Everyday Use

THEME
This story highlights the importance of heritage because for every family around in the world is quite important to have one and we need to appreciate that as well. Dee’s family is from Africa or they are from black heritage and the family heirlooms such as customs, ancestors and history are of great importance for her too. For every person is very significant for her/his family and that person wants to inherit his/her customs and habits from generation to generation or over time. However, in the story says Dee thinks that her heritage is like dead or actually false. She rejects her culture and heritage because she wants a new one, in fact she does not understand her own heritage.

Mama tries to send her in a good school and it reflects how education is quite important for heritage because education was denied for Mama, also she faced a lot of situations such as racism and problems with her school when she was a child and Dee has the chance to study. On the other hand that chance produced several issues among her relatives despite the fact education is very useful in life but for her it is a thing that she cannot find out herself.

CHARACTERS

Dee: Obviously she is a black girl and she is very colorful in order to represent her culture. She is beautiful and smart but kind of disappointed to accept her heritage.

Mama: A very strict mother and she is kind of old and fat. I think she is wise she thinks that she knows everything in life but she does not at least she does not get her daughter.

My family's treasures

This is our house in Nicoya, Guanacaste, this picture was taken so many time ago and we started to build it little by little now it is different and more beautiful for us. We really love to spend time there all vacations we go in order to have fun with relatives and friends

This is a treasure from my dad are his trophies when he was an athlete but it becomes our treasure as well, actually I recall when he told us about his competencies in Costa Rica and in some countries even he was famous in that time. And we have more trophies for all over the house.

Our final but the most valuable treasure is ourselves we have the treasure of family. We can support and love each other. Family is quite important for human beings when we need supporting and we know that they are never going to let us down and they want the best thing for us as well.

All my family together in the welcome party for my cousin, his wife and son who arrived from Germany

Straw into gold

THEME

This story talks about a Mexican woman who is facing some taboos because she is a Latin girl and an interesting point is that she is the narrator as well. At the beginning of the story she talks about a meal that some fellow Latin-Americans promised her to do also they made a promise to make Mexican-food so, it catches her attention. This story reflects how Latin people or in this case Mexican people have to make tortillas or any typical food of Latin American is kind of an overgeneralization or even just must know how to cook or clean houses.

It is quite interesting because despite the fact she is Latin America she had the chance to study and live abroad in several countries such as the USA, Europe, and Greece and so on. However, after all that, she says Texas brings her Mexico back and it is a good experience and part of her life. I really like this short story because a possible theme is Latin people can have a great future as well as people other cultures. You cannot judge people by where they come from. 

CHARACTER

The narrator: She is brunette she has straight hair and brown eyes. She very positive and really confident. Everything that she wants in life she makes come true.

The father: Closed mind I think he is kind of strict with his family however, a very good person.  

Costa Rican's overgeneralizations

1- Ticas know how to make Tortillas, gallo pinto, rosquillas, tamales and all Costa Rican food.

2- All ticas are beautiful but I really think that we are very pretty

3- Costa Rica is a beach and we are very ecological and they tend to know just about Guanacaste and Manuel Antonio

4- Ticos are PURA VIDA

5- Ticos are very friendly, we have fun all the time with alcohol and we know how to dance Salsa, cumbia and merengue.

The yellow Wallpaper

THEME

The yellow wallpaper is about a woman who writes a story as diary of her experience because she is suffering of depression. The mental constraints imposed on her such as anxieties and fears are quite difficult to handle because even the physical ones she has to hide from everybody to save her marriage. At first, she has to tolerate her treatment as a mandatory silence because she cannot express any feeling. She is forbidden to use imagination, to think, to work and to write, every condition to use mind. Her husband is a doctor, and he locks her into a room with old yellow wallpaper and she did not like it at the beginning.

