In Ellen Hopkins, Tricks, five unrelated poets discover the world is not what it seems. Each of the poets goes through an array of hurdles through their lives. Eden, a naïve, young, religious girl falls into forbidden love with Andrew. She, who comes from a prestigious religious family, defies the rules of her parents and continues having relations with Andrew. Seth keeps a secret from his Father, Seth is gay. He not dare tell anyone about it, not even his mother because of her early, morose death when he was a child. Whitney, who is hated by her family, other than her father, is left abandoned by a boy. Ginger is a lonely girl. She has to care for herself and her many siblings because of her mother’s absence due to a low-fixed budget, prostitution, and alcoholism. …show more content…
Eden tries to console her separation from Andrew by thinking of several ways to escape. She takes advantage of a worker and convinces him to run away with her. They arrive in Las Vegas. Eden runs away from him. Seth begins living with an older man in Las Vegas. Whitney comes to a bitter reality when she discovers Brin is not who he portrays himself as. Ginger and Alex move to Las Vegas together. They find a low level of work, together, bringing in minimal income. Whitney and Ginger meet; Ginger keeps an eye on her after seeing how ghastly she looks. Cody takes a wrong turn and begins doing drugs and working for the wrong crowd. In the end, Eden reconnects with Andrew. He tells her how her parents had him thrown in jail, along with how he searched for her. Seth finds somebody new, although still depressed about his past. Whitney dies of a drug overdose because of Brin; her stuff is given away for rummage. Ginger and Alex get arrested for prostitution. Cody loses himself in trying to provide for his family’s losses. Overall, the girls and boys of the book meet each other in some way, shape, or
Evelyn is fascinated with the many stories Ninny has to tell about the people she used to know. She quickly learns the power of friendship as she hears the story of Idgie and Ruth and how their friendship shaped the rest of their lives. Evelyn also learns about courage and independence through these stories. She soon realizes she can feel good about herself and not rely on her husband for everything. Evelyn still takes care of her husband and wants to be his wife, but she realizes that her needs as an individual are just as
In her article, “Lecture Me. Really”, Molly Worthen addresses the issue college students know all too well: how to lecture properly. Published in the New York Times, Worthen writes a passionate article about lecturing but from the perspective of a professor. Worthen presents the idea that lecturing, although some may think ineffective in the classroom, is a way to truly challenge and engage students into critically thinking. Worth dictates this idea with an excellent build up logical argument but lacks the proper evidence to support her claims creating a faulty argument.
After her grandfather’s death in 1687, 16 year-old Kit feels that she must leave and sail to the only relatives she knows of, her uncle and aunt in Wethersfield, Connecticut. She desperately travels there on a ship called the Dolphin, where she meets a gentleman named Nat. She and Nat have a very playful relationship, Nat always has a mocking grin on his face and Kit occasionally flirts with him on the boat. When she arrives in Wethersfield, Connecticut, she is taken by surprise at the dull landscape and endless fields. Kit meets her uncle, a strict and sometimes grumpy man named Matthew Wood, her aunt, a sweet and caring woman named Rachel, her cousin Judith, a picky and vain young lady who’s otherwise kind, and her other cousin Mercy, a tender and loving girl who lost one of her legs when she was young due to a fever. Judith likes a rich boy named William, but one day at church, William sees Kit in her fancy clothes and starts liking Kit. Judith then decides to go for John, a very caring young man who secretly likes Mercy. Mercy also secretly likes John. Soon, Kit is comfortable wi...
Several Years after their marriage, cousin Mattie Silver is asked to relieve Zeena, who is constantly ill, of her house hold duties. Ethan finds himself falling in love with Mattie, drawn to her youthful energy, as, “ The pure air, and the long summer hours in the open, gave life and elasticity to Mattie.” Ethan is attracted to Mattie because she is the opposite of Zeena, while Mattie is young, happy, healthy, and beautiful like the summer, Zeena is seven years older than Ethan, bitter, ugly and sickly cold like the winter. Zeena’s strong dominating personality undermines Ethan, while Mattie’s feminine, lively youth makes Ethan fell like a “real man.” Ethan and Mattie finally express their feeling for each other while Zeena is visiting the doctor, and are forced to face the painful reality that their dreams of being together can not come true.
Tom is a young man bearing the responsibility of his handicapped sister, Laura, and his suffocating mother, Amanda. He works in a factory, and uses his paycheck to provide for the family. Jim, a fellow factory worker and former high school friend, knows Tom as Shakespeare, in that Tom writes poetry, sometimes to alleviate his suppressed feelings of frustration. Poetry is one of Tom’s methods of escape from the lunacy in his home. Adventure is something Tom does not experience much of, and is angst toward his less than mediocre life is expressed in many of his arguments with Amanda.
