Think back over everything we have read so far for this unit ("Theme for English B," "High Yellow White Trash," "American History," "Crickets," the "Phone Booth" poem, "and "Sylvia's Story" from National Public Radio). Your task now is to write and post a comment in this forum in which you describe a connection between TWO of these works, focusing on the role of "the box." Think about how different characters face similar or different challenges. Think about similarities or differences in the kinds of disguises characters wear. Do you think these characters will escape from their boxes?
When you have made a connection between two works, write a post describing that connection. Make sure to mention specific characters/narrators, and to be clear about how the "boxes" they experience are similar. Your post does not have to be long; three or four sentences is plenty. You should feel free to respond to your classmates' posts, as well as to ask your classmates questions.
*** Remember to use your first name, "Nekrosius," and your class period number when you sign your post (do NOT put your last name). Also, if you choose to respond to what another classmate wrote, please do so in a respectful manner.
37 comments:
cathrine
There is a powerful connection between the girl in High Yellow White Trash and the dad in Crickets. Both characters are suspended between their two worlds. One world is themselves, and the other is foreign but they have to live in both to be their true identity. The girl is stuck in her mom’s white world and her dad’s black world. The dad is in a Vietnamese world and the American one. Personally, I think they’ll escape because there both strong characters.
I think that comparing Sylvia's story and crickets, there are more differences than similarities. In Sylvia's story, her mother is really trying to enforce a box around her. In crickets, the father wants to put a "mesh box" around the son, but it is mesh in the way that he wants his son to like him, and he wants to bond with his son, and have similar ways of playing, so that they can be friends. In Sylvia's case, the mother has done just what the father in crickets doesn't want to do, to try to force Sylvia into a box of tradition and culture. However, by forcing Sylvia into a box, in some ways, Sylvia is starting to rebel. The father in Crickets doesn't want to have his son do that. Both parents, though their actions are very different, their intentions are the same, to bond with their children. I think that the father in Crickets might end up close to his son, but Sylvia's mother probably won't.
Eriko, Nekrosius34
Edward, Nekrosius, 8-9
The girl from American History and the girl from High Yellow White Trash seem similar in the whole box thing. Elena is trying to move out of the puerto rican box and into the caucasian box. The girl from HYWT(Lisa) is trying to figure out which box she belongs to and finds herself slowly gravitating towards the black one. they are both trying to find themselves. but Elena is trying to be something she isn't
Most of these stories, HYWT, Crickets, and American History. All the main characters in each book is facing a challenge of being stuck between two worlds and having to discover themself, or just need to discover who they are and are trying to be someone else. The girl from HYWT did end up finding out that she should be hersself. In Crickets, I think the dad will keep some Vietnamese with him, but will also accept being American.
Jeesae Nekrosius89
crickets and enlish B sort of have a connection because in crickets the father wants his son to be like him an din english B the writer wants to be like the "white" teacher
Glenn Nekrosius 8-9
Emili Nekrosius34
In American History the main character lives in a box, in the sense that she didn't really care when the president died, she just went on with her life as if nothing happened.Her mother was trying to make her relize what happened, she was trying to pull her out.
In Sylivia's story she knows that she is in that box, and that her mother put her in it. She is trying to get out of the box even though everyone is trying to tell her to stay in it.
In both these storys the mothers are trying to make thier kids do what she wants them to do.
Apoorva Nekrosius89
I have to say that I disagree with cat because the girl in HYWT is wearing a disguise because she hasn't figured out which world she wants. But in crickets the dad is trying to pull his son out of "the box" by making him more vietnamese he isn't trying to make himself american he just accepts them and knows where his place is and doesn't need any sort of disguise.
Apoorva Nekrosius89
I think there is a connection between the girl in American History and the girl in HYWT because they both feel somewhat uncomfortable about themselves. In HYWT she is uncomfortable because she doesn't know where she fits in. In American History she feels uncomfortable about being Puerto Rican because the girls at school make fun of her and Eugene's mom sends her away because of her race.
