Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Page 61-117
Summary
As days when on, Griet had gotten used to the mistreatments of Catherina and Tanneke and her duties as a maid in the Vermeer household, her favorite part of being a maid was to clean the Johannes’ studio. Her talent to clean the studio “without moving anything” was superb. Griet only had to clean the room and then put the objects were they were. There had been some interaction between Griet and Johannes, but barely they saw each other. One day, while Griet was doing some errands for her mistress, Priet the son informed her about the plague near her family’s house. A sudden quarantine was place there. With fear and anguish, Griet runs down to the Vermeers and asked them to let her go. Except, Catherine rejected her request, Griet was not allow to return to her house for many weeks. During those weeks, Johannes had finally finish his portray of van Ruijven’s wife. The patrons were elated to see the final result. Anyhow, as the quarantine had been finally lifted, Griet received the news that her younger sister Agnes had died because of the plague. Grieve and sorrow came to Griet’s family, everyone became distant. On the other hand, Catherine gave labor to her baby. One perished and another life flourished. The Vermeers hosted a celebration party, which led Griet to distract herself from her family’s sorrow. The party was the only event that kept the house festive for the whole year of 1664. In 1665, Johannes had begun to paint another painting, thanks to Griet while she was cleaning the dusty windows in the studio. The streaks of sunlight illuminated Griet’s face while she turn toward him, this event led to her being more involve with this talented painter. From that moment on, Griet had begun to help his master by crushing bones to create paint or other errands behind her mistress’s back. Griet began to assist him while he painted the portrait of the baker’s daughter. Despite the hard time Tanneke gave her, after she found out several weeks after the master began to order Griet, Griet was still satisfied to spend time with him.
Quote
“The shock of his touch made me drop the muller, which rolled off the table and fell on the floor” (Chevalier 103).
Reaction
Chevalier’s transitions from time to time had been excellent. As 1664 ends, 1665 begins; the story takes a dramatic turn as Griet helps her master do another painting of the baker’s wife. In these series of pages, the narrator and Vermeer became more close to each other. Compared to the exposition, both maid and master work together to finish this painting. Despite keeping it a secret with the rest of the world, the interaction between these two develop a strong relationship with each other, maid and master. I assume that Griet might fall for Vermeer, which would be strange since he is already married to a haughty wife. The quote above comes from the passage when Vermeer showed her how to grind bones in order to create black paint. The touch of his master made Griet embarrassed, there are complex feelings Griet developed toward his master. They might be admiration, gratitude, curiosity or maybe love?
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Girl With A Pearl Earring (Page 1- 60)
Title: Girl with a Pearl Earring
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Page 1 to 60
Summary
The exposition of the book began in 1664 at Delft, Netherland. The main character is Griet. Her family was composed of a mother, a father, an older brother, and a little sister. Her older brother’s name is Frans and her little sister’s name is Agnes. The family had strong bonds. She was only sixteen years old when her lifestyle turned upside down after her dear father became blind. Her father was a tile painter but in the tile factory, an accident occurred. The accident’s impact was the loss of his eyesight. Since then, Griet’s family had economic troubles. However, one day her mother introduced her to the Vermeers. The Vermeers were well known at the time because of Johannes Vermeer, a talented painter. He was married with Catharina. They had five children and expecting another one. The Vermeers sought for a maid and specially a maid to clean Vermeer’s studio “without moving anything” (Chevalier 9). After Griet moved to the Vermeer’s household, she faced extreme house tasks to earn few pennies to bring bread to her family. She was in charge of the whole house’s laundry and Catharina’s errands to bring meat and fish to the house. During her errands, Griet had met the butcher’s son, Pieter. He became interested in her but she avoided his intentions. Many weeks passed, Griet felt many kind of feeling people felt about her. Catherina and Tanneke detested her because Griet was allowed to enter Vermeer’s studio, in order to clean it. Tanneke is another maid of the Vermeers. Despise their jealousy, Griet made an excellent job cleaning and had fun. She saw the painting Vermeer had worked on. It was a portrait of Mrs. Van Ruijven. The van Ruijvens were Vermeer’s patrons. As for the relationship between Griet and Johannes, they are distant. Similar to a master and maid relationship, barely Griet talked to him.
