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.
43 comments:
the two connections I've made are between Theme for English B and Crickets. That Crickets is about disconnections and Theme for English B is kind of about connections. Because in Theme for English B the narrator is trying to say that know matter what black or white we are the same. For Crickets Ted is trying to get along with Bill but Bill wants to be american and Ted wants him to be vietnamese. That was my connection between both stories.
from Adrian Nekrosius 1/2
I made a connection between 'Sylvia's Story' and 'Crickets'. My connection was that the kids both feel like they are trapped in a box. In 'Sylvia's Story', Sylvia is trapped in the box of her mother forcing her idea of a proper lifestyle on Sylvia, when actually, Sylvia wants to design special effects for movies. In 'Crickets', Bill is trapped in the box of his father's longing for him to be more like a Vietnamese person, but Bill actually wants to be more like a traditional American from where he lives.
I would also like to bring up one more small connection between the two stories: the parents. The parents are both forcing lifestyles on their children that are different from the ones that the children might want to have instead. For example, Bill wants to be more like an American, and Sylvia wants to work in a special effects business, but Bill's dad wants Bill to be more Vietnamese, and Sylvia's mom wants Sylvia to be more of a housewife than Sylvia wants to be herself. Those are all of the connections that I see between these to stories.
Fred Nekrosius 6/7
I see the similarity between High Yellow White Trash and Crickets. In HYWT, her mother's side is trying to cover up the fact that she's partly black. And in Crickets, the American people at his work seem to be covering up the fact that Thieu (Ted) is Vietnamese by calling him Ted. Both are bothered by it, but are trapped in a box; a box in which the 'white' people want the 'foreigners' to be like them, American. But they already are.
From Marissa Nekrosius 1/2
The connections i made are between the phone booth and the audio recording about sylvia. I realized this because in the phone booth when the grandfather was stuck in the phone booth and his grandson was trying to help him, they were pushing against each other to get the grandfather out of "the box". In the audio recording about sylvia she was talking about how she wants to get herself out of her figurative box but her mom wont let her. Her mom was pushing against the opening of the box just like the grandson was pushing against the literal box.
from Will Nekrosius 1-2
The two connections that stand out most to me are between the Sylvia story and crickets. I think that both of the parents are trying to force their kids to follow their life a little bit and both the kids want to just be american.I think that Sylvia's position is a little more extreme than bill's because her mom wants her to be mexican and I don't think that her mom understood that she might not want that. Ted did eventually say that the crickets were probably not a good idea.I think that both the kids are being a little bit put in a box and both want to get out.I think that ted is a sad he left his box,and I think Sylvias mom is glad she is still in her box.
Alice Nekrosius 5/6
I found a connection between Sylvia's Story and Crickets. The parents in both the stories were trying to stuff their children into their own little cultural boxes. They both want their children to lead lives like theirs. They want this because they have found that whatever they did worked. The children want to be American because the people that surround them are American. Both parents have a hard time accepting this fact. Ted is more accepting of the fact that Bill wants to be American than Sylvia's mother is. Both of these parents want the best for their children, but they both have trouble understanding that maybe the best thing for their children is to let them be whatever they want to be.
Isabel Nekrosius 6/7 (the other comment should not have been posted)
MY two connections is between "High Yellow White Trash" and "Sylvia's Story." The connection is that in both stories the two characters haven't found their identity. In Sylvia, she wants to be american but she also realizes that she's mexican and wrestles between these two ethnicity. While the character in "HIgh Yellow white trash" is struggling with her identity too. Her problem is between two races. But they both have not yet discovered their identity
I see a resemblance between Sylvia's mom in "Sylvia's story" and Bill's dad from "Crickets", Ted. Sylvia's mom, like Ted, is trying to pass on her culture and her old life to Sylvia. But both Bill and Sylvia don't want their parent's old culture. They want to be American; go to college, wear cool shoes, do movie special effects.
