Memories.
Floating around, everywhere.
Bouncing, wavering.
Never to be forgotten.
Fat baby cheeks.
Wavy hair.
Memories.
From my father, teaching me how to ride a bike.
Telling me never to give up.
From my first spanking.
Telling me "Don't disobey your mother!"
To being accepted in MS51.
To going to high school.
Slowly, growing up.
Losing people.
It hurts.
Being an outsider.
Meeting someone like a sister to me.
Leaving relationships.
Opening myself to new ones.
Life.
It's an interesting thing.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Monday, October 14, 2013
Reading Response #3
The book “Just as Long as We’re Together” by Judy Blume is about friendship, honesty, and jealousy. The main character is Stephanie, who is an outgoing girl whose best friend is Rachel. Rachel is an hard-working student, and is Stephanie’s best friend. Alison is a Vietnamese girl from L.A who was adopted with no friends and alone. All three of them are going to seventh grade.
I believe Alison is very lonely, and tries to do anything she can to make friends (page 14). She introduces herself, and the one thing I find interesting about Alison is that the first thing she says to Stephanie is “My dog, Maizie, can talk.” Stephanie is very gullible and believes it. I think that Alison says this because she is desperate to make friends. Later, the girls see that they have the same homeroom with each other. The next day, Rachel scoffs and says “Dogs can’t talk!” This shows Rachel is not gullible and she is very mature, while Stephanie and Alison are not. I think that this might be a pattern. (I feel like Rachel is jealous, and the pattern might be that after every time Alison and Stephanie hang out, Rachel will be jealous.)
Alison is also very shy and doesn't talk too much when you don’t know her, but she is not afraid to express herself. For example, here is a scene from the book (page 29)
Ms. Remo: Homeroom Teacher
* Ms. Remo is currently reading the students names on the first day.
When she got to Alison, Mrs. Remo pronounced her last name Mon See U. Alison corrected her. "It's spelled M-o-n-c-e-a-u," she said. "But its pronounced Mon So. It's French."
"Of course," Mrs. Remo said. "I should have known."
Everybody turned and looked at Alison. Alison just sat there as if she didn't notice, but I could see her clutching her favorite stone.
I think this shows Alison was nervous, but she wasn't afraid to correct the teacher. Most kids would normally just tell the teacher how to pronounce it and NOT tell them how to spell it or where it is from, unless the teacher asks. Again, I notice a pattern that Alison expressed herself, and kids thought she was weird, or either thought she was different and unique/cool.
Rachel is a little bit TOO mature for her age in my opinion. Later, when they came back from school, Rachel and Stephanie went over to Alison's house. She talks about the talking dog and a story of what Maizie did. Rachel is very skeptical, and asks Alison's father if it is true. Leon (Alison's father) is very impressed with her mature personality. He responds by saying "Yes , Maizie talks, usually a little too much." in respond of Rachel's question ("So you are saying your dog really talks?) I think that also, Leon was referring to Alison as the dog, making up stories in her head. When Stephanie and Rachel leave, Rachel says "She is obviously very insecure." I think that Rachel is thinking "What if the three of us becomes friends? And what if I get separated from Stephanie?"
In conclusion, I think that the pattern is that when Alison speaks or acts out, Rachel is always going to criticize her because of her jealousy. I also think that the author's message is to not be jealous of new friends your friends are making.
I believe Alison is very lonely, and tries to do anything she can to make friends (page 14). She introduces herself, and the one thing I find interesting about Alison is that the first thing she says to Stephanie is “My dog, Maizie, can talk.” Stephanie is very gullible and believes it. I think that Alison says this because she is desperate to make friends. Later, the girls see that they have the same homeroom with each other. The next day, Rachel scoffs and says “Dogs can’t talk!” This shows Rachel is not gullible and she is very mature, while Stephanie and Alison are not. I think that this might be a pattern. (I feel like Rachel is jealous, and the pattern might be that after every time Alison and Stephanie hang out, Rachel will be jealous.)
Alison is also very shy and doesn't talk too much when you don’t know her, but she is not afraid to express herself. For example, here is a scene from the book (page 29)
Ms. Remo: Homeroom Teacher
* Ms. Remo is currently reading the students names on the first day.
When she got to Alison, Mrs. Remo pronounced her last name Mon See U. Alison corrected her. "It's spelled M-o-n-c-e-a-u," she said. "But its pronounced Mon So. It's French."
"Of course," Mrs. Remo said. "I should have known."
Everybody turned and looked at Alison. Alison just sat there as if she didn't notice, but I could see her clutching her favorite stone.
I think this shows Alison was nervous, but she wasn't afraid to correct the teacher. Most kids would normally just tell the teacher how to pronounce it and NOT tell them how to spell it or where it is from, unless the teacher asks. Again, I notice a pattern that Alison expressed herself, and kids thought she was weird, or either thought she was different and unique/cool.
Rachel is a little bit TOO mature for her age in my opinion. Later, when they came back from school, Rachel and Stephanie went over to Alison's house. She talks about the talking dog and a story of what Maizie did. Rachel is very skeptical, and asks Alison's father if it is true. Leon (Alison's father) is very impressed with her mature personality. He responds by saying "Yes , Maizie talks, usually a little too much." in respond of Rachel's question ("So you are saying your dog really talks?) I think that also, Leon was referring to Alison as the dog, making up stories in her head. When Stephanie and Rachel leave, Rachel says "She is obviously very insecure." I think that Rachel is thinking "What if the three of us becomes friends? And what if I get separated from Stephanie?"
In conclusion, I think that the pattern is that when Alison speaks or acts out, Rachel is always going to criticize her because of her jealousy. I also think that the author's message is to not be jealous of new friends your friends are making.
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