Quote
“She moved down the hall way like a ship with its sails full, holding on to her bunch of keys so that they wouldn’t clink, and disappeared into the great hall” (Chevalier 54).
Reaction
Tracy Chevalier’s writing style is so vivid and enchanting. Even though the point of view is in first person, her wise choice of words made the book more enjoyable. One of the best styles of narration I had read in my entire life! The storyline of the book is incredible. Most people who read few pages will be entice to read until the very last page. Believe, I am one of them. So, the narrator of the story is Griet, protagonist. In the quote above, she compared her mistress, Catherine, to a ship. The quote is taken when Griet assisted her mistress to her room since she was pregnant. The keys symbolize the power Catherine had in the house. They signify authority she has in her house. The reason is that Catherine’s mother, Maria Thins was the really one in charge. She was wiser than her daughter but still, Catherine just wanted to be superior. She wanted to be The woman of the house. Similar to Walter Lee Younger's situation from A Raisin in the Sun, he wanted to be the man of the house yet his mother, “Mama,” was in reality in charge of the house.
Author: Tracy Chevalier
Page 1 to 60
Summary
The exposition of the book began in 1664 at Delft, Netherland. The main character is Griet. Her family was composed of a mother, a father, an older brother, and a little sister. Her older brother’s name is Frans and her little sister’s name is Agnes. The family had strong bonds. She was only sixteen years old when her lifestyle turned upside down after her dear father became blind. Her father was a tile painter but in the tile factory, an accident occurred. The accident’s impact was the loss of his eyesight. Since then, Griet’s family had economic troubles. However, one day her mother introduced her to the Vermeers. The Vermeers were well known at the time because of Johannes Vermeer, a talented painter. He was married with Catharina. They had five children and expecting another one. The Vermeers sought for a maid and specially a maid to clean Vermeer’s studio “without moving anything” (Chevalier 9). After Griet moved to the Vermeer’s household, she faced extreme house tasks to earn few pennies to bring bread to her family. She was in charge of the whole house’s laundry and Catharina’s errands to bring meat and fish to the house. During her errands, Griet had met the butcher’s son, Pieter. He became interested in her but she avoided his intentions. Many weeks passed, Griet felt many kind of feeling people felt about her. Catherina and Tanneke detested her because Griet was allowed to enter Vermeer’s studio, in order to clean it. Tanneke is another maid of the Vermeers. Despise their jealousy, Griet made an excellent job cleaning and had fun. She saw the painting Vermeer had worked on. It was a portrait of Mrs. Van Ruijven. The van Ruijvens were Vermeer’s patrons. As for the relationship between Griet and Johannes, they are distant. Similar to a master and maid relationship, barely Griet talked to him.
Quote
“She moved down the hall way like a ship with its sails full, holding on to her bunch of keys so that they wouldn’t clink, and disappeared into the great hall” (Chevalier 54).
Reaction
Tracy Chevalier’s writing style is so vivid and enchanting. Even though the point of view is in first person, her wise choice of words made the book more enjoyable. One of the best styles of narration I had read in my entire life! The storyline of the book is incredible. Most people who read few pages will be entice to read until the very last page. Believe, I am one of them. So, the narrator of the story is Griet, protagonist. In the quote above, she compared her mistress, Catherine, to a ship. The quote is taken when Griet assisted her mistress to her room since she was pregnant. The keys symbolize the power Catherine had in the house. They signify authority she has in her house. The reason is that Catherine’s mother, Maria Thins was the really one in charge. She was wiser than her daughter but still, Catherine just wanted to be superior. She wanted to be The woman of the house. Similar to Walter Lee Younger's situation from A Raisin in the Sun, he wanted to be the man of the house yet his mother, “Mama,” was in reality in charge of the house.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Yoruba Girl Dancing (Page 161-185)
Title: Yoruba Girl Dancing
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 161-185
Summary
The main conflict Remi had throughout the story was that she was a lonely girl in England. Her family lived in Africa. She had to face discrimination in her school and accept herself as an African. In Germany, she had to face strange stares at her because she was “unique” than the rest. It was hard for her to be in her father’s friends’ house and people asking her question about Africa. As Remi returned to Dove House School, her friend Phoebe inquired Remi about the experiences she felt. The answer was, “I was treated like some kind of freak” (Bedford 169). One of many examples, Remi had to adapt in order to live in England. Her loneliness soon vanished as her entire family moves to England. About Remi’s academics, she had excelled greatly in English but her father chose her profession to be about law. So, Remi did not complained and follow his order (makes me mad). All her childhood friends were in England to study. There was a touchy reunion when Remi finally met her best friends. With all the excitement of being united again, Remi and her friends celebrated by preparing a “reunion” party. The denouement of the story was Remi and her friends dancing happily. Then, an older women ask the reader, “Is there a sight more beautiful…than a Yoruba girl dancing?” (Bedford 185).