Ted and Sylvia's mom are stuck in a box of their history. They don't really want to walk out on their past and let it all go, and they're assuming that their children want to be like them and stay in that box. For the children, this is an uncomfortable, confining box. But for the parents, this box protects them from facing a world that really isn't home.
Pascale Nekrosius 6/7
The two connections I have made are between high yellow white trash and theme for English B. The connection I have made is that both of the main characters in the stories are in a box of racisim. They are forced to over that and a barrier of money
Jonathan nekrosius 1/2
The connections I have made are between Crickets and the Sylvia Story. I think in both of these stories, the parents want the children to grow up like they did in either Mexico or Vietnam. The parents are trying to hold the children back. They are both putting the kids in boxes by trying to keep them from American culture. The kids want to grow up American. Sylvia doesn't want to stay at home cleaning and washing all day, she wants to go out and learn, become a successful person and have a job. Bill doesn't want to learn about crickets because that is a Vietnamese thing to do, and he is American. The 2 parents are trying to hold their kids back because they feel like how they led their life really worked. They feel like since it worked for them, it'll work for their children. The parents actually just need to let their children be themselves, and not hold them back from the American culture that they have grown up in. Ted and Sylvia's mom are putting their kids in cultural boxes and not letting them escape.
I found a connection between "Theme for English B" and "Crickets". In both of the stories the main character has two identities. In "Theme for English B" the main character has the white world in the collage on the hill and the black world in Harlem. In "Crickets" the main character is Ted in America but where he was from, he was called Thieu. Both Ted and the main character in "Theme for English B" feel more comfortable back where they came from but neither of them try to deny their other identity.
Elsa Nekrosius 6/7
I found a connection between Theme for English B and High Yellow White Trash. Both Lisa Page and the narrator are stuck in a "box" because of the color of their skin. Lisa Page finds it hard to deal with having to parents of different colors (which makes her half African-American). Where as the narrator also finds it hard to be in a class where he is the only person with dark skin in his class. They both mention throughout the essays that they write, that it is hard having a different color skin then everybody else.
Also, Lisa Page has to deal with switching from her two different worlds, her white world, and her black world. In Theme for English B, the narrator describes the long walk home to the Y from the posh school that he attends. He switches from going to a nice school to home, which are totally different environments.
- Emma Nekrosius Period 6/7
The connection I found was between Crickets and Sylvia’s Story. In both of these stories the kids are trapped in boxes. Both kids want to be more American and their parents are pushing back and trying to make them more Vietnamese or Mexican. For example, Sylvia wants to go to a four-year college and become a person that helps make movies. Sylvia’s mom wants Sylvia to get married right away and not go to college at all like Sylvia’s cousins. In Crickets, Bill wants to be American but Thieu/Ted wants Bill to be Vietnamese, fight crickets, and do stuff that he did when he was growing up. Both parents want their kids to stay in their boxes and both kids want to get out of their boxes. In the end, Bill gets out of his box and Sylvia is still in, but almost out of her box.
Grace Nekrosius 1-2
To Emma N. 6/7 Could you explain how the narrator in Theme For English B switches between two worlds? That's interesting, and I want to know more about it.
Marissa Nekrosius 1/2
I have made a connection between the parents of Sylvia's Story and Crickets. Bill's dad and Sylvia's mother are both trying to pass down their cultural tradition. Sylvia wants to be herself, wait to marry and have kids, and make special effects for movies. Bill wants to fit in with all of the other kids and be cool. I do think that "Ted" or Thiêu isn't enforcing it as much as Sylvia's mother, so I don't have as much empathy for her as I do with Thiêu. They still need to get out of their "boxes" and support their children. No matter how they act or go against the family traditions, they have the right to their own beliefs.
