Choices are not easy decisions to make. Whether they are big or of no significance at all, each one decides your future. One mistake, and all of a sudden, your future is ruined. It is all up to you to make your choices and to make it right. In the story, “Riding the Tiger,” by Eve Bunting, there is a tiger who represents all the wrong doing in today’s world. A boy makes the decision to jump onto the tiger, ride along with him, however he soon realizes his mistake and quickly gets off, before much damage is done. In the text, “The Scholarship Jacket,” a girl wants a jacket that represents good grades to be given to her, however, they say that she has to pay a fee for the jacket. When her grandpa tells her that she cannot have any money for the …show more content…
jacket, they change the rules for her. She makes the decision of not stealing the money, but cooperating with what she is given. It is clear that the two texts articulate the importance of making choices by showing characters wise decisions in the stories. To begin with, theme of making choices is conveyed in the story “Riding the Tiger” by conveying how a character changes his decision before it ends up affecting him. In the story, a boy is new in town, and a tiger comes up to him to ask him to hang out. The boy, Danny, does not realize that the tiger is a symbol of bad deeds, and jumps on his back. He rides out to town with him, and realizes that everyone is afraid of the tiger. When an old man gets hurt because of his fear of the tiger, Danny gets off the tiger to help him. From then on, Danny knows that the tiger is a bad influence on others. The story states, “The tiger turned and grinned at me and walked on. “Wait!” I jerked at his neck fur. “The man’s hurt. He needs help.” I swung both legs down and hung, still clinging to the tiger’s back….. Once you get up on the tiger’s back, it’s hard to get off. But if you get off fast… I dropped.” This part of the story shows how Danny realizes that the tiger does not care if anybody gets hurt. He knows that once one gets on the tiger it is hard to get off. This displays that once you start doing drugs, etc., it is very tough to break that habit. Sometimes, however, if one is luckily enough, they may be able to stop it, before the condition gets serious, although that is rarely the case. This quote emphasize the danger of strangers and how society can easily hurt someone. It is crucial to make wise decisions so that one does not get into any harm or trouble. As you can see, decisions impact your life, therefore, it is vital to make ones that will help you succeed in life. Secondly, the theme of making decisions is shown in the text “The Scholarship Jacket” by demonstrating how a character listens to her guardians’ opinions, even though, she longs for that item to a great extent.
In this story, a girl has had straight As for 8 years, and wants the scholarship jacket that symbolizes hard work, really badly. However, since she is Mexican, and a bit poor, one of her teachers does not want to give her the jacket. The Board decides that they would have to make Martha pay for the jacket. Despite that her grandfather has enough money, he tells Martha that he will not pay for the jacket, since it will not be a scholarship jacket any longer. Martha is very miserable, however, she does not steal the money from her grandfather. When she tells her principal what her grandfather said, the principal decides to change the rules for her and she gets the scholarship jacket. In the text it states, “ “Then if you pay for it, Marta, it’s not a scholarship jacket, is it? Tell your principal I will not pay the fifteen dollars.”..... “Okay. We’ll make an exception in your case. I’ll tell the Board, you’ll get your jacket.” ” While Martha did have enough money for the jacket, she still listened to what her grandfather had said. She made the decision not to steal the money and take it to her principal. This portrays the importance of listening to your adults because they know what is best for you and also to make wise decisions. If Martha had taken the money and given it to the principal, she would have got the scholarship jacket, however, it would have no value. Anyone else could pay for the jacket to get it, so it would not symbolize the hard work and effort that one put into the school year. Anyone could pay money and get the jacket. Martha was able to kill two birds with one stone because she was able to get the jacket without giving a single penny. Even though it is tempting to make the wrong choices that will give one what they want, taking the right
path is the better thing to do. Lastly, the theme of making decisions is shown in both stories about two different characters in two separate ways. Both of the stories have characters whose decisions change throughout the story. Danny wanted to jump on the tiger in the first place, however, towards the end, he knew he should not be persuaded by the tiger. Maria wanted to pay for the jacket in the beginning, however, towards the end of the story, she realizes that paying for the jacket would not make it very precious to her and she ends up not giving money for the jacket at all. The characters in both of the stories are in different situations that present different consequences to their actions. In the story, “Riding the Tiger” a character has a life-changing decision to make. If Danny had not gotten off the tiger fast enough, he would been persuaded into taking drugs, etc. On the contrary, in the story “The Scholarship Jacket,” if the character had paid for the jacket, it would affect how her guardians think about her and the worth of the jacket. In conclusion, thinking about the consequences of one’s choices will help them make better decisions in their life. As you can see, it is clear that the two texts convey the importance of making decisions. In the stories “Riding the Tiger” and “The Scholarship Jacket,” the readers can see how making decisions can affect one’s life in many ways. One’s choices and decisions shape their lives. Whether they paint their wall blue instead of green, or even add a spoon of sugar to one’s milk in the morning. Making the best decision at that moment will shape one’s future so that they will be able to succeed.
