Clay Gerfen Journal 4

Journal 4

By Clay Gerfen

The story that stands out me is "Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark." It stands out to me because it reminds me of my dad who is one of the hardest working people I know. The only person in our family that could work harder than him when I was younger was my Great Grandpa. My dad and my great grandpa were very close before he passed away a few years ago. That was one of only two times that I have every seen my dad break down and cry. Dad had learned everything that got him started farming from my great grandpa. He was my dad's biggest mentor and he says that its because of him that we are what we are today.

Role Models

As a teenager I had more than one role model because when you grow up in a community of farmers its hard to pick just one. Everyone that I would talk to was helping you learn something whether I realized it at the time or not. The things I have learned have made me a better person and help me view things in different perspectives as I evaluate things.

Journal 4

Damien Rodrigues

English 1109 Mon, Wednesday 10:30

September 29, 2016

Journal 4: Cisneros and Role models

The story that stood out to me the most out of the couple of stories is “Papa Who Wakes up Tried in the Dark” on pages 56-57. The reason this story stands out to me is because of the seriousness of the story. This story shows us how Esperanza deal with the situation of death and how she would react if her father died. The theme in this story is definitely sorrow and sadness because of the passing of the abuelito. I think the language is at its best in the story when Esperanza says “And if I think if my own papa died what would I do. I hold my Papa in my arms. I hold and hold and hold him.” (Cisneros, 57).  The reason why I think that this is the best writhing in the story is because this one sentence displays many emotions, the love for her father and the sorrow if the lost her father.

I think if I was to pick a role model other than my Parents would be my sister Janelle. As much as I disagree with her my sister has always had a big influence on me. She has always been there for me even when I screw up. She is the definition of hard working in my book. Not only is she working two jobs she is in college to and is about to graduate. She also finds the time take care of my little bro when my parents are at work and make me dinner. I’m glad to have sister even if she annoys me I know she is doing it because she cares.

The Four Amigos

James W.B. Guinther

Mike Lohre

English 1109.01

September 27, 2016

The Four Amigos

Sandra Cisneros, Four Skinny Trees in her book The House on Mango Street, reminded me of my friends and I. We have always been close like the four frees Cisneros talks about. It seems as my friends and I grow up like the trees we still have our roots firmly in the ground right next to each other. The trees are described as having their branches on one another and if one falls they will all. This correlating to that if one of us falls we will all be right there, all together. I believe Cisneros work is at its best when she writes, “Their strength is secret” (Cisneros. 74). Invoicing thought to the obvious, that they are together and their strength is in time and in numbers.
Adolescents, with their malleable minds are extremely influential upon. When I was about 13 My cousin Matthew Fix a recent graduate from Ohio Norther majoring in mechanical engineering landed non-major related job. This job was at Marathon as a Petroleum engineer, the year he graduated making about 50,000 dollars more than the 80,000 dollar mechanical engineer salary. This inspired me to set course to become an engineer seeing how successful he is, now making a salary of over 130,000 dollars and he's not even 30. All throughout high school he would tell me how important my grades in math and science are, and that truly understanding the fundamentals will take me far in life. I chose to allow successful good hearted people influence me knowing that their advice would take me where I want to go.

Nick Price

English 1109 MW

9/27/16

Stranger

Geraldo No Last Name in the book The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros really stood out to me because it involves death. So sudden and just comes out of the blue. She was the last one to see Geraldo alive. She asks herself why it even matters, she didn't know him “He wasn’t her boyfriend or anything” (Cisneros 66). He was just some guy at a dance. She talked about the if’s. If the surgeon was there, they might know something about the guy. Who he was, where he lived, who to tell he was dead. That is where the writing was at its best.

During my teenage years my main role model was my uncle Bruce. He is a mechanic and works on a lot of cars. He always helped me with my car. He taught me everything I know about cars. He was always willing to help me get away from feeling stressed. When i needed a break from worrying about school and what not, he would tell me to come to his shop and he would let me help him do work of some of the cars he had in there at the time. Always teaching me new things.

Journal Four

Alex Hustak

English 1109 Mon/Wed 10:30

September 28, 2016

            Journal Four

               A story that stood out to me in The House on Mango Street was the story called "Born Bad". This story stood out to me because of the very strong meaning behind it. Esperanza is explaining how her aunt Lupe is bed ridden from sickness, yet she is imagining what her aunt was like before she was sick. Her mother prays over her because she was born on an evil day and for what her and her sister had done to her aunt. I feel the writing is at its best when Cisneros writes " We pretended with our heads thrown back, our arms limp and useless dangling like the dead" (Cisneros 61). This caught my attention because Esperanza explains how she likes her aunt so much but proceeds to go outside and mimic her sickness.

When I was younger, I only had one real role model in my life which was my oldest brother. He was the person I always could look up to as the youngest kid. My brother has been very hard working since he was a teenager and as I was younger I did not realize it. As I was growing up I see this value of hard work he has. Ever since I saw the importance of it I have tried to hold myself up to the same standards he does by trying to put as much effort as him into everything I do.

