Cisneros Comprehension Questions

In addition, the author helps the reader understand the selfishness of the mother when the reader finds out she have stole the Persian Carpet “several months before” (230) the divorce and puts the blame on Ilya, the poor blind man. Furthermore, the visit of the children is supposed to signal a fresh start for the family. The mother even emphasizes she wants the girls to come “live with [them]” (229). Yet again, even if they meet in order to reunite, characterized by a situational irony, they see themselves separated because of her mother selfish decisions.

Next, Alessandra answers the question of why Francesco would give his daughter to an exile. The first reason she mentions is because there is a shortage of young men from good families who have abilities and money. This is another statement that shows us how status, power, and money were all much bigger factors in finding a spouse than they are today. Her second reason was that she only has a small dowry. Once again, this statement speaks to the importance of money in the Renaissance period. The third reason that Alessandra gives is that Francesco has a big family and that this would help them get settled. This statement once again shows the importance of family unity to Renaissance Florence families.

2. Selena and her brother don 't seem to be as bothered by the difficulties the father describes.  Why do they not share his feelings?

1. What is Angelous main purpose in this narrative? What does she want to show about Sister Flower’s effect on her?

The first passage reveals the parallel suffering occurring in the lives of different members of the family, which emphasizes the echoes between the sufferings of the father and the narrator. The narrator’s father’s despair over having watched

In “Only Daughter,” published in Glamour magazine in 1990, Sandra Cisneros talks about how it’s like for her to be the only daughter in a Mexican-American family of six sons. She talks about some of the struggles she faces. Sandra is a writer. A writer who wants her dad to be curious about her writing. He never bothers to ask what she’s writing. When they’d ask her father how many children's he has, he’d respond with “I have seven sons.” The mention of only sons, not a daugher. This proved to her he was only proud of his sons but not her. According to him she’d also have to go to college but only to find a husband. A man who will take her out of poorness. Since, according to Sandra that's why her dad thought college was important for her. He didn't care about her major. Sandra Cisneros is a writer who didn’t have the attention she was meant to receive. Towards the end she finally gets the attention she desired. She translated one of her pieces into Spanish, the only language her dad could read. That's how it gained the attention of her father. When her dad finally reads her story, it fills her with joy. At first she didn't get any attention from her dad at all, because she’s a girl. Sandra Cisneros makes a great argument on her life being full of loneliness. Although, she only talks about her perspective on things. In this article she only talks about her side of the story, and her side only. Sandra talks about how her life was as being the only girl out of seven children.

She also saves her pride and arrogance as the Choragos remarks, “Like father, like daughter: both headstrong, deaf to reason! She has never learned to yield.” She had many chances to prevent her demise but her pride stood in the way. Through the progression of scenes leading to her tragic ‘fall’, she is every bit of the woman she was at the beginning.

In the poem, “Mothers and daughters”, she writes about the relationship of mothers and daughters. The speaker of the poem is mother and she is describing mothers’ relationship with their daughters. In the beginning of the poem, she gives insight of mothers and daughters share love with each other. They have close bonding and have a perfect relationship. Later, the mother describes the dark side of their relationship where they have conflicts with each other. “Mothers and daughters” is the poem which illustrates the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters as they share love with each other, but they have conflicts too.

The narrator is totally crushed by the gender discrimination. She longed to be seen by her mother and her grandma. The narrator is heartbroken that her mother loved her brother more than her and failed to notice her. “When she went into Nonso’s room to say good night, she always came out laughing that laugh. Most times, you pressed your palms to your ears to keep the sound out, and kept your palms pressed to your ears, even when she came into your room to say Good night, darling, sleep well. She never left your room with that laugh” (190). Her agony can be easily seen by the way of her narrating. She does not get the affection that she deserves. She really needs the affection from her own mother, but she is not getting it. She compares the love which her mother shows to his brother and herself. This is gender discrimination can be seen with her grandmother too. She hated her grandma as she would always support her brother and find fault with her. Even though what the brother did, no matter what crime. Her mother and grandmother always supported her brother and never supported or showed interest towards

3. Explain in your own words why ignorance is NOT bliss, having read what the author has to say about this. Give specific examples from the reading and relate them to your own life. (You are here getting an education, so I have to imagine this should be important to you as a student!)

Cal begins his narration about himself being Middlesex crossing over to a narration of his grandparent’s life fleeing from Greece. The narration of his grandparent’s life seems to some extent subjective. “was it love or reproduction? Chance or destiny? Crime or nature at work?”(37). Cal seemed to slip in parts where he would question himself and it would seem less reliable, because the questioning seemed as though he were asking himself in hopes

Cisneros has three major themes in her story: such as relationships with parents, terms of approval, and the perspectives people have of a woman’s role. The relationship with her father is that it was non-existent, she tried to get her father to acknowledge her, yet he wouldn’t. All her father did was encourage her to go to college and find a husband. She is there to please her new-found husband; however, this leads her to introduce herself that she is “the only daughter and only a daughter” (Pg. 401). Whether she meant it sarcastically or ironically.

4. Michele’s relationship with his mother is quite different to the one he has with his father. Rather than trying to impress his mother like he does with his father, he just tries to please her and make her happy rather than seeing her upset and angry. He saw his mother as a beautiful woman who he respected quite immensely. Michele seems to get along better with his father as his conversations with him are livelier than those between himself and his mother.

1. Discuss the protagonist’s ability to control the direction of his life. What factors prevent him from living the life he desires? What is out of his control…or controlling him?

The resentment within the young girl’s family is essential to the novel because one can understand the young girl better as she makes her decision.