Pashtana said she would rather die than not go to school and acted on her words. Her education is limited and she doesn’t have all the recourses to make school easier, yet she still loves and wants all the knowledge she can get. While I sit in my three story private school, a clean uniform free of holes or loose seams, my macbook air in my lap, the smell of cookies rising up from the cafeteria, wishing to be anywhere else but there. No one has beat me because I want to go to school, no one has forced me into a marriage, I’ve never put my life in jeopardy for the sake of education. Pashtana’s life and choices made me take a moment to stop and reflect on my own life and how fortunate I am to have what I have. We dread the thought of school because to us it is a chore, it’s a hassle, it’s something that messes with our sleep schedule, it is something that gets in the way of lounging around and binge watching Netflix. Pashtana doesn’t take her school and education for granted because she does not have the same liberties we do. While we enjoy driving into the city and shopping over the weekend, Pashtana unwillingly makes wedding arrangements with her cousin. While we complain about our mom nagging us to clean our room, Pashtana is getting beaten by her father because she wants to learn more about the world. While we have stocked fridges and pantries and
A student should never be denied the right to learn and become successful because of a different skin color, or because they speak a different language. “No saco nada de la escuela” by Luis Valdez is a play that discusses the racism in schools. The play starts with students going to elementary school and then ascending to middle school and college. At the beginning the students were not aware of what racism really was because of their innocence. However, the teacher that they had was very racist and bullied the students of color. That experience made the other kids realize that not everyone was the same and because of color or language they should be treated differently. There are five different students who take part of this play, two of those students were white, and there were two Chicanos and one black. That is great diversity of cultures. The teacher that the students have in elementary school was an example of the other professors they were going to have throughout their school years. Very arrogant and not understanding of the minority students. Their teachers were not really interested in teaching the minorities and always showed her discontent of having students of color. Their teachers didn’t believe that students who were part of a minority should be placed in the same classroom as the white students. Maybe that was because they didn’t know the potential a minority student could have. One Chicano student named Francisco never denied his roots and became very successful. He had many obstacles in his learning environment, but at the end he becomes a great example of perseverance. Francisco is the student who I think showed the greatest development in the play. He had to deal with racism all the time, but that didn't stop ...
...eral topic of school. The sister strives to graduate and go to school even though she is poor while her brother blames the school for him dropping out and not graduating. “I got out my social studies. Hot legs has this idea of a test every Wednesday” (118). This demonstrates that she is driven to study for class and get good grades while her brother tries to convince her that school is worth nothing and that there is no point in attending. “‘Why don’t you get out before they chuck you out. That’s all crap,’ he said, knocking the books across the floor. ‘You’ll only fail your exam and they don’t want failures, spoils their bloody numbers. They’ll ask you to leave, see if they don’t’” (118). The brother tries to convince his sister that school is not a necessity and that living the way he does, being a drop out living in a poverty stricken family is the best thing.
Imagine for a moment it is your big sister's 17th birthday. She is out with her friends celebrating, and your parents are at the mall with your little brother doing some last minute birthday shopping, leaving you home alone. You then hear a knock on the front door. When you getthere, nobody is there, just an anonymous note taped to the door that says Happy Birthday, along with a hundred dollar bill. You've been dying to get that new video game, and your sister will never know. You are faced with a tough decision, but not a very uncommon one. In both Fences, by August Wilson, and A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansbury, tough decisions have to be made about getting money from someone else's misfortune. But money's that important right?
Sarah is experiencing her teenage “rite of passage” to lie or not to lie to her parents concerning her whereabouts. As all teens go through stages that involve the separation of parent/child, so the child can go to the stage of parent/child, thus completing the cycle of life. Here we have a teenager force to make her first adult choice, yet still at the very young age of fifteen. In this scenario, we are dealing with a teenager whose primary focus about schooling has been toward honor classes. This is also, clearly, a girl who has obeyed and respected both her parents; including her own choices of improving in areas other teens would not take advantage of for their education. To address Sarah’s attitude regarding her curfew, we must place ourselves in her thought process. Sarah does have to deal with many feelings at this moment, before deciding to attend a party, which will cause her to be late for curfew.
During the essay the author lost her innocence but graduated to a deeper appreciation and clarity of who she is and who she could become. In her school with no visible fences keeping the children within the schoolyard, there were the invisible fences of racism that tried to limit them from reaching their full potential. The author concludes, "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death" (841).
