“When we got the letter in the post, my mother was ecstatic.”(Cass 1). This the first line of the book that I read called The Selection by Kiera Cass, which is the perfect way to start this dramatic story of America Singer. America Singer lives in a world built with castes, in which she and her family are fives out of eight castes. She gets a letter to enter The Selection, a competition for Prince Maxon’s heart. America’s name gets pulled and the next thing she knows, she is in the palace with 34 other girls. She goes on an emotional journey trying to decide if she wants to stay or go back home. I can easily evaluate that America has a lot of different thoughts running through her head right now. I found myself asking many questions such as …show more content…
I assume that Maxon wants to keep America around considering she is completely different from the other girls. The readers know this as a result of America not conforming to the expectations. America does not change herself according to the Prince, supposedly wants in a girl. She, instead, remains acting like herself and living her life for her not Prince Maxon. America also doesn’t treat her maids like any of the other girls. The readers know this considering America will just sit playing cards and relax with her maids like friends instead of her maids. America also takes her maids with her when a rebel attack occurred, which she is not allowed to do, but she did it anyways so they would be safe. The readers also know that America treats her maids different due to America asking Maxon “What will happen to my maids?”(Cass 153) which shows she cares about them like friends, and Maxon responds “Your maids?”(Cass 153) which shows that no one has ever showed worry over where their maids are in possible jeopardy. America also doesn’t indulge herself in the luxury of the palace. The readers know this due to America wearing only her small, simple bird necklace over the choice of expensive diamond necklaces. She also prefers simpler dresses compared to exquisite, detailed dress the other girls wear. I also think Maxon wants to keep America around due to her giving him a hard time unlike the other girls. The readers know that America gives Maxon a hard time by reason of her yelling at him in the garden when he tries to help her. America yells at Maxon when he calls her “dear” and glares at him. America also gives Maxon a hard time when they make a bet. Maxon and America make a bet that if May, America’s younger sister, cries when she eats one of the strawberry tarts America gets to wear pants, and if May doesn’t cry Maxon gets to take America on a walk for a date. During this time, America answers Maxon with sass and sarcasm.
...us allows the reader to douse in this period of Harlem Renaissance from another point of view. Finding work and establishing themselves from “white America” and becoming entrepreneurs for black was not easy, they still had to work hard for very little. Once the reader has identified with the character, the character of Carrie begins to relate to the reader. Whether the reader is feeling one of Carrie’s many emotions or feeling the desperation of how hard it is to make a living. The theme is fully digested, and creates inspiration in the reader to begin their own quest towards striving for better opportunities.
Salwa, a successful banker and real estate agent, thought she wanted the American dream. It had been one of the reasons Jassim's fast and unexpected proposal years earlier in Jordan had seemed so attractive. He was in love with her and she was in love with the idea of the life he offered. She came to America as a new bride with stars and stripes in her eyes, where life was all that she'd dreamt it would be. Easing effort...
Unfortunately, the life in America is not as cheerful as Antonia taught it would be as she experiences lots of hostility, hardship, and misfortune. However, throughout all the predicaments and obstacles, Antonia preserves her beliefs and never succumbs to the values of a new, American culture in an attempt to shape her life. Antonia is a very positive, generous, hardworking, and exceptionally independent character. These innate traits of her personality follow her through the “thick and thin” as she swears by them under all the circumstances. For example, besides the language barrier and cultural differences, Antonia suffers the death of her father who committed suicide as the result of disappointment that he had experienced in America. Instead of scorning the meaning of life, she did whatever it took to provide for her family, which was experiencing an immense economics hardship. Everything that she earned, she gave to her family as she valued them over herself. Eventually, due to her wit and charm, Antonia got a job in the town where she found her passion for dance and made friends. Unfortunately, her passion for dance was viewed as inappropriate and her boss insisted that she chooses between her friends and the job. Unwilling to follow the orders and disappoint her friends, Antonia
Mukherjee begins her essay with an exposition of her and her sister’s story. She uses repetition in order to emphasize the main differences between the two. For example, she states, “I am an American citizen and she is not. I am moved that thousands of residents are finally taking the oath of citizenship. She is not.” This line is used to set up her subject. She is stating that she is an immigrant whose dream was to envelop the American culture, while her sister does not believe that she should be assimilated into it. The use of repetition also appeals to her audience, Americans, by capturing their attention. Many Americans are nationalistic, if not jingoistic, and believe that America is the greatest country in the world. The notion that others do not feel this way may intrigue them, or potentially offend them, causing them to read on in attempt to find flaws within her argument.
The tone of the short story “America and I” changed dramatically over the course of the narrative. The author, Anzia Yezierska, started the story with a hopeful and anxious tone. She was so enthusiastic about arriving in America and finding her dream. Yezierska felt her “heart and soul pregnant with the unlived lives of generations clamouring for expression.” Her dream was to be free from the monotonous work for living that she experienced back in her homeland. As a first step, she started to work for an “Americanized” family. She was well welcomed by the family she was working for. They provided the shelter Yezierska need. She has her own bed and provided her with three meals a day, but after a month of working, she didn’t receive the wage she was so
Nancy Lee is very proud of who she is and where she comes from. Until the scholarship she received was taken away from her, she holds her head high as an African American and loves who she is and the country she lives in. Even after the scholarship is taken away from her she promises to make a difference in the world. As the pledge comes to an end and the words “one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all” are spoken, Nancy Lee thinks to herself “That is the land we must make.” She keeps confide...