Journal 4 Tyler Beers

Tyler Beers

English 1109 MW

September 27, 2016

Journal 4

            In the book The House On Mango Street my favorite story so far has been Born Bad.  This story stands out to me by how Cisneros starts the story off.  That first sentence has a very bold and meaningful statement.  The writing at its best is probably Esperanza is saying “my mother says I was born on an evil day and prays for me.  Lucy and Rachel pray to.  For ourselves and for each other…. because of what we did to Aunt Lupe.”  The theme of the story is how she was born bad and at the end she ends up spending a lot of time with her Aunt Lupe.

            My role model during my teenage years was my offensive line coach aka coach Billy.  During football I didn’t start playing football till my sophomore year.  During my first season I was the worst possible shape and wasn’t very speedy.  So through out my high school football year coach Billy was always there helping me out no matter what.  He has also teached me something on the field that has carried over to every life.  That was no matter what has happened always look in the future and the past is in the past.  Also to work hard in football will carry over to everyday work ethic.

Terria Jones

English 1109.01, 10:30-12:30 on Monday and Wednesday

September 20, 2016

Journal Four: Cisneros and Role Models

Part one: In the book, “House of Mango Street,” my favorite chapter would be chapter 23 “Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark.” This story stands out to me the most because Esperanza gives us a better understand of her dad. She shows how he’s a hardworking man. Esperanza’s papa died and she has never seen her dad cry before. She has never seen her papa cry before, she had no idea what to do. The important theme here would be, be grateful for the people you have in your life because eventually they will no longer be there. In this chapter, Esperanza’s writing was at its best when she said, “And I think if my own Papa died what would I do. I hold my Papa in my arms. I would hold and hold and hold him.” That’s when we could see Esperanza’s love for her Papa.

Story of a Local Role Model

Part two: When I was a teenager, my role model was Nikki Minaj. She was my role model because I thought she was so beautiful and she did not care what other people thought of her. I wanted to be just like her. I wanted to wear all the makeup she wore. I wanted to have her attitude of not caring about what others thought of me. I wanted to dress how I wanted not what was “hip” and still fit in. She influenced me to do all of these. She may not be the best role model in some people’s opinions, but Nikki Minaj did teach me that I can be my own person and people will still like me for who I am.

Journal four

Dominique Sandusky

English 1109 Monday- Wednesday

9/27/16

Journal four

          The story I chose to write about was “The Earl of Tennessee” on page 70-71. This story stands out to me, because she explains his awful living conditions. There are cockroaches, mold and it smelled damp. He’s kind of a mysterious man to them, because they don’t see him very often so there are rumors about him. I thought the theme of this chapter was judging people, because throughout this chapter she judges him on his house, the way he dresses, and his girlfriend. I thought the writing was at its best on page 70 when Cisneros says, “The little wooden door that has wedged shut the dark for so long opens with a sigh and lets out a breath of mold and dampness, like the books that have been left out in the rain”. I thought this was a great line, because it’s so descriptive and I can actually see, and smell what his place must be like.

         My Aunt Tracy has always been my second mom, best friend, sister, and aunt all in one. She’s been my supporter no matter what kind of trouble I got myself in. I know I can always talk to her, and trust that it stays between us. Growing up, it was nice not having to feel alone, and having an adult with good advice to help guide me. Some stuff I just couldn’t talk to my parents about but didn’t know what to do, and she was always there to help me figure out the right thing to do and help me learn from my mistakes.

Carrie Crilow

English 1109 10:30-12:30 M-W

28 September 2016

Journal Four

The story Four Skinny Trees really stood out to me the most. Knowing that Esperaza can look beyond herself and others around her and compare herself to trees is pretty remarkable. She can look at the strength in anything, and comparing herself to a non-humanly object to find the positive outlook in the end. Cisneros says at the end of the chapter, “ Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be.”  (Cisneros 75)

This is a short chapter, its only a few paragraphs to be exact. Looking at the bigger picture I can relate to this a lot because it can tell you a lot about how a person looks at certain perspectives in life. I have a personal connection with this chapter because when I was little growing up. I wouldn't have a lot of friends by my side all the time so at a young age I learned to never give up and to always push for bigger and better things in life. Independence is key, I can say that i'm proud of knowing I have developed the strong sense of independence that has set me up for my future, and it's nice knowing I can read books like Cisneros and be able to connect with her stories.

Raeann Journal Four

Raeann Eldred

English 1109 10:30-12:30 MW

September 27, 2016

Journal Four

            The story that stands out to me is Geraldo No Last Name. This story stands out to me because it tells of a man, Geraldo, who died in an accident. Marin was the last one to see him alive and no one knew his last name or where he was from. Geraldo is a mystery to everyone and including how he died. The themes that are important in this story are how Marin just met Geraldo and they just danced. Also, how Marin was the last one to see Geraldo alive. “No address. No name. Nothing in his pockets. Ain’t it a shame” (Cisneros 66). This is where the writing is at its best because it tells how no one and nothing could verify who or where Geraldo was from.

