OMG this is the last post!!!!

The "alleluia" chorus is gloriously ringing in my ears! No offense Miss McDonald, but I am glad this project is over! Well, it's not completely over since we still have to write the essay, and then there's the research project........... okay I'm getting ahead of myself. Take this one step at a time. But seriously, it seems like such a long time ago we got the outline of the project and were assigned our first book; time sure does fly.Anyway, I feel that this book was decent. If I had to rate these books, this is how I would rate them; The Awakening, Montana, Bell Jar, Catcher in the Rye, and Mango Street.
As I was reading other classmate's blogs,I saw that someone wrote something I agree with; I don't completely think that Sylvia Plath is a nutcase, at least her writing doesn't show it. I mean, JK Rowling could be considered a nutcase later for all we know; she did make up a entire universe that does not exist and made it seem soooo real. Did anyone know that she suffered depression when she was young, before she wrote Harry Potter? I know I'm getting sidetracked, but I just thought it was interesting how two famous authors both suffered during their lives. But back to what I was first saying, in her writing Plath just sounds like she's telling the story of a depressed person. The novel definitely has its odd moments, but I wasn't creeped out by anything. I think that with Sylvia Plath's problems, I think she kept her problems on the inside, even though she was screaming for help. Like many people do today or haev done in the past, I think she used her writing to express her emotions and feelings. Maybe Esther is how Plath truly felt, like she was writing about herself and the thing she wanted to do- the world will never know.
Even though she's a psycho, Esther would have to be my favorite character. This might sound strange, but I like that she is seriously flawed. I know with our Awakening discussion we all argued about Edna's flaws and we made her our hated character. But for me, it seemed as though all the protagonist's flaws were superficial in a way, the standard "this character is this, this character is that", and you were just " yeah, okay, whatever". But Esther just feels so real, and its not because the novel is written informally; its because, as the jacket says, her depression is so real! And she seems like all of us! Her problems are things we see and hear everyday and even if we haven't, we still understand! I disagree sometimes with her, but I didn't mind that she was flawed because we all are. It was refreshing to read a "real" story. I also agree with Ashley in her first post that Esther is terrible at the follow through when it comes to her ideals. This is another reason I like her, because all of us have a terrible time following through. And instead of being mean or moody or rude about it, i felt that she was open to herself about her weaknesses and understood them. Because this shows that she can be helped.
And I believe that it is these qualities, the ones that are there but hidden, that make Esther a strong person. Because at the end you know her journey will help her be a stronger, healthier person who will now stand up for herself and follow her dreams fully and never back down on her ideals. She is still scared at the same time, with the thought of her depression looming distantly ahead in the future; she will conquer it head on if it ever comes back.

Pauvre Esther

I really don't see how people go "ugggg... bell jar!" I think that (myself included) we can all be very whiny! But it is, to where I'm at, a good read. The story flows nicely and keeps you interested, not dozing off. Even though the beginning is a little strange- most authors do not try to attract their readers with electrocutions- I feel that it will turn out to be an interesting read. Something I was just thinking about, when we did our group discussions and while I was reading, almost every single stinkin book is written informally. Every narrarators talks to you as if they were sitting right there just chatting. Thats the beauty of these five books; someway or another, you'll connect to a character or a situation when you least expect it, and maybe you will see it in a different light or you'll walk away with an important message. I think that, even though we may not want to admit it, there was maybe one thing in each book that really stuck out for all of us, even the "bad" ones.
Well...... I think that Esther is somewhat similar to Holden. One, they're both psychos. Two, they either live or are in situations that people could only dream off, and yet they see beyond it. Holden is jsut afraid and doesn't appreciate what he has, but Esther is different. I feel bad for Esther; I think something happened to her, or set her off, that made her depressed. One quote says that " After nineteen years of running after good marks and prizes adn grants of one sort and another, I was letting up, slowing down, dropping clean out of the race" (29). Esther is giving up on her life, but why? She comes from a poor family and seems as though she worked soo hard to get into college and luckily won this contest; its like the perfect rags to riches story. But why give up now? She's on the right path, don't drop out! I believe something happened before she came to New York that set her into this new attitude and depression.
As I read this novel, I sometimes wonder about my cousin who had bipolar disorder; I wonder if he ever felt reall depressed like this. I wonder what people today go through when they're depressed like Esther. I just feel sooo bad, because sometimes they don't say anything and bad things happen when you don't ask for help. I hope Esther asks for help.

