**Summary**
In these chapters you get into the life of the family and their background. The mother of the girls, Laura always referred to her daughters as “the four girls,” she never called them by their names because she had four girls and no boys. Her husband doesn’t really like it because he always wanted a boy but Laura was never able to have a boy, always girls. And so in this chapter Julia Alvarez takes us back to the beginning when all the four girls were young deciding colors, and what they liked, because their mother distinguished them only by the color they wore. In the chapter Laura is also telling stories of each of the girls when they were younger, which shows how she views them. however, she leave some changes which indicates her current attitude toward each of her daughters. She tells the story of Sofia’s betrayal towards the family but made it positive. Laura and her husband are very disappointed in Sofia becuase of her actions to runaway and marry a man the family has never met before. she also tells the story of Carla’s red sneakers which shows the pride she has in her family, and she tells the story of Yolanda’s career as a poet and her trouble with men, especially with her husband John. However, she had a difficult time telling a story of Sandra because she is mentally ill.
Yolanda was married to a man named John, which the marriage did not work out. Yolanda undergoes a breakdown where she loses all of her communication with everyone else. Everyone becomes depressed and broken hearted becuase of her breakdown especially her husband becuase her attitude and actions becomes intolerable. She starts to reveal different situations she goes through with her marriage and people around her in which she loves.
**Quote**
"The words tumble out, making a sound like the rumble of distant thunder, taking shape, depth, and substance. Yo continues: "Doc, rock, smock, luck," so many words. There is no end to what can be said about the world" (Alvarez 85).
**Reaction**
I find this quote important becuase it reflects Yolanda in a different way. she characterize herself as a great poet, however when she goes through this breakdown she loses all her sense. And when she starts talking, she just babbles, and she can't communicate well.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents (pages 3-39)
Antojos-The Kiss :*
Summary
This Novel written by a Hispanic poet, Julia Alvarez, is divided into three sections, beginning in 1989 and ending in 1956. She writes the book chronologically, as flashbacks throughout the book. The novel begins with Yolanda, the narrator coming home in five years to Dominica Republic for the first time from school in the U.S. Her whole family are there at her house celebrating her return and they had a cake shaped as the island with the different cities. She is loved by all of her family, and envied as well by her cousins. Overall, Yolanda comes back home with the essence of a permanent stay. Throughout the first chapter she is trying to figure out her family roots and where she belongs, because she has lost some of her Spanish. Because she left Dominica Republic for so long and is now returning for the first time, she has lost much of the language and culture that forms her family’s background and national heritage. Because of the lost of who she is suppose to be, a Dominican, she approaches situations differently than the rest of her family, and there is a gap between their cultural perspective and her own. This gap leads to a certain distance between her and the other members of the family. For instance, she doesn’t know what antojo mean, and her whole family had to explain to her what it meant, and no one was able to, so everyone sees the change in Yolanda, as well as in the physical changes, because she stands out differently. She dresses differently from her cousins, wear her hair differently, holds her postures differently, and even talk differently. She is overall, adjusting her life in this new environment she has just been welcomed to.
Quoate ""
"I'll tell you what i would like." Yoland gives the tree line beyond the old woman's shack a glance. "Are there any guavas around?" (Alvarez 15).
<-- Guavas !! :)
Reaction
Yolanda returns to Dominica Repulic and goes into town, and ends up in Altamira, and she arrives at this cluster house. The old woman asked her if she wanted any refreshments such as coca cola. But when she said she wanted guavas, the old woman was in shock, that such an elegant woman wanted guavas. In my perspective, Yolanda wanted guavas to reconnect to her roots and family, to remember or even have the sense of who she is or who she's suppose to be. She is trying to relate to everyone else around, which is why she goes to the hill where the guavas were, just to have some guavas.