I think there is a strong connection between the girl in American History and Sylvia. Both of them don't want to be the culture that their parents love. They just want to be normal american girls. I also feel that it is somewhat the same in Crickets except the son gets what he wants much more easily and with less struggle
Maddi Nekrosius 89
Taylor,Nekrosius,8-9
I think that the girl in High Yellow White Trash,Lisa,and Sylvia are both in a similar type of ''box''. Both of them are being put in a box by their parents. Sylvia is being put in a box by her mom. She has good intention's but she's keeping sylvia away from the rest of the world and so sylvia has to struggle with her mom so she can get her dream job. Also Lisa is facing a similar problem with her mom. Her mom is trying to make her ''more white'' by making her listen to Mozart and other music. However by the end of both stories both character's begin to rebel and begin to make decision's about their own lives. Both character's are facing difficult challenges but in the end I think they will succeed.
I think the situations in Sylvia's Story and in American History are very similar because they are stuck in cultural and racist boxes. In American History, the main character wants to reach outside the box of the people who are "allowed to be her friends", so to speak, but the Eugene's racist mother want to ensure that the box stays closed. Similarly, in Sylvia's story, Sylvia wants to escape from the boundries of of what she is allowed to do and wear, but her mother stands in the way. However, both characters are filled with so much determination, I'm sure they can pull it through.
Maya, Nekrosius, 34
I think that Sylvia's Story and American History have a connection because they both want their parents to love them and under stand them.
Sean Nekrosius 3-4
I agree with Cathrine, although I'm not so sure about the father in crickets getting his son to go back and be a Vietnamese boy. He seems so embedded in his american life. I also thinks that there is a connection between the son in Crickets and the main character in american history. They are both in a box (the son is in the process of his father trying to put him into a box) and Elena is being boxed in (or maybe "walled off") from seeing Eugene. They are both trying to break out of these boxes, but I'm not sure if Elena will succeed. But, as I said before, I think the son in Crickets will grow up as a classic American.
Nathaniel Nekrosius 3-4
I think that there is a connection between the Girl in HYWT and the Sylvia because both of their mothers are trying to put or keep them in the box, and be like everybody. In HYWT, for instance, the Girl is stuck in her mother's white world with proper language and big victorian houses, while Sylvia is stuck in the Mexican world with Young Marriges and Young Pregnant Ladies, that spend their time cooped up in a little box they call home.
Miles Nekrosius 89
Sean I'm going to agree with you on the fact that both Sylvia's story and American History have many things in common, but I disagree on why. I think that the reason why they are so much in common is because they are both trying to separate from their families and heritage. In American History the narrator is trying to blend in to the culture and people around her, but she can't because her family and heritage are holding her back. And in Sylvia's story its even more so because her parents are literally trying to bring her back to their heritage and force her to be something she isn't.
george nekrosius 8-9
there is a connection between the girl from high yellow white trash and the girl from american history. they both have to deal with racism, and just wanting to be normal. they have the same box. and in that time it was hard to get out. they both were trying to fit in.
Personally I think that none of these "boxes" are very similar, but the boxes in Sylvia's story and Crickets are similar in the way that Sylvia's mother wants her to follow tradition more, and, in a sense, be more like her. Just as Ted in Crickets wants his son to be more Vietnamese, like he is. But as Eriko said, Ted is different from Sylvia's mother because he doesn't want to force his son, or pressure him into becoming more Vietnamese. And since Ted's son, Bill, doesn't have a very strong box around him, he probably won't have as much trouble "escaping" from it, while Sylvia might be pressured to go into the box her whole life.
Lydia, Nekrosius 3-4
I think that there's a strong connection between Crickets and the Sylvia Story. In both stories the parents are trying to pull their children back into their boxes when they try to escape, but in different ways and differnt meanings of why. In the Slyvia Story her mom is trying to make her daughter more Mexican even though her daughter Sylvia was born in America and thinks of herself as more American than Mexican. In Crickets it is the same way except Thieu is vietnamese and goes to Louisianna. He sees his son acting like others in Louisianna and tries to reinforce that box around him and remind him of his true culture. In both cases I feel that the parents may not like this kind of "rebellion" but will have to deal with thier children going in different paths.
Kennedy Nekrosius 8-9
I think there's a connection between Crickets and Sylvia's Story l because both Sylvia an Bill's parents are putting the kids in a box and trying to make the kids do what they want them to do instead of letting them make their own descision. Eventually both of them got out of the box though.