Quote
“When we arrived the house was so bright it was like a flare in the dark and you could almost see the walls vibrating with the music” (Bedford 184).
Reaction
During the story, the narrator, Remi, had to accept her appearance and expected reactions of other people. She had faced isolation from her family. But all turns well in the end of the story, her family moves to England. The protagonist has a happy ending. Remi finally has her own people in this cold and lonely place (England). The quote above describes the atmosphere of the reunion party her family planned. This great quote has a simile. The simile compares the house hosting the party to a flare in the dark. Meaning, the party is lively and festive. The description informs the reader that it was major event for the narrator. Excellent imagery in this quote!
I rate this book 4.5 out of 5! Narration is fine the issue is the exposition.
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 161-185
Summary
The main conflict Remi had throughout the story was that she was a lonely girl in England. Her family lived in Africa. She had to face discrimination in her school and accept herself as an African. In Germany, she had to face strange stares at her because she was “unique” than the rest. It was hard for her to be in her father’s friends’ house and people asking her question about Africa. As Remi returned to Dove House School, her friend Phoebe inquired Remi about the experiences she felt. The answer was, “I was treated like some kind of freak” (Bedford 169). One of many examples, Remi had to adapt in order to live in England. Her loneliness soon vanished as her entire family moves to England. About Remi’s academics, she had excelled greatly in English but her father chose her profession to be about law. So, Remi did not complained and follow his order (makes me mad). All her childhood friends were in England to study. There was a touchy reunion when Remi finally met her best friends. With all the excitement of being united again, Remi and her friends celebrated by preparing a “reunion” party. The denouement of the story was Remi and her friends dancing happily. Then, an older women ask the reader, “Is there a sight more beautiful…than a Yoruba girl dancing?” (Bedford 185).
Quote
“When we arrived the house was so bright it was like a flare in the dark and you could almost see the walls vibrating with the music” (Bedford 184).
Reaction
During the story, the narrator, Remi, had to accept her appearance and expected reactions of other people. She had faced isolation from her family. But all turns well in the end of the story, her family moves to England. The protagonist has a happy ending. Remi finally has her own people in this cold and lonely place (England). The quote above describes the atmosphere of the reunion party her family planned. This great quote has a simile. The simile compares the house hosting the party to a flare in the dark. Meaning, the party is lively and festive. The description informs the reader that it was major event for the narrator. Excellent imagery in this quote!
I rate this book 4.5 out of 5! Narration is fine the issue is the exposition.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Yoruba Girl Dancing (Page 122-160)
Title: Yoruba Girl Dancing
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 122 to 160
Summary
Remi’s loneliness ended with her family short staying in England. With her bad report card and complains of the vice headmistress, Miss Valentine, her father finally comes to England! Remi’s family had grown, now there are three more children. They were the apathetic Tunji (already mentioned in the exposition), the stubborn Aduke, and the two lovely little sisters Yejide and Yinka. Remi’s father did not come to have a leisure time but to “rearrange” some businesses in England. He decided to leave Tunji and Aduke in England with their big sister Remi. In addition, he transferred Remi to a new boarding school called Dove House School. Her reaction of such as drastic choice did not give her any grief. As Remi met her dear mother, she reminisce all the horrific and racism experiences she felt. Her mother felt depressed and helpless of not supporting her daughter in her harsh times. After most of Remi’s family left, Remi and her siblings remained being bounce from place to other place during the holidays. She was 15 years old. One of her holidays, she was send to Germany. Living with a German family and having no clue how to communicate with them. Remi has to bear with her awkward situation.
