We have spent the past week and a half discussing questions surrounding identity and culture. As part of those discussions, we you have read several stories and a poem, listened to music, written in journals, and created identity collages to express your own unique cultural identifiers. We have also discussed various examples of "the box," which is a metaphor for any obstacles or barriers that might isolate, frustrate, enclose, or sometimes protect someone from a larger world.
Think back over everything we have read so far for this unit ("Theme for English B," "Alone and All Together," "Sylvia's Story" from National Public Radio, "American History," "Little Boxes," "Crickets"). Your task now is to write and post a comment in this forum in which you describe a connection between at least 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 way characters both push against the walls of their boxes and wish they could hide inside some boxes. Do you think these characters will escape from their boxes? What kinds of factors put characters and/or people in boxes? Are the "boxes" constructed by society (for example, by stereotypes), or do families and individuals create their own boxes?
When you have made a connection between at least 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. These posts do not need to be long: about four sentences, give or take one, will do. Your post should be in the form of a paragraph with evidence and examples directly from the text(s). You should feel free to respond to your classmates' posts, as well as to ask your classmates questions.
*** Remember to use your first name and "Drogos Period ___" when you sign your post. Also, if you choose to respond to what another classmate wrote, please do so in a respectful manner.
I think that alone and all together is similar to crickets because in crickets the son is more American, and the dad is mostly vietnamese. And in alone and all together the girl in New York is American and the girl in Chicago is Areb.
ReplyDeleteI found a connection between all of the stories because all of the characters are from foreign countries. I found this interesting because in all of the stories it seems that their ways of life aren't accepted in the US. I also found a connection between this story and a story that we read last year, The Examination. Because in the examination one of the characters trains fighting crickets as well and both of his get killed.
ReplyDeleteThe connection I made is between Libby from "Alone and All Together" and Elena from "American History". They are similar because they are both girls, which gives them certain expectations; minorities, which means they are culturally outcast; and they are teased and picked on, which hurts their feelings. They are different because Elena is Puerto Rican and Libby is Arabian. These cultures may be very different, but the people can experience similar things.
ReplyDeleteI like how you looked at _different parallels_: gender, culture, social, _and_ ethnicity. You really expanded your awareness of who these two characters are.
DeleteIn "Theme for Englisch B." and "American History" both are about people who a different races. Do you think that people will except them for who they are, why?
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI think that there is a very obvious connection between the song "Little Boxes" and Sylvia's story in that Sylvia is stuck in a little box and the song is talking about how they are all in little boxes and turn out the same. However, Sylvia wants to be different from her mother and does not want to be Mexican even though she is. She wants to escape her box. Sylvia doesn't want to turn out the same like it says in the song. She doesn't want to turn out like her mother but wants to be American and have a real American life and career but her mom is forcing her back into the box.
What’s interesting is that the song seems to be about becoming “American” and Sylvia’s boxes are more about becoming a traditional Chicana.
Deletewhen i go back in time and remember what each story besides theme for english b, was about the first thing that comes in mind is that they are all different. what i mean by different is that they were one immigrant, also it may be the grandparents or parents or them self. But they feel like they do not fit in in a way. They try to poke holes in their boxes when they try something new. Such as when she went to Eugene's door and got pushed back in her box also when somebody try's to stick up for a friend they feel different in a way. Silvia when she try's to tell her parents she does not want her life to go that way she gets put in a box.
ReplyDeleteIn Sylvia’s story and the “Little Boxes” song, the character or characters are put in boxes. Now these boxes they are in, are packaged by the society, not by them. In Sylvia’s story, she is born Mexican and because she is Mexican she has to follow the Mexican ways. In “Little Boxes” everyone in the song are born into this place where everyone is required to do the same exact thing in their lives. The difference between these two stories is that in Sylvia’s story, Sylvia tries to get out of the box she is put in. Unlike in the “Little Boxes” the people are perfectly happy living in this box. Actually frankly they don’t even realize that they’re in this box.
ReplyDeleteSylvia wants to step out of line, or rather climb out of the box. She doesn’t want to be married at 18, get pregnant at 19, and cook and clean every single day. She wants to do something more with her life such as becoming a digital effects designer. The problem is her mom keeps on pushing her back into the back as soon as she climbs out. Her mom wants her to be a traditional Mexican girl with traditional Mexican parties, Mexican boyfriends, and basically lead a traditional Mexican life. Sylvia tries in vein to climb out of this box society has put her in. Sometimes she is forced to stay inside the box. Often she gets tired of repeatedly trying to climb out only to be pushed back in again.
