March 12, Theme #6 Introduction

I like the first website  http://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/thesistatement.html.  I like this one because its splits it up so it is easier to understand.  I have trouble writing thesis statements so this site is helping a little.

My thesis will go something like this: Ernesto Guevara's goal was to fight imperialism while tackling many obstacles along the way eventually making a vast political and social impact on the world.

Peru Diction Quiz

As Che and Alberto continued their journey from Chile they were lucky to haul down a Civil Guard who was driving Indians, human livestock, and they caught a ride.  After entering Peru they soon realized that Peru was a country filled a majority with people in poverty.  Some people they met as they arrived made reference to the wonderful Peron and Evita when they met Che and talked about his wonderful country Argentina and most seemed to be very FATALISTIC while expressing their feelings, very laid back and accepting of Che and Alberto.  Che was a PARIAH but felt welcomed by most he had met.  “As for ourselves, so cold we had forgotten we were also pariahs, without money, we ate a very modest meal and asked for one bed for the both of us” (124).  Ernesto and Alberto began in the town of Tacna and then traveled towards the city of Cuzco where there lied ancient ruins and RELICS.  These IDYLLIC remains from the Incans were appeasing to Che’s eyes and while passing these structures and pyramids he was in awe.  Days later they arrived in Machu Picchu.  While walking around and looking at the land they began to see it was very DESOLATE.  The city that was once built of buildings was now just a bunch of EXACERBATE pieces of rubble on the ground.  After leaving Machu Picchu, they continue their journey to Hucancarama.  As they travel they loose some strength and begin to become hungry and poorer.  Che and Alberto GLEAN as much food as they possibly can on their journey but it does not satisfy their stomachs.  They then visit Hucancarama and there they watch as the BESTIAL settlers mistreat the Indians that live there.  As they continue down their path, they ask many people for rides along the way but one that stood out was their ride in the back of a truck with about ten bulls.  They sat on that truck in such an INDIGENCE state, so poor that they sat with bulls.  Not only were they poor but also the cold was getting to them and caused some struggle.  It was becoming freezing outside and the PERIPHERYof Che’s body was frozen to the touch.  He then arrived in Andahuaylas and tried to talk to some people there.  The whole time in Peru talking with people was hard because they Spanish they could speak were different and hard to understand causing their responses to be LACONIC.

 

Essential Question #2

Who did Che want to become?  He wanted to become someone.  He wanted to do something for the good of his country and for other people.  I think he wanted to do something that would maybe even effect the world as well.  He wanted to be remembered by the people around him.  His intentions were positive in the beginning while he was trying to overthrow the corrupt government.  He did not really do this the best way I could think of but he did do what he thought was right to do.  He did have some impact on the world around him while accomplishing his goals.  He showed people that there are positive as well as negative ways to go about doing things and that people can make a difference.

Prompt #18 (Title of the book)

The title of the book, "The House on Mango Street" plays a very big role in this book.  It is the beginning of the set of vignettes and sets a base for the tone of the book.  In the first vignette, the narrator Esperanza talks about how she always dreamed for a big house and a house of the family's own.  The house on Mango Street is the first house that really became their own that they did not have to pay rent for.  It wasn't the huge white house with a yard full of grass that she had hoped for, but it was still satisfying.  Titling the book this was like saying that this house was the beginning to all that the author wrote about.  This "dream" that Esperanza was chasing stays consistent throughout a lot of the vignettes.  If I could choose a new title I would title the book, "Esperanza, The Girl of Dreams".  I would name it this because that is one of the only steady feelings that is carried from vignette to vignette.  For example in the vignette titled "Boys and Girls," Esperanza states, "Someday I will have a best friend all my own.  One I can tell secrets to.  One who will understand my jokes without my having to explain them.  Until then I am a red balloon, a balloon tied to an anchor."  (pg 9)

 

Prompt #15 (The House on Mango Street)

I chose to illustrate through a picture part of this section.  The main character states, "They always told us that one day we would move into a house, a real house that would be ours for always so we wouldn't have to move each year.  And our house would have running water, and pipes that worked.  And inside it would have real stairs, not hallways stairs, but stairs inside like the houses on T.V.  Our house would be white with trees around it, a great big yard and grass growing without a fence.  (pg 4) This was a huge part to this section.  This "dream" of her future mostly revolving around gaining this house first.  She "felt like nothing," (pg 4) without this house and I think this was the base to her gaining a future she hoped for.  

This is the house that most correctly expressed her dreams.

Prompt #3 (The House on Mango Street)

The book I am reading is The House on Mango Street written by Sandra Cisneros.  It is a novel made up of a lot of short stories.  The first short story I read was titled "The House on Mango Street".  In this story I was introduced to a main character who did not mention her name.  She spoke of her big family with two brothers, a sister, a mom and a dad.  She acts a child with huge dreams.  While most children dream of what they will have later in life, they way this character is portrayed is something different.  She dreams of the house she needs to have and how the house on Mango St. just is not it.  It is inferred that the reason she acts this way is because her parents tell her that they will one day "move into a house, a real house that would be ours for always so we wouldn't have to move each year.  And our house would have running water and pipes that worked. And inside it would have real stairs, not hallway stairs, but stairs like the houses on T.V." (pg 4)  While reading, I have come to realize that this child lives a rocky life full of struggle and a future of a dream that is far from close.  She lives with three other siblings and moves from house to house each year.  These two major parts of her life, a big family and her moving a lot, have really shaped who she is and her thought process.

Chile

 One very significant part to this section was Alberto and Che's realization of the Chilean Hospitality.  Che and Alberto kept seeing all of these people that were very poor but were so generous towards them.  They were suffering because of their, "...uncomfortable Yankee friend"  (Guevara 89). I think this impact was one of the key reasons Ernesto was molded into "Che".  He stated,  “Chilean hospitality, as I never tire of saying, is one reason traveling in our neighboring country is so enjoyable.  And we made the most of it.” (Guevara 58).  This comfort and newfound love for the "natives" began to grow.  He became motivated and wanted to help these people of Latin America.  This part of his journey was a turning point, internally.  He was discovering purpose and he was ready to put his political ideals into action.  He was ready to show his communistic self  and was realizing how he wanted to make a change and his desire to create change grew immensely.  The picture above is a beautiful painting of the people of Chile.  The other picture is of a helping hand and that is what I feel Che began to lend after this part of the book.