Quote
“The room was dark except for thick wedges of sunlight which slanted in through the leaded windows and gathered in silver pools on the floor. A mile away two tall figures stood in silhouette, their features indistinguishable against the light” (Bedford 129).
Reaction
The narration style of Bedford has become more mature-like and enchanting. Young Remi has become a young adult. She is fifteen years old and accustoms to live in England. The narration had become better and lively. Finally, the naïve Remi understand the world’s “norms” for an African girl. Such as English people, like Ms. Valentine, view a black girl as a savage, Remi understands and stands for her beliefs that she is NOT a savage. The quote above has strong connotations and great descriptive words. The word “slanted” gives me the idea that sunlight has come into the room gracefully, a great imagery word. “Light” has a great sense of connotation for the reason people thinks of light which lead to “hope” or “goodness.” The quote comes from Remi’s point of view when she meets her father after six years. I really like this quote. After this great quote, comedy comes in since Remi do not remember HER own father. In addition, Remi starts to show off her “English” manners which displease her father. He do not want Remi to forget her roots. Remi's actions in England gives a sense to the reader that she has been assimilated into an "English" woman.
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 122 to 160
Summary
Remi’s loneliness ended with her family short staying in England. With her bad report card and complains of the vice headmistress, Miss Valentine, her father finally comes to England! Remi’s family had grown, now there are three more children. They were the apathetic Tunji (already mentioned in the exposition), the stubborn Aduke, and the two lovely little sisters Yejide and Yinka. Remi’s father did not come to have a leisure time but to “rearrange” some businesses in England. He decided to leave Tunji and Aduke in England with their big sister Remi. In addition, he transferred Remi to a new boarding school called Dove House School. Her reaction of such as drastic choice did not give her any grief. As Remi met her dear mother, she reminisce all the horrific and racism experiences she felt. Her mother felt depressed and helpless of not supporting her daughter in her harsh times. After most of Remi’s family left, Remi and her siblings remained being bounce from place to other place during the holidays. She was 15 years old. One of her holidays, she was send to Germany. Living with a German family and having no clue how to communicate with them. Remi has to bear with her awkward situation.
Quote
“The room was dark except for thick wedges of sunlight which slanted in through the leaded windows and gathered in silver pools on the floor. A mile away two tall figures stood in silhouette, their features indistinguishable against the light” (Bedford 129).
Reaction
The narration style of Bedford has become more mature-like and enchanting. Young Remi has become a young adult. She is fifteen years old and accustoms to live in England. The narration had become better and lively. Finally, the naïve Remi understand the world’s “norms” for an African girl. Such as English people, like Ms. Valentine, view a black girl as a savage, Remi understands and stands for her beliefs that she is NOT a savage. The quote above has strong connotations and great descriptive words. The word “slanted” gives me the idea that sunlight has come into the room gracefully, a great imagery word. “Light” has a great sense of connotation for the reason people thinks of light which lead to “hope” or “goodness.” The quote comes from Remi’s point of view when she meets her father after six years. I really like this quote. After this great quote, comedy comes in since Remi do not remember HER own father. In addition, Remi starts to show off her “English” manners which displease her father. He do not want Remi to forget her roots. Remi's actions in England gives a sense to the reader that she has been assimilated into an "English" woman.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Yoruba Girl Dancing (Page 82-121)
Title: Yoruba Girl Dancing
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 82 to 121
Summary
Matron Bacon was responsible of Remi until the school would begin. Matron is the nurse of the school and was cold toward the narrator. For an entire week, Remi felt depressed and lonely. However, as the other girls came, the loneliness vanished. Many girls were interested in Remi because of her peculiar appearance. Remi was different than them. Her roommates are Jessica, Anita, Minnie, and Sarah. Anita was a bit naïve by saying “the black rubs off,” which means the color of Remi will dirty the skin of others. Due to her racist statement, the rest of the girls were afraid to play with Remi. But, the other roommates besides Anita did not mind Remi’s appearance. Other girls inquired Remi about her family and her country. That made Remi missed her family even more. She became quite popular in school. During the holidays, Remi went to her guardians’ house. Her guardians are Uncle Theo and Aunt Betty. Both had two children, Gerald and Maureen. Remi became close to Gerald. Gerald was the leader of the Stanley Terrace gang. Mostly, the gang members would play with each other. Four years had gone by; Remi learned a lot about herself. She learned the meaning of “darkie” and how the “whites” dislike her. She became more mature, yet her self-esteem deteriorated which led to the low grades and several fights in school. The letters received from her family back in Africa described many changes the narrator had missed such as the birth of two other siblings and the death of her dear Baba Cook. She wanted to go home so badly, but her father denied her wish. During the holidays came, she stayed with her guardians. Ironically, she fell in love with Gerald. Gerald only saw her as playmate or a friend. He was a tyrant since he always chose what to play which angered Remi. Anyhow, all her relatives decided to travel and stayed in a hotel. All had fun except Remi, she missed her family.