She is starting to analyzed the paper as a pattern and also she dislikes her husband John because for the treatment he is giving her, besides he warns her several times that she must use herself control to stop her imagination and with Jennie who is keeping the house and taking care of the baby. Her journal is like a relief and she feels free to create and describe everything that she wants but she has to keep it secretly. Finally, John thinks that she is getting better but it is the other way around. The narrator describes herself as proper or seemly into madness.

CHARACTERS

The narrator: She is pretty and young however, she looks like old because clothes that she is wearing in that room. She caring, patient and lovely. But she is kind of disappointed.

John: He is bad for me and he does not get her feelings. He is a chilly person, ugly and fatty.  

 Angelina Jolie as the narrator. As I watched in the movie CHANGELING she was forced to go a madhouse because she lost her son.

He always works as a good guy and also as the crazy one in some movies he is John because he worked in movies where he said that his wife was crazy

Jennifer Aniston as Jennie she made some movies where she worked as a maid in houses Aniston is a awsome actress.

Coyote finishes his work

THEME

This short story reflects Coyote as the protector of earth and his work in the planet. He killed monsters and the evil for people and he taught languages and how to hunt and what are the right fruits and vegetables. That’s why there are Indians in whole world speaking different languages. He always was traveling from place to place he was looking for things that needed to be done. Coyotes gave each Indian their own names as well.

One day Coyote had almost everything done and he wanted to go to the place where he started. Shows up Old Man and he said he was chief of the earth and at first Coyotes did not even know about that mysterious man. After that, Coyote realized that old man was chief and he begun to respect and decided to leave because all his work was done. Old man had a great home for him, old man returned to say that himself and coyote were leaving and they will be back when the earth woman is very old. 

CHARACTERS 

Coyote: I imagine him as movies where say something like "red face". "The pale faces" (americans) always say to Indians red face or red-skinned. I think that he was an indian as movies demostrate. Mystical creature almost as a God for them. He was wise, funny, intelligent and ugly.

Old man: He was very old, he was wise too and patient.

Those quotes means a lot to me because I often thought about death as something awful but over time I think that death is the next step to peacefulness and happiness because you become relax and all pain is gone. You meet the paradise. However when someone who we love dies it is something that we cannot forget or get over it. We can feel better but never forget completely.

Hills like white elephants

THEME

This story is about a couple who have a conversation regarding a huge decision that they have to make. The man is pushing her to have an operation, in the story does not tell what kind of operation is but is understood to be an abortion because she is pregnant and that baby is going to be a big issue in their relationship. He says that everybody does it and it is quite easy and safe procedure however, the girl is confused. The man is trying to tell her that he loves her and everything between them will go back to the way it used to be. Both guys talk but neither listens the other’s point of view therefore, the girl admits that she is going to have the abortion just because to shut him up. It seems the baby adds lot of problems under their lives and the relationship they have to be responsible that baby is going to be a burden. Although, the girl asks if after the abortion he still love her, but they know that anything is going to be the same. Everything changed after that mistake. She is not sure and after some a while they realized having that conversation is useless and she says can’t we maybe stop talking? It is a conversation where both of them do not get their own desires. 

CHARACTERS 

The american man: He is rugged and wants to do everything for his own. I could get some ideas about his physical apperance such as I can picture himself as a tall man and very handsome as the most Americans are maybe blue eyes. And he is impatient and impulsive.

Girl: I could not get if she is american, so the only thing that I could get about her physical apperance is that she is so beautiful and a good woman and she is funny or makes him happy. On the hand, she seems insecure and consufed.

TAKE A LOOK

The lottery

THEME

This story is about a human sacrifice ritual where a family member is chosen by random chance to be stoned to death; basically this tradition is about to redeem sins or bad feelings in order to bring good luck to the community and villagers follow it blindly. One member of each family goes to draw a small slip in one sheet of paper in a black box. One of the themes in the story is about; the people in the lottery follow this tradition without asking themselves why do we need to murder someone without any reason? However, they never stop to think whether it is ok or not. Rather; they think that it is a justified act because they’ve always held a lottery to kill a person. Everybody has the chance to become as a kid or guiltless and every year they choose someone new and murdered. Now, we have the family is reflecting in the story, because the Hutchinson family plays the main role in the lottery, Tessie, she does not anything however she is stoning and her stoning is rushed by her own son and it is in that way when the family can be manipulated with this sick tradition. This fact is reflects in nowadays society in how people pursues someone for any reason.   

