Reflective Journal

Sandra Cisneros Title:  The House on Mango Street Author:  Sandra Cisneros Date:  1983 Setting (time and place):   This piece of literature takes place in The House on Mango street. Event (conflict, important information, touching passage, question):  This story begin with the story of Esperanza's family moving to a new house. The first house that the family owns. Moving to a new house also means moving to a new environment in which Esperanza is able to witness different social problems such as poverty and crime. Characters: Esperanza Cordero:  She is Chicana and the narrator of the story. She is only twelve years old. Through the story it is evidenced her change from being a girl to a woman.  Nenny:  Her real name is Magdalena and she is Esperanza's little sister. Esperanza is always taking care of her and their relation is not the best. Mama: She is originally from the United sta...

Gloria Anzaldúa Title:  To live in the borderlands Author:  Gloria Anzaldúa Date:  1987 Setting (time and place):   The borderlands; specifically, in the border between Mexico and the United States. Event (conflict, important information, touching passage, question):  The main conflict in this poem is the lack of identity that people in the borderlands live. Since it is a very multicultural place, the mixture of cultures makes it difficult to believe that one belongs to a specific group or culture. Characters: There is not a specific character, but it refers in general to the people who live in the borderlands.  Memorable quote / favorite part:  "To live in the Borderlands means knowing that the India in you, betrayed for 500 years, is no longer speaking to you, that Mexicans call you rajetas, that denying the Anglo inside you is as bad as having denied the Indian or Black....

Art Spiegelman Title:  Maus Author:  Art Spiegelman Date:  1991 Setting (time and place):   Since the novel has two sides, there are two main settings. One is in the "present" in Vladek's house were Artie is interviewing his father to know about his past, and the other is around Poland where Vladek live in the past. Event (conflict, important information, touching passage, question):  The main issues are the father-son relationship as well as the history about the holocaust and how the Jewish were chased by the German. It was during the World Warr II.  Characters: Vladek:  He is the main character he seems to be very stubborn and stingy, but by knowing his background it is understandable that he is like that because of his past. He went to the war and then were kept as prisoner then he was taken to a concentration camp. when he was released, it was the beginning of the "dark days" fo...

Title:  Growing up in a Jewish Neighborhood Richard Chess Author:  Richard Chess Date:  1992 Setting (time and place):   By its title, one could infer that the settings of this poem is a Jewish neighborhood and all the difficulties that it represents. Event (conflict, important information, touching passage, question):  This poem is describing how difficult it was for people to grow up as Jewish some time ago and how these people lived sacred of an uncertain future and in bad conditions. The poem shows how Jewish people always wished for something better and all the struggles they had to come through.  Characters: He:  The only things that are known are that the main character is a he and that he is Jewish. He seems to be a person who is always dreaming about good things to happen since his whole life he has been suffering because of his surroundings. Memorable quote / favorite pa...

Maya Angelou Title:  Caged Bird Author:  Maya Angelou Date:  1983 Setting (time and place):   There is not mention of time or place in this poem since the Characters are a metaphoric representation. Event (conflict, important information, touching passage, question):  This poem is giving a comparison of what a free bird can do, and a caged bird can't. This of course is a metaphor referring to the difference between the white and black people. This difference has existed for thousands of years and even now a days it can be evidenced in some places around the world.  Characters: The Free Bird:  It is the representation of freedom itself and good life compared to others. The Caged Bird:  It is the representation of a life as a prisoner and not being able to fulfill desires and wishes.  Memorable quote / favorite part:  "But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams his shado...

Kimberly Blaeser Title:   "If I Laid Them End to End" Author:  Kimberly Blaeser Date:  2007 Setting (time and place):  Since this poem is composed by three different stories, it has different settings. The first one there is no clear evidence of the time and settings, but it mentions a knife-marred counter in which conversations spills like sunshine. The second story doesn't mention its time either, but it mentions a burned farm, and a Strawberry mountain. The last story mentions two old fishermen that ended up drunk in a canoe; this means that probably they are on a lake or in a sea. Event (Conflict, important information, touching passage, question):  Even though there are three different stories in this poem, there is one specific topic which is starvation. The three stories mention how the characters in one way, or another are trying to survive and find food. For example, in the second stanza in the last line it says: "Sure took the w...