Quote
“Jessica and my friends at school said that I was now so English it was impossible to imagine that I had actually been born in Africa. This was true, but it was also true that I now understood what a darkie was and a native and a savage” (Bedford 98).
Reaction
During these pages, the narrator became more mature and more down to earth. Her naïve and innocent personality dissolves into a more open-minded one. Now, Remi realized her differences with other people. Her reality about her father’s leaving her in England and her statue as a black girl. The quote above gives the idea of Remi no longer being a child. She is becoming an adult from the last four years staying in England. Right now, she is eleven years old. She is reflecting about life and reality. Remi left the “Kingdom of Childhood” (Reference to one of Stephenie Meyer’s books) after her grandfather had died (I forgot to mention that in my first post >.<).
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 82 to 121
Summary
Matron Bacon was responsible of Remi until the school would begin. Matron is the nurse of the school and was cold toward the narrator. For an entire week, Remi felt depressed and lonely. However, as the other girls came, the loneliness vanished. Many girls were interested in Remi because of her peculiar appearance. Remi was different than them. Her roommates are Jessica, Anita, Minnie, and Sarah. Anita was a bit naïve by saying “the black rubs off,” which means the color of Remi will dirty the skin of others. Due to her racist statement, the rest of the girls were afraid to play with Remi. But, the other roommates besides Anita did not mind Remi’s appearance. Other girls inquired Remi about her family and her country. That made Remi missed her family even more. She became quite popular in school. During the holidays, Remi went to her guardians’ house. Her guardians are Uncle Theo and Aunt Betty. Both had two children, Gerald and Maureen. Remi became close to Gerald. Gerald was the leader of the Stanley Terrace gang. Mostly, the gang members would play with each other. Four years had gone by; Remi learned a lot about herself. She learned the meaning of “darkie” and how the “whites” dislike her. She became more mature, yet her self-esteem deteriorated which led to the low grades and several fights in school. The letters received from her family back in Africa described many changes the narrator had missed such as the birth of two other siblings and the death of her dear Baba Cook. She wanted to go home so badly, but her father denied her wish. During the holidays came, she stayed with her guardians. Ironically, she fell in love with Gerald. Gerald only saw her as playmate or a friend. He was a tyrant since he always chose what to play which angered Remi. Anyhow, all her relatives decided to travel and stayed in a hotel. All had fun except Remi, she missed her family.
Quote
“Jessica and my friends at school said that I was now so English it was impossible to imagine that I had actually been born in Africa. This was true, but it was also true that I now understood what a darkie was and a native and a savage” (Bedford 98).
Reaction
During these pages, the narrator became more mature and more down to earth. Her naïve and innocent personality dissolves into a more open-minded one. Now, Remi realized her differences with other people. Her reality about her father’s leaving her in England and her statue as a black girl. The quote above gives the idea of Remi no longer being a child. She is becoming an adult from the last four years staying in England. Right now, she is eleven years old. She is reflecting about life and reality. Remi left the “Kingdom of Childhood” (Reference to one of Stephenie Meyer’s books) after her grandfather had died (I forgot to mention that in my first post >.<).
