Think back over everything we have read so far for this unit ("Theme for English B," "High Yellow White Trash," "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; four or five 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.
41 comments:
In the book “High Yellow White Trash” there are a few differences, but in ways they are similar to the National Public Radio story, “Sylvia’s Story”. A few of these differences are that in the in the book “High Yellow White Trash” the girl has the choice to decide which ‘box’ she belongs in, but if she wants to go back she can. On the other hand, Sylvia is able to get out of her box, but she can’t go back to her old life, even if she wants her old life back. The girl from “High Yellow White Trash” has a “white person disguise” and “black person disguise” that she later decides that her “black person disguise” is her true identity. Sylvia isn’t wearing a disguise, but she is in a box. In her box she has to do housework all day and be a “housewife”. I think that both of these characters will or have already broken through their “box”.
Nathan Nekrosius 3 and 4
In “Theme for English B”, he talks about race and what it means to be black but also what it means to be an American so he could find himself in a race box. In "High Yellow White Trash”, she talks about how both of the worlds in her life at first cannot co-exist but then she finds that they’re all Americans so she could be in a race box too. In “Crickets," he talks about what its like to come from another contrary to come and live in America so he could find him self in an ethnicity box. And in "Phone Booth”, he talks about how someone from another contrary could find them-self in a cage or a box. Maeve Nekrosius 89
I see a connection between The Silvia Story and High Yellow White Trash. In these narratives Silvia and the author or both in a similar "box", which happens to be the insecurity of their parents. For example, Silvia wants to pursue a career in Special Effects whereas her parents want her to "be like her cousins". Reininforcing my point is the fact that Lisa Page has the same problem in High Yellow White Trash. Her mother wants Silvia to engage in "white" activities, but when she is with her father, she choses to try and fit in with the cultural nuances and tendencies of the "black" community.
Willis Nekrosius 8-9
I think that high yellow white trash and Sylvia’s story are similar in terms of “in the box” because both Lisa Page and Sylvia do not really know what they want to do when they reach adulthood. For Sylvia, she knows she wants to be an animator but her parents are keeping her “in a box” by wanting her to be a traditional women. She doesn’t know if she should do what her parents want her to do, or do what she wants to do. For Lisa Page, she doesn’t know if she wants to be white or black. But she does know something, she knows that she wants her parents to be back together. I think though that it would be really frustrating if my parents wouldn’t let me do what I wanted to do and they wanted me to do something I didn’t want to do.
Eve Nekrosius 8-9
"High Yellow White Trash" barely has any differences to "Sylvia's story". They are similar because In "High Yellow White Trash" she has a choice or a "box", to stay in her "white disguise" or stay in her "black disguise". She is able to switch from box to box or disguise to disguise. Sylvia can't though. It's one or the other, and when she chooses she can't turn back. She doesn't think it's fair that she can't be who she wants to be. The girl in "High Yellow White Trash" Chooses her "black disguise" because she thinks of her self more as a black than a white. I feel that Sylvia is still trying to get out of her "box" and the girl from "High Yellow White Trash" has opened her box and stepped out.
Anthony Nekrosius 3-4
I can see a connection between the Crickets and The Phone Booth. In Crickets, the father Ted, is trapped by his Asian race, and the grandfather is trapped by his Spanish race. Even though the two are not faced by the race, they are both in a box and don't know how to get out... until they get the courage to venture out of there comfort zone. They both have a fear of there heritage, but they are both conquered with a younger Person. In all, they both escape.
Grace Nekrosuis 34
In the book "High Yellow White Trash" and the NPR story "Sylvia's story" There are several similar relations. In the story "HYWT" she is aware of the differences in her life and is trying to find herself. In "Sylvia's story" Sylvia, is well aware of her box and is also trying to find her way out of it. Sylvia feels very trapped, Insecure and in a way ignored by her family, her mother especially . In "HYWT" the girl is very much so aware of her boundaries but is scared to defy them and push forward which would most likely make her a lot more secure in herself. I thin k that if these characters were to ignore the negative people in there lives and push forward and try to reach there goals I think they would be a lot happier because they could finally feel free of the negative things that were bringing them down.