Summary
This Novel written by a Hispanic poet, Julia Alvarez, is divided into three sections, beginning in 1989 and ending in 1956. She writes the book chronologically, as flashbacks throughout the book. The novel begins with Yolanda, the narrator coming home in five years to Dominica Republic for the first time from school in the U.S. Her whole family are there at her house celebrating her return and they had a cake shaped as the island with the different cities. She is loved by all of her family, and envied as well by her cousins. Overall, Yolanda comes back home with the essence of a permanent stay. Throughout the first chapter she is trying to figure out her family roots and where she belongs, because she has lost some of her Spanish. Because she left Dominica Republic for so long and is now returning for the first time, she has lost much of the language and culture that forms her family’s background and national heritage. Because of the lost of who she is suppose to be, a Dominican, she approaches situations differently than the rest of her family, and there is a gap between their cultural perspective and her own. This gap leads to a certain distance between her and the other members of the family. For instance, she doesn’t know what antojo mean, and her whole family had to explain to her what it meant, and no one was able to, so everyone sees the change in Yolanda, as well as in the physical changes, because she stands out differently. She dresses differently from her cousins, wear her hair differently, holds her postures differently, and even talk differently. She is overall, adjusting her life in this new environment she has just been welcomed to.
The second chapters, I read you the relationship amongst father and daughter is revealed. The four Garcia daughters traditionally gathered every year for their father's birthday. They came alone, leaving behind husbands, boyfriends, and work. Their father Carlos would greet them, they would eat cake, and then he would give them envelopes filled with hundreds of dollars in small bills. The daughters always wondered why he does not simply write checks instead. For her father's seventieth birthday, however, Sofia wanted to break the tradition and have the party at her house, including the husbands and children. But things doesn’t go as planned. Sofia isn’t really considered as a daughter to carlos because of her action. She is very sexual, and comfortable with who she is, which her father disagrees with. The father tries to control her, but she is not the one to be controlled, she’s very free spirited. So in this chapter, you notice that the father is very brutal and not very affectionate. He gets very angry when Sofia kisses him because she gave him a sloppy kiss and bit his ears as well, however Carlos was humiliated, but Sofia did this so her father would know that she was kissing him. There are a very strong disagreement between Sofia and her father. They are not very modest with one another.
Quoate ""
"I'll tell you what i would like." Yoland gives the tree line beyond the old woman's shack a glance. "Are there any guavas around?" (Alvarez 15).
<-- Guavas !! :)
Reaction
Yolanda returns to Dominica Repulic and goes into town, and ends up in Altamira, and she arrives at this cluster house. The old woman asked her if she wanted any refreshments such as coca cola. But when she said she wanted guavas, the old woman was in shock, that such an elegant woman wanted guavas. In my perspective, Yolanda wanted guavas to reconnect to her roots and family, to remember or even have the sense of who she is or who she's suppose to be. She is trying to relate to everyone else around, which is why she goes to the hill where the guavas were, just to have some guavas.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Infamous Woman: The Life of George Sand (pgs. 192-202)
<-- George Sand`Summary`
George arrives in Nohant, back home! Arriving in nohant she suffers an embarrassing, body covering, and nervous rash. However, once she arrived she instantly began writing again, what she went through did not affect her progress in her job as a writer. In these two chapters, George was in low spirit because her journey was over with Musset, but she kept writing proficiently. In the beginning of the first chapter, George is now getting involved with a new man by the name of Michel de Bourges. They back and forth, write passionate letters to each other without her husband, Casimir knowing. She does these letters while still having feelings for Musset and confused about her situation with Casimir.
George arrives in Nohant, back home! Arriving in nohant she suffers an embarrassing, body covering, and nervous rash. However, once she arrived she instantly began writing again, what she went through did not affect her progress in her job as a writer. In these two chapters, George was in low spirit because her journey was over with Musset, but she kept writing proficiently. In the beginning of the first chapter, George is now getting involved with a new man by the name of Michel de Bourges. They back and forth, write passionate letters to each other without her husband, Casimir knowing. She does these letters while still having feelings for Musset and confused about her situation with Casimir.
`Quote`
"It is for us to tear down, for you to rebuild" (Barry 192).
<-- Casimir Dudevant, George's husband
`Reaction`
I see no relatedness of the chapters I read with the quote above. However, I think she stated this quote because of her situation coming back home to her husband and having a new relationship with another man, so she has to start over again, but making the same mistakes again.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Infamous Woman: The Life of George Sand (pgs.174-191)
<-- Venice, Italy`Summary`
These chapters kick off George's relationship with Musset. They enjoy their love in Italy while it lasted. In the first chapter, George reveals her alter ego. The author gives out an image of her as superior, she begins smoking cigarette, crossing her leg when she sits, always wearing the fancy hats, and looking serious. In Venice, they lived their love fully; however it came to an end. Musset reveals to George how much he loves her, which scared her very much; to an extent that she left him. George is the type of woman that gets scared and frightened once things gets too serious and attached. After George finishes her relationship with Musset in the year of 1835, she returns to her family in Nohant.
