Monday, August 17, 2015
Joy Luck Club
After reading "Scar" and "The Voice," choose one scene, character, or quote that made in impression on you. Then explain why you found it interesting. Briefly share how you relate to this story (for example- who has had a big influence in your life? do you have any memorable scars? do you remember your childhood neighborhood?
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Throughout the years, I grew up in the Asian and Middle Eastern culture. Due to growing up in an Asian household, my parents were usually strict. They would always try to push my limits and make sure that I do the best I could do. This is how I relate to Meimei in The Joy Luck Club because her mom pushes and pushes her until she can do her very best.
ReplyDeleteI've always tried to be the best I can be as a person, always making sure that my actions are that of goodwill. For that reason, the quote that most beckoned my name the most was, "If you are greedy, what is inside you is what makes you always hungry.(p.34)." The quote appealed to me more than the others solely because I, too, have learned such a truth--only, unlike An-Mei, it was a truth I learned through observation rather than through word or experience. As a child, I was careful; only little cuts and bruises plagued my body every so often; and unlike most children, I had no role model growing up. As a child, I was only told to be a good person, but never was I actually shown how. Neither my parents or society showed me right from wrong (excluding the time my parents said stealing is had after I had stolen a little toy when I was 4) which meant that much of who I am today is solely because of the things I have learned from my mistakes, and those of others, and because of how I have raised myself.-Alejandro Cortez
ReplyDelete... That most beckoned my name was* (correction)
DeleteThe scene that impressed me the most was when Waverly's mom cuts a piece of meat from her own arm to put it in the soup for Popo. I found this to be very strange because first of all Popo disregards her as her own daughter . Also because I have never heard of a culture who sacrifices their flesh as a remedy. I can relate to the story "Scar" because I too have a childhood scar on my left foot. I was about four years old when I feel face forward after I had ran to my dad who I hadn't seen in days because he was so busy with work. I remember running towards him but falling halfway and now I am left with a scar that is permanent just like my memory.-Citlali Vergara
ReplyDeleteThe scene that impressed me the most was when Waverly's mom cuts a piece of meat from her own arm to put it in the soup for Popo. I found this to be very strange because first of all Popo disregards her as her own daughter . Also because I have never heard of a culture who sacrifices their flesh as a remedy. I can relate to the story "Scar" because I too have a childhood scar on my left foot. I was about four years old when I feel face forward after I had ran to my dad who I hadn't seen in days because he was so busy with work. I remember running towards him but falling halfway and now I am left with a scar that is permanent just like my memory.-Citlali Vergara
ReplyDeleteOne of the scenes that grabbed my attention was when Waverly talks about Li Dole and how her and her brothers have heard stories about how he has cured a women dying of an ancestral curse. I can relate to this because I come from a family that strongly believes that their are people out there who can help treat illnesses that doctors cannot. I think that it has to do with my culture as well. As a child I grew up with stories my mom would tell me that her mom told her about these specific type of people called "curanderas" that would help cure people from illnesses that have to do with the body and soul.
ReplyDeleteThe scene where Waverly's mother finds Waverly's scar on her neck interests me because I know one day I would look at my scar on my knee where I got surgery and remember how I was so determined to 1st string I end up not able to participate in sports for a year ... My last year. I also have another scar in my finger, it's blue and resembles a bruise but it just shows how careless I was stabbing my bed with a sharpened pencil , not paying attention and end up jabbing the pencil in the middle of my middle finger. - Samantha Lopez
ReplyDeleteThe quote that stood out to me was in "The Voice" where Lena St. Clair quoted, "I could understand the words perfectly, but not the meanings. One thought led to another without connection(109)." I experience similar events all the time, confused, in a quandary, hoping that every time I would read it or think it over and over again, I would eventually have a breakthrough moment. Somedays, I wonder why the deeper things are more difficult to analyze, like forming an answer or a response is a challenge, such that everything comes out haphazardly. Maybe sometimes the definition just comes within the text, who knows. I relate to the story "The Voice" because my mother plays the role of the protector, the savior, one who foretells and help me avoid the unknown danger in everything. My mother has influenced and shaped me as a person because she is a SAW (Strong Asian Woman) who has been through a lot as a person from her adolescent years all the way through today as she holds the seven of us together. Even though I witness her actions and hear her feedbacks clearly, but I could not understand some of the real meanings behind it as I stand there trying to piece the puzzle together.
ReplyDeleteThis was beautiful Sabrina. Thank you for sharing
DeleteThe quote that I took an interest in was, when waverly's mom is the hospital, "My fault, my fault. I knew this before it happened, she babbled . "I did nothing to prevent it." She knew that she was "off balance" because there was something wrong with her baby and in this quote she states it as if she could've prevented the natural cause of her baby dying. After this tragic event, she was very depressed and basically gave up on everything. I have experienced a similar event where my aunt had a baby, but he was not able to survive because he was born without some of the organs needed to survive. It devastated her for months and she was not able to move on and she layed in bed as if her life was over and what was left was just her ghost. The death of my baby cousin left many of my family members in very deep pain and it is so puzzling how an event like this can alter the life of a person so deep that they let go of everything.