-Eamonn Nekrosius 6-7
I see a connection between "Sylvia's story" and "Crickets". In both Instances, The narrator, wants to change something about someone else. In "Sylvia's story", Sylvia wants to be able to go to college, which means she has to change the way her parents think. Her parents think she should get married right away, which is a box. In "Crickets", Ted wants his son to be more Vietnamese. he wants bill to do things that he did when he was a child, which means Ted is stuck in the box of the past. In that sense the stories are similar.
from Justin Nekrosius 6/7
I mad a connection from Crickets to Sylvia's Story because both of the parents want their children to know about their heritage. I think Sylvia's mom is a lot more hardened to getting Sylvia to be a tipical mexican girl. The dad wants his son to be vietnamse but not as strongly as the mexican mom.
Nick Nekrosius
The two story's that I thought connected were "crickets" and the story about sylvia because sylvia is having trouble communicating with her mother. Bill from "crickets" is having a hard time understanding and communicating with his dad.
From Lilia Nekrosius 1/2
the two connections I made were between 'sylvias story'
and 'Crickets'. Both of the kids parents are trying to pull them into the box.Ted is trying to make his child play a game he obviously does not want to play and Sylvia's mom trying to make her a house wife. Thats my connection between the stories.
from Nikki Kuper 1/2
the two connections I made were between 'sylvias story'
and 'Crickets'. Both of the kids parents are trying to pull them into the box.Ted is trying to make his child play a game he obviously does not want to play and Sylvia's mom trying to make her a house wife. Thats my connection between the stories.
from Nikki 1/2
I made a connection between Sylvia's story and crickets. Because in both of them they are stuck in a box and don't get out. Also I made the connection that they both have ethnic problems. In crickets Ted was stuck in a box of wanting Bill to be Vietnamese and Bill is American. In Sylvia's story she wants to be more american not only a traditional Mexican.
Owen Nekrosius 1-2
I found a connection between "Sylvia's Story" and "Crickets". In both, the parents came from foreign countries but, had kids in America. Sylvia's mom wants Sylvia to live a Mexican lifestyle. And, Thieu wants his son to be more Vietnamese. But, both kids want to live like Americans. Bill's and Sylvia's parents are stuck in the past and do not understand why their kids don't want to be like them.
Alec Nekrosius 6/7
My two connections were from Theme for English B and Sylvia's Story. In Theme for English B, it's about a young African-American and he is explaining that he is American, just like his teacher. In Sylvia's Story, it's about young Mexican-American who is trying to tell her mom she doesn't have to be like all the other Mexican's. In both the story and essay they had their own idea of what American was. And that's what they taught they were.
from Tamera Nekrosius 1/2
I connected Crickets and Sylvia's story because in Crickets, Ted tries to get his son to be more Vietnamese. Ted thinks that being Vietnamese is important, but his son doesn't understand that. In Sylvia's story, her mom tries to get Sylvia to be more like a typical Mexican girl, but Sylvia refuses. These are similar because their parents both want the kids to be more Vietnamese or Mexican. The reason that you feel bad for Ted is because it’s his point of view. Likewise, the reason you feel bad for Sylvia is because it’s her point of view. If they were both written from the parents’ point of view, then you would feel bad for both the parents.
Athena Nekrosius 6/7
I found a connection between Sylvia's story and High Yellow White Trash.
In both stories, the main character is trying to figure out who she is. They both felt like they were trapped inside a box because in both situations, they must side with one race. In Sylvia's story, she wants to be all-American, but her parents want her to be completely Mexican. Sylvia knows what she wants, but can she always choose the opposite of what her parents want? I think when Sylvia grows up and shows her parents what she wants to do, and does it, her parents might understand that they themselves have kept Sylvia in a box not letting her choose what she wants. So, after college, she will get out of this box.
In High Yellow White Trash, because her parents have different races and are divorced, she doesn't know who to be. Sophisticated and quiet with white people, or loud and funny with the black people. She seems to get herself confused, and is never sure of who she really is. I don't think the girl in High Yellow White Trash will ever come out of her box because she is still trying to figure out who she is.
Sarah Nekrosius
Periods 6-7
The connection I have made is between Ted in Cricket’s and Sylvia in Sylvia’s story. In Cricket’s Ted is suck in America and in Sylvia’s story Sylvia is suck in this Mexican atmosphere. They both don’t want to be where they are. The only difference is Sylvia wants to be something other then who she really is and Ted wants to be who he really is. Sylvia wants to live in America and get an education and get the job of her dreams. On the other side Ted wants to go back to Vietnam live his old life. But they both really just a new life.
