, rights and obligations, prizes and punishments, all that things that control and limits our behavior. In the story the girls express their energy and emotions dancing and singing bad songs, and showing off their legs, and they were punished for it, as if it were a terrible thing. I believe the society was limiting their expressions in that way, and it also limits their development.
To see her mother as a crocodile mean she was seeing in the mother her bad actions, I mean she saw her mother as she feels.

"To the hell with dying" By: Alice Walker

“To the hell with dying” is a story from Alice Walker that talks about a curious situation in a girl and her family life. That situation is related with the relation they have with their neighbor Mr. Sweet. A man that is alcoholic and diabetic and weak emotionally. The girl that narrates the story tells how she and her brothers share with Mr. Sweet, playing the guitar singing and dancing. The kids loved him. When he was with them they feel he was part of them, like a child. He made them to feel comfort, like in group. Kids and Mr. Sweet were friends.
When Mr. Sweet became worse in his sickness, he fell in his bed with a really no good aspect, the people believe he probably could die, but the family of the girl made like revivals with him.
I believe it was the family love and their attachment to him, what made him remain alive. They use to throw out the death away from Mr. Sweet. In the revivals what they do was express that they loved and want him alive, and fill him of kisses and affection. I think Mr. Sweet also loved them and they were one of the reasons because he really lives or liked to live, because they made him feel important, admired and loved.
A very curious fact of the story for me is the relation that the girl who narrates the story had with Mr. Sweet. He made her feel so different, happy, nostalgic, and he use to call her “my princess” and she feel pretty and important.
Something that was very strange for me was at the end of the story when she was 24 years old and she recognizes, when Mr. Sweet died, that he was her first love. I knew she loved him, because they have a nice relation when she was a girl, but what I understood was that she loved him more like a father or a grandfather, who teach you things and call you princess and those things.

“Every Day Use” By: Alice Walker

Reflection:
“Every Day Use” is the story of a family composed by tree woman. Their story is about identity, culture, exclusion, and personal differences. The story is narrated by one of the characters, Mama, in first person point of view. Mama related into other things, the arrival of one of their daughters, Dee. Dee is very different from Mama and Maggie; she is interested, opportunist, ashamed about her origins and she believes she had deserve everything. She thought she was more intelligent and value because she had a different style of life that she thought was better. But it was not necessary better the way she was living. Most of the time, Dee did not visit Mama and Maggie, but the story tell a day she did. I believe she was just interested, not to see Mama and Maggie, but to take things of value. But she was surprised and envious when Mama chooses Maggie to give her the quilts. I believe the quilts represent the identity and the traditions. Dee did not want the quilts from what they represent; she knew what they represent because she said it: “Your heritage”, but she could not take them as it; because she lived trying to change what she was, trying to erase her origins. Something special in the story is the way that Mama feels that the quilts should be for Maggie, how she had change just in that moment her preference from Dee to Maggie.
In the story we can see like a comparison that Mama is making between Dee and Maggie, they were very different, in their personalities, attitudes, capacities and abilities, intelligence, and physical characteristics. Maggie was very humble, she believed her sister deserved everything but for her anything; “like somebody used to never winning anything, or having anything reserved for her”, because always in her house was in that way. But that day the story became fair and the heritage and the traditions go to the person that will use it.

“Every Day Use”

Short Story: An undesirable trip

It was when I was approximately six or seven years old, when a normal day of school I started to suffer a terrible fever and ache in my ears and throat. My mom, very worried, took me to my house to have my free rest day. For all the day she tried to make down my fever with Tylenol and repeated baths. But my fever still remains. So in the early night my mom decided to take me to a hospital near of my house to the emergency area. I remember that I became scare when my mom came to my side and said:
- Let’s dress you. Your fever is not going down so I have to take you to the hospital.
- I don’t want to go to the hospital. They are going to give me an injection. – I said.
- Sorry, we have to go. - She repeated.
Then we started our undesirable trip to the hospital. I didn’t remember anything about while we were going in the car. I believe I fell asleep.
After few minutes we arrived to the hospital and there were where the things became worst. We have to wait like an hour and I was double sick, sick with my real sickness and sick from wait. The case is that they call me. First, a nurse checked my temperature, it still remain high. Then, they took me to a room with a doctor. He checked my ears and throat and sent me to another room with a little stretcher, and tell to my mom he will came back in few minutes. In that moment I knew he was going to give me and injection. I started to cry and said to my mom that they have to wait for me to fall asleep for give me the injection and she answered:
- Of course, we will wait.- And she started to move me with a lovely slow movement, and continue:
- Sleep, sleep, my little baby.
When I was not sleep yet, the doctor entered in the room with and injection in his hands. I looked my mom and I told her:
- You promised me! – And she upped her look for the doctor face. Then I knew she lied to me. So, I thought that if my mom was not going to defend me I had to defend myself alone, and I did it. I was furious with my mom; she was leaving the doctor giving me another pain. I was shouting:
- You promised me! You promised me! – looking at my mom, while I was jumping in the stretcher and throwing kicks and fists in all directions. But I was too little to defend myself from three adults and they could control me after some minutes. My mom held my legs and a nurse my arms, while the doctor took off a small part of my pants and put alcohol in my little bottom. I was just shouting:
- No! No! No!- But the doctor told me:
- You have to breathe, or it is going be more painful. - I was too scared so I obeyed, and he pricked me. Since that moment I didn’t remember any more. I just remember that I woke up better the next day, and I didn’t have more courage with my mom.

First Reflection: “A use of force”

In class we were reading and discussing the short story “A use of force” from Carlos Williams. It was about a doctor’s anecdote in which he have to use force to can attend a girl. It was almost a violent situation against a girl that was sick and scared and she did not obey his instructions for check and help her. An important point in the story is when the narrator mentioned that when he used his force against the girl, when he reacted violent against her, he feel pleasured about did it. It makes us think about what is really the message that the author is trying to give us. If I eliminate the phrase that I mentioned before, when the narrator said he feel pleasure, I could deduce that the most important message that the author is showing is that sometimes, in some specials situations, it is really necessary to use force and violence, that in some cases that is the only way to solve the things. But some details of the story also make me think that the message go in another line, and it is that some violent reactions that we have can make us feel better and get out frustrations that we have inside. That can be the reason because he said he feel pleasured we he react violent against the girl, because he was trying to convince her in many ways and she did not respond and it does that he were accumulating frustration, desperation and anger, that he took out with violent or force reactions and expressions.