ReplyDeletein the "scar" when an-meis mother is rubbing her scar, she remembers how she got it, when popo slamed her head onto the table, shes basically dying on the table while popo and auntie are yelling at each other, her mother is the only one who is yelling for her daughter. All this anger and hate just flows into her scar, making it more painful to bear, scars contain a story. My scar on my left ear however just tells a story of how a kid jumping on his sofa, when somehow he trips in midair and falls on the hard side of the sofa, the part where you rest your arm, and breaks his ear in half with a huge gash for the next month. Her scar took 2 years to fully heal and was not her fault. its all about perspective.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that stood out to me is from "Scar". An-Mei observes, "She said this so that the ghosts would not steal us away. So you see, to Popo we were also very precious," (33). I found this quote interesting because I, like An-Mei, was very close to my grandmother before she passed away. My grandmother had a big influence on my life because she took care of me everyday while my mom was at work, just like how An-Mei's grandmother took care of her when her mother left.
ReplyDeleteIn the book “The Joy Luck Club” the vignette by the name of “Scar” where someone caught my attention and it was PoPo, the grandmother, who wanted An-mei-hsu to forget about her real mother. Apparently her mother fled to another man and happiness, this frustrated and ashamed PoPo and auntie. PoPo would tell An-mei-hsu stories about her mother and tell her she was a ghost. That means that a ghost is forbidden to talk about and to forget the purpose of her existence. PoPo was brought to my intention because I can’t believe how someone can tell a young girl that her mother was forbidden to be talked about and would purposely tell her that her mother left An-mei-hsu for someone better. This can bring psychological and emotional issues as the An-mei-hsu grows up being reminded that she and her brother were abandoned. I personally can’t relate to this situation but I am constantly reminded of my wrongs. For example, if I do a careless mistake my mom will remind me of what I did wrong and slams it on my face but other than that I can’t relate.-Melissa Terrazas
ReplyDeleteThe scene that intrest me the most is the one where Waverly was four years old. Waverly is sitting at the table and her mother walks in. What surprises me is the fact that everyone becomes disgusted the second An-Mei calls out to her mother. For example popo says," who is this ghost? Not an honored widow..." showing that even the smallest mistake will cause huge breaks in the family. Yet An-Mei doesn't understand but is influnced by her popo. I relate to this story by having my dad as a person who influences me a lot. He shows me what's right and what's wrong, but still lets me make mistakes to learn for myself what can be the consequence-Ashley ojeda
ReplyDeleteAfter reading Scar, a scene that caught my attention was when Anmei's mom touched her scar under her chin. I found this interesting because after touching Anmei's scar , Anmei remembers the cause of her moms disappearance even after Popo had healed Anmies scar along with the painful memory of her mother. I can relate to this scene because i have a scar on my right leg that i got when i bumped into one of my dads construction tools and also cut a piece of my skin. Because my scar is so difficult to avoid, it serves as a reminder of all the fatigue and hardships my dad goes through everyday so my family can have what they need and pushes me to become someone he would be proud of.
ReplyDeleteOne quote that made an impression on me was when An-Mei said " The wound begins to close in on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain.". It got me thinking about how truew this is for people emotionally and physically. When people are hurt so badly that they gain a scar to remind them of the pain and sometimes we dont know how to cover those scars up so we let them show. I relate to this story because i have many scars of my own and they are ones i know i cannot hide. I have gotten them from physical and emotional pains that have changed me into the person i am today. Like An-Mei i am sometimes afraid to show my scars because it will bring up memories of the pain and it is painful to even think about. Scars are pains but they are also a way to remember lessons that have been learned.
ReplyDelete"...a familiar sound from a forgotten dream.". This quote spoke volumes to me because these 7 words had such a powerful thing about them. It just sounds so poetic by using the metaphoric structure to emphasize what An-Mei is trying to say. When I read this I interpreted to mean that she remembers the sound of her voice, however it was so long ago or the memory is faint that it almost feels like a dream in away. I relate to this story because I have a lot of scars on my body. Most of them from when I used to skate and do tricks. One scar that stands out from the rest is the one on my right leg on the knee. I got this scar when I landed a 5 stair jump, after that I had crashed into my brother and I flew off my board and into on of the holes that were around. At first it just felt numbing and it hurt a little, I guess it was do to the shock of falling. When I got home that day my pants was full of blood and it started to really hurt so my parents took me to the hospital and it turns out that I had popped out my knee and fractured the bone. I had a huge scar that has now shrunk and I can say that having the scar there might bring back painful thoughts but it was a memorable moment that I had with my brother jumping those five stairs and I day where me and him will never forget.