Okay, maybe I was wrong.......

Mango isn't such a terrible book. I know that in my last blog I was ranting about it; that's because I wasn't that far into it. I still have simialr feeling though; there were parts where I just said "what the heck soes this have to do with ANYTHING!" But, I know the trick to actually enjoy the book! I know this sounds crazy, but read the back cover summary and keep that in mind as you read. You'll find that you will have a whole new outlook on this novel ( I know I did). I wouldn't say I loved it, but it moved me in a way I didn't think possible. When you read it and put yourself in Espernza shoes and feel for her..... that's when you start to enjoy the book, when you put it into perspective.
I overheard someone saying this about Mango, and I totally picked up on it while reading; the opression of women. All the women are indoors; you never read about any of them going outside to do anything. The husbands are very controlling too. They are the reasons they never go out . They almost control their every movements also. The women aren't any better though; most are very submissive adn pretedn they are happy with their sitaution, like Sally. Another thing I noticed was that all the women almost regret the sitaution they are in, or have wishful thinking. In once chapter, Esperanza's mother reminisces her school experiences and how she could have become anything. This shows that she regrets what she did and also to show Esperanza to go out and get what she wants; not to follow in her mother's footsteps. I'm going to make a small character connection; the two e's, Esperanza and Edna! The two are similar because they both do not want to conform to what society and life has in store for them, or what is expected of them. Esperanza knows this from the beginning instead of having an awakening, and thankfully she doesn't go and commit suicide.
I feel that the end of the book is the most powerful, at least for me; what did it was the part where Esperanza is at the wake and the "three sisters" talk to her; one of them tells her not to forget Mango and to come back. Later, Alicia tells her the same thing ( a little bit of Macbeth for you there?) I felt that this is true. Esperanza resents her situation and her life, constantly wanting more. But her previous situations and her life on Mango are apart of who she is; they have shaped her and changed her as an individual. WIth her strong personality, she will eventually leave Mango and everyone behind to do what she wants. Later however, she will coem back to her roots; I believe she will come back to change Mango Street, to make it better.
So, we have 1 book left!!!!! YAY!!!! And then we get to write essays!!!! YAY!!!!!!

What.............

I'm a little....... no actually ALOT confused by this novel. I think its fun how the author wrotes it in short chapters, almost like short stories. But I don't see where it is going! I mean, Catcher was random and confusing at times, bu there was a distinctive storyline to follow. This one, not so much. At times you the reader are just thrown into these stories in the novel with no background info on anything. There are a few character that I still have no clue about. The book is also very short too; I really don't know where this is going. But anyway, it is not a terrible book. Even though I'm terribly confused, the shortness and sometimes randomness keeps me focused; a new story awaits each chapter.
Something that interested me was the chapter where she talks about her name. She wishes that her name was different, that it means sadness and waiting; she also mentions how she was named after her grandmother. I'm interested to see if Esperanza wil lparallel her grandmother later on in the novel. Esperanza mentions that her grandmother was more of a feminist; maybe Esperanza will have the same attitude. The legacy of the name Esperanza will pass on from generation to generation.
Something I also noticed was how real everything seems in the novel. You can really tell this is truly live in poverty; it not overdramatized as in the movies or other books. Nothing is sugar-coated, which I think is good for us as a whole. Since we live in such an affluent area, books like this are a wake up call telling us what the world is really like. Also, you can really feel for Esperanza and her family, and feel their pain and sorrow. Its almost like reading an autobiography.
Thats all I have to say about this; I know its really short. I saved you all from reading a really long blog; now go and read all of ashley's 10 paragraphs! Ha!Ha!