Sophia Nekrosius 3 & 4
In the NPR broadcast "Sylvia's Story", Sylvia talks about being stuck in a box and she can't figure out how to get out. In the "Phone Booth" poem, the grandfather can't figure out that the door is on hinges and you have to pull the door to open it. Even though the "Phone Booth" poem is about a literal box, and "Sylvia's Story" is about a metaphorical one, you can relate the two in the sense that something is holding them back from escaping the box. In Sylvia's case, it's her mother, and in the grandfather's place it's a hinge.
-Thomasina Nekrosius 3-4
I think Sylvia’s Story and Crickets have connections. They are both about kids who are not like their parents when they were their age. Their parents don’t like that and try to change them. They teach them what they are suppose to do but the kids are not interested, the want to be different. In Sylvia’s Story she doesn’t want to have babies when she’s very young and not go to school like everyone else in her family. Her mom and her aunt think it’s bad that she doesn’t want to be like them, but she doesn’t want to like them. In Crickets Ted raised his son, Bill, American and now he wants Bill to be less American and more Vietnamese like his family. He tries teaching Bill about cricket fights but Bill doesn’t care as much as Ted does, Bill is proud to be American. I think Sylvia will get out of her box and I think Bill is already out his Vietnamese box because Ted won’t try to teach him anything Vietnamese any more.
Joanna Nekrosius period 3-4
In the poem "Phone Booth" the grandpa gets out of a 'box' he is in. As well in the broadcast "Silvia's Story." I think the 'boxes' are vey similar but different because they each have something to do with family, but one is a more general family. In the poem "Phone Booth" he is just seeing his grandson for the first time and the grandpa is sixty. Well Silvia in "Silvia's Story" feels like she wants to do more then what her mom tells her (about her future.) In the end they both escape their 'boxes.'
Mary Nekrosius 3 and 4
I see a connection from "High Yellow White Trash" to "Sylvia's Story in that they are both stuck in mostly the same box, of their parents opinions. In "Sylvia's Story", Sylvia's mother wants her to fit in with the other mexicans and to be like her cousins, but Sylvia doesn't want to get pregnant at the age of sixteen. Sylvia said that she wanted to go to college and pursue a career in special affects in movies. In "High Yellow White Trash" Lisa page doesn't know what she wants to do. Her mother wants her to do "white things" such as ballet to fit in but Lisa page doesn't really want to. On the other hand her father just wants her to be herself and he doesn't act as "stuck up" as LIsa's mother. I think that in the end of each story both characters are starting to come out of their boxes.
Schuler Nekrosius 34
In the book "High Yellow White Trash" and the Public Radio segment "Silvia's Story", I find they are very similar stories, yet they have some differences. In "High Yellow White Trash", the narrator's parents both want her to be different people-more her mother than her father. She creates a "white person disguise" which she uses around her mother and a "black person disguise"which she uses around her father to please them. In "Silvia's Story", Silvia doesn't try to change herself to please her parents. Silvia just wants to be who she is, and her parents can't change that. Silvia has a box that her mother made for her, but she gets out of it at an earlier age than narrator in "High Yellow White Trash" did, who can't decide which one is really her real identity, until her early adulthood.
Claire Nekrosius 3-4
I would say that "High Yellow White Trash" and "Sylvia's Story" is actually quite different.
In "High Yellow White Trash" Lisa Page really had a freedom of choice of what she herself to be, there was pressure from her parents for her to be black or white. But in the end she could have decided she wanted to be in a hippy community. So I don't think she was really in a box.
In "Sylvia's Story" Sylvia was undeniably in a box. This is so because all of her family acted the same, so there was a really lot of pressure and she didn't have any where to go.
David Nekrosius 3-4
Sylvias Story and High Yellow White Trash have connections because in Sylvia's Story, Sylvia wants to be different but her mom doesn't accept her the way she is. That also happens when she is with all of her family she has to act different with them because they don't accept her and she feels like she has to put on a disguise. In High Yellow White Trash Lisa want to be her self with her mom and dad but she has to put on a disguise when she is with only one of them, she feels like she has to be totally white or totally black. Lisa wants to be a mixture of both people. So the connection is that both Sylvia and Lisa have to put on disguises.
Mingus Nekrosius 34
"Sylvia's story" is the same as "The phone booth story at the corner" expect in “Sylvia's story”, she is stuck in a figurative box. The grandfather in “the phone booth story at the corner” is stuck in a literal box. In both stories they find out that they need to take a step back, and figure out the problem. In “the phone both story at the corner” it’s simple. In Sylvia’s story its not that simple, she needs to talk to her parents and tell them what she wants. Sylvia doesn’t want to just escape the box the wants to have her own life. What that means is that, she could be a graphic designer and still be in the "Mexican box". She wants to have no box no set list of things to do, or ways to act.