ReplyDeleteMy childhood neighborhood will always be someone I will remember. She was that loud individual the one who demanded attention always arguing. She, you could say was the opposite of the child I used to be. In the " voice from the wall," there is a character mentioned that stood out to me. This character, Teresa, was the next door neighbor of Lena. Teresa is depicted as always fighting and shouting with someone next door. And the scene that stood out to me was when she came over to Lena's house due to her mother kicking her out. It stood out to me because it reminded me of my childhood neighbor, she was always coming to my house because she would get in violent disagreements with her guardian. I always looked up to her, thinking that this girl has guts and is strong. But just like in the story " the voice from the wall " there's a story that's more complex than a fight something more meaningful that I might never be able to figure out. -Destiny Sequeida
ReplyDeleteWhat really interested me was when the mother cut a piece of skin from her arm and put it in the soup to try and safe her mother and I thought it was a great sacrifice. I scar that I have is behind my right ear, I have had it since I was born, it prevents fluid from going to my head, and as my parents sacrificed countless days to pray for me and do all they can for me and I am much appreciated for them.
ReplyDeleteThe scene that stood out to me the most was when Popo was laying on her bed ready to die and An-mei's mother took a sharp knife. Her mother then cut a piece of her meat from her arm and took her flesh put it in the soup for Popo. I found this interesting because the fact she did it to help Popo get cured is amazing since her mother saw her as a ghost. Many people would not hurt themselves for someone who hurts them and ignores them. One of my biggest influence in my life is my mother. She is an amazing person where she feels admired by many. Not only is she well educated she cares for others more than she cares for herself.
ReplyDelete"Between us stood the soup pot on its heavy chimney-pot stand...spilled forward and fell all over my neck." This quote on page 39 had the biggest impression on me because I had once earned a scar from being scalded by boiling water. I can relate to this quote from "The Scar" because when I was 3, I would always stand at my mother side, while she was cooking. During this time, I had lived in Vietnam, where my mom family's house raised chickens and snakes. My mom was preparing fresh chicken by boiling the chicken in scalding water to pluck all the feathers off of our dinner. Surprisingly, the chicken was still alive and kicked the scalding water on my body, which left me a scar that I still remembered from this day on. Also, that scar was a memory of my dinner astonishingly still moving while its head was decapitated.
ReplyDeleteThe character that really stood out to me was An-Mei Hsu in "Scar" and the reason why is because her scar that she has on her neck gives her memories about her mother and it's something that I can relate to. I have a burn on my foot that is near to my ankle and I got it from wearing very tight ice skating boots and I just skated and skated until I was done and when I took the boots off there was just this dot on my leg and apparently since the boots were tight and were rubbing against my leg it ended up burning my leg. This is a memorable scar to me because it is the most recent scar I have gotten but it is a fun scar that pretty much came from fun. It was just last winter and my mom, dad, sister, aunt and of course me when to a lake that was frozen and when we got there we all decided to skate on the ice while listening to music from our car radio and just have fun skating, singing and dancing around as a family. It really was great because we were losing balance, falling down, struggling to just skate on the ice. So, it was just funny for all of us to see that even though we know how to skate, we still aren't perfect at balancing ourselves on ice. At the end of the day, me and my family had laughs, smiles, bruises and an all around good time just by having fun as a family and even though I got a burn on my leg, I think of it as a way of reminding me about all the fun we had. Now, I still have that burn on my leg and it is great because every time I look at it, the memories of me and my family having fun on the ice lingers within that scar and it makes me realize that no matter what kind of scar it is, if I that scar because of a family event that involved fun it's a scar worth having because it reminds of the love a family has So, to me scars are a part of you, it tells a little story about you and the memories within them last with you and my scar that is on my leg is a story worth telling and memory worth remembering.- Enzo Amaya
ReplyDelete"You stupida girl. You almost gave me a heart attack. And Teresa was yelling back, I coulda been killed...And then i heard them laughing and crying, crying and laughing, shouting with love." This quote from ,The Voice from the Wall, really connected with me, Teresa lives a complicated life with her family, as do i. What was very interesting and terrifying at the same time was the fact that Teresa was very giggly and happy on the outside. She seemed blind to what her life truly was. As a child, my siblings and i struggled to keep our family together. Conflicts within our household tested our will to keep what little strands of hope were left; but strangely, at the end of the day things seemed to get better.
ReplyDeleteA scene that made an impression was a quote in "the Voice from the Wall" where Lena says, "I knew my mother made up anything to warn me, to help me avoid some unknown danger. My mother saw danger in everything..." I found this quote really interesting because
ReplyDeleteI think that its interesting how parents know hot to use a type of therapy with their children, because parents know their children really well. I relate to this because as a young girl I felt invincible but my mom or dad made up stories to help me learn about reality and my potential.