Friday, November 27, 2009
Yoruba Girl Dancing (Page 41-81)
Title: Yoruba Girl Dancing
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 41-81
Summary
Several days had passed after Remi’s grandfather’s funeral. At last, Bigmama came to visit the depressed Foster family. Bigmama was the ex-wife of Remi’s grandfather. She apologized of being sick and unable to come to the funeral. Remi’s described the complex atmosphere between her two grandmothers. Anyhow, the awkward silence ceased by Remi’s grandma curious questions about England. Bigmama’s responds described how magnificent life in England was that Remi’s father thought of an idea, the idea to send Remi study abroad in an English boarding school. Remi had no other choice but to please her father. According to the story, studying abroad was a great privilege and honored her family’s name. But, Remi felt depressed to apart from her family. On the other hand, there were three people that came with her to England. They were Bigmama, Aunt Sylvia and Aunt Grace. With the help of her step-grandmother, Bigmama, Remi managed to pack her belongings and departed from Africa at the age of six. After Remi arrived in London, she was with Bigmama several days. Remi met Bigmama’s older sister Aunt Madge and her husband Uncle Reg. Apparently; Remi narrated how wonderful they were and how deep she became attach to them. Then, Bigmama made several arrangement for Remi’s stay in her new school such as buying the uniform and leaving her with Aunt Grace. Aunt Grace became an art college student. She was responsible of Remi. Both of them came to Remi’s new school, it was isolated and obscure. After all, they came a week earlier for the classes to start. Aunt Grace had no other choice but to leave Remi with Miss Bowles, headmistress, and Miss Valentine, vice-headmistress. Since Grace was a busy college student and other relatives were also busy to take care of her for a week. Therefore, Remi remained in the lonely and cold school until the school would actually begin.
Quote
“People here will find it very odd that I should be your grandmother, because you are black and I am white…from now on I want you to call me Aunty” (Bedford 61).
Reaction
With Bedford’s great descriptions of Remi’s experience of moving into a new country, England, the storyline becomes more interesting. The plot is chronological. The narrator’s mood turns deep and realistic. About the six year old Remi moving to England and acknowledging a new culture is hard for her. The new atmosphere and the cold weather have enticed her to miss her sweet and warm home in Africa. The quote above foreshadows miseries to the narrator. Since the narrator is a young African girl staying in an England. The quote describes Bigmama’s concern about their apperance in public. Basically, Bigmama puts a border between them while they are in the public. She embarrass to walk with Remi. Racism and discrimination will become a theme in the book. Remi will encounter conflicts with her classmates because of her unique appearance.
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 41-81
Summary
Several days had passed after Remi’s grandfather’s funeral. At last, Bigmama came to visit the depressed Foster family. Bigmama was the ex-wife of Remi’s grandfather. She apologized of being sick and unable to come to the funeral. Remi’s described the complex atmosphere between her two grandmothers. Anyhow, the awkward silence ceased by Remi’s grandma curious questions about England. Bigmama’s responds described how magnificent life in England was that Remi’s father thought of an idea, the idea to send Remi study abroad in an English boarding school. Remi had no other choice but to please her father. According to the story, studying abroad was a great privilege and honored her family’s name. But, Remi felt depressed to apart from her family. On the other hand, there were three people that came with her to England. They were Bigmama, Aunt Sylvia and Aunt Grace. With the help of her step-grandmother, Bigmama, Remi managed to pack her belongings and departed from Africa at the age of six. After Remi arrived in London, she was with Bigmama several days. Remi met Bigmama’s older sister Aunt Madge and her husband Uncle Reg. Apparently; Remi narrated how wonderful they were and how deep she became attach to them. Then, Bigmama made several arrangement for Remi’s stay in her new school such as buying the uniform and leaving her with Aunt Grace. Aunt Grace became an art college student. She was responsible of Remi. Both of them came to Remi’s new school, it was isolated and obscure. After all, they came a week earlier for the classes to start. Aunt Grace had no other choice but to leave Remi with Miss Bowles, headmistress, and Miss Valentine, vice-headmistress. Since Grace was a busy college student and other relatives were also busy to take care of her for a week. Therefore, Remi remained in the lonely and cold school until the school would actually begin.
Quote
“People here will find it very odd that I should be your grandmother, because you are black and I am white…from now on I want you to call me Aunty” (Bedford 61).