America singer in The Elite by Kiera Cass faces several challenges with herself and with the other girls in the competition. The main conflict in this book is internal although she does face external obstacles while competing against the other girls. The conflict is internal as America is constantly going back and forth over who she loves and what she is willing to sacrifice for it. She has confessed her love for Maxon, but she ‘needs more time’ so he gives her space and she goes and sneaks around with Aspen. Throughout the whole book she is fighting with herself, debating on who she wants to be with, the prince or her first love. As she is trying to choose who she loves more she is constantly distracted by the rebels who keep attacking the
Each character in the novel has their own interpretation of the ‘American Dream – the pursuit of happiness’ as they all lack happiness due to the careless nature of American society during the Jazz Age. The American Dreams seems almost non-existent to those whom haven’t already achieved it.
First, John Steinbeck shows how Americans are dissatisfied and angry with many things in their life. There is a paradox that states “We find our time searching for security, and hate it when we get it.” This shows that no matter what Americans want, once they get it they are always searching for more. When Americans achieve what they have been striving for, they always go above and beyond to be number one. Also, Steinbeck explains how Americans convince themselves that their country has the greatest government in the world, but we find every little problem with it and do nothing to change it. Americans say how much they love the government, but when people disagree with something, they complain, get frustrated, and become so opinionated that they do not even bother trying to understand other peoples’ views. The American dream is wanted by so many people. They want the perfect house, the perfect family, and the perfect neighborhood. We all want the American dream but most of us do not even stay in the same house for more than fiv...
Color of America Essay 1.) During the last few centuries many people have migrated to America. One of the main reasons for that is that they all hear about the American Dream and the Promise of America. The American Dream/Promise of America is pretty much a false idea. People from many different places hear that there is freedom and fairness here in this nation, and they hear that there is opportunity in America for everyone and that everyone had a word in things. This promise wasn’t really a promise though.
Price, Leah. "American Girl." New York Times Book Review. 12 Dec. 2010: 21. eLibrary. Web. 18 Feb. 2014.
Atwood uses many emotional words and phrases to persuade her audience, and achieve her purpose. Atwood uses words and phrases that create emotions such as anger, but more importantly she creates a sense of reminiscing and missing the “good-ole-days” which is the emotion she uses to motivate her audience to take a stand and make a change for America. Atwood starts off her letter saying, “I’m no longer sure who you are… I thought I knew you” (Atwood). These statements make the readers sad as they come to the realization that America is changing since their childhood, which is what they consider, the good ole days. Atwood continues by listing some of her favorite memories from her childhood such as “the music [she] sang and danced to: the Andrew Sisters, Ella Fitzgerald, the Platters, Elvis” (Atwood). This makes America seem like it is “a ton of fun” (Atwood). The list of Atwood’s favorite music and other memories serves as pathos, because it makes people miss the way America used to be, and it also makes them mad about how America is now. The list causes the readers to realize how corrupt and different todays music, movies, books, and television shows are, which makes the reader sad about how much times are changing and this causes them to want to act so that today 's generation can know an America that is similar to the America that they have previously known. When describing America today Atwood describes her “embarrassment” (Atwood) for the country, she describes how the government is “gutting the Constitution” (Atwood) and “torching the American economy”(Atwood), she describes how the American people are “easily frightened”(Atwood) because of all of the new policies and changes in current day America. Americans are very prideful of their country so when Atwood describes feeling of embarrassment for America,
In the memoir The Distance Between Us, Reyna Grande, the author, tells of her experiences in the United States after her unconventional journey to get there. Whilst in the United States many things scare her, like her sketchy neighborhood, and other things fill her with anticipation, like her first day of school. Reyan was especially excited to see the ocean for the first time in America when going to the beach with her new family, including her long-lost father. Doing this was one of the many things that made her feel at home in America, but as time progresses there were things making her feel homesick. At school she was very put off about the way she was poorly treated, being a new Hispanic student. “I wished I didn't have to sit here in
on America as a whole, and uses the people and setting of the story as
Bharati Mukherjee’s story, “Two Ways to Belong in America”, is about two sisters from India who later came to America in search of different ambitions. Growing up they were very similar in their looks and their beliefs, but they have contrasting views on immigration and citizenship. Both girls had been living in the United States for 35 years and only one sister had her citizenship. Bharati decided not to follow Indian traditional values and she married outside of her culture. She had no desire to continue worshipping her culture from her childhood, so she became a United States citizen. Her ideal life goal was to stay in America and transform her life. Mira, on the other hand, married an Indian student and they both earned labor certifications that was crucial for a green card. She wanted to move back to India after retirement because that is where her heart belonged. The author’s tone fluctuates throughout the story. At the beginning of the story her tone is pitiful but then it becomes sympathizing and understanding. She makes it known that she highly disagrees with her sister’s viewpoints but she is still considerate and explains her sister’s thought process. While comparing the two perspectives, the author uses many