Have you ever made a mistake and ended up growing and changing because of it? Everyone has. Especially in literature, you can read about characters that were shaped and developed by personal values and experiences. Literature reveals characters coming to terms with their values, and/or telling about their own experiences to help with someone else’s values. Judith Cofer Ortiz shows this in “Abuela Invents the Zero”, as well as Langston Hughes in “Mother to Son.” Even though these pieces of literature are very different, the authors gave us the point of view of someone experienced, and someone who is changing values as they are learning. Whether it’s advice or a story about someone who learned something, they can both give you an idea of how …show more content…
personal values can shape us. Constancia didn’t have the best values at the beginning of “Abuela Invents the Zero”, but at the end her values strengthened.
Constancia learns that the actions she takes can result badly sometimes, if she doesn’t realize how she’s treating others. Constancia mistreated her Abuela and ended up hurting her feelings because she was embarrassed to be around her. Abuela got really upset and hurt by Constancia. Eventually, Constancia learns a lesson and changes her values. Constancia reveals her embarrassment when she says, “I just hope that nobody I know see’s us together. I’m dreaming, of course”, (Cofer Ortiz). The next step closer to Constancia’s realization about her wrong-doing’s was when Abuela expresses how it makes her feel. “You made me feel like a zero, like a nothing”, (Cofer Ortiz) Constancia ends up feeling guilty, revealed when she says, “That’s when I’m sent to my room to consider a number I hadn’t thought much about- until today”, (Cofer Ortiz). The values of the mother in “Mother to Son” were strong and mature. The mother goes through a lot of challenges throughout her life and gains experience from it. This means that she can give her son advice to help guide him for his future, what he will face, and developing values. Some advice she gives her son is, “So, boy, don’t you turn back”, …show more content…
(Hughes). In “Abuela Invents the Zero”, one of Constancia’s strengths is her opinion.
She has a strong opinion of her Abuela without really getting to know her. Constancia is strong in her judging and criticism. An example of this was when she says, “She is walking as slow as Captain Cousteau exploring the bottom of the sea, looking around, taking her sweet time”, (Cofer Ortiz). Constancia’s weakness was recognizing her behavior. An example of this is in paragraph 17 saying, “I try to explain what happened. ‘I don’t understand why she’s so upset. She just got lost and wandered around for a while,’ I tell them. But it sounds lame, even to my own ears”, (Cofer Ortiz). In “Mother to Son”, the mother’s strength is that she is giving advice such as, “Don’t you fall now- For I’se still goin’, honey, I’se still climbin’, (Hughes) to help her son with his future experiences. The mother didn’t have any weaknesses in the
poem. After reading these stories and getting to understand the characters better, I found many words to describe each person. The mother is wise, experienced, mature, thoughtful, and intelligent. She shows this in line’s 9-13 saying, “I’se been a-climbin’ on, And reachin’ landin’s And turnin’ corners, And sometimes goin’ in the dark where there ain’t been no light” (Hughes). Constancia is independent, ignorant, absorbed, a learner, and young. She shows this in paragraph 13 saying, “I ignore her when she gets up with a hundred other people to go take communion. I’m actually praying hard now- that this will all be over soon” (Cofer Ortiz). In the poem, the mother doesn’t learn a lesson or get impacted, but her son will be impacted by her words. This poem has the potential to change her son for the better, whenever he needs to grow value-wise. Because of this, her son’s future actions would be positive. In “Abuela Invents the Zero”, Constancia learns that she needs to think about others feelings more. This experience had an impact on her life. Because of this learning experience, Constancia’s future actions would be positive. In these two selections, I saw a pattern of a mother trying to help and guide their child. I recommend that you take some time to review a couple excerpts or passages, and find out for yourself how personal experiences shape our values. Literature reveals characters coming to terms with their values, and/or telling about their own experiences to help with someone else’s values. These two stories clearly showed this. All of these observations and textual evidence support that personal experiences can shape our values.