"Never say her name." This quote from page 34 is from the scene where An-mei is being told negative things about her mother and how her mother is a "ghost" This scene in the book had an impact on me because it reminded me that as a child I was constantly told that my dad was not a good man by my grandmother. I could see the hatred for him in her eyes. "He's a cholo", "he woks in upholstery", "He can't support you or your mom", were some of the things I was told about him. However, they were wrong. My dad knew his responsibilities and left the gang life to raise me and support my mother. My dad has had the biggest influence on me. He is such a hard worker and never gives up no matter how much work there is or how much of a struggle that he goes through. He pushes me to do my best and has motivated me to never give up. Now all i hear is his name from everyone's mouth following up with his successes. I hope to be like my father someday.
ReplyDelete"But that night popo flew away with her illness. Even though I was young, I could see the pain of the flesh and the worth of the pain." We see this quote towards the end of the short story, her second mom has passed away. One can only imagine how it feels to be in her place, although she is young she understands. I can not relate to this quote but it just stood out to me because of the emotional appeal I picked up from it. I do have someone that I look up to on the other hand. My oldest brother, he's my number one... Been there for me since day one taking care of me as if I was his own child. I can never be able to repay him for everything he had done for me. He's the one that pushes to me to dream big and set big goals for myself. He believes in me which gives me the cofidence to actually do something with my life. I don't not have a scar that everyone can see, but if you look closely into my eyes there it is. A scar in my eye that I've had ever since I was a baby. At a very young age they wanted to perform and eye surgery on me but my mother would not allow it. But my vision is not bad, although at times I may have trouble it is not that bad. Other than that, that is the only scar I have which is something that is hard to see but you'd be surprised the changes that have occurred to me due to this little scar in my eye.
ReplyDelete*an
DeleteIn "The Voice from the Wall", the opening scene contains an impressive quote. "And I knew that was not true. I knew my mother made up anything to warn me, to help e avoid some unknown danger. My mother saw danger in everything..."(pg 108) is meaningful because Lena states that because her mom was so caring, she often lied to keep her blind on the negativity of the world. Her mom didn't want her daughter to lose her innocence at a young age. I don't agree to the way her mother treats her, because Lena seems mature at that stage and knew the answers her mom gave her of the questions she asked were not true. Parents think they help protect their children by hiding the truth of certain topics, but if they were more open about it, children wouldn't be so lost. I can related to this because my mother held a truth from me until it became an elongated lie. What I thought was the truth was not. Kids can get more hurt if they find out the truth after a long period of time as opposed to a short period. I understand why my mom gave me short and untrue responses to my questions, for my "protection" ,but there's no way of hiding the truth forever.
ReplyDelete"This is how a daughter honors her mother. It is shou so deep it is in your bones. The pain of the flesh is nothing. The pain you must forget. Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones. You must peel off your skin, and that of your mother, and her mother before her. Until there is nothing. No scar, no skin, no flesh." This quote at the end of pg. 41 of "Scar", caught my attention due to the fact that it shows that no matter what happens you will always love your loved one (let it be your mother or father or anyone else) unconditionally. As I repeat these sentences in my head, it reminds me of the time where I used to be treated as a ghost (like An-Mei's mother), but continued to care for others whenever they are in need, no matter how much I get hurt or ignored. My eldest cousin (who as well was treated like a ghost yet continued to care for others) taught me how to be a moral person. He told me to be kind without expecting anything in return. To be open-minded and to forgive the unforgivable. In other words, It's basically like saying, "It's the thought that counts." - Marie Joy Albay.
ReplyDelete"The wound begins to close in on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain." This quote got me to think of any scars that I have had throughout my life and the one that stands out is the one on my left hand. The scar is really memorable because there was nothing I could do to to get rid of the pain. So I just let it heal on its own, which is what a lot of people to get rid of the pain whether it is mentally or physically . They know that over time they will start to forget about what had happened to them physically or mentally as the wound starts to heal and turn into a scar.