These chapters kick off George's relationship with Musset. They enjoy their love in Italy while it lasted. In the first chapter, George reveals her alter ego. The author gives out an image of her as superior, she begins smoking cigarette, crossing her leg when she sits, always wearing the fancy hats, and looking serious. In Venice, they lived their love fully; however it came to an end. Musset reveals to George how much he loves her, which scared her very much; to an extent that she left him. George is the type of woman that gets scared and frightened once things gets too serious and attached. After George finishes her relationship with Musset in the year of 1835, she returns to her family in Nohant.
`Quote`
"Journey ends in lovers meeting, every wise man's son doth know" (Barry 183).
--> This quote was orginally said by William Shakespeare.
"I am embarking on the last stage of my madness" (Barry 183).
--> This quote was originally said by pietro Pagello
`Reaction`
`Extra`
Pierto Pagello
This quote describes how George felt towards Musset, and how Musset felt towards her. George has gone madly insane betraying her husband, and going back to him as if nothing has happened. I definitely agree with the quote, Musset was a famous poetic, he caught the women instantly. As always this journey between George and Musset was bound to end at one point and it arrived, and they both have to go back to their regular lives.
`Extra`
Pierto Pagello
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Infamous Woman: The Life of George Sand (pgs.128-173)
*Summary!
In chapters 14 through 19, George undergoes a huge change in her life. George was forced to grow and be responsible once her child was born, Solange. However, George didn't get into her mother role instantly. After couple months that she delivered baby Solange, she instantly traveled to Paris to progress another book she's began to write. These chapters reveal George's true identity as well as her loss of identity. Everyone viewed George as shy and innocent, however a man that she met on her trip to Paris, Merimee, she claimed to be in love with him and had an affair. To make things worse she later has another affair with Musset, whom she also met in Paris. George creates a woman called Leila, in these chapters she describes Leila as passionate, fearless, feisty, and everything she is not. She describes her as "the Woman who can love." George begins to have different relationships with different men while her husband is back at home taking care of their child. As she enjoyed her moments, and begins to have regrets about marrying Casimir, her reputation comes out by her friend, Marie who told Dumas, who told everyone else. She became the most detestable woman in Paris because she became known as "Merimee's mistress," who clearly stated "I had him in my arms last night, but it wasn't much." But, George kept her head high the comments did not at all affect her in any way. She kept going out, doing her writing and now seeing with her new lover, Musset. She describes Musset as her one true love, as if destiny sent her to Paris to meet, and so did Musset. Musset believed that "since their first encounter, they knew that they had dreamed of each other, that they might well fall in love, separate and even betray each other, but that they would never be indifferent one to the other" (Barry 164).
*Quote!
"The Muse of comedy kissed her on the lips, and on the heart, the Muse of Tragedy. If we do not clearly perceive how and why the intelligentsia then born reflects or refracts historical and social reality, we shall understand nothing about Romanticism. Particularly Musset with his multiple contrsdictions, venal inextricable-sought absolute love, his concern for purity and oerverse taste for smut, his sentimental exaltation of women coupled with his execration of them" (Barry 160).
*Reaction!
This quote describes Musset's and George's relationship. I don't specifically agree 100% with the second part of the quote, about learning about historical and social reality to be able to understand romanticism. I think that history has nothing to do with being romantic, it comes from within, and it’s a feeling or sometimes a talent that a male or female has. The whole background of romance, history, and social reality doesn't make sound as romance; it makes it sound more like a historical fact and a school work. however, in the first part of the quote when it state that the Muse kissed her on the lips and on the heart, in my opinion, Muse is Musset; and he captured George, he was able to kiss her physically on the lips, and emotionally on her heart. He is now the owner of her heart.
However, i don't fully understand why the kissing becomes the Muse Tragedy. But my inference is that since George is married to casimir and has a daughter, this relationship will become a tragedy because it will destroy a family along with a young child's life because she won't have a regular life with her mother and father. If George is truly in love with Musset and so is Musset with George that the next approach would be to divorce Casimir (if it's possible at her time) and marry or just settle with Musset.