Doña Guadalupe is a woman of great strength and power, power and strength which she draws from her devout faith and her deep and loving compassion for her family, and power and strength which is passed down to her children. “‘Well, then, come in,’ she said, deciding that she could be handle this innocent-girl-stealing coyote inside. On going into the long tent, Salvador felt like he’d entered the web of a spider, the old woman was eyeing him so deliberately” (360). Doña Guadalupe is a very protective woman, which is extremely speculative when it comes to her children, this is especially true when it comes to boys, because she has not gone this far only for all of her hard work to be ruined by a no good boy. This shows how protective she is, she loves her family, and especially her kids so much that they themselves must pass her test before being able to pass on to her children. “The newborns were moving, squirming, reaching out for life. It was truly a sign from God” (58). Doña Guadalupe is also a very devout and faithful person. She sees God in everything and in everyone and by that fact, what she sees and who she sees is true, and she tries to be a model of clairvoyance for the family. “Doña Guadalupe put the baby’s little feet in a bowel of warm water, and the child clinging to his mother. He never cried, listening to her heartbeat, the same music that he’d heard from inside the womb” (57). Finally, Doña Guadalupe is very passionate which allows for a great model upon which her children follow. This further shows how she is clearly th...
People change everyday, whether it is from good to bad or for the better. People often say to themselves, maybe, if I didn't do “blank” this wouldn't have happened. However, the reality is, it happened, and there is no way to change that. Why go around throwing maybe’s around if you cannot change it? Authors purposefully make readers ask those questions. Authors love to create complex characters, characters that go through change. In Ellen Hopkins’ book, Crank, is the perfect example. Ellen Hopkins writes from her own daughter's perspective, Kristina, on how “the monster” changed her own life and her family's life.
People can change their ways overtime in a positive way. Everyone has experienced change once in their life. Some people have acknowledged change over the course of life in a positive way or a negative way. Throughout the novel “The First Stone” by Don Aker, the main character Reef alters his ways a lot positively. Reef is a teenager who changes his lifestyle and makes a huge impact in his life after he meets Leeza. This novel develops the fact that people can change in a beneficial way, no matter what situation they are in.
As the next few weeks go on we see Pedro and Tita's relationship develop. The biggest change is when Pedro's son Roberto is born. Tita begins to breast feed Roberto because Rosaura had no milk after the strain of her pregnancy. The author uses imagery to express the feelings of longing between Pedro and Tita by writing about the looks they gave each other. Specifically when Pedro looked at Tita, it was a look that, when matched with Tita's "fused so perfectly that whoever saw them would have seen but a single look, a single rhythmic and sensual motion." This look changed their relationship forever, it bonded them together and they would never be separated in their hearts. This shows that the theme of, true love can withstand anything, is true. After this interaction between them they had been less careful about hiding from Mama Elena and when the baptism rolled around Mama Elena had seen enough. She decided, in the middle of the party that Pedro, Rosaura and Roberto would be moving to San Antonio to be with her cousin. They left and after about a year Mama Elena passed
The novel Tangerine, written by Edward Bloor, perfectly demonstrates how a character can change their ways and learn lessons. When the protagonist, Paul Fisher, was first introduced, he was a shy, quiet kid, who never tried to change his situation. He has a terrible relationship with his brother, Erik, and is literally terrified of him and what he will do to him. In the beginning of the book, he was moving from Houston, Texas to his new home in Tangerine, Florida. In his fresh start to life in Tangerine, he learns that he shouldn’t be scared, and that he needs to start standing up for himself and letting his voice, thoughts, and opinions be heard. Even though Paul starts off scared, afraid, intimidated, and full of self doubt, he learns that he needs to change his ways and attitude towards his life, and to take action to make things right.
Claim: When making a decision, people are often influenced by the pressure society places on them in order to follow the social norm, or what is socially accepted.