CHARACTERS

Tessie Hutchinson: She arrives late to the lottery and I think that she is a free spirit because she is the only one who is against the lottery. She is a good woman and forgetful because she forgot the lottery’s day. She is a normal woman, I mean a woman who is not old and not young. She is humble and she is pretty.

Old man Warner: He is very old; he is closed mind because he thinks that just the lottery may remain society stable. I think he is fat and a bad person. Finally an ugly man as well.

Aborigines in Australia

In this country some tribes do a painful tradition, nowadays it is an important way to demonstrate that they are men. Basically, this tradition around 15-16 men are separated from their mothers and then old men take them to a room far away. Teenagers spend their time during some hours singing in order to relaxing. After that, one wizard of the tribe cut their foreskin without any anesthesia and if they show pain and suffering is a terrible situation because it is a cowardliness and shame act. But this suffering keeps going with a week later when another surgery starts with a hole in the root of the male organ with the only goal to avoid pregnancies just only they want to have children.

I think this tradition or all sick traditions around in the world are totally unnecessary I really think that those guys can live without any demonstration of bravery. And sometimes here in our society and others societies as well raised people to do sick traditions either chauvinism or people who do not respect others for me it is a sick tradition. 

                       

The gift of the magi

THEME

 This short story starts whit eighty-seven cents and Della counted it three times in order to buy something for her husband on Christmas Eve. They are a poor couple however, they love each other and it is one the most important thing in their lives. And one of the main themes in this story is LOVE. Della’s love is so big that she is able to do everything for him, that’s why she wants to buy something special to give Jim. The only two things they have are Della’s hair and Jim’s gold watch. Della goes to Madame “Sofronie's hair goods shop” in that place is where she sells her hair and after, she has $21.87 cents. Della finds out that she can buy an elegant platinum watch chain for his watch and with this act of love is when sacrifice shows up. However, she is afraid to Jim’s reaction when he realizes that Della cut her hair and perhaps she is not beautiful anymore. She is defined as a perfect woman or wife in the story because her role is feminine. Although, she is trying to be beautiful and gorgeous for her husband for forever and ever, she is quite scared about if he’s still love her or not for her hair’s issue, even though her present, it could be a great contrast for such a huge feeling or thinking. After that, Jim gives her a set of fancy combs which is the present that she wanted for ages however; she does not have her hair anymore. Finally, this story reflects that love is more important than anything else in the world, more important than afford presents and they are the magi because they can give love each other instead of material things. 

CHARACTERS

Della: She is a devoted wife, the most relevant thing in her life is Jim her husband she is always overreacting, a concerned person and she is a housekeeper. She is pretty, she has a very good physical appearance, even though she is poor she is always trying to get dress good and be a beautiful wife for Jim. I imagine her hair extremely beautiful.

Jim: Kind of chilly, he is the breadwinner of the family; he is a good husband and man. He is handsome and he is in his thirties, he looks tired and overworked.

Dellas is upset, she has very little cash and no christmas gift for Jim.
The huge love between them is awesome
Della's precious treasure is her hair and Jim's treasure is his watch 
Della sold her hair and got a chain for Jim's watch
Jim sold his watch and bought combs for her hair
They realized money or gifts are no of great importance

