Post 6:
This post was challenging for me and I tried to write it as a vignette. I found it challenging to write a journal entry for anyone other than Esperenza and I wasn’t sure what to focus on. I have a good idea of the emerging themes of the novel and tried to incorporate them here.
The Stars Shine for Sally, Not Me
I don’t know why but it seems as though the stars wink at me as I gaze up at them. I can’t believe they would even acknowledge my presence. My father gives me funny looks when I say this to him. He says good girls don’t wish on stars, that’s for dreamers. What is so wrong with being a dreamer? Sometimes I think my whole life is a dream where everyone is stuck on Mango Street. The only way dreams come true is if you move away from here. Even Sally has dreams of moving away, but she doesn’t want to do it with me. All I need is a boy so I can have my dreams come true.
Alex,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't watch your video because the screen keeps saying "This video is private." I don't know if you maybe have to change the settings on the video so that we can view it?
I did really like the text that you composed for the v-log though. I think its interesting that you found this post to be a challenging task, and I'm wondering if that's because it is much harder to put yourself in the shoes of a girl. I was thinking about that in terms of using this project in class. Esperanza is, by far, one of the most dominant characters in the book so there is a lot that we know about her. It might be interesting, however, to try and represent another smaller character that we don't know as much about: perhaps Esperanza's father or Nenny. Perhaps if you were able to choose a character that you felt you related more closely to, this assignment wouldn't have been so challenging for you.... Just food for thought...
-Brooke
ReplyDeleteAlex-
ReplyDeleteI love the language you use in this journal entry. It definitely mimics the language used in the book and sounds like it could be another vignette towards the end! I think it would be interesting to explore other characters in the story on this idea of dreams and see if they have them, too. I think many of the other kids on the block would have dreams of their own, even if they don't line up with Esperanza's. Sally's is probably to get married so she can get away from her father, or maybe just get away with a friend as you suggested, but I think she LOVES the attention from boys, especially after the scene in the Monkey Garden - a journal entry in reaction to her married life would be really interesting. It might be a cool assignment to create another "Mango Street" text by putting together vignettes through all the different voices of the different characters in the story - each student could take a different character since there are SO many! I would love to hear from the perspective of characters like the Earl of Tennessee, Mamacita, Sally, Nenny and Esperanza's parents - do they all share this sentiment that "the only way dreams come true" is if they move - or we could do entries that have them reflect on their lives before Mango St and compare them to what they have now.
-Hannah
Hannah-
ReplyDeleteI LOVE your idea of creating another "Mango Street" Text by using the perspectives of all of the other silent characters. The whole class could really collaborate on this and create a text together- which would be a fun way to see what it is like to put a book together (the way real authors do.) I know it is expensive, but if it were me, I think I would then "publish" that text and order some copies off of Lulu so that the students could see a published version of the work that they created. I think that could be a really empowering experience for students!
-Brooke