Reed nekrosius
In the poem "Theme for English B" the narrator says "That's American.
Sometimes perhaps you don't want to be a part of me.
Nor do I often want to be a part of you.
But we are, that's true! "
I connected this to the story Crickets because in Crickets the father ( Ted/ Thieu ) wants to have his son bill be more Vietnamese than American. Ted him self wants to be more Vietnamese and he resents the American part of him.
Silvia Nekrosius 3 and 4
In "High Yellow White Trash" it talks about being black and white and you don't know which one to choose I connect that to "Crickets" because that's also a racial box the dad want the family to be come more of there true nationality instead pf American
Xavier Nekrosius 3 and 4
The guy from "Theme for English B" and the girl from "High Yellow White Trash" have some similarities. They both have a white side and a black side. The guy from "Theme for English B" has to walk through the white side and the black side to get to and from school, and the girl from "High Yellow White Trash" actually has a white side and a black side. So they basically are both stuck in a box about whether they should be on the white side or the black side. And they both may get teased about which side they should be on. But, the girl from "High Yellow White Trash" and the guy from "Theme for English B" have a choice about what side they should be on, but they still may struggle with it.
Ellie Nekrosius 8-9
I am connecting the Phone Booth and Sylvia's story. In both of them they are stuck in boxes because of where they came from. In the Phone Booth because he don't speak English and doesn't understand how the door works. In Sylvia's story she is stuck in a box because her parents want her to be like a traditional Mexican girl. In that way they are the same because grandfather in the Phone Booth is from somewhere else so he can't understand English or the weird door. Sylvia because her parents want her to do one thing and her another one.
Jacob Nekrosius 89
In the book " HIgh Yellow White Trash" it is somewhat similar to "Sylvia's Story". In "High Yellow White Trash she is comparing two lifes. The one she has with her mother and the life with her father. She can't decided between the two. In "Sylvia's Story" she has chose between the two lifes she could have. She chose the American lifestyle over the Mexican lifestyle. She chooses to be different then the rest of her family. They are similar in the way that there are two identity choices that they could have made. They are different in the way that Sylvia has already chosen her identity. Sylvia is in a box because she has to deal with the rest of her family, she is in a box that makes her the typical person from her culture, a house keeper. Lisa Page can't decided what her identity is.
Ilana Nekrosius 89
in the poem "The phone booth at the corner" the Grandfather is is stuck in a phone booth and cant open the door because he doesn't understand that you have to pull to open it and in "Sylvia's story" she is in a box that her mother is trying to keep her in and Sylvia cant escape it. even though the grandfather is in a literal box and Sylvia is in a figurative one you still get the idea that something is preventing both of them from escaping that box.
Andrew Nekrosius 3 and 4
In the story the Phone Booth poem and Syliva story the are booth stuck in a box litterly and non litterly. They are both trying to get out of their box the phone booth and her life.
In "Theme for English B" and "High Yellow White Trash" they are booth talk about a race type box. in theme for english b he talks about what it means to be african american and in high yellow white trash she talks about being black and white. In crickets and the phone booth they booth talk about being from a different countries and how different they are to americans
Madeline Nekrosius 89
I see a connection between NPR's Sylvia's Story and Crickets. In Sylvia's Story, Sylvia is struggling to get out of her box, but she still desperately wants her family to approve and be proud of her choices. In Crickets, Thieu is trying to get his son to be more aware of his Vietnamese origins, but he also wants him to be proud of his father, so he feels he has to hide his identity.
The story "Crickets" is kind of similar to "Silvia's story". Both Silvia and Bill were born in America and their family moved there from a diferent country. And they both want to be more American, but there family doesnt want them to be. The diference berween the two stories is that "Crickets" is told from Bill's dads perspective, so you get to see two diferent sides of the story. Also Bill's mom is sort of taking his side, and in Slyvia's story no one else in here family is really sticking up for her. And she has to deal with her entire family not understanding her. I think that Silvia will get out of her box ir she keeps pursuing her dreams, and I think that Bill is already out of his box. Because his Dad finaly reconized that he's American and that he doesnt have to act like he's vietnamese.