In “Little Boxes” the people are living in a place where everyone leads the same exact life. The people in this song are happy to be living in this place. Nobody is trying to get out of the box; therefore no one is pushing them back in. Basically, the people don’t even know that they’re in this box, which decides everything for them. This routine has been going on for a long time and everyone is fine with it. Nobody wants to change it. This is why they’re basically caged into a place where everything is the same without them even knowing it.
In these stories, the characters are put in boxes. In one story, a character tries to escape the box. In another, the characters want to stay in the box. But in both stories, the characters are in boxes that are not created by themselves.
What’s interesting is that in the song “Little Boxes”, America is seen as mass producing and packing these boxes. In most of our other stories, the characters view being American as a chance to be themselves. I wonder why that is. Is America more free, or is being “American” in America the key to characters having the freedom to just be themselves, and not fight against the stereotypes of being Mexican, Puerto Rican, Vietnamese, etc.
DeleteIn both 'Crickets' and 'Sylvia's Story', characters are trying to escape the box of their parent's ethnicity determining their lives. Bill and Sylvia both face challenges of their parents trying to get them to be more like them. The difference is that Bill seems to escape the box, while Sylvia has yet to escape her box.
ReplyDeleteWell, the perspective is also different. In Sylvia’s story, we hear things from Sylvia’s perspective. In “Crickets”, we hear things from Ted’s perspective. I wonder how things would change if we heard what Sylvia’s parents thought of their eyebrow-ring-having daughter.
DeleteIn Alone and all together and American history the main characters are stuck in the boxes of their race and they cant do anything about it. In American history, Elena is told to leave when she goes and asks to study with Eugene just because she Puerto Rican and lives in El Building next door. In Alone and all together after 9/11 Libby is discriminated against because she is Arab, people also say really racist things about her and her friend.
ReplyDeletethere is a similarity between theme for English B and sylvia's story together. Because the main characters both have there own boxes that other people are putting them in. in Theme the kid in it is being put into a box by his teacher because he now's he wont get a good grade even though it was a good poeme. And sylvia is being put into a box by her mom by making her do the "girls duty" so she felt just as trapped as the guy in Theme.
ReplyDeleteIn American History Elena gets treated differently (by Eugenes mom and the African-American girls) because she is Puerto Rican. She is constrained in a box because she looks different. Sylvia is stuck in a box because her parents want to be a traditional Mexican girl and she wants to do something else with her life. In Alone And All together Libby feel she is constrained that she can't do everything she wants to do because she is scared she will get bullied because the Americans think that all Arabs are terrorists after 9/11.
ReplyDeleteThe box both Sylvia, Libby and Sally are facing is the fact that their parents are all scared of something. Sylvia's mom is scared that her daughter will not worship her culture, and with Libby and Sally's parents, Libby's mom is too depressed over her divorce to really take care of Libby or really care about anything except the next terrorist attack because she is trapped in this box of sadness , while her dad is trapped in this box where he is thinking that to fit on he has to be American. So Sylvia's mom is scared of basically losing what she thinks is her daughter, Libby's mom is scared that Chicago is going to get hit by the terrorists and that her ethnicity is going to get her and her family blamed for that, and Sally's dad is afraid that if he is not 100% American then he will not fit in, and his company will not get good business. I think that Sylvia's mom will get out of her box eventually because she will see how great and successful Sylvia can be without living the same life she did. I think Libby's mom will come out of her box too because after some time she will see that there will not be a terrorist attack, so she will not have to worry so much, and then maybe she will not be so sad anymore. However I don't think Sally's dad will come out of his box because the things he has done to become "American", I don't think you can change again. Like he changed his name just for business reasons.
ReplyDeleteDo you see cultural background as a factor that contributes to the fear of Libby and Sally’s parents? Is there a way to explain their fear as somewhat resulting from cultural conflict or change?
DeleteI think that with "Cricket", the main character, "Tom", he goes by as an American name, I think that he is trapped inside a box when It comes to his son. I think that he can't really find the time and way to bond with him, and that he tries very hard to get out. For example, when he tells his son that he wants to teach him a game, and his son gets all excited, that he feels excited as well, because he would get to spend time with his son. I also think that when he was disappointed that there were only the black crickets, that he was just mainly sad that he had lost his child's interest. I think that he will eventually get out of his box, though.
ReplyDeleteI think that the "box" thing also relates to the story that we read called, American History, because the main character feels like she cant do anything but pretend that she doesn't mind being picked on by her schoolmates at school, and that she doesn't watch the people in the house that is practically right underneath their fire escape. But then, when the boy that lives in the house meats her, and they decide that they want to study together, I think that that is her escape from the box. But when the boy's mother slams the door in her face, I think that she gets shut back into the box. I do think that eventually, they will work it out, though.