            As an adolescent the person who had a significant influence on me was my older cousin, Justin. He was always around me and at the farm when I was younger. How he influenced me was the actions he made. Justin would always get into crazy activities. He would have late night fires with a bunch of friends being loud, pull into the drive way like he owned the place, and many more. This affected me because it made me not want to be annoying and be considerate. 

Logan's Journal Four

Logan Sutton

English 1109 10:30

28 September 2016

Journal Four

           The story that stands out to me the most is Papa Who Wakes up Tired in the Dark.  This stands out to me because I can relate to her when she loses her grandfather.  My grandmother died two years ago and I had never seen my dad cry until then.  Esperanza is most likely seeing her father like that for the first time too.  The theme of this story is family, she realizes the needs for her family.  She does very well describing her father, “My his thick hands and thick shoes, who wakes up tired in the dark, who combs his hair with water, drinks his coffee, and is gone before we wake, today is sitting on my bed” (Cisneros 57).  This is where the writing is at its best in this story.

As an adolescent, I looked up to my school softball coach.  She was the perfect role model because she always worked hard and pushed me to become better every day.  If I ever needed to talk she would be there to listen and help me figure things out.  She made me a better person and she helped me gain good habits.  She would always tell us to put school first, and softball second.

Kyle Blanton

English 1109 M/W

09/27/16

Journal Four

            I picked the chapter The First Job because it really shows how deceptive people can be and how this inanest looking old man can be the complete opposite of what she thinks of him. The themes that are most important in this story are when her Aunt tells her about the job that she got her, and how she will have to lie about her age to get it. Her Aunt is being a good Aunt and trying to look out for her and getting her a job so she can make some money, but at the same time telling her that she needs to lie to get it.

            I believe that the writing was the best at the end of the book because she is so misleading about the old man that he really was trying to be her friend and wanted to make her feel welcome and comfortable at her work places because it’s her first day. As Cisneros writes “He had nice eyes and I didn’t feel so nervous anymore.” (page 55)

            I have really two people who influenced me. One was good and one was bad. My brother I love him without a doubt but when we were younger he was the meanest kid ever and my mom will tell anyone that. He was so mean he would just walk but to me sometimes and push me to the ground for no reason and it was like walking on egg shells when your around him because you dot know when he was going to snap. I told myself that I would not be like that and I would laugh and try and make everyone smile around me so they would have fun too. Now my brother is older and he has grown out of that stage and is very nice to be around.

            My second influence is my Aunt and Uncle. I would always go over to their house to play with my cousins and they would always laugh and have fun and there was never a dual moment with them. My Uncle is the funniest human being alive he is just crazy and a blast to be around and my Aunt was the exact same and that’s why they were so much fun to be around. But my Aunt about a year ago died of breast cancer and when she was going through is she would always try to make us smile and laugh even though she knows what was going on. She is one of the biggest role models in life because she always found a way to be happy.

Journal Four

Timmy Le

English 1109

26 September 2016

Journal Four

         My favorite chapter from the recent reading is Four Skinny Trees. This story stands out for me because I like how Esperanza compares herself as a tree outside of her house. The main theme for this story is being an outcast or not fitting in. The writing that is at its best is when Esperanza said "Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach.". It represents that the trees doesn't give up when there is obstruction in their way, instead, they reach farther.
       A person that influences me when I was little is my neighbor. He would have a nice lawn and garden that I envied. As time goes by, I start to take care of my garden and lawn. I don't know why but I like a nicely trimmed grass lawn and a garden to compliment it.

Kian Raheem

English 1109.01 Monday/Wednesday 10:30-12:20

September 26, 2016

Journal Four

My favorite Chapter was Four Skinny trees. The reason it's my favorite chapter because it talks about how the trees are strong and how Esperanza is the only one who understands them. She also says, she feels out of place just like the trees are out of place where their planted. I relate to this because I've always felt out of place wherever I was. Being in school I felt out of place, at home, at work. People thought I was different and that’s how Esperanza feels. In the book the quote that stood out to me was "Their strength is secret. They send ferocious roots beneath the ground"(Esperanza 74). That stood out to me because though trees seem harmless they are strong and like keep going. It reminded me of when I felt like I didn't fit in and I just stayed strong and kept focused on my goals. 

My role model is Stephen Curry. Now I know that many people will say I'm a band wagon, but I do have my own thoughts on him. The biggest thing to me is that it doesn't matter about how much he is getting paid to play for the Warriors, but he cares about playing the game. Compared to other players in the NBA, he makes a considerable less amount than other players in the league. The other reason he is my role model is that he cares about his family and that family is number one. I'm a family person and he shows you that family is important and you should care about them no matter what.