Mia's Life: Chapter Analysis

She can identify the shape of a woman. In her real life she is less and less the woman John used to know and is becoming more of her own person, but her ability to identify with the woman in the paper frightens her. "There are things in that paper that nobody knows but me, or ever will. Behind that outside pattern the dim shapes get clearer every day. It is always the same shape, only very numerous. And it is like a woman, stooping down and creeping about behind that pattern. I don't like it a bit. I wonder--I begin to think--I wish John would take me away from here!"

Chapter 3 "Critical Thinking and Argument" of Andrea A. Lunsford's book Easy Writer, covers how to critically understand and make an educated argument. Lunsford first explains how to critically read and analyze the meaning or purpose of a text. Lunsford gives the reader a method to do this which includes previewing the text, taking notes, writing a summary of the text and the making an analysis of the work. Next Lunsford explains how to identify different types of appeals in a texts argument. These appeals include emotional, ethical and logical appeals. Emotional appeals center around personal values and human emotions. Ethical appeals deal with personal morals and the goodwill of humans. Logical appeals are based solely on facts and research.

“The Semplica-Girl Diaries” is a short story in which George Saunders, the author, presents unique ideas of the way people live their life and what each person does to be able to live. The dad, Saunders’ main character, writes in a diary and explains to the readers what he experiences almost every day with his family. He wants to be there for his family and provide for them the best that he can, but it is difficult when he has young children who have desires as any children do. The dad mentions status throughout the short story, and the children are aware that they do not have money like some other people who are around them. Not everyone in the world has the best job and life, because it is not always up to people to make the choices that need to be made for their family.

In his short story, “The Semplica-Girl Diaries”, the author George Saunders crafts an all too human tale as he shows the journal entries of the narrator, a husband and father of three who faces financial insecurity, and displays the effect money, whether in lack or excess, has on our actions and thoughts. The social setting of the story is almost identical to our current society, however there is a distinct divergence in the Semplica Girls, which are girls from impoverished backgrounds that hang from a wire in their heads as an odd, inhumane, and yet expensive, lawn ornament. In the pursuit of the “good life” for both his family and himself, the father places great importance on wealth in order to secure happiness, joy, and status through

Tita-youngest daughter of mama elena and also the protagonist of the novel. She is barred from getting married as per family traditions in the understanding that she would care for her mother till death. She faces many struggles such as not being able to marry her desirer Pedro and also watch him get married to her sister. The book progress with her life and shows a main focus on her disturbed relationship with pedro and also displays her hardships in her life to pursue love and distinctiveness from others. The purpose of her upbringing was to be excellent in the culinary arts.

In the biography, Mama Lola: A Vodou Priestess in Brooklyn, written by Karen McCarthy Brown introduces Mama Lola, or Alourdes, a Voudou priestess whom she met while working on an ethnographic survey (1). The book discusses the dynamics of Haitian Vodou and its importance in the lives of its practitioners. Voudouists serve the spirits and one particular group of spirits; the Ezili is a family of many spirits but three specific spirits that are examined. These three spirits: Lasyrenn, Ezili Dantó, and Ezili Freda act as parallels for Haitian women, like Mama Lola.

Throughout My Antonia, the difference between immigrants and native lifestyles are shown. While neither Jim not Antonia is rich, Jim is definitely more well off than her. He knows the language and has enough that he can have more opportunities. Antonia realizes that her life is going to be more difficult and that she will have to work more because of her mother’s decision to move to America. She tells Jim that “if I live here, like you, that is different. Things will be easy for you. But they will be hard for us,” (90) and knows that her gentle personality might be at stake. This also foreshadows future events where Antonia struggles as an immigrant farmer. It adds obstacles to her life which might lead to them drifting apart in their friendship, even complete separation. This relates to the world in how immigrants had a harder time getting going in life. Antonia’s mother has already become changed because of poverty. She is grasping, selfish, and believes everyone should help her family. Jim’s grandmother defends her, knowing that, “a body never knows what traits poverty might bring out in them,” (60), though it is socially unacceptable. The pressures of helping her family led Antonia to not be educated and become a farmer. She is happy, but this leads to Jim being away, “twenty years before I kept my promise,” (211) as he is a successful lawyer and travels. They still have old connections, though being from Bohemia did change Antonia’s life and where it could have gone.