*Extra
Alfred de Musset!
<-- George's lover from the years 1833-1835.
Find Out More About Him!!
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/demusset.htm
In chapters 14 through 19, George undergoes a huge change in her life. George was forced to grow and be responsible once her child was born, Solange. However, George didn't get into her mother role instantly. After couple months that she delivered baby Solange, she instantly traveled to Paris to progress another book she's began to write. These chapters reveal George's true identity as well as her loss of identity. Everyone viewed George as shy and innocent, however a man that she met on her trip to Paris, Merimee, she claimed to be in love with him and had an affair. To make things worse she later has another affair with Musset, whom she also met in Paris. George creates a woman called Leila, in these chapters she describes Leila as passionate, fearless, feisty, and everything she is not. She describes her as "the Woman who can love." George begins to have different relationships with different men while her husband is back at home taking care of their child. As she enjoyed her moments, and begins to have regrets about marrying Casimir, her reputation comes out by her friend, Marie who told Dumas, who told everyone else. She became the most detestable woman in Paris because she became known as "Merimee's mistress," who clearly stated "I had him in my arms last night, but it wasn't much." But, George kept her head high the comments did not at all affect her in any way. She kept going out, doing her writing and now seeing with her new lover, Musset. She describes Musset as her one true love, as if destiny sent her to Paris to meet, and so did Musset. Musset believed that "since their first encounter, they knew that they had dreamed of each other, that they might well fall in love, separate and even betray each other, but that they would never be indifferent one to the other" (Barry 164).
*Quote!
"The Muse of comedy kissed her on the lips, and on the heart, the Muse of Tragedy. If we do not clearly perceive how and why the intelligentsia then born reflects or refracts historical and social reality, we shall understand nothing about Romanticism. Particularly Musset with his multiple contrsdictions, venal inextricable-sought absolute love, his concern for purity and oerverse taste for smut, his sentimental exaltation of women coupled with his execration of them" (Barry 160).
*Reaction!
This quote describes Musset's and George's relationship. I don't specifically agree 100% with the second part of the quote, about learning about historical and social reality to be able to understand romanticism. I think that history has nothing to do with being romantic, it comes from within, and it’s a feeling or sometimes a talent that a male or female has. The whole background of romance, history, and social reality doesn't make sound as romance; it makes it sound more like a historical fact and a school work. however, in the first part of the quote when it state that the Muse kissed her on the lips and on the heart, in my opinion, Muse is Musset; and he captured George, he was able to kiss her physically on the lips, and emotionally on her heart. He is now the owner of her heart.
However, i don't fully understand why the kissing becomes the Muse Tragedy. But my inference is that since George is married to casimir and has a daughter, this relationship will become a tragedy because it will destroy a family along with a young child's life because she won't have a regular life with her mother and father. If George is truly in love with Musset and so is Musset with George that the next approach would be to divorce Casimir (if it's possible at her time) and marry or just settle with Musset.
*Extra
Alfred de Musset!
<-- George's lover from the years 1833-1835.
Find Out More About Him!!
http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/demusset.htm
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Infamous Woman: The life of George Sand (77-126)
<--- George Sand
Summary
In the Beginning of Chapter 9, the author begins to refer to the narrator as Aurore instead of George; however this is still taken place during her earlier life about when she was 21 years of age. From chapter 9-16 it describes Aurore's dealing with new environment and the moving from France to Gascony with the Dudevant's husband, wife and child with nurse and valet. At this point the author takes us forward a few years later into her life when she is married to Casimir and is pregnant with his child. In these chapters George reveals her insecurity, because of the way she expresses about her husband, she only says "he's a good husband,” when talking to her friends about him. There is no close and tender relationship between them. She’s always depending on her husband for anything. For instance, on page 89, George experiences a childlike behavior with her husband, "Oh, my good friend, how the memory of it pains me!... I sincerely curse my grouchy character... I beg of your forgiveness...how sad to be alone!... from now on I only wish to make you happy" (Barry). George has this insecurity towards her husband that she acts childishly, and instead of talking to her husband about the situation and confronts it, she write her feelings and everything she desires to say into her personal journal she has kept ever since her grandmother died when she was only 5 years old. While reading these chapters, many dialects start to come up. Perceptively, the dialect sounds very Shakespearean. Overall, throughout these seven chapters, it's basically about Aurore's and Casimir's Relationship and their downfall. Aurore is fighting with herself to make her husband happy, but to act and be mature about it as well; she is still a child and hasn’t yet grown into an adult.