One cannot just choose to ignore, one cannot just choose to observe and still do nothing, and one cannot just simply walk away. The reader is taught the momentous moral of not being a bystander, the importance of moral responsibility, and the great significance of learning to overcome the ethical issues in society.
The theme of “The Scholarship Jacket” is that you have to stand up for equality. It is sad that there was racial profiling for children at such a young age and how harsh it is. In the text Mr.Schmidt said ” Martha is Mexican … resign … won’t do it”. Mr. Schmidt is standing up for Mathra because he is not letting her ethnicity get in the way of her hard work and accomplishments. Is free really free, how would you know if it is when anything can change with a powerful hierarchy. In the text the Principal said “ The Board has decided to charge fifteen dollars , which won’t cover the cost of the jacket”. This in theory shows that just because of Martha’s ethnicity and her grandfather's social stature that they will change it to make the jacket
In The Blue Sweater, in chapter one and two Jacqueline Novogratz, an inspiring and compassionate woman with a big heart wants to change the world. She had a warm, caring, and compassionate heart for people suffering from poverty. Her intensions were to help correct unfairness in the world.
Francie is a hard worker much like her mother and she continues to work hard through all the ups and downs of life. Francie continues to try and achieve her dreams even when it seems as though she would not be able too. "“If people could get into college that easy, no one would ever bother with high school. But don’t you worry, Mama. I know what the entrance examinations are now, and I’ll pass next year. It can be done and I’ll do it. You’ll see”" (Smith 436). Francie perseveres with getting her education even though it is harder than she originally thought it would be. Though originally her family only had enough money to send one child to school after her father died. Francie was able to take summer courses at the college to continue her education. Francie persevered through the hardships that poverty that held Francie
The Scholarship Jacket is a story which has been written by Marta Salinas. The story is about a Mexican girl named Martha. In the article, a scholarship jacket was presented to the class valedictorian. This scholarship jacket was the only object in Martha's mind. She was a skinny girl, and not very pretty either. However, she was incredibly smart and had maintained an A-plus average in her eight years of school. That year, all her hopes came crashing down. She overheard a conversation between two arguing teachers, about how the jacket should be given to Joann since her father was part of the Board and also owned the only shop in town. The next day the principal called her in, telling her that the scholarship jacket was going to cost fifteen dollars, and if she couldn't pay for it, it would be given to the runner-up. Martha left school tearfully and was even more heartbroken when her a Grandfather said she couldn't have the money. She wept her heart out in the bathroom, though she knew her Grandfather was right when he said that she shouldn't have to pay for something she earned. The next day, she dejectedly told
To start, I'd like to bring up Pancho, a student in Mr. Escalante’s class. Now, Pancho is not as reckless and uncaring about his academic future as some students. It is made clear that he is simply not smart enough, and yet Mr. Escalante still demands the same out of him as the best and brightest in the class. This is not only unfair to Pancho, who knows that he is not very bright, but to the rest of the class, who have to wait and slow their learning while letting Pancho slowly figure this out. The teacher is forced to address the class as a group, not pay attention to their individual traits and abilities.
In the beginning, Julian’s mother wore the hat with the “purple velvet flap.” When Julian and his mother got on the bus to go to the YMCA, he spots another large women with a hat that has the same “purple velvet flap” on it. This has a symbolic effect because they both had to go to the same store to buy the hat during a time where all public places were segregated. This shows that the black woman and Julian’s mother were equal and on the same level socially and economically. They both have the same taste in style and they both are using public transportation making them more alike than ever. In the past before integration, Julian’s mother would be seen as more superior even though they are wearing the same hat and are using the same type of transportation. Even if the African woman was more intelligent and wealthier, the mother would be considered more superior just because her skin is white. Therefore, the author’s use of the hat shows that people of different skin colors are becoming more similar, and that people of skin color that were considered inferior in the past are now becoming equal to whites. Another symbol in the story is the nickel and the penny as Julian’s mother tries to give money to the little negro boy, Carver. This turns out not to good for Julian’s mother as she ends up on the floor knocked out by Carver’s mother who exclaims “He don’t take nobody’s pennies!” The giving of
In everyday life, we must overcome the challenges that test our strength and will as well as to accept the ramifications that come in handling the situation. These events are known as moral and ethical dilemmas and in certain reading selections, the main characters are faced with fulfilling a parent’s desire, putting your life at risk, challenged to explore who you really are, and choosing to whether or not disclosing or doing something is the right thing to do.
By building an ethical decision-making frame in the students throughout their school life, they will then continue on to consider personal and social issues and cho...