A chance to tie two worlds together, challenging how family is shown. In Pigs in Heaven, by Barabara Kingsolver, goes deep into the heart of adoption, questioning the individual threads that connect us. Explores the complexities of adoption through the lives of Taylor and Turtle, revealing the challenges of legal ethics, cultural identity, and the deeper emotional bonds that help define family. Throughout this novel, adoption has been the central theme through the experiences of Taylor and her adopted daughter, Turtle. The story explores the bond between a mother and a daughter, and the challenges faced along with Turtle’s origins. When Taylor starts to find her world turn upside down after the legality of her adoption towards Turtle is questioned. …show more content…
Throughout this novel, characters like Annawake Fourkiller challenge Taylor’s views on family, and try to have her consider the cultural implications of Turtle’s adoption. As Annawake says, “There’s the child’s best interests and the tribe’s best interests, and I’m trying to think of both” (Kingsolver 170). This novel does not just tell a story about a non-traditional family; it shows how much one person can love a child and the lengths one goes to provide a sense of home. Taylor, the main character in Pigs in Heaven, experiences a journey of self-discovery and motherhood after adopting a young Native American girl, Turtle. Throughout the novel, Taylor navigates the complexities of motherhood and the legal challenges surrounding Turtle’s adoption. The tensions of Taylor’s legal challenges come when Annawake, the lawyer representing the Cherokee Nation, says, “Blood is memory without language” (Kingsolver 275). With this deep connection, the tribe feels that Turtle and her cultural heritage are at stake with her adoption. As for self-discovery, Taylor is faced with tough choices that make her question her own values and her role as a mother to
the commander of the Rebel army, General Robert E Lee. General Lee is skeptical too of
In the novel, The Bean Trees, by Barbara Kingsolver, we watch as Taylor grows a great deal. This young woman takes on a huge commitment of caring for a child that doesn't even belong to her. The friends that she acquired along the way help teach her about love and responsibility, and those friends become family to her and Turtle. Having no experience in motherhood, she muddles through the best she can, as all mothers do.
Working as a teacher serving at-risk four-year-old children, approximately six of her eighteen students lived in foster care. The environment introduced Kathy to the impact of domestic violence, drugs, and family instability on a developing child. Her family lineage had a history of social service and she found herself concerned with the wellbeing of one little girl. Angelica, a foster child in Kathy’s class soon to be displaced again was born the daughter of a drug addict. She had been labeled a troublemaker, yet the Harrisons took the thirty-hour training for foster and adoptive care and brought her home to adopt. Within six months, the family would also adopted Angie’s sister Neddy. This is when the Harrison family dynamic drastically changes and Kathy begins a journey with over a hundred foster children passing through her home seeking refuge.
The killer angels is a world acclaimed novel that was written by an author known as Michael Shaara. In the year 1975, it was granted the Pulitzer Prize for creative writing. It gives us in details the occurrences of the four days in the Battle of Gettysburg. This was during the American Civil War that occurred in the year 1863. At this time, troops that comprised of both the Union and Confederacy were at war in town called Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. This is a piece of story that is driven by disposition and narrated from the point of view of various heroes (Hartwig, 1996).
There have been hundreds of articles written on Elvis Presley, as he was a prominent figure in the late 20th century; most people know Presley as the man who changed the music industry by introducing lewd or suggestive dance moves to the stage. This article, however, focuses on the southern spirituality of Presley. As mentioned in the seventy-fifth and seventy-sixth page of the journal, this is relatively unexplored territory. The article Just a Little Talk with Jesus by Charles Reagan Wilson derives its name from an old gospel song, also entitled “Just a Little Talk with Jesus.” This article begins with the retelling of the “Million Dollar Session” that occurred in December of 1956 at Sun Studios, the record studio for the now famous Presley. This session was given its name because of the worth of talent that attended; the group in attendance included Presley, Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash. The five musicians played many songs together, including southern religious songs known extremely well by these five men who all came from church backgrounds. Among these southern religious songs was “Just a Little Talk with Jesus” that expounds the gospel and redemption, talking of a person lost in sin that was taken in by Jesus. It is vital to note that Presley’s spirituality was inherited and correlates to regional patterns. His spirituality and music along with the manner in which he fused the two makes Presley an “emblematic figure in southern culture” (pg. 76). For the point of this article, “spirituality” is one’s religious views that are based in one’s religious exercises and practices. The spirituality found in the south in the mid-twentieth century was far more than attending church; it permeated every aspect of souther...
Jonathan Kozol's book, Amazing Grace, analyzes the lives of the people living in the dilapidated district of South Bronx, New York. Kozol spends time touring the streets with children, talking to parents, and discussing the appalling living conditions and safety concerns that plague the residents in the inner cities of New York. In great detail, he describes the harsh lifestyles that the poverty stricken families are forced into; day in and day out. Disease, hunger, crime, and drugs are of the few everyday problems that the people in Kozol's book face; however, many of these people continue to maintain a very religious and positive outlook on life. Jonathan Kozol's investigation on the lifestyle of these people, shows the side to poverty that most of the privileged class in America does not get to see. Kozol wishes to persuade the readers to sympathize with his book and consider the condition in which these people live. The inequality issues mentioned are major factors in affecting the main concerns of Kozol: educational problems, healthcare obstacles, and the everyday struggles of a South Bronx child.
