Abuela Advents The Zero Analysis

Tom is essentially dying, hence, his mother Vic wishes to provide him with the best quality of life she can, however, due to having recently immigrated to Australia, the family possess very little, and their current financial state is of extremely poor quality. Vic wishes she could provide Tom with everything he ever wanted, however is unable to do so, so she compensates with an immense amount of love and support, always encouraging and caring for Tom, ensuring he constantly feels special and appreciated. “Where is he? There you are. Ahhhhhh, well done. There’s my boy. Weren’t you marvellous? You were marvellous.” (Vic, act one, scene two). Harry portrays a similar love for Tom, always giving praise for his achievements and expressing great encouragement, however, Harry will go above and beyond in order to put a smile on Tom’s face. He always strives to give Tom something to look forward to, so he stops dwelling on the imminent future that includes the arrival of his death, and thus, allow Tom to focus on the positives that will come before this time. “I’ve looked forward to it. Ever since you suggested it I’ve wanted to go. That day in the hospital and you brought in the tent and put it up in the ward. I couldn't wait for summer to come.” (Tom, act two, scene one). Vic and Harry are exceptionally generous people, always putting the happiness of

He likes Daisy not for true love but rather for a possession-type relationship. He cheats on her and is proud of it. When with Daisy, he rarely acts romantic because he is always preoccupied with his greed. He doesn't strive for her love because he knows his wealth will keep her with him. He has a very realistic approach on life. He sees things as they are. This allows Tom to stay happy and rarely be disappointed.

Tom believes he is this woman’s hero. Throughout the story he sees himself protecting her from Stanley’s domination (Lessing 858). He feels he is not her harasser and that she must be aware of his love for her. His dreams of her have convinced him that meeting this woman is in his destiny. He doesn’t interpret her indifference as rejection as Stanley does and has no idea how he will suffer for it later. Far gone into his fantasy, Tom imagines the nearby crane aiding his heroic rescue of her.

As Albert Einstein once remarked, “The only source of knowledge is experience”. Many characters in works of literature change significantly through suffering and overcoming. In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain and Judith Ortiz Cofer’s “Abuela Invents the Zero”, the protagonists learn valuable lessons as their life unfolds. They go through events that aid their journey to a positive transformation, and begin thinking in different ways. After confronting and enduring problems, Tom and Constancia improve as people, and realize the importance of certain personalities and actions.

Tom’s neglecting manner of Daisy brings out his supercilious manner of feeling superior to others. In another instance, Tom’s supercilious manner is shown once again. In fact, we find out a little secret about Tom’s life. Tom describes a man, named Wilson as, “Wilson? He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York.

One of Daisy’s biggest sins included misleading her husband by marrying him. Tom Buchanan remained deceived with the impression of Daisy loving him. After she cut her ties with Gatsby, she set off on a new adventure, transforming her normal life into riches. Daisy “wanted her life shaped now, immediately-and the decision must be made by some force- of love, of money, of unquestionable practicality” and soon “that force took the shape of Tom Buchanan”. Tom’s kindness attracted Daisy the first time they met. But as time progressed, she grew infatuated with his money more than his personality. The little glimpse of greed from her youth developed into a powerful force which took control of her emotions. To Daisy, the importance of money overpowered her will to achieve happiness. Daisy’s love rang once for Tom but Jay Gatsby answered her call. She cheated on her husband Tom because she desired Gatsby more. On the day of Myrtle’s death, Daisy confronted both Tom and Gatsby with her true emotions by confessing “even alone I can’t say I never loved Tom… It wouldn’t be true”. She loved Tom but since Daisy’s with Gatsby, she doesn’t love him anymore. Daisy broke the vows she made to Tom when they married each other. Breaking the promise of marriage gave her the thrill she always dreamed of in her youth.

Through The Tragedy of Pudd’nhead Wilson by Mark Twain, he shows through juvenalian satire the irony of Tom’s life. Tom shows through his actions that he is a man of no morals. He gambles, steals and treats his family poorly. These actions come back to haunt Tom as he is the man who should be working on the plantation not Chambers. He is eventually sold down the river ironically as he tries to do the same to his mother.

In “Abuela Invents the zero” by Judith Ortiz-Cofer, the most important factor, to why Connie decides to leave her grandmother lost in the church, is her embarrassment, or to fit in with her friends, which she thinks is going to help her self esteem. In the passage, it states "I try to walk far behind them in public so that no one will think we’re together" (Ortiz-Cofer para 4). This shows that Connie thought that she was in a predicament, because of her abuela. She thought that because of this she should not even walk behind her. This proves that the main factor in Connie’s choice was he and making sure that her friends felt highly of her so her self esteem would not be ruined.