No matter what actions or words a mother chooses, to a child his or her mother is on the highest pedestal. A mother is very important to a child because of the nourishing and love the child receives from his or her mother but not every child experiences the mother’s love or even having a mother. Bragg’s mother was something out of the ordinary because of all that she did for her children growing up, but no one is perfect in this world. Bragg’s mother’s flaw was always taking back her drunken husband and thinking that he could have changed since the last time he...
The overall theme of “Abuela Invents the Zero” is treat your family with respect. In Abuela Invents the Zero is a girl doesn't respect her grandmother. In paragraph 14 it says “ I Realized to my horror that my grandmother is lost…. I am so embarrassed that even the woman sitting next to me is shooting daggers my way… i would rather like her to disappear. I just know on monday that my friends and my enemies will have a lot of senile grandmother jokes to tell in front of me…. The lady sitting next to me makes a big deal about getting up and getting abuela (ortizes , 14). This shows that no matter what people say or think that you shouldn't be embarrassed of your family. And that everyone has their own opinion and it shouldn't affect your relationship
The children also argue with their mother often. The children think that their mother, with no doubt, will be perfect. They idealize their mothers as angel who will save them from all their problems, which the mothers actually never do. The children get angry at their false hopes and realize that their mothers aren’t going to...
Opposed to Mother to Son, the son is confused and isn’t determined to
Wasley, Aidan. "An overview of “Mother to Son”." Poetry for Students. Detroit: Gale. Literature Resource Center. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
When you are born people are there to take care of you, love you, and guide you through life. As you grow up and life changes, you must take charge of your own life and not become so dependent on others. Throughout the course of life a person will encounter many changes, whether good or bad. In 'A&P';, 'The Secret Lion';, and 'A Rose for Emily';, the main characters in the stories are Sammy, the boys, and Miss Emily who face changes during their lives. All of these characters are in need of change. Because of their need for change, their lives will become much better. They are filled with wonder and awe about the world around them. No matter what type of person, everyone will encounter changes. It is part of the natural process. A person is encouraged to make these changes for the good. Sammy, the boys, and Miss Emily all encounter changes in their lives that fulfill their need to become something different.
At first, Constancia views her grandmother as a ridiculous old lady, and feels quite embarrassed when she is around her. On paragraph 4 of "Abuela Invents the Zero" it says, "So since she's only four feet eleven inches tall, she walks around in my mother's big black coat looking ridiculous. I try to walk far behind them in public so that no one will think we're together." Obviously, Constancia thinks that her grandmother is ridiculous and Constancia also feels embarrassed when she is around her so she tries to "walk far behind them" so that no one thinks that they are related and so she does not feel embarrassed in around them. However, later in the text Constancia realizes how her grandmother feels, and eventually starts to feel guilty. On paragraph 18 and 19 it says "'Your grandmother says to tell you that of all the hurtful things you can do to a person, the worst is to make them feel as if they are worth nothing.' I can feel myself shrinking right there in front of her. But I can’t bring myself to tell my mother that I think I understand how I made Abuela feel. I might be sent into the old lady’s room to apologize, and it’s not easy to admit you’ve been a jerk—at least, not right away with everybody watching." In this paragraph it is obvious that Constancia feels a bit guilty for what she did, and she realizes that she has been a
Cisneros starts the essay by reflecting on an anthology for a work that she wrote where she stated “I am the only daughter in a family of six sons. That explains everything” (Cisneros 366). Right after she introduces herself as how she sees herself now as the statement that she had written she feels does not explain enough about her to the reader. Next, she then goes into her story of how she sees herself and what has made her who she is. This explanation is taken throughout the entire essay as she explains how she got to where she was in her career. Her thesis is that growing up alone in isolation made her work hard to prove herself to her father. The thesis is very obvious in the essay and Cisneros successfully uses proves her thesis as she explains her childhood with her dad in the center of attention. Although others may argue that Cisneros’ relationship affects who she is in a negative way, Cisneros successfully proves the relationship between the two positively affects who she
In the book Mistakes Were Made But Not by Me, there are several aspects that could be rendered the most important, but the one that stood out to me most was self justification and how practicing it could hurt people a lot more than they are aware of.