Response to 'Eleanor and Park' by Rainbow Rowell

Cayla Nardiello 808

           

Everyone is different in his or her own special way, even if it is hidden most of the time. In the amazing story, ‘Eleanor and Park” by Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor is the new girl with the crazy red hair and the strange clothes, with a dark family secret. Park is the quiet Asian boy who tries to avoid bringing attention to himself. That is, until he meets Eleanor, and while neither has a perfect life, they manage to find misfit love for each other. I think the theme of the story is about how you should always be accepted for who you are, even if only one person truly appreciates you.

            People that truly love you will accept you for who you are. One example of this is  “Eleanor was right. She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn’t supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something.” This shows that Park truly does love Eleanor, not for what she looked like; which is what she was judged on by other kids, but for who she really was, on the inside. Another example of acceptance is where it says; “Park didn’t know that anyone with red hair could have brown eyes… The new girl’s eyes were darker than his mom’s, really dark, almost like holes in her face. That made it sound bad, but it wasn’t. It might even be the best thing about her.” This shows us that while other people mocked Eleanor for being who she was, Park found beauty in what others might have teased her about.

            People might put you down for who you are. One example of this is; “If his dad knew he was thinking like this, he’d call Park a pussy. Out loud, for once. If his grandma knew, she’d smack him on the back of the head.” This shows that Park is used to being treated like this, and he fears what will happen if he stand up for himself. Another example of this is when girls at gym make fun of Eleanor; “‘Red isn’t your color, Bozo,’ Tina had said the first time Eleanor suited up. The other girls all laughed, even the black girls, who hated Tina. Laughing at Eleanor was Dr. King’s mountain.” this means that Eleanor kept feeling a ‘mountain of despair’ when people made fun of her, she couldn’t tolerate it, especially with an abusive step-dad at home.

In all, having parents who don’t love or really don’t understand you makes you more desperate for real love, from someone who does understand what you are going through. Someone who won’t judge you when you express how you feel, because they know what you are going through, because it has happened to them, too. And if only one person gets you for who you are, it makes you feel more accepted in life, it makes you feel better about yourself; that someone, even if it is just one person, loves you for who you really are.

'Ashes', by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Cayla Nardiello 808

        Many families living in the U.S. don’t have a steady relationship with their children, causing their children to almost do anything to have their parents notice and care about them. In the short story, “Ashes” by Susan Beth Pfeffer. a girl named Ashleigh, or, Ashes for short, struggles with family issues. Her father is jokey, and rarely sees Ashes, though her gives her dreams, and promises he can never keep. Her mother is very business like, and want her daughter to succeed in life. Throughout the short story, there is a reoccurring theme about Ashes father using her, and never fulfilling his promises to her, as a real father would.

           At the end of the story, when Ashes’ dad manipulates her on pg.123 where Ashes is given the choice to steal from her mother, or keep a steady relationship with her father, it says, ‘“What do you want me to do, Dad?” I asked. “Come into the apartment with me and take the money?” … “That would be robbery, Ashes. I would never steal from your mother. I’ve caused her pain enough.”’ This shows us that Ashes’ father won’t steal from the mother, because he fears he will get in trouble. So, he told Ashes to steal from her mother because then Ashes will get in trouble, not him. The money might be a symbol for Ashes’ hopes, but her dad is stealing them from her, to fulfill his own. He has never been there for her, but she always forgives him, and forgets. Another example is on pg.117, where it says; “...when Dad forgot to pick me up at school, or didn’t have the money for the class trip, or got all his favorite kinds of Chinese, and none of Mom’s and mine…” This shows me her dad is self serving, he never bothers to ask anyone how they are doing, or tell them how nice they look, until he wants something from them. He is a selfish man until he wants something that someone else has.

Ashes’ dad always raises her hopes, then destroys them by breaking his promises to her. An example is on pg.115, where it says, ‘“When I was little, Dad used to promise me stars for a necklace, but like most of his promises, that one never quite happened.”’ This shows me that the necklace is a symbol for all the father’s broken promises. Because you simply cannot raise the hopes of a child by lying to her. We all know stars are burning hot balls of gas, which cannot be chained to a necklace. And not even that, he could have bought her a necklace at the very least- or made one, with plastic stars on it, just so that he technically kept his promise, and it makes Ashes smile to know he cared enough about her to make an effort to make her relived that he loves her.

            In conclusion, the story ‘Ashes’ is mainly about how Ashes’ father manipulated her to get what he wanted. I think Ashes’ father did care about her, but he didn’t really know how to care for her. He did asked her to steal for him, and that’s not okay. He’s her father! A real father wouldn’t ask for money from their kid, especially since he never sees her! A real father would never owe anyone money, and then have his daughter steal from her own mother. I think Ashes’ father is a symbol for false hope, because even though he said could make everyone smile, he really only made Ashes smile because she wanted him to love her, she’s so desperate for his affection, she almost stole $200 for a father who doesn’t know how to love his own daughter properly. 

Response to a quote in 'If I Stay'

Reading Response on 'If I Stay' by Gayle Forman

(Warning: Spoilers!)           

If I Stay is a touching book about grief and survival. The main character, Mia, had an ordinary life with a strong passion for the cello, a down to earth family, and an adoring boyfriend who loved her for who she was. The whole story, as I felt, was about how normal your life can be, and in one minute, and your life would be forever changed by just one action. That action, in the case of If I Stay, was one truck. One accident. Her life impacted forever. She was able to have an outer body experience in which she was able to be active in a coma. Throughout the book Mia debates if it is worth it to stay alive. I think that the whole theme to the book is choice. You always have a choice. The real struggle is finding which choice is the better one, for you and for others who care about you. Another theme could be sacrifice, because Mia had to chose to live on, or give up. Though, with every choice she had, there was a sacrifice she had to make.

One example of choice is on pg.152 when Mia realizes “And that’s how I know. Teddy. He’s gone, too.” (Spoiler! Sorry!) After her parents were killed in the crash, the only reason she was holding on to life was her little brother, Teddy, and her boyfriend, Adam. But since her brother’s passing, was Adam enough for her to keep on fighting? Another example is on pg.234, “… I need to hold his hand… I aim every remaining ounce of energy into my right hand… I summon all the love I have ever felt… and then I squeeze.” This shows us that Mia truly did believe in her love for Adam, and fought her way out of her coma for him.

An example of the theme sacrifice in the book If I Stay, could be when Mia was deciding to survive, or give up. Either choice would mean sacrificing something precious to her. Giving up would sacrifice Adam, her boyfriend, and her grandparents, but being able to see her parents and her little brother again. But fighting against the coma would sacrifice her parents and brother, but she would see Adam and her grandparents again. Another example of sacrifice, on pg. 231, Adam says to Mia; “If you stay, I'll do whatever you want. I'll quit the band, go with you to New York. But if you need me to go away, I'll do that, too. I was talking to Liz and she said maybe coming back to your old life would be too painful, that maybe it'd be easier for you to erase us. And that would suck, but I'd do it. I can lose you like that if I don't lose you today. I'll let you go. If you stay.” This truly, as I feel, is the most powerful quote in the book. It has so much meaning of love, and hope, and sacrifice to it. And it’s all bound together by choice.

In conclusion, the amazing book ‘If I Stay’ has many powerful meanings. The theme choice, as I think, is the most powerful theme in the whole book. The book is rounded around choice. The choices Mia made. The choices Adam made. The choices her parents made. The choices of all of the people around her. The choice to give up, or survive. She chose to sacrifice. She chose Adam over her family. She chose to survive.