ReplyDeleteThe quote from Scar that caught my attention was "My mother began to loosen my braids and brush my hair with long sweeping strokes" because when i was little my mom would brush my hair or as she would put it, piojito, so that i could fall asleep, sooth me or when i was scared or sick she would do that. But now i can't figure out why we always get into arguments. I don't do it on purpose and when ever we argue the memories of her brushing my hair or carrying me off to bed when i fell asleep on the couch breaks my heart because i'm the only daughter she has and my brothers could never fill the bond I have with my mom.-Laura Lopez
ReplyDelete"... I used to wonder which was worse, our side or theirs? And after thinking about this for a while, after feeling sorry for myself, it comforted me somewhat to think that this girl next door had a more unhappy life" (118). When things get tough, I look towards others and try to understand their background and unseen situations that occur in their life. Reading books like "The Joy Luck Club" and watching shows make me think that there are others that have a worse life than me, so I should be grateful. I always think about my parents' background, too. "You're lucky," my dad would say in Cantonese once in a while. "You're lucky that we migrated to the United States right before you were born so that you can live a better life than us." With a home full of smoke, drunkards, and mistreatment by his parents in Hong Kong, my dad struggled to take care of my uncle and live a life of his own. But even now in the United States, he struggles to provide for the family. Seeing him leaving early and coming home late everyday pains me - but at the same time gives me comfort. and he always tells me to educate myself so that I wouldn't have a life like him.
ReplyDelete-Sarah Hong
A quote that had my interest was when An-Mei was describing the event that gave her a permanent scar. “The wound begins to close in on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain.” An-Mei uses this quote to interpret that she had no more memory of her mother. I can relate to this quote because I also had gotten a rememberable scar during my childhood. I have gotten multiple scars on my legs after I had been pushed around by some of my old friends in school. As my wound we heal overtime, I would forget about my friends that caused my injury. I learned who my real friends were when I was younger.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the quote and what Dustin said, when I was younger in middle school I had friends that I grew up all my life and I thought it would stay that way all my life. Unfortunately when high school came they acted like I didn't exist. The emotional scars that they left on me was a hole that put me in a bad place for a while. As school progressed I met new people and and time passed the hole that my so called friends left healed. Even though it left a scar the wound became better and one day it will be gone.
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ReplyDeleteIn the chapter "The Voice from the Wall", the scene is opened with her mother telling her lies to comfort her. I found this scene interesting because I too could relate to that. When my father was in an accident my mother lied to me so I would not hurt over the fact that he might not have made it. Even the small things she lied about, but it was all to keep me safe and to keep me from hurting inside. When i realized they were lies I was angry at her, but yet again I was young. I didn't understand that it was for my protection not for her self pleasure. I appreciate what my mom has done and what she continues to do for me.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter of "scar" what i found really intresting was when she said the the sicker her grandmother got sick she grew more scared of her. when she says scared i take it as her scared is respect. I can relate to this because these last few years my grandpa was diagnost with colon cancer and this past summer he really took the turn for the worst while that time i made sure to spend all the time i can with as i could. every single day i gained more respect more love and more heart for that man. The only fear i had from him was the fear of loosing him. on June 28th that day came. I had lost the most influential person in my entire life, and the fear was over whelmed with sadness. Same with her grandmother i dont believe she was afraid as a fear thing i just think she feared the chance of loosing her.
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ReplyDeleteA quote that made an impression on me is from "Scar". I feel it relates to me,"The pain of the flesh is nothing.The pain you must forget. Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones." As being the oldest sibling it's been difficult, it's been easier to make scars. The first one is on my left leg. I scraped off my skin and had the piece in my hand while I tried to cover the blood from spilling out. Moments before that I was running worried and calling for help. My brother got stung by a bee. He is allergic to bees. As soon as it happened I swear my throat started to close before his did. When I was on the floor with my leg covered in blood I did not cry. I kept screaming for my mom to help my brother. I have not to this day remembered how it felt when I fell . The only feeling that I remember is being relieved when I saw my brother was less swollen . That opening I had on my leg didn't go as deep to my bone . So I know I have further to go while being the oldest I have more scars to go .
ReplyDeleteEach scar is like a book. Sometimes it may take awhile to go through its pages to remember how you got that certain scar but theres always a reason. Point being, each scar has its own story to tell.Not only did the scene about when the girls mother touched her daughters scar hit me but also Popo's actions towards hidding the truth about the Mother leaving her daughter. In 'Scar' Popo was hidding the truth about the daughters mother just like how a scar hides the wound beneath the flesh. When i was about 5, I accidentally threw my ball towards my neighbors patio and the ball happened to be on the grass. As i get to the ball I slide across the grass with my knees causing friction between my knee and the grass. Then there I was uncontrollably bleeding, unaware that there was such a thing as a grass burn.To this day it is the most embarassing scar because I could have avoided that scar if I had never slidded in the first place.
ReplyDelete-Ricardo Centeno
A number of things grasped my attention. First off was the way the author brought along all the events that tie up into one huge moral towards the end of the section which impacted me significantly with the relevance of it into my life. Tan explains how her grandmother raised her as a child and spoke horribly of her mother stating she was a "ghost". This is relevant to my life because I saw my mother as a ghost when she would try and teach me lessons of right and wrong. So being that her voice to me seemed disembodied, just a voice whispering in the wind that you just ignore. Now, in "scar" tan explains how on her grandmothers dying bed, her mom makes her a soup. However, she notices her mom cutting a piece of her flesh off to add into the soup which was part of the medicine. Here tan really sees who her mom is. She was so used to hearing awful things about her mother that it became a norm in understanding these things about her own mother, but now she saw who she really was and it impacted her greatly. In the relevance of my life, it took me years to no longer hear my mothers voice as disembodied. I finally gave into her words and really understood why she would tell me all of these life lessons. I see my mom now as wise and knowledgable and I thank her for that.