Two kinds

THEME

This story is a struggle between Chinese mothers and their Chinese American daughter. American dream is one of the main topics in this story, this phenomena for many years has been the most powerful factor to immigrants arrival in The United States. Parents quite often pressure their children to excel in The States to survive, being better and try to fulfill their own dreams but their children have to make them come true. For instance, the narrator’s mother in this short story says that “you could be anything you wanted to be in America” or "You could open a restaurant. You could work for the government and get good retirement” she tries to impose her thinking into her daughter’s mind. Because in the past she had a terrible life in China therefore, she had come to San Francisco in 1949. After that, the mother wants to make her daughter into a prodigy if she works really hard. As every immigrant in The States thinks if you work hard with effort, you can get everything you want to be. On the other hand, the daughter does not want to work hard and does not want to push herself to become a genius as her mother wants. Meanwhile, the mother is watching a TV show, she watches a little Chinese girl playing piano and then she is looking for piano classes so, she talks with a neighbor from the apartment building and the piano classes start. However, the daughter realizes that her teacher is deaf and she begins to make mistakes even though she is following the rhythm. Finally, they go to a talent contest and the daughter does an awful performance, when they arrive at home, she is worry and feels guilty and ashamed for her mother, she thinks that her mother is going to scold her or yell out. They have conflicts each other and the daughter tells her that she cannot be a genius or the mother desires her to be and that is the breaking point. Then, a relation between the title with the whole story is when the mother says that there are two kinds of daughters those who are obedient and those who follow their own mind and for her just one kind of daughter can stay in that house, obedient daughter. Besides, after the mother’s death, the daughter realizes that it was not the fact her mother was trying to force her to be someone who she is not; she just believed that she could become better than her. In addition, this short story reflects how is mandatory for immigrants families to change their lives in USA and delete their past lives. 

CHARACTERS

The daughter: She is a girl who is confusing between two cultures the Chinese and the American. She is oppressed by her mom, because she was raised in an American environment, she does not believe about honor and respect how much is important for her family. I think she is a teenager around fifteen years old or less. She is thin and as it is usual in Chinese people with straight hair but beautiful young girl.

The mother: She is a woman who had a sad past and she was raised by very marked Chinese culture which the most important thing is honor and respect. She looks like old because her difficult life and she was beautiful as her daughter. She is obsessed to become her daughter in a prodigy child. 

American dream and chinese culture reflecting on “Two kinds”

1       This quote reflects American dream by the mother’s perspective “My mother believed you could be anything you wanted to be in America. You could open a restaurant. You could work for the government and get good retirement. You could buy a house with almost no money down. You can become rich. You could become instantly famous” also chinese culture is reflects as an important aspect in America because for the family's girl just American can help them to have a sucessful future.

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      Now, we have the second quote which is“She had come to San Francisco in 1949 after losing everything in China: her mother and father, her home, her first husband, and two daughters, twin baby girls. But she never looked back with regret Things could get better in so many ways.” American is reflects because many people tend to give up or quit because when they do not have sucess they feel quite bad and they go back to their countries. Chinese culture is quite strict and they always fight to overcome obstacles and in the family's girl as very disciple and they really fight for those thing that they want.

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      Finally, the next quote also reflects American dream “In all of my imaginings I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect: My mother and father would adore me. I would be beyond reproach. I would never feel the need to sulk, or to clamor for anything.” American dream itself we expect a huge amount of opportunities therefore, in the previous quote she says that her parent are going to love her for fulfill all their own dreams. Chinese culture we can see it reflected when they pushing her to do things that she does not want to do it basically, chinese culture children have to do everything that parents say and the approach is to be sucessful anyways.

 

 

A pair of silk stockings

THEME

This story is about a lady who finds fifteen dollars and for her it was a huge amount of money. She feels really good because that money makes her feel as an important person and it is something that she had not felt for a long time because they are a very poor family. Mrs. Sommers is thinking about what she can do with the money, she always looking for a good sale and suddenly she finds a pair of silk stocking that she desires for her. She is faking that is checking the silk stockings texture and finally she buys a pair. The story shows how Mrs. Sommers is losing her responsibility, she has children, she does not want to leave her family but she does not leave her desires and dreams either. She is surprised because when she went to a restaurant people were not surprised about her clothes; people treated her as the story says as princess of royal blood. It shows how society cares more about appearance and fancy clothes.  And she is fighting against her own feelings. It shows that when a woman has family and tries to fulfill a role of wife and mother, they forget about their own dreams. This short story says a lot about that Mrs. Sommers is living a unreal life because she prefers spend that money in things which are unnecessary for her, even though those things give her happiness and satisfaction however, she has family and she left them alone without a mother, meanwhile she is doing her activities and with each activity she dreads going home. Finally, this nice short story reflects the role of the woman in society.