Quote
"Less than all satisfies no man" (Barry 83).
---> This quote was orginally said by William Blake.
Reaction
When starting a new chapter, the author, Joseph Barry always opens the chapter with a quote which always summarizes the whole chapter. However, even though here were other quotes that began each chapter I read, I specifically think that this particular quote summarizes the whole four chapters I read. Throughout the chapters, George is struggling to satisfy her husband and keep him happy. Opinionated, this quote means that if a woman is no putting her best in a relationship, is very unorganized, and overall childish, it does not satisfy any man. Less is a very powerful connotation because it's describing a woman as an insect, as something worthless, you really feel what the quote is trying to say; " If a woman is less (still a child) she will not satisfy any man, because she yet still has much to learn." Because the quote is a small phrase; it doesn't specifically has the word "woman" and "child" it give out a stronger feeling of George and her husband. The quote has more strength and more meaning by just using the word less, instead of just saying if a woman is still a child.
When starting a new chapter, the author, Joseph Barry always opens the chapter with a quote which always summarizes the whole chapter. However, even though here were other quotes that began each chapter I read, I specifically think that this particular quote summarizes the whole four chapters I read. Throughout the chapters, George is struggling to satisfy her husband and keep him happy. Opinionated, this quote means that if a woman is no putting her best in a relationship, is very unorganized, and overall childish, it does not satisfy any man. Less is a very powerful connotation because it's describing a woman as an insect, as something worthless, you really feel what the quote is trying to say; " If a woman is less (still a child) she will not satisfy any man, because she yet still has much to learn." Because the quote is a small phrase; it doesn't specifically has the word "woman" and "child" it give out a stronger feeling of George and her husband. The quote has more strength and more meaning by just using the word less, instead of just saying if a woman is still a child.
Source/William Blake
William Blake (28 November 1757 – 12 August 1827) was an English poet, painter, and printmaker.
Biogaphy: http://www.online-literature.com/blake/
Friday, October 2, 2009
Infamous Woman: The Life of George Sand (pgs.13-76)
- Summary!
The first eight chapters are about the introduction of George Sand into the story. The Exposition describes her as a very confused woman. Her name was originally Amantine-Aurore Lucile Dupin; the desendent of a Saxon King of Poland and of a french Bird-seller, born on July 1, 1804, in a poor quarter of Paris. The setting is currently taken place in France. This story is writting in a limited 3rd person Point of View. This story is also told through Flashbacks; it does not go in order chronologically, but instead it jumps from place to place and time to time in George Sand's life. For instance, in the 1st chapter her confusion and background is introduced, however, in the 2nd chapter her childhood story is told. Her confusion is that she is not very certain of her date of birth, but she is certain that when she was born, her father and her mother were not married, which causes her to have an internal conflict ( Human vs. Self) if she is a "natural" Dupin or Delaborde, which was her mother's last name. Overall, these few chapters just deals with Sand's questions and her finding the answers to her questions.
- Quotation!
" The Dead are alive in us" (Barry 1).
- Reaction!
This quote was used in the very beginning of the story which is not considered a chapter, called "Past Prologue," which explains the readers the overall story of George's life, summarizing her life as a whole. This quote was written in George's Correspondance, by George herself in 1848. This quote describes how George is absolutely sure that she is her ancestors, you can tell becuase the author provides all of George's ancestors, beginning from her Grandfather revealing their full names, their story, and where they are from; and so George goes on a journey to find who she really is.
I definitely agree with this quote becuase we are our families, they are in us; which also relates that our dead families are also in us, in our blood, in our Genes! We are our ancestors from many years before, and i think that was what George is trying to say, that we are not simply a certain race, it goes beyond that, becuase we are alos our ancestors who were a different race than we are. which brings the question who are you really?This quote as a whole give a feeling of fear, and supernatural creepiness. The word dead and alive is a connotation, which frightens the readers a little becuase it can be taken literal. But, how it's used in this case, it's a search of your identity, your origin; who you really are!
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