For example, Tom finally builds up the courage and strength to get back inside because “he thought of Clare – just wordless, yearning thought – and then drew his arm back just a bit more, fist so tight his fingers pained him, and knowing he was going to do it” (19-20). The thought of seeing Clare again and spending time with her allowed him to see his life in a better perspective and to want to become a changed man. Tom’s driving force in life is no longer his passionate ambition and determination to achieve his goals, but now is his beloved wife. In addition, when Tom leaves his apartment to go find his wife, he saw “the yellow paper, the pencil flying, scooped off his desk and, unimpeded by the glassless window, sail out into the night and out of his life” (20). Tom finally let go of his yellow paper and all the pressure it bestowed on him. He sees the thing that caused him to lose numerous hours, which he could have spent with Clare, disappear from his life. He realizes that his career and his ambition to succeed are not worth it and are not as important to him anymore. As a result, Tom becomes a changed man who now knows that having something as special as a person who loves and cares about him is more rewarding than anything his career can offer

Often times, individuals use the phrase “set your priorities straight” to indicate they need a realignment on what is valued more. An individual’s priorities vary, depending on one’s values. Some put their individual values before others’; while some give others’ priorities more value than their own. Authors occasionally engrave this moral into their novels to leave an impact in the reader’s lives. John Steinbeck’s Cannery Row tells a story of Mack and the boys, who want to show their appreciation for Doc by throwing him a surprise party at the comfort of his home.

In Abuela Invents the Zero by Judith Ortiz Cofer, Constancia is not used to her grandmother’s culture, and therefore treats her differently and does not help her. According to the text, “It is January, two feet of snow on the ground, and she’s wearing a shawl over a thick black dress. And that’s just the start” (Cofer para. 3). Constancia was not used to people being dressed and acting as Abuela had been, and was embarrassed just to be around her. Additionally, “I plan to stay very busy the whole time she’s with us so

Tom takes advantage of this situation and manipulates Daisy to completely depend on him. Daisy has spent her whole life being used to someone telling her what to do, and her relationship with Tom is no different. Even right after they got married, “If he left the room for a minute she’d look around uneasily and say: ‘‘Where’s Tom gone?’ and wear the most abstract expression until she saw him coming in the door” (77). Daisy relies solely on Tom and is “uneasy” without him around. Her dependence on Tom reflects not only his hyper masculinity, but how little he cares about Daisy. Despite this, he knows Daisy will never leave him, and pushes their marriage to the brink by having multiple affairs.

Tom drained Daisy of all her independence the instant they tied the knot and agreed to conform to a typical marriage. He takes advantage of this situation and not only abuses his control over Daisy, but manipulates her to completely depend on him. Daisy has always been used to someone telling her what to do, and her relationship with Tom is no different. She is not a whole person without him to the point where even, “If he left the room for a minute she’d look around uneasily and say: ‘‘Where’s Tom gone?’ and wear the most abstract expression until she

Human nature is known to have two sides, strength and weakness, but an individual’s weakness is often acknowledged more than their triumphs. In both A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain, show how the weakness of human nature affects an individual’s persona. Although the strengths of human nature is a powerful part of an individual’s identity, I believe that weakness is displayed and taken in account more often.

In moments of distress literature guides me. Moments in my life when I feel heavy hearted are quickly resolved as I turn to my favorite novels for comfort. Books reassure me that even in the worst situation good fate always wins . When I am lonely, I reacquaint myself with the safe and familiar characters that I know and love . Whenever I feel happy, I smile because I have lived the lives of warriors, enchantresses, and even the common day person. Although the emotional connection between literature and myself is imperishable, there was a time in my life when that bond was nonexistent. However, for one to understand the significant impact stories has had on my life, one must know my life. Thus, my story begins with my childhood. A conventional upbringing of sorts but of course my childhood doesn't begin with me. My childhood begins as most childhoods do, with my parents. My parents met each other during their freshmen year of high school when they were fourteen years old . Call it destiny, or mere luck, this one meet cue would define their lives for the next twenty two years. After their initial meeting, it did not take long for my parents to fall passionately in love. Unfortunately, their devotion for one another as an imminent as their fallout, however, we are not there yet. We are at the bittersweet moments of young love. The moments that make one believe in eternity although these moments themselves cease to last just as long. My parents own version of forever