Bodega Dreams Analysis

Growing up Soto’s life at home wasn’t ideal and he never had high hopes for it. Soto’s family was Mexican American so he was born into a Chicano culture. Every one of their jobs, even his as a child, was some type of physical labor, “and he worked in the fields as an agricultural laborer and as a low-paid

In Grillo's early childhood, he faced many financial problems which impacted him to change and join a gang for financial gain. His parents were constantly working, his mother clean houses and his father was a janitor. They would remain without electricity, one day they decide to go out to eat and Grillo refused to go inside the restaurant. His mother begged him, “No I don't want to go inside, I yelled. And why not? My mother demanded, por el amor de dios aren't you hungry? I pointed a finger to a sign on the door. It read, Come In, Cold Inside”. This quote shows how Grillo to feel weak and in turn prompted him to change and turn to gang activity to make money.

The author of Bodega Dreams puts a lot of emphasis on the latin community and how as a community people try to help each other out because they realize that they are alone because the government is not going to help them. Willie Bodega has a vision and wanted to help his community by fixing it it. He invested a lot of money in trying to fix it something that the government did not do. In one part of the book it talks about how something will happen in the community and if people don't talk about it lt=ot then the authorities will not do anything about it (ernesto quinonez 64). Bodega wanted to help his people because many people expect the worse from the spanish community. We are destined not be successful because society always expect the

In the book Bodega Dreams, the author Ernesto Quiñonez talks about a scenario in East Harlem that is filled with controversy and dilemma. Narrator and main character Chino, is forced to perform endless tasks for William Bodega, a character who hopes for the better of the community while also trying to chase love. At the same time though, he is trying to make the best out of his relationship, preparing to be a father, and attempting to do well in school. In the end, Chino realizes that he is being manipulated by a different person trying to gain the love Bodega wanted, costing Bodega’s life and accomplishments, while also costing Chino his time and marriage. Bodega Dreams is ultimately a story of tragedy, as demonstrated with the betrayal and murder of Willie Bodega, by his trusted colleague and best friend, Edwin Nazario.

Luis was growing up into the life of gang banging, gaining a reputation in San Gabriel by being scouted into bigger gangs in the area. Increasing his involvement in the gang by stealing form stores, to eventually being part of premeditated arson and murders. Luis was well on his way to a life in prison or worse, death. By growing up during a time of racial discrimination, options were limited to becoming a factory worker or gangster. Luis met

Psychodynamic therapists find that free association is helpful in treating their clients because it allows them to say whatever comes to mind. The client is encouraged to talk about anything and everything seeing as it may help them accept any kind of limitations or discord they may have. This process of treatment would not be the best route for Antwone’s therapist to take. Antwone struggles in creating conversation out of nothing and when it comes to talking about his issues, that process is no different.

In the book The Running Dream by Wendelin van Draanen we follow Jessica, a teenage track star, with a newly amputated leg. The novel opens in the hospital, where Jessica feels despairingly and unable in a tragic point of her life. She feels a tad bit better after managing to get herself upstairs and take a shower by herself, one of many difficulties she’ll have to get over. When she returns to school, in her math class she has to sit in the back of the classroom at a table with a girl named Rosa, a math whiz with cerebral palsy. Rosa and Jessica prove to make great friends, and when given the option Jessica doesn’t want to move back to a normal seat. As a great track runner, it’s hard for her to watch her team compete or practice while she

Many writers focus their works of written art on life situations. They focus on drugs, poverty, stereotypes, young adults living in a difficult world, and of course a topic that has been present for many years, male domination. Abraham Rodriguez Jr. in “The Boy Without a Flag” captures all these themes and more in his Tales of the South Bronx, that relate to the lives of many Hispanics and minority residents of the United States.

As part of her research method for the book, Julie Bettie spent about a year observing and interviewing with more than 60 Mexican American girls and white girls from middle-class families asking them about various subjects like school, family, friendships, college, popular culture, and their plans for their futures. She named the school “Waretown High School” in order to respect the students and people at the school. Her research revealed that class differences are part of our everyday lives however it is uncommon to talk about it openly. She talks about how class differences are one of the key sources to middle-class practices of

Precious Knowledge, is an incredible documentary detailing the events that occurred in Tucson High School. To encourage Mexican American students to attend school and graduate, the High School implemented a Mexican-American studies program that allowed students to learn more about their culture and origin. The program turned out to be highly successful and did indeed increase the attendance and graduation rate of the students, with many of them rekindling their love of learning. Unfortunately however, many people opposed the ethnic studies program - concluding that it was “anti-American” that installed anti-American values into the students; for example, Benjamin Franklin not being shown in the most positive light. This reached Tom Horne, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, who was also against the ethnic studies program, and he proposed and succeeded in passing a bill that prohibited the program. The remainder of the documentary consists of the teachers and students protesting the bill and attempting to prevent the bill from being passed.

Imperial Dreams is the first movie i’ve seen which shows an accurate representation of what poverty looks like in the hood. The realism combined with the powerful relationship between Bambi the 21 year old ex convict and his 4 year old son Day is what gave me so much empathy throughout the film.

What Dreams May Come is a movie about life, loss, death, afterlife and rebirth. The film explores the emotions evoked by a variety of characters when they are faced with coping with tragedy and death. It also delves into the manifestations of heaven and the variety of forms heaven takes in the minds of different people.

The best part of a long, hard-working day is when you finally get to lay in your bed, close your eyes and let your imagination run free. As you sleep your mind takes you to another place far away from the real world. You begin to dream. Over the night, you may have several dreams. In the morning, you may wake up and wonder what your dreams were suppose to mean for you and your life. By analyzing your dream, it "gives a true picture of the 'subjective state'-how we really feel about ourselves-which the conscious mind cannot or will not give" (Wietz 289). In order to find the meaning of a dream, you have to pick out the most important symbols and define them. But you may be wondering what exactly is a symbol?

However, many Hispanic families were and in some cases, still are viewed as lower-class citizens. According to Barrientos, “To me, speaking Spanish translated into being poor. It meant waiting tables and cleaning hotel rooms. It meant being left off the cheerleading squad and receiving a condescending smile from the guidance counselor when you said you planned on becoming a lawyer or a doctor” (561). They are not respected in a lot of communities, they live dirty, and they have bad jobs. These stereotypes are reasons why Barrientos did not want to be called Mexican and never wanted to learn Spanish. If diversity had been celebrated when Barrientos was a child, as it is celebrated and honored now, she would have grown up speaking Spanish and being proud of her heritage.

In the novel, Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M Coetzee, the magistrate’s progressive, non-linear dreams are a parallel to his growing involvement with the barbarians and his growing distaste for the empire. The great psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud said, “The interpretation of dreams is the royal road to a knowledge of the unconscious.” In every dream there is a hidden meaning and when the reader starts analyzing the magistrate’s dreams he reveals that he is oddly attracted to the barbarians and knows he should not get involved and it will be a trial to get close to them.