The scent in another country can throw off your equilibrium; like when you get off a boat that you have been on for hours and the steady ground is unfamiliar underfoot. That is how I felt as a kid my first summer in Zapotlanejo, Jalisco, Mexico where my father’s family is from. I was only 11 years old when I was put on a plane and delivered to my grandmother, Carmen, by the airline. What a feeling, a boy who spoke very little Spanish at home yet understood every word, was deposited in a small town 40 minutes outside of Guadalajara, Mexico into the care of a grandmother who he had never meet. When I finally managed the courage to open up and see what she was about, I ventured around her quaint house. My grandmother’s home was nothing special from the street but a world of knowledge awaited me every day of summer break until I was seventeen years old. If you were to stand across the street looking at my Grandmother’s house you would see a plain stucco wall, which used to be teal but was now a faded light blue, with one window on the first floor and two on the second. There is an iron...
Jeannette Wales, author of The Glass Castle, recalls in her memoir the most important parts of her life growing up as a child that got her where she is now. Her story begins in Arizona in a small house with her parents and three siblings. Her parents worked and didn’t do much as parents so she had to become very independent. Her parents and siblings were the highlights to most of her memory growing up. She is able to recall memories that most small children wouldn’t be able to recall with as much detail.
Whitted, Qiana J. "Using my grandmother's life as a model." Gale Literature Resources Center. Gale, 2004. Web. 18 Jan. 2014.
grandmother and spends her childhood raised in relative seclusion in the big house, “'...She will be
detail separated the grandmother from the rest of her family who seemed to be living in a
Life forced her to take on many roles: farmer, doctor, veterinarian, and most importantly, a mother who has raised her children courageously. She recalls the many nights caring for sick children and animals. She had to fence in acres of land and act as a midwife and nurse. She remembers lighting the lamps when her children were young. Granny was married to a man named John, but her strength was again tested when he died at a young age, leaving her to raise their chi...
The point of view and tone for this story helps relate to the theme. The narrative is in third person point of view with limited omniscient. This means that the reader is able to go inside the mind of the grandmother and know what she is thinking and feeling. The only ot...
In Mary Hoods “How Far She Went” A grandmother struggles with the burden of experience, loss and a life of unsparing decisions; where a girl strives to live in a naïve and free spirited illusion. The paths of a grandmother and her granddaughter soon collide when experience and naivety rendezvous on a dirt road in the south. “How Far She Went” illustrates how generational struggles and contretemps can mold people and predispose their lives and the way
Have you imagined leaving your homeland behind and settling in a different country? As a kid I always enjoyed the idea of traveling the world, and discovering new things, but never had thought it would be very hard to let go everything and leave. Growing up, I was always eager to meet new people, learn new languages, and make my own adventures in life. Soon, that dream turned into reality when my family decided to move to the United States of America in hopes of having a better future and new opportunities. I had mixed feelings and was confused about what to expect in the future. However, this was the biggest fear I have ever faced in my life. It was difficult to get adjusted to a new culture challenging because change brings the unknown and unfamiliar with it.
New country means new language, new culture, new people and different lifestyle. I never thought of being somewhere where you don’t know the language and people. For my parent and me the difficult part was learning new language. Since, I and my sister were going to school, so we knew Basic English. But for my parents adopting new language after so many years was really tough. Since, my dad had his own business, he also had to take care that before we move to us.
Marie’s grandparent’s had an old farm house, which was one of many homes in which she lived, that she remembers most. The house was huge, she learned to walk, climb stairs, and find hiding places in it. The house had a wide wrap around porch with several wide sets of stairs both in front and in back. She remembers sitting on the steps and playing with one of the cats, with which there was a lot of cats living on the farm...
Jeannette Walls has lived a life that many of us probably never will, the life of a migrant. The majority of her developmental years were spent moving to new places, sometimes just picking up and skipping town overnight. Frugality was simply a way of life for the Walls. Their homes were not always in perfect condition but they continued with their lives. With a brazen alcoholic and chain-smoker of a father and a mother who is narcissistic and wishes her children were not born so that she could have been a successful artist, Jeannette did a better job of raising herself semi-autonomously than her parents did if they had tried. One thing that did not change through all that time was the love she had for her mother, father, brother and sisters. The message that I received from reading this memoir is that family has a strong bond that will stay strong in the face of adversity.
Coming to a foreign country is a daunting experience. When I first moved to America, I had to leave everything behind such as, - my family,friends, and life back home. Although I welcomed the change, I was also afraid. This fear hovered over me for a long time before I had the courage to let it go. My experiences, both good and bad, allowed me to break out of my shell, become a leader for my family, and strive against all the odds to achieve my goals.
Regretfully, though readers can see how Mama has had a difficult time in being a single mother and raising two daughters, Dee, the oldest daughter, refuses to acknowledge this. For she instead hold the misconception that heritage is simply material or rather artificial and does not lie in ones heart. However, from Mama’s narrations, readers are aware that this cultural tradition does lie within ones heart, especially those of Mama’s and Maggie’s, and that it is the pure foundation over any external definition.
My grandmother has always been my biggest supporter throughout my life. My Grandmother is my back bone; she is the reason why I am the person that I am today. Most people hear the word grandmother and expect to see older lady with possible white hair, standing in the kitchen cooking and baking, evening sewing. My grandmother is the exact opposite of those things, she is still employed full time, enjoys making jewelry and furniture. Although she is only five two she is very witted and outspoken she never bites her tongue and will always give her opinion even if you don’t ask for it. There is a softer side to her, she will give you her last and be a listening ear day or night. Like the saying goes “to know me is to love me” and believe me
Mexico, Oaxaca the two words that come to my mind. I was seven years old, when I over heard my parents talking at the dining table. Conversating about going to Mexico with the family. I crawl slowly tours them from the hall way and jump " we going to Mexico!! ' my heart beating faster then a race car. I never been to Mexico, especially Oaxaca. I 've only have heard storys of my parents home land and seen