ReplyDelete"the wound begins to close on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain" (page 40) This quote id very powerful, after one read it, he or she might think that the author is talking about the burnt started to heal; however, if we go deeper into the meaning, the scar that was healing was not a physically scar, it was the scar about her mother. Her mother left her with such a pain that become scar and caved inside her forever. When I was a kid, my grandpa and grandma would came back to Vietnam to visit us once every year, and each time they came back, they would had one thing to criticize me, one time was about my hair, one time was about I didn't do the laundry everyday, and a lot more things. I was very stressed about tried to be the best grand-daughter; however, as time went by, I just got used to it and didn't feel burden anymore, I just tried my best in everything and even if they're not satisfy, I just have to sit and listen to their lecture a few minutes, then I move on.
ReplyDelete"It was as though she was rubbing the memory back into my skin." This quote and the scene of her mom making her remember, caught my attention because you never really pay attention to certain past events until someone else brings it up. I have several scars all over my body but the ones I remember the most are the ones on my left arm. I have three scars that were left because of cement burn, they each have there own story and they are from different altercations. They're memorable to me because they always remind me of where I was at a certain point in my life and what I've been through to get to where I am now.
ReplyDeleteThe quote "I knew my mother made up anything to warn me, to help me avoid some unknown danger." from "The Voice from the Walls", made a huge impression on me. I found this quote very interesting mainly because, just like Lena's mother, my mother has always been the one to tell me such things to prepare me for the future. Also, to be careful and aware of what goes on in my surroundings. My mother is the biggest influence in my life because watching her make mistakes and teaching me how to avoid them shaped me who I am today. Another quote that stood out to me was "Now I have perfect understanding. I have already experienced the worst. After this, there is no worst possible thing." because this brought up the reason why I stopped complaining and started to become more grateful. From all the bad experiences my parents have been through, they do everything for us so that we wouldn't experience the horrible things they did in the future. Just like many parents, my parents provide and give me more than I can ever ask for, so that I can live a better and happy life.
ReplyDelete"The wound begins to close in on itself, to protect what is hurting so much. And once it is closed, you no longer see what is underneath, what started the pain." This quote made me realized that I had left plenty of memories of my past, memories that has been lost. Not only the bad memories, but most of my memories. The memories that I wished to be gone or memories that I wished to treasure and now I know nothing, but what I can see.
ReplyDeleteThe scene that caught my attention was when the mother had cut some of her skin and gaved it to the grandmother which is quite odd, but its just a way of trying to save the grandmother or feeding her her pain and perhaps cure the granmoyher. "..The pain you must forget" is a quote that spoke to me because it's something sinilar to what my dad would always say to me "tu olvidate del dolor y sigue adelante"as I went throught obstacles in life or even just by getting injuries as I recklessly played with my older brothers . -Saira Madrigal
ReplyDeleteThe quote that caught my attention is "The pain of flesh is nothing.the painyou must forget. Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones." I connect with this quote because when i was around 2 years old my mom was showeing me and i slipped from her hands and open the bottom of my chin. After a while i forgot about the pain but i still remember the reasons why it happened. I was my moms first daughter she tried to do everythinq very carefully but sometimes when u try too much thats when things happen. Whenever i see my scar it reminds me of my mother because she has always been there for me and to me my scar shows how mych she loves me . -Isis Gallegos
ReplyDeleteThe quote that caught my attention is "The pain of flesh is nothing.the painyou must forget. Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones." I connect with this quote because when i was around 2 years old my mom was showeing me and i slipped from her hands and open the bottom of my chin. After a while i forgot about the pain but i still remember the reasons why it happened. I was my moms first daughter she tried to do everythinq very carefully but sometimes when u try too much thats when things happen. Whenever i see my scar it reminds me of my mother because she has always been there for me and to me my scar shows how mych she loves me . -Isis Gallegos
ReplyDeleteThe quote that caught my attention is "The pain of flesh is nothing.the painyou must forget. Because sometimes that is the only way to remember what is in your bones." I connect with this quote because when i was around 2 years old my mom was showeing me and i slipped from her hands and open the bottom of my chin. After a while i forgot about the pain but i still remember the reasons why it happened. I was my moms first daughter she tried to do everythinq very carefully but sometimes when u try too much thats when things happen. Whenever i see my scar it reminds me of my mother because she has always been there for me and to me my scar shows how mych she loves me . -Isis Gallegos
ReplyDeleteA quote that caught my attention is from "The Voice From the Wall. "Now I have perfect understanding. I have already expierenced the worst. After this, there is no worst possible thing." In life, everyone is afraid to mess up and get hurt, but this quote made me realize that we have already felt so much pain that we shouldn't be afraid to take risks because nothing else can hurt us. With each moment of pain, we die for a while but come back even stronger, immune to pain each and everytime. A person who had a big impact in my life was my abuela Martina. She was like the mother in this story, always protecting me from things i couldn't even comprehend at the time and always made sure i never got into trouble. She, through her life lessons and advice, shaped me into the person I am today and I'm glad to be the way i am.