Reaction
With Bedford’s great descriptions of Remi’s experience of moving into a new country, England, the storyline becomes more interesting. The plot is chronological. The narrator’s mood turns deep and realistic. About the six year old Remi moving to England and acknowledging a new culture is hard for her. The new atmosphere and the cold weather have enticed her to miss her sweet and warm home in Africa. The quote above foreshadows miseries to the narrator. Since the narrator is a young African girl staying in an England. The quote describes Bigmama’s concern about their apperance in public. Basically, Bigmama puts a border between them while they are in the public. She embarrass to walk with Remi. Racism and discrimination will become a theme in the book. Remi will encounter conflicts with her classmates because of her unique appearance.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Yoruba Girl Dancing (Page 1- 40)
Title: Yoruba Girl Dancing
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 1-40
Summary
The protagonist of the story is Remi Foster. She was a young African girl that was born in a wealthy African family. Her grandparents were taking care of her while her busy parents were traveling because of business. Remi has three nannies and was adored by her grandparents, which were respected by the people in their huge home. There were about thirty individuals in the house. Every morning, Remi read a book and talked to her grandpa about events occurring in Lagos, the setting. Her grandpa is a wealthy merchant. His role was to maintain the house stable. She told him about her Sisi Bola’s marriage with Akin Ojo, a wealthy man. As the story proceeded, the narrator described how the family history of the Fosters was, such as the three traditional Church meetings on Sundays and the complex relation about her grandparents. After Sisi Bola marriage ceremony ended, Remi returned with her parents to Enugu. Her family was her parents, a brother, a baby, several servants, and herself. They all live happily. Except, the news of her dear grandpa died right after sometime had passed from the wedding. Many people visited the widow, grandma, which seem over dramatic about her husband’s death. At the end, the narrator foreshadowed that her life would not be the same.
Quote
“The music poured through our veins and we flowed with the beat, each separated portion of our bodies winding and unwinding seamlessly as if we had no bones” (Bedford 26).
Reaction
Simi Bedford’s writing style was full of imagery. The great descriptions of Remi's family and her life. Her exposition of the story was complex for the reason she introduced way too many characters at once, similar To Kill A Mockingbird (but worst). The book started with way too many information of her family and traditions. However, the quote above has a great sense of imagery. It came from Remi's thoughts about the great wedding celebration of her cousin, Sisi Bola. Someone can tell the party was enjoyable and fun. Anyhow, the narrator mentioned too many characters which distract the reader of who she was talking about. The author needs to organize a little bit of her exposition of characters. The narration is in first person point of view. So far the story is fine, not that great yet.
Author: Simi Bedford
Page 1-40
Summary
The protagonist of the story is Remi Foster. She was a young African girl that was born in a wealthy African family. Her grandparents were taking care of her while her busy parents were traveling because of business. Remi has three nannies and was adored by her grandparents, which were respected by the people in their huge home. There were about thirty individuals in the house. Every morning, Remi read a book and talked to her grandpa about events occurring in Lagos, the setting. Her grandpa is a wealthy merchant. His role was to maintain the house stable. She told him about her Sisi Bola’s marriage with Akin Ojo, a wealthy man. As the story proceeded, the narrator described how the family history of the Fosters was, such as the three traditional Church meetings on Sundays and the complex relation about her grandparents. After Sisi Bola marriage ceremony ended, Remi returned with her parents to Enugu. Her family was her parents, a brother, a baby, several servants, and herself. They all live happily. Except, the news of her dear grandpa died right after sometime had passed from the wedding. Many people visited the widow, grandma, which seem over dramatic about her husband’s death. At the end, the narrator foreshadowed that her life would not be the same.
Quote
“The music poured through our veins and we flowed with the beat, each separated portion of our bodies winding and unwinding seamlessly as if we had no bones” (Bedford 26).
Reaction
Simi Bedford’s writing style was full of imagery. The great descriptions of Remi's family and her life. Her exposition of the story was complex for the reason she introduced way too many characters at once, similar To Kill A Mockingbird (but worst). The book started with way too many information of her family and traditions. However, the quote above has a great sense of imagery. It came from Remi's thoughts about the great wedding celebration of her cousin, Sisi Bola. Someone can tell the party was enjoyable and fun. Anyhow, the narrator mentioned too many characters which distract the reader of who she was talking about. The author needs to organize a little bit of her exposition of characters. The narration is in first person point of view. So far the story is fine, not that great yet.
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