Monica Nekrosius 89
I see a connection between NPR's Sylvia's Story and Crickets. In Sylvia's Story, Sylvia is struggling to get out of her box, but also desperately wishes her family to approve and be proud of her choices. In Crickets, Thieu wants his son Bill to be aware of his Vietnamese heritage, but also wants him to be proud of his father, even if it means hiding his identity.
Maria Nekrosius 34
In Sylvia's story and High Yellow White trash, they both are in a similar sort of box. I think of them as round boxes, in fact more like those hamster balls that you put a hamster in and they can go where ever and do whatever they want with it, but they're still enclosed, and can only control what they're doing do a minuscule extent.
In each tale Silvia and the girl from High Yellow White Trash, try to keep a thin mask of happiness and contentment over their feeling internally. Each have no one who cares enough to watch and listen to them take of their masks. I personally, am convinced that the girl from HYWT, isn't ever going to quite be one person all the time, and I feel that gets in the way of her identity. Because there's no one else that knows your identity better then you do.
As for Silvia, I do think that there IS a fair chance she could maybe find a way to take off her mask every now and then, but masks don't ever Really come off, let alone stay off, they're a part of everyone and thing and that's one part of the world that beyond doubt makes in the wondrous place it is.
Ariel Nekrosius 89
Is this your comment: In "High Yellow White Trash" Lisa Page is "stuck in the box", because her mother wants her to do actividies that are more toward the "white" side of her life, while her dad wants her to do more "black" actividies in her life. This is connected to "Sylvia's Story", because Sylvia is also "stuck in the box" in the same way Lis Page. Sylvia's parents want her spend the rest of her life a normal mexican girl, but she wants to more of an american girl. Lisa Page and Sylvia have both been "stuck in a box", but they both have fought their way out of "the box".
Nora Nekrosius 8/9
I see a connection between Sylvia's story and the phone booth poem. I think that Sylvia and the grandpa in the phone booth poem are both in boxes Sylvia is in a box because her mom is telling her what to do. The grandpa is in a box because he can't speak english and he lives in america so he can't really talk to many other people. I think Sylvia is still in a box because she is still being told what to do. I think the grandpa is still in a box but when he and his grandson are both laughing together he went out of the box a little bit.
Richie Nekrosius 3-4
I see a connection between Sylvia's story and the phone booth poem. I think that Sylvia and the grandpa in the phone booth poem are both in boxes Sylvia is in a box because her mom is telling her what to do. The grandpa is in a box because he can't speak english and he lives in america so he can't really talk to many other people. I think Sylvia is still in a box because she is still being told what to do. I think the grandpa is still in a box but when he and his grandson are both laughing together he went out of the box a little bit.
Richie Nekrosius 3-4
I found a connection between "Phone Booth" and "Crickets". These two stories/poems both have similar racial conflicts. The grandfather from "Phone Booth" is trapped inside his Spanish race and the father from from "Crickets" is trapped in his Vietnamese race. They both find it hard to communicate with the child in the story because of their race. I think that in "Crickets" the father will be able to escape this box as his son gets older. In the "Phone Booth" I think that the grandfather most likely will escape this box eventually, but not for a while, considering this was the first time he had visited his grandson.
Sam Nekrosius (Samantha) periods 8 and 9
In "Sylvia's Story" and "Crickets" one of the parents
wants their child to be traditional, but the children are in a "box" of what their parents what them to do and outside the "box" is what they what to do. In "Sylvia's Story" the mother wants her to be a traditional mexican girl, but she wants to go to college, she wants be a computer animator but she hasn't quite gotten out of her "box" yet, but i think she will. In "Crickets" the dad wants the son to be more Taiwanese, but the son want to be a All American boy and the dad has to deal with the fact that his son has gotten out of his "box".
Jessica Nekrosius 89
I see a connection between "Sylvia's Story" and "High yellow white trash". I think that sylvia and lisa page are both in boxes that are split in half. Lisa page has to decide between she wants to be on her african american fathers side or her white mothers side. lisa Page's mom is pushing Lisa to her side of the box but Lisa is leaning more to her african american fathers life. Sylvia's box is also split in half. On one half There's her mexican side and the other half is her american side. Sylvia's mom is pushing her to her side of the box and to be like a mexican woman, but Sylvia does not want to be exactly like her mexican heritage because there not as successful she is leaning toward the american side. Both Sylvia and lisa's moms are pushing them toward their side of the box and not supporting their kids when they want to be different.