ReplyDeleteThe quote that stood out to me was in the chapter "scar" and it was in the first sentence saying "my grandmother told me my mother was a ghost. This did not mean my mother was dead. A ghost was anything we were forbidden to talk about." in this was how i have been living my life but instead of it being my mother it's my grandmother ironically. My mother would always tell me how she never really wanted me and also how she hated my mother for being with my father, but i haven't been able to talk to her either my parents don't allow me. This reason being i don't necessarily have had those experiences everyone else has with their grandmothers wanting to feed them till the can't move or anyone to tell me stories.
ReplyDeleteThe quote I found very interesting is from "The Voice," which states "And after thinking about this for a while, after feeling sorry for myself, it comforted me somewhat to think that this girl next door had a more unhappy life." I can relate to this quote because sometimes I just get to caught up in my life, my problems and my issues that sometimes i have to stop and think about others. How they can be pasting through the same type of troubles, or sometimes even worst ones. One of my memorable scars is a little bluish dot located near my pinky toe on my leg foot. I was about 10 years old when I was sitting on my bed and my mother had called me for something. All I remember is that I getting off my bed, but then my foot hit part of my bed and i felt this terrible pain on my pinky toe. When I look at it, I all of the sudden did not feel pain no more, instead I felt shocked and scared. My pinky toe was broken and was now pointing the opposite direction to my foot. I felt scared because I didn't want to have a crooked pinky toe on my foot, so i decided to move it back into place like the rest of my toes.Till this day I really don't know how I had the courage to do that in that moment in pain, but now i know that i am strong enough to react even with pain. Every time I look at my scar, I remember my strength and courage I had to block the pain and to moved my toe back into place and I'm glad to not have i crooked toe...
ReplyDeleteThe quote I founded interesting in "The Scar" is "I fell our house was so unhappy, but my little brother did not seem to think so. He rode his bicycle through the courtyard, chasing chickens and other children, laughing over which ones shrieked the loudest." This was interesting because this shows that even though she feels that her home is sad her younger brother who still shows signs of mischievousness and innocence he still runs around and brings happiness and light in this home in which she may see its unhappy.This shows that the young boy is still unaware of the things going on around him and he just lives life being care free . I can relate to this a lot because sometimes as a teen i see things differently then my younger brothers which he may not quite understand yet such as situations going on in my house and i feel his laughter and innocence is what brings light in this home just like her brother who just plays in his neighborhood. Which reminds me of my neighborhood when i used to be care free and run around in my rolling skates with my neighborhood friends making up games as we played each day.
ReplyDeleteA character that had an impact to me was Popo from "Scar", Popo took care of An-mei and her brother when her mother was not there and gave them advice while caring and nurturing them when she was able and healthy to. Popo reminds me of my aunt who has had a great impact on my life and took care of me and my brother when my parents were working and busy, she would always try to take care of us and baby us and still does even though she is getting older and sicker.
ReplyDeleteA character that caught my attention the most was Popo from "The Scar."Popo's character is strict and old fashioned. She was taught to value family and other traditions. Popo takes these traditions and tries to integrate them into her daughter. Later Popo passes them on to Waverly.Popo caught my intention because she reminds me of my grandmother.When ever she would catch me playing outside with other neighborhood boys she would yell at me to come in. "Remember your place,girls must stay at home and help their mother with chores." Even when I had completed my chores she would forbid me from playing, instead she'd make me sit and listen to her read the bible. I never agreed with her ideas and I never will.
ReplyDeleteIn "Scar", a character that caught my attention was Popo because of the way she interacted with her grand children. She forces her values and perceptions onto the children, who can't do anything to defend themselves. In my perception, this is the worse kind of parent figure. She even goes as far to make An-mei forbid to say her mother's name, fear the portrait of her father, and disturb her with her outlandish folklore stories. It's sad really.