Heaven is a Playground is a book, published in 1974 by author Rick Telander, about Telander’s journey to New York City and the summer he spent there for a magazine piece, acclimating himself with the culture that existed on inner-city basketball courts in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. While he was there, he met a man by the name of Rodney Parker. Parker was kind of like a street agent because he worked tirelessly to get a lot of these inner-city kids into school. In the book, Telander talks about all of his experiences with the people in the neighborhood and the relationships he developed with the kids, whom he would eventually go on to coach.
Taylor Greer had been running away from premature pregnancy her entire life. Afraid that she would wind up just another hick in Pittman County, she left town and searched for a new life out West. On her way getting there, she acquires Turtle, an abandoned three-year-old Native American girl. Taylor knows that keeping Turtle is a major responsibility, being that she was abandoned and abused. Yet, Taylor knows that she is the best option that Turtle has, as far as parental figures go. "Then you are not the parent or guardian?’…. ‘Look,’ I said. ‘I’m not her real mother, but I’m taking care of her now. She’s not with her original family anymore." (Kingsolver 162) As the story progresses, Taylor accepts Turtle as part of life. This sacrifice later turns into a blessing.
This novel is a story of a Chicano family. Sofi, her husband Domingo together with their four daughters – Esperanza, Fe, Caridad, and Loca live in the little town of Tome, New Mexico. The story focuses on the struggles of Sofi, the death of her daughters and the problems of their town. Sofi endures all the hardships and problems that come her way. Her marriage is deteriorating; her daughters are dying one by one. But, she endures it all and comes out stronger and more enlightened than ever. Sofi is a woman that never gives up no matter how poorly life treats her. The author- Ana Castillo mixes religion, super natural occurrences, sex, laughter and heartbreak in this novel. The novel is tragic, with no happy ending but at the same time funny and inspiring. It is full of the victory of the human spirit. The names of Sofi’s first three daughters denote the three major Christian ideals (Hope, Faith and Charity).
The book Lives on the Boundary, written by Mike Rose, provides great insight to what the new teaching professional may anticipate in the classroom. This book may be used to inform a teacher’s philosophy and may render the teacher more effective. Lives on the Boundary is a first person account composed of eight chapters each of which treat a different obstacle faced by Mike Rose in his years as a student and as an educator. More specifically in chapters one through five Mike Rose focuses on his own personal struggles and achievements as a student. Ultimately the aim is to highlight the underpreparedness of some of today’s learners.
Born Sinner Aren’t we all sinners? We all have committed acts of violence at some points in our lives, and our answer we are human, we are wired that way or it is our instinct. People have a habit of hurting one another and it comes naturally to them. After reading Flight by Sherman Alexie, violence is a prominent theme throughout the novel. This idea of aggression is represented in many different ways, shapes, and forms.
Michael MacDonald’S All Souls is a heart wrenching insider account of growing up in Old Country housing projects located in the south of Boston, also known as Southie to the locals. The memoir takes the reader deep inside the world of Southie through the eyes of MacDonald. MacDonald was one of 11 children to grow up and deal with the many tribulations of Southie, Boston. Southie is characterized by high levels of crime, racism, and violence; all things that fall under the category of social problem. Social problems can be defined as “societal induced conditions that harms any segment of the population. Social problems are also related to acts and conditions that violate the norms and values found in society” (Long). The social problems that are present in Southie are the very reasons why the living conditions are so bad as well as why Southie is considered one of the poorest towns in Boston. Macdonald’s along with his family have to overcome the presence of crime, racism, and violence in order to survive in the town they consider the best place in the world.
“Wild Geese” is very different from many poems written. Oliver’s personal life, the free form of the poem along with the first line, “You do not have to be good,” and the imagery of nature contributes to Oliver’s intent to convince the audience that to be part of the world, a person does not need to aspire to civilization’s standards.
Animals can be a man's best friend; however, they can also be ones worst enemy after passing certain boundaries. Peter Singer who wrote Animal Liberation gave valid points in my opinion because animals do have a right to live and we should give them their space. Humans take everything for granted and never seem to learn until it too late. Today slaughterhouses are abusing animals in disturbing ways which has to change. I will agree with Singers concepts on animals because they have a right to live a peaceful life like humans; they have a life ahead of them once they are born. Singer argues that animals should have their interests considered throughout their lives. Singer wants to eliminate speciesism from our thoughts which is, a human discriminatory belief that all other animals are not as good as them therefore they do not have rights and we could do what we want to them. We should not be the only types of "animals" in this earth who has a set of rights we should abide.
What comes to mind when one thinks of the word ‘puppy’? It is probable describe a puppy as a lovable, adorable, and cuddly companion. However, one might also identify the animal as a menace and a liability or even as a delicious source of food. Why does this single word hold so many meanings? One’s past experiences and biases influences these conflicting views and attitudes. For instance, an individual’s fond view of puppies may exist because they were raised with puppies and consequently grew affectionate toward the animals. On the contrary, if another individual has not bonded with puppies as pets, then they will share the latter point of view. In the short story “Puppy” by George Saunders, the multiple characters view single events and objects with contrasting perceptions. Therefore, instead of painting a precise picture of the characters and the plot, the story expresses several views regarding the morals of the characters, the motivations of their actions, and the meaning of the events that take place. In “Puppy”, George Saunders explores the theory that perception is not an elementary, universal definition of an object or idea, but a complex interpretation that is influenced by one’s unique and varying past experiences and opinions. The complexity of perception is evident in one the story’s narrator’s, Marie’s, vantage point.