Joey nekrosius 3 and 4
All the stories are pretty much the same idea, breaking, choosing, escaping and understanding your box, “High Yellow White Trash” fits with “Sylvia's Story” and “Crickets” is similar to the phone booth story.
“Crickets” related to the phone booth story because it was the same basic idea, two men who came to America, and either feel alienated or unsatisfied with the U.S.. The grandpa who can’t get out of the phone booth, he feels trapped and alienated. While in crickets, the same type of thing is going on, the father feels that he should teach his son Vietnams’ culture, but the sun could care less or is even embarrassed about it. I think its two men trying to deal with a different culture and except that things might not work out the way you wanted it too.
Luke Nekrosius 8/9
In the reading of High Yellow White Trash there is a reference of box's. like when she says '' i put on my White girl disguise''. Also in Sylvia's story her mom says that she should be like her cousins. But Sylvia doesnt want to be like like her cousins. Sylvia talks about how her mom wants her to be like her cousins sylvia says her cousins are pregnat at seventeen and eighteen and she doesnt want to be like that and her mom wants her to be. In High Yellow White trash she has two disguises one for her black side and one for her white side. So thats how those two stories have references of the boexes.
kerry nekrosius 8-9
I see a connection between "Crickets" and "Sylvia's Story". Bill and Sylvia are both have "Foreign" parents but are American born. In Crickets Mr. Thieu is trying to break Bill out of his "American box", where in Sylvia's story Sylvia is trying to breakout of her own "Mexican" box. There are differences in these stories. Sylvia is not happy with her box and wants very much to escape it, when Bill is perfectly fine in his box and feels happy staying inside his box. Although one story is told by the parent and one is told by the child i feel they are very much the same.
Nigel Nekrosius 3/4
I found Sylvia’s story and the "phone booth" poem similar. Both characters are emigrants and their past holds them back. Also in both stories you can clearly see the characters’ difficulty do get out of their “boxes”. In the grandpa’s poem you can literally see that he can’t get out of the phone booth which represents his “box”. In Sylvia’s case she explains that her mom is blocking her way out of her box. The two stories also have some differences. In the “phone booth” poem the grandpa was laughing with his grandson, which brought them closer to each other for a little while. However his major problem wasn’t yet solved, he didn’t speak English at all and couldn’t communicate with the outside world. Sylvia though is still fighting to get out of the box, and I think that she will succeed because she sounded very determined in her pursue of freedom.
Yael Nekrosius 3-4
I personally saw a connection between Crickets and Theme for English B, though the characters were on opposing side of the same problem. In Theme for English B Mr. Hughes feels excluded from a society he knows he is a part of, yet in Crickets, Ted feels like he has to regain some of his old heritage. Both of them have the same hurdle to jump, but in opposite directions. They both want to leave a smaller box and get into one that surrounds it. Both really want to regain what they believe is part of them, and with no more symbolic way to say the same thing the want to re-carve who they are.
I personally saw a connection between Crickets and Theme for English B, though the characters were on opposing side of the same problem. In Theme for English B Mr. Hughes feels excluded from a society he knows he is a part of, yet in Crickets, Ted feels like he has to regain some of his old heritage. Both of them have the same hurdle to jump, but in opposite directions. They both want to leave a smaller box and get into one that surrounds it. Both really want to regain what they believe is part of them, and with no more symbolic way to say the same thing the want to re-carve who they are.
Julian Nekrosius 8-9
In "Sylvia's Story" the mother cannot speak English and is afraid to go outside. In the "Phone Both" poem the Grandfather has never came to the U.S. before. He accidentally picks up a phone and tries to open the door to the outside, but he pushes instead of pulls. The mother from "Sylvia's story" cannot go outside by herself and tries to stay as close to her own culture as possible. Both the Grandfather and mother are afraid and stuck in a language and culture box.
Lucy Nekrosius 3-4
I see a connection between High Yellow White Trash and Crickets because in both stories the child does not know whether to act Black/White or Vietnamese/American. At first when Lisa page goes with her mother she acts white but when she is with her father she acts more black. But in Crickets the boy acts more Vietnamese when he is catching crickets but as soon as he sees the smudge on his sneakers, then he snaps back into American Life.
Wade Nekrosius 89
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