ReplyDelete“Didn’t she recognize it would never stop?” (pg. 120)
ReplyDeleteThis quote from The Voice made my heart clench. It never stops. Waking up becomes a chore and less of a blessing. It is more than an emotional scar, it is a disfigurement you see in your own reflection. Others may not see it, but you do, and it becomes nearly impossible to repair the broken image of yourself. I remember thinking like this my sophomore year, just how I felt my eighth grade year. See, it never does stop… but you learn to find peace in chaos. Lena heard the twisted happiness of her neighbor’s lives, I saw the twisted happiness in my family. Sometimes it is the people that hurt you that shine a light in the darkness.
I believe the character that I can relate to is Popo from "Scar",since she is a lot like my own grandma who took care of me. She would always tell me stories to scare me into being a respectful little child. As I reflect on this now I realize that she only did this out of love even though she made most people fear her. I believe that Popo probably did as she did in order to protect the children from their mother's problems. Who knows what would've happened to them.
ReplyDeleteIn the book"The Joy Luck Club" I found the quote " in all my imagining, I was filled with a sense that I would soon become perfect. My mother and father would adore me." When I was younger I wanted to be a Police Man to serve and protect but my mentality changed. Now as I got older I still want to protect but I want to help those who want the help, I would like to be a personal trainer, and soon start up my own gym that would fit everyone and anyone and make them feel like home, to help them feel like they belong and maybe one day help them find their dreams.
ReplyDeleteIn the book Joy Luck Club, in "The Scar", one scene that left an impression on me was when her mother took her flesh and put it in the soup. That scene showed how even though the mother was hated and outcasted, the mother still cared for them. She wanted to show Popo that she was loyal to their family and hoped that they would forgive her for leaving. I can relate to this book because my father is outcasted from my family, but for other reasons. I look up to my grandfather. He is a very kind and generous persIon. He is like a replacement for my dad and he has taught me so much. A memorable scar that i have is when i had to get surgery for a broken collar bone. - luis mendoza
ReplyDeleteIn the book Joy Luck Club, in "The Scar", one scene that left an impression on me was when her mother took her flesh and put it in the soup. That scene showed how even though the mother was hated and outcasted, the mother still cared for them. She wanted to show Popo that she was loyal to their family and hoped that they would forgive her for leaving. I can relate to this book because my father is outcasted from my family, but for other reasons. I look up to my grandfather. He is a very kind and generous persIon. He is like a replacement for my dad and he has taught me so much. A memorable scar that i have is when i had to get surgery for a broken collar bone. - luis mendoza
ReplyDeleteI found the Scene in which the girl over hears a possible domestic violence situation from her next door neighbors house at night. This quote is interesting because I did not expect this passage to contain any domestic issues. I can relate to this scene for the reason being as a child I was constantly witnessing domestic violence and I always felt as if I'd be stuck in those moments forever.
ReplyDeleteThe part that made an impression me was when Waverley's mom cuts a piece of her skin to put it in the soup for Popo to eat. Even though she knows Popo despises her, she would sacrifice her body in the hope to healing Popo. I can relate to this story because i have many scars on my body. The one that made stands out the most to me is the one on my knee which i got while sliding to third base. My knee was bleeding and my skin had peeled off but from that day i learned how to slide right so i wouldn't hurt myself again and get another nasty scar.
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ReplyDeleteWhile reading "The Scar" the part that stood out to me was when she is at the table and the soup spills all over her and she says" it was as though everyones anger were pouring all over my neck."This quote stood out to me because she explains the commontions that is going on and due to it all she is left with this scar on her neck. I Can relate to this quote because as a child i had a cat named Jester who id always play with. one day jester snapped and attacked me. i was left with a scar on my neck as well. When this happened everyone was concerned yet upset because they'd always tell me not to play with jester but i never listened and learned my lesson mthe hard way.
ReplyDeleteIn "the Voice from the Wall" where Lena says, "I knew my mother made up anything to warn me, to help me avoid some unknown danger. My mother saw danger in everything...", was a quote I found to be very relatable because growing up, my mom always tried to keep me away from anything that can bring harm in my way. Although I repeatedly heard my mother's constant sayings of "don't do this" and "don't do that", I still managed to get scars whether it was on an emotional or physical level, but through all my scrapes and bruises there's always a memorable lesson to be learned.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite essay was "Failing Successfully" by Candace M., not just because she spoke of Abraham Lincoln but because of her powerful theme. The theme was that no matter how many times you fail, you at least succeed in learning from those failures and turning that knowledge into something greater. The essay was well written and had a few errors and also was very relate-able to the reader. It made me think about times when i failed repeatedly but ended up learning from my mistakes and using that new knowledge to help me in the future. The writer portrayed her theme through the usage of metaphors and repetition. From the do's the writer did a good job in being humble and wasn't to cocky. Also showed positivity from all her negative experiences. Lastly, the writer wasn't predictable at all, you would've expected her to have succeeded at the end but in reality she failed once more. Things she could've improved on was being blunt and also not use as many quotes since it makes the essay lose some it's flow, but overall it was an amazing essay.
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