CHARACTERS

Mrs Sommer: She is a woman who wants to fulfill her dreams, she is ambitious, dreamer and she is tired about her situation (Poverty). She is in the thirties, I think that she is not old but not so young. She is thin and beautiful, with straight hair and with classy. Even though, she is poor and mother.

In the story only talks about Mrs Sommer as main character but it talks about a gaudy lady as well. The gaudy woman is in the theater. She is fatty and tacky. She uses fancy clothes but her clothes is quite ridiculous. She is funny, crazy and outgoing. But she is not that much beautiful, that’s why she has to catch attention to other people in the theater. 

Mrs Sommer

She is very happy with her new silk stockings and She is wearing fancy clothes but just looks like it is not expensive at all. She is just trying to wear as a woman of high society.

The story of an hour

 THEME

The story is a about a woman who feels free after her husband’s death in an accident, she feels great because now she has independence  even though it is a private feeling that she cannot express to others, because society does not accept or does not understand why she is happy for her husband’s missing. She always sees through a window imagining freedom and new opportunities after her husband has died. This story reflects how women have to be like their husbands want to them to be. Society sometimes allows that and maybe it was an arranged marriage that’s why she feels as a slave in her house with a husband who she does not love enough. Also, she feels that she is going to have a new life as well, she cries because she imagines her crying in her husband’s funeral. She is happy because she can picture herself enjoying her life as an independence woman and she is going to live for herself and not for someone else anymore. In the story she does not mention why her husband oppressed her and also the story of an hour shows how marriages take people their independence away, when they are not ready to get married or that person is not the correct one. On the other hand, she has died for her own feelings for her happiness of freedom and those aspects are irony. Finally in the story says that she had died of heart disease because it was a joy or happiness that killed her. 

CHARACTERS

Louise Mallard: She is a beautiful woman, she is old already, smart and independence and maybe in her youth she was funny and happy all the time even more beautiful. After her marriage she lost her freedom because she feels like her marriage oppressed her and she is ill, she has a heart trouble.

 Brently Mallard:He is serious man, a quiet person who never expresses feelings, he is not lovely at all and a chilly person, even though before he was kind and lovely. I imagine him like a person who always dresses up with suits and ties. And physically I think he is a good looking with good attributes therefore, she married him. 

Alternative Ending:

Some one was opening her door's room, It was her sister who was trying to tell her that finally her husband's body was founded because for the accident nobody could not founded his body. She stood shocked a deep silence shows up inside of her. She could not think well, she just was there and her sister talking and talking and tried to hug her but she said " we have to get ready everything" but her sister was confusing and ask " but why are u reacting like that" and Louise said I am ready and accept God's will. After her husband's funeral she changes her view of life she felt more happiness inside of her but she was confused she did not whether it was good to feel something like that from someone who lived too many time by her side but she did not care. She never said her feelings aloud for fear from society rejection. And her illnes was getting worse after her husband's death she felt relieved however, she felt like something missed her in her heart. One year later. She realized that her husband was not her oppressed factor, she was alone in her house as she really wanted to live for her and just her and she was living just for her and fighting with her illness alone without somebody who could be by her side giving her hopes. She had nobody and her oppresed factor was her now, she was getting old alone without a husband and she decided to lock herself in the room and when her sister Josephine came to visit her. She saw Louise lying on her bed with her favorite dress and she thought that she could be sleeping and touched her, her body was cold, Josephine wept over her dead body.