Alana Nekrosius 1/2
I felt a connection between "crickets" and "Sylvia's Story". I felt that there was a connection between the two kids, Bill and Sylvia.They both seemed like they were in boxes to me. Both of their parents were pushing them to do stuff that they didn't want to do. Bill's father wanted him to fight crickets when it didn't really seem like like he wanted to and Silvia's mom wanted her to live a "normal" Mexican life but Sylvia wanted to go into Media. That was my connection between both stories.
Immi Nekrosius 6/7
I found a connection between High Yellow White Trash and Sylvia's story because they were both trying to break out of a box that was created by their mom's. In Sylvia's story, she is stuck in her mom's box of a normal Mexican family where Sylvia might not get the opportunity to go to a 4 year University. Instead, Sylvia's mom wants her to get married at a young age and have children and live life as she does when Sylvia wants to wait on marriage and kids and continue getting a good education and become more of an American. In High Yellow White Trash, the mom is trying to cover up the fact that the girl is half white half black. Lisa Page describes how she feels and how she has to switch gears going from her mom's side of German and her dad's side of African-American. Although in the end, Lisa finds herself leaning towards her dad's side, she still has difficulties in finding who she is, while Sylvia still struggles with her mom and telling her that an American is who she wants to be.
Alex Nekrosius 1/2
I see a similarity from high yellow white trash and crickets. In both of these tales the parents try to choose the life path that they want the kids to go down but in both of these tales the kid does not want to go down the path that there parents want them too go down. For example in Crickets the dad wants him too be more vietnamese and like to fight crickets but bill does not want to be vietnamese he wants to be and a american. Also in high yellow white trash The mom wants her to act more like a white person but she chooses to talk and act more like a black
-Danny Nekrosius 1/2
I think there connections in High yellow white trash and Sylvias story. The main one is that they are both in a box but in high yellow white trash she is scared to come out of the box. In Sylvias story she wants to come out of the box but is forced back in. In Sylvias story I think if she where to get out the she would come back in for a while because it would be scary. In high yellow white trash i think she comes out of the box a little bit because of her dad every time she goes over there she comes back more rued. I thought that the mom would have figured that out and changed how often they went over there because she has custody of them.
Andrew Nekrosius 6/7
The connections I made were between
"High yellow white trash" and "Crickets". In High yellow white trash her mother is stuck in a box of a white were everyone is similar and father stuck in a box of a African-American World. In Crickets Ted is stuck in a box of a Vietnamese world and Bill is stuck in a box of an American world and wants to stay in the box.
-Jacob Nekrosius 1/2
The connection I made is between High Yellow White Trash and Sylvia's story. In High Yellow White Trash she is battling her mother. Her mom wants her to be white, but she wants to do her own person. In Sylvias story, Sylvia is battling her mom. Her mom wants her to be just like her and not her own person.
In both stories, the daughters are battling their mothers to be their own person.
from Zach Nekrosius 1/2
I've made a connection between "Crickets" and "The Phone Booth". They're both about how a foreign place can be so different and challenging. It is especially challenging for a first time visitor like the grandfather in "The Phone Booth" and, interestingly, it can continue to remain challenging even a decade after living in the foreign country such as with Ted. Ted in "Crickets". In both these situations it was clear that the next generation is able to adapt with ease and, in fact, they do not have a strong connection with their heritage.
Tiboo Nekrosius 1/2
I think there is a similarity between Crickets and The Phone Booth at the Corner. When the grandfather is pushing in the opposite direction as his grandson it is kind of like when ted is trying to share some of the things he did as a kid with his son. In each case there was a cultural difference between the two generations. What i mean by that is that one is about language and the other is about missing his childhood. The two stories are somewhat the same but the ending is very very different.