Liza Nekrosius 3-4
Rajan, Nekrosius 8-9
I think that there is a connection between HYWT and Slvia's story. The connection is that in HYWT, she is stuck trying to choose which world she wants to be in; white or black. So her box is an internal conflict, choosing white or black.
In Sylvia's story, she is trying to choose between her mothers world and her vision of the world. Her mom wants her to be like her and she wants to become sucessful and go to college (digital design, movies). So again, she has an internal conflict that she is wrestling with herself. Generally, the main connection is that they both have to think, "in the long run, what will benefit me most?" and I think that they will get through this internal conflict or "Box".
I think that there is a connection between High Yellow White Trash and Sylvia's story. Both narrators are trying to escape a racial "box", plus both of their mothers play a big role in keeping them in the box. In High Yellow White Trash the narrator is in a different box depending on which parent she is around and both parents (her mother especially) are trying to keep her in their box. In Sylvia's Story she is in the box of the traditional Mexican world and her mother tries to push her back in. I think they will both at least partway escape their boxes because they both seem like powerful people, but maybe still live with some of the same restrictions that they originally had.
Clare, Nekrosius 3-4
I agree with Cathrine i feel like there was a connection between the girl in High Yellow White Trash and the dad in Crickets. I feel like they both felt out of place in there two diffrent world and somewhat don't feel accepted in the places they live. Like the father in Crickets feels like his body is like a woman makes him feel out of place. The girl in High Yellow White Trash feels out of place with her white family, but they both have the same problems I feel
Karla, Nekrosius 8-9
Carly Nekrosius 89
I think that there is a connection between the girl from High Yellow White Trash to the girl in American History because they both are treated badly in someway because of their race. From HYWT she wants to escape this box of having herself split between two worlds of races, and in American History, she wants to escape her box and be like Eugene, and not be feel disgraced that she lives in El Building.
Anthony Nekrosius 8-9
By comparing Crickets American history, you'll see many of the similarities and a few differences. Ted from Crickets is a valued person at his work space and, wants to pass on the Vietnmese culture to his son who is much more like the typical Louisiana kid and dosn't relly car for what his father was trying to teach him. While the narrator from American history, wants to move on to the American lifestyle and dosn't seem to care much for her culture just like Ted's son in Crickets, While her parents try to push it on her like Ted in Crickets. While Ted's features are very valued and gets him many opportunities, The girl's racial features from American History are looked down upon in an unfair, racist system. In both of the stories both Ted and the girl want to have certain relationships with certain people that they would most likely never obatain. For Ted he wanted his son to be more vietnmese and proud to be, so they could have a better fater-son relationship, but ending up in disapointment. In American History the Girl wanted to turn her back to her heritage to be with Eugene, only to have her heart broken by his cruel racist mother.
JT Nekrosius 34
Sylvia and the main character from HYWT are alike because they are both trying to escape their confinements, but not trying to push the walls too far because they fear their relatives will be disappointed with them. In fact, both of them are mostly trying to please their mothers, who think they should be the normal female role in their separate cultures, but both of them want something bigger & better.
charlotte nekrosius 8-9
I think that American History and Sylvia's story have a very strong connection. Sylvia and the girl from American History were both hispanic and they were very lonely. They both longed for someone to understand them. Sylvia just wanted her parents to accept her and the girl from American History tried to make herself acceptable for Eugene. In both of these stories there are those tragedy's that leave people speechless and in the end someday everything will be okay.
In HYWT the girl was trying to find out wich box she belonged in. The girl from American History upset that she was boxed off from her new friend. They both are boxed of from certain things.
Sylvie, Nekrosius 3-4
Lucas Nekrosius 89
I see a connection between Sylvia's Story and Crickets. Sylvia is trying to be more 'American', but her mother is trying to hold her back; she wants her daughter to be a 'traditional Mexican woman'. In Crickets, Ted is looking for 'fire crickets' in his son Bill, i.e things that emphasize, or come from his Vietnamese heritage. Sylvia and Bill both have parents wanting to recognize the non-American parts of their children, and both resist at least minimally: Sylvia resists more actively, and Bill doesn't care about the 'fire crickets'.