The American dream is an example of a national spirit that represents different ideologies. The set of ideas may be of democracy, equality matters, liberty, rights, and opportunities. The American dream believes in freedom for prosperity and success for its citizens. The idea suggests that upward social mobility for individuals can be achieved only through hard work. In a story done by George Saunders, the American dream is exemplified in several instances. The author, George, tells the story of contemporary America through a diary. The main character in the story is a father to three daughters. The family’s struggles are examples of how individuals will go extra miles just to provide for their families and also

In my writing assignment I chose two of the essay questions about the novel “My Antonia” by Willa Cather. I chose question number three and question number four to write my essay. And question number three the author uses symbols from nature to express essential aspects of the lives of the characters. I chose three symbols and discussed how they convey information about the daily lives of the characters, and how the characters relate to each other and how the author views life. The fourth question that I chose to write about is how the author admires the character, Antonia. I wrote about the three characteristics that the author admires and added quotes from the book and also the reading about the author.

In “The Semplica-Girl Diaries”, George Saunders makes an important statement about the role of materialism in the American Dream, and how this materialism may not be the key to happiness many believe it to be. Saunders tells of a middle class family that strives to meet the standards of their peers and find a happier life. The father, who acts as the narrator, believes that acquiring and spending money on material objects, specifically the Semplica Girls, will improve the family’s life by improving how the family’s financial situation appears to others. The father’s primary values are that wealth and social standing are crucial to attaining the good life, and he believes the purchase of the Semplica Girls will fulfill these values. However, it is clear from the family’s ultimate situation and the disapproval of the mother’s successful father, that the narrator’s beliefs are misguided and potentially damaging to the family.

“My heart sinks—a feeling I’m becoming all too familiar with. Another doctor who doesn’t believe me.” (Mass 85). Because Mia overlooks any advice the doctors may have, she continues the struggle to accept her condition. Of course, Mia is too stubborn to admit to her friends how she feels and ignores their questions. “I didn’t think any of you would understand what I’m going through.” (Mass 137). Therefore, Mia believes that her friends think she is crazy and this is who she is becoming. Mia has trouble accepting herself when her friends cannot do the same. Not only does Mia avoid her best friend but her parents as well, as they try to come to terms with her synesthesia. “I know how frustrating it is to see something differently from someone else’s eyes, or in my case, everyone else,” (Mass 63). Although Mia’s parents are doing what they can, Mia believes they do not accept her and ignores any sympathy they feel. Since the people around her do not understand her condition, Mia takes this opportunity to start appreciating what makes her different.

All of Mia’s accomplishments were mainly successful because of her foundations. The first foundation was to help kids with bone marrow transplant patients “This foundation was created to help other bone marrow transplant patients. She is a hero for this because she is changing the lives of other people who have the disease. She raises money for them to help their families. So far $500,000 in grants has been raised to help those families.” She is a ture because she is helping other kids with this disease and putting other people first. Her second foundation was called the mia foundation. This foundation helped young women benefit in sports. This program was called Women’s United Soccer Association. This helped women benefit in sports.

18. Tony and Maria meet at the bridal shop, and they both have this moment where they picture themselves getting married.

For as long as society and mankind has existed, there has been an innate desire in human beings for something better than what they currently have. In George Saunders’s “The Semplica-Girl Diaries”, a father is telling the future generation about his life through a series of diary entries. His family is relatable: middle class, has debts, car troubles, but is overall a very loving family. Although this family seems rather unordinary, their lust for the finer things in life is over amplified, making “The Semplica-Girl Diaries” almost seem like a satire. The only characters in the story that seems to have an ounce of sense is Eva, the eight year old daughter and Farmer Rich, the elderly father-in-law. The people that are old enough to understand

My Antonia was published in 1918, two years before all American women were granted the right to vote in 1920. Willa Cather lived in a bustling time where women were heavily vouching for fundamental rights and breaking free from what had been considered societal norms. While Cather mentions the conventional duties and housewives of the time the book was written, her story’s focus differs. “My Antonia’s,” narrative centers around women, many of whom are immigrants, who transcend the gender norms of their time on their journeys to create successful lives, much to Jim’s admiration.