Shoshana Nekrosius 1-2
A connection I made is between Ted in Crickets and Sylvia's parents in Sylvia's Story. The connection is that they both want their children to learn and become more like their culture. Ted and Sylvia's parents are also both immigrants.
I made another connection between Sylvia and Ted. They both want to be more American and have less of their parents culture. Those are the connections I have made.
Annika Nekrosius 6/7
i believe their is a connection between Sylvia's story and crickets. in both the parents is trying to keep their child in the box of their heritage. but in crickets, the father is trying to let his son into the box well in Sylvia's story the mother is trying to force her into the box. In the end neither is successful and in the case of Sylvia her mother ahas made it worse.
from Tobias, Nekrosius 6/7
The connections I have made are between Crickets and the Sylvia Story. I think in both of these stories, the parents want the children to grow up like they did in either Mexico or Vietnam. The parents are trying to hold the children back. They are both putting the kids in boxes by trying to keep them from American culture. The kids want to grow up American. Sylvia doesn't want to stay at home cleaning and washing all day, she wants to go out and learn, become a successful person and have a job. Bill doesn't want to learn about crickets because that is a Vietnamese thing to do, and he is American. The 2 parents are trying to hold their kids back because they feel like how they led their life really worked. They feel like since it worked for them, it'll work for their children. The parents actually just need to let their children be themselves, and not hold them back from the American culture that they have grown up in. Ted and Sylvia's mom are putting their kids in cultural boxes and not letting them escape.
Saskia Nekrosius 1/2
I have made two connections about Sylvia's Story, Crickets, High Yellow White Trash, and Theme For English B. the connections Sylvia's Story and Crickets. is that both of the kids have parents that are trying to make them one thing but they want to be something else. For High Yellow White Trash and Theme for English B both main characters have to deal with being black, and different, and they are both story's about dealing with it.
from Charlie Nekrosius 6/7
The connection I made is between "Crickets" and "Sylvia's Story." Both
children are fighting back their parents, whom are pushing their
children into boxes of their heritage. The children, Bill and Sylvia,
both want to be American, yet their parents are trying to make them
see and acknowledge their own heritage. Ted and Sylvia's mother try
activities of their homeland and "bring" them to their children. For
Bill that is cricket fighting, and for Sylvia that is Mexican dances
and parties. Yet both kids still want to be American. Although Bill is
let out of his box by Ted, seeing that he cannot convince Bill to
accept being Vietnamese, Sylvia has not yet escaped from the box, yet
she is very close.
Janine Nekrosius 6-7
The connections I found were between "Sylvias Story" and "Crickets". I found that both parents were trying to push their children to someone who they are not. In Crickets the dad seems less persuasive than in Sylvias story. The dad is also telling the story in Crickets so he might be as pushy as Sylvia's mom and we do not know it. I am pretty sure if we heard the story from Bill it would sound a lot more like Sylvias story.
Alex Nekrosious 6/7
I found some connections between High Yellow White Trash and Theme for English B. In both of these stories, the main character is trying to figure out his true identity, to answer the question of "Who am I?” and to fit himself into the correct box. In HYWT, the main character is trying to decide whether to stay in the "black box" or the "white box" or to travel between them, but in Theme for English B the narrator is trying to figure out the difference between these two boxes, and how can we get rid of the difference and all come out of the box to the new and bigger world.
from Wanqi Nekrosius 6/7
I see a connection between the father from crickets and the grandfather from phone booth. The grandfather is pushing out to get out of that phone booth and the granddaughter is pushing in. In crickets, metaphorically the father is trying to push his son in this box while his son is trying to get out. But all the grandfather is to do is to stop resisting and it would be easier
Sam Nekrosius 1\2
I see a connection between the father from crickets and the grandfather from phone booth. The grandfather is pushing out to get out of that phone booth and the granddaughter is pushing in. In crickets, metaphorically the father is trying to push his son in this box while his son is trying to get out. But all the grandfather is to do is to stop resisting and it would be easier
Sam Nekrosius 1\2
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