I think that there is a very powerful connection between the girl in high white trash and sylvia. I think this because sylvia is trapped in a box of her identity like how she wants to be a special effects person but also wants to make her mom happy. the girl in high yellow white trash is also in a box like that because she wants to make her white mom happy but she also wants to make her black father happy. I know that the girl in high yellow white trash ends up escaping but im not that sure about sylvia
The girl from American History and the girl from High Yellow White Trash are similar in a way that they are both stuck in “a box”. They are both trying to find their identity and the identity they want to be. one is trying to get out of the puerto rican box. and the other is trying to find the correct box
LeoNekrosius34
Philip, Nekrosius, 3-4
I think there is a connection between Bill in the story "Crickets" and the girl in "High Yellow White Trash". They are both trying to fit into their family. In Crickets the boy is born american and wants to be american, but his parents are both from Vietnam. In High Yellow White Trash the girl has two different worlds to fit into just like Bill. In her case it is the black world vs. the white world. They are both figuratively stuck in a box and they are trying to get out.
I think that there is a connection between Sylvia's Story and Crickets because both Sylvia and the son from Crickets are stuck in a box by their parents. Their parents are both putting them in a cultural box because Sylvia's mom wants her to carry on her mexican traditions, and the boy from Cricket's dad wants him to carry on what the dad did from his childhood.
Anna Nekrosius 89
Gabriella, Nekrosius 3-4
I think in both in Sylvia's story and in Crickets there is a connection. In Sylvia's story her mother is trying and trying to force to stay in a box by telling Sylvia what to wear, how to act, and so on. In Crickets the father is trying to get the son to be like himself by trying to get him as interested in cricket fighting as he was when he was his sons age. But he gets angry at his son when he doesn't turn out to be like himself when he was a child in Vietnam. But he cannot keep his son in the box he's created for him and neither can Sylvia's mother. But I think that the dad from Crickets will accept that his son is going to be his own person, but I'm not sure if Sylvia's mother is ready to accept that fact yet.
I think that the girl in "High Yellow White Trash" has a lot in common with the dad from "Crickets". They both aren't sure which world they want to live in, for the girl the black world with her father or the white world with her mother, and the dad isn't sure he wants to give up his heritage on his son, or make him learn Vietnamese things. I think that the girl will find somewhere in between the two worlds, and the dad will try to get the son to understand some of his heritage when he's older. Sarah Nekrosius 34
I think that Sylvia's story is a lot like crickets. In crickets the father is from Vietnam and has a completely different perspective of things than his son. The father wants his son to connect with him but his culture is a barrier in their friendship. His son wants to be an American and his father wants his to be like him when he was a boy. The father is trying to get his son to hunt for fighting crickets like he had done in Vietnam and his son gets bored and only cares about his shoes getting dirty. The father is somewhat trapped in a box in this story because he has a internal conflict about his son. He wants to bond with his son and yet his son doesn't try to do anything that his father did when he was a child. The son is ignorant and that makes him and his father farther apart. In Sylvia's story it is somewhat the same situation, Sylvia's mother is from Mexico wants her daughter to be a normal Mexican girl and Sylvia wants to be more American and to do something with her life. Deep down I think that Sylvia's mother wants her daughter to be like her and to bond with her through being Mexican but Sylvia wants a education and to do things her own way. I wouldn't call her ignorant but maybe her mother is. Her mother isn't willing to change for her own daughter and if she doesn't want to be like a normal Mexican girl then she just acts like shes an outcast. In both stories there is a wall that divides the characters apart. The conflicts are between a parent and a son/daughter, the parents just want their children to be like them and their children don't like that or just don't understand it. I think that the father and son in crickets could work out a friendship and escape the box and in Sylvia's story I think that it will be an ongoing struggle.
Clay, Nekrosius 3/4
In HYWT the girl is wearing a disguise, but that’s because she hasn’t figured out which world she want. At her age you wouldn’t know what you’d want. Where as in Crickets the dad’s trying to pull his son out of "the box" by making sure that his son still has a connection to his Vietnamese culture. The son’s not trying to make himself American nor will he completely forget about the Vietnamese side. But he accepts them. He knows where his place is in Louisiana and doesn't need any disguise because he know where he fits in.
Maya Nekrosius 8/9
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