While on the surface Collins seems to want Emily Dickinson, with a close reading it becomes clear that he is actually obsessed with his mother. His displacement shows how he at least tries to hide is incestuous desires, while his anal retentiveness shows his wish to be in control. The indications that run throughout the poem reveal Collins’ true feelings, and his inability to hide them.
Most of the time there is a moment in life where one realizes they have lost all innocence and gained some compassion. “Marigolds” shows how one young girl transferred from a child to young adult through her life experiences. Throughout this story another young, but at the same time old in her prime, lady’s experiences are revealed: the author’s. In this short story, “Marigolds,” Eugenia Collier’s subconscious is unmasked through symbolism, diction, and Lizabeth’s actions.
...ht some "terrible stories." By bringing to light these "terrible stories" a poet in effect slays the "angels" that kept her from writing. Every author has his/her own "angel" to slay. Lucille Clifton sees past the fear she has about what she might write about using her gift of poetry to "slay her angel."
In this paper I will talk about some information that I have obtained from reading Mary Piphers, Reviving Ophelia, Saving the Selves of Adolescent Girls and give my view on some of her main points and arguments. I also will discuss why I feel Mary Pipher’s views on the toxic influence of media are accurate, and that it does affect adolescent girls. This paper will also point out the importance of Mary Pipher’s studies on the problems that today’s female teens are facing and why I feel they are important and cannot be ignored.
...expressed such as in, ‘An impromptu for Ann Jennings’. In this poem Harwood recalls the times that she and a friend experienced during motherhood. She talks of beautiful memories, ‘Nursing…by huge fires of wattle…’ and ends the poem with, ‘to know; our children walk the earth.’ This line is very powerful in that it expresses Harwood’s sheer joy and gratefulness she has for having children and for having a friend to help her along the way. This line becomes imbedded in her audience as its great strength of structure, it opens a window in which some women or mothers can relate and share an un-dividing connection to Harwood’s poems.
Center stage in Kaye Gibbons’ inspiring bildungsroman, Ellen Foster, is the spunky heroine Ellen Foster. At the start of the novel, Ellen is a fiery nine-year old girl. Her whole life, especially the three years depicted in Ellen Foster, Ellen is exposed to death, neglect, hunger and emotional and physical abuse. Despite the atrocities surrounding her, Ellen asks for nothing more than to find a “new mama” to love her. She avoids facing the harsh reality of strangers and her own family’s cruelty towards her by using different forms of escapism. Thrice Ellen is exposed to death (Gibbons 27). Each time, Ellen has a conversation with a magician to cope with the trauma (Gibbons 22-145). Many times Ellen’s actions and words cause it to be difficult to tell that she is still a child. However, in order to distract herself, Ellen will play meaningful games (Gibbons 26). These games become a fulcrum for Ellen’s inner child to express itself. Frequently, Ellen will lapse into a daydream (Gibbons 67). Usually, these daydreams are meant to protect herself from the harsh reality around her. Ellen Foster’s unique use of escapism resounds as the theme of Kaye Gibbon’s Ellen Foster.
The 650 page novel, Burned, by Ellen Hopkins was originally published in 2006. It is the first book in the series. The book is written in an unusual free verse format, which makes it different from most books. Burned is adult fiction book but many readers of all ages will fly through the novel once they’ve started.
Although Woolf, Brown, Vaughan are women that are struggling with their own internal issues of restlessness in the place of where she lives, contemplating suicide, unhappiness in a marriage, living with mental illnes, and feelings of failure. Yet, each of these women had secret sexual feelings for other women.( Woolf for sister Vanessa, Brown for neighbor Kitty, and Vaughan for Sally).
Eva was the single mother of three kids. She was the matriarchal figure in her household, which did not only consist of her children, Pear, Plum, and Hannah and Hannah’s daughter Sula, but also many others who boarded in her house. There were three young boys, all named Dewey by Eva, who had arrived to the house at the same time. Eva knew that if she named them all the same name it would make them feel as though they were equally loved and cared about. Such name-calling created a positive camaraderie between them. Also in the boarding house resided a drunk, Tar Baby, and various newlyweds. Eva kept the whole house under control.
When Gabby falls in love with Travis, she never thought that their story would take the journey that it did. Many people, in real life, are the same. They never thought that the journey they would take in life together would have the same tragedy that Gabby and Travis experienced. A couple by the name of Brooke and Margaret Hopkins had the same experience. Margaret’s husband, Brooke, was riding a bicycle when he rounded a curve and collided with another cyclist. He took the fall landing on his head and breaking his neck. He had stopped breathing but a nurse that happened to be coming by stopped and rescued him. Brooke ended