In Crickets and American History, the parent is an immigrant, and the child was born in America. The parents both try to put the child into their original country's box. In American History, the parent is not swayed, neither is the child. But in Crickets, the parent is swayed into saying "See you later, Bill." where before he would always say good-bye in Vietnamese, which means that Bill has shifted his father's mind from the Vetnamese box into the American box.
ReplyDeleteIn “Alone and All Together,” Libby’s sister Sally tries to forget the Arab part of her Identity. You can see an example of this on p.17 “(narrator, Libby, speaking) So I may look like the American one, but it’s my sister Sally who always refused to answer Sitti in Arabic, and who kept saying, ‘Not this again!’” There is another example on p.15. Libby says “I just wish they wouldn’t say it’s us … until they’re, like, sure,” and then Sally says “Us?” Then Libby says “you know what I mean,” then sally says, “no I don’t. We were born here and so were mom and dad right here is Chicago, Illinois … What I want to know, is when ‘us’ stops meaning ibn Arab and starts meaning American.” Here I think Sally has a good point, but I also think that she is being a bit stubborn. I think something similar happens in American history. Elena wishes that she was like the African-American girls who could jump rope so fast. She also wishes that she could be in the honors class, but because English isn’t her first language prevented her from doing that. One example of her wanting to be an immigrant from Puerto Rico is on p.12, when Eugene’s mom says “You live there … I don’t know how you people do it. Listen. Honey. Eugene doesn’t want to study with you. He is a smart boy. Doesn’t need your help. You understand? I am truly sorry if he told you could come over. He cannot study with you. It’s nothing personal. You understand? We won’t be in this place much longer, no need for him to get close to people it’ll just make it harder for him later.” I think that it's so cruel to judge someone on where they live, and what they're nationality is. What’s similar between the two characters is that they both felt rejection from each society they wanted to be in. They’re different, because Sally wants to be accepted for who she was in a big community, and Elena wanted to be accepted by a family, not a big community.
ReplyDeleteDo you think, over time, that the Elena character would come to be more like Libby, more proud of her ethnic origins?
DeleteIn American history and the documentary about Sylvia they are both being put in a box in some ways by their family. For example in American history when Elena is about to go over to Eugene's house her mother is trying to keep her back and instead have her go to church with her. And with Sylvia her parents just want her to be a typical Spanish girl and go to the dances with her cosines, and they do not support the fact that she wants to do some thing else with her life than what her parents want her to do.
ReplyDeleteMy connection was between Elena in "American History" and with Libby in "Alone and all together." Libby and Elena are held to an expectation where just because of their sex. Their parents want them to be akin to the ideal housewife. Libby and Elena are both segregated from society because their physical appearance, this box that they are stuck in can get in the way of things even walking down a hallway for both of them could be affected because who they are and what they look like. In the end of the short story Libby breaks free of this box but not Elena.
ReplyDeleteNo one has really mentioned sex (or gender) yet. I wonder if you could say more about how Elena and Libby are trapped by gender expectations—Sylvia certainly is.
DeleteIn "Crickets" Bill is not in touch, and does not seem to be in touch with his heritage. In "Alone and All Together" Sally doesn't want to either. Is it up to the parents to keep their children in touch? Or is it only the child's decision?
ReplyDeleteIn Sylvias story and American History the main characters are from foreign countries. They are trapped in a box because they want to do something that being the race that they are wont let them do. In Sylvias storie her parents put her in the box. In American history Eugenes mom and the black girls at her school trap her in the box. In both of these stories they have to deal with not being able to do what they want to do because of their race.
ReplyDeleteOkay, but the mechanics of that seem to be opposites. In Sylvia’s story, she’s pulled back into her box by her parents. In American History, Elena is pushed back into her box by characters from a culture she in some ways wants to be a part of.
DeleteIn Sylvia's story and Theme for English B they both want to stand up for what they believe Sylvia believes that she has the right not to be like native Mexican women and in Theme for English B he believes we are all a part of each other because were American. all the stories are about peoples beliefs and what they stand up for.
ReplyDeleteI found a connection between American History, Crickets, Alone and All together, and Silvia's story. In each story the family was recently immigrated to the U.S. In American History Elena's mother and father immigrated to the U.S from Puerto Rico. In Crickets "Ted" and his wife immigrated from Thailand. And in Alone and All together LIbby's family recently immigrated from the middle east. And in Silvias's story Silvia's family recently immigrated from Mexicó. This plays a big part in trying to fit in. Which is one of the main points in each of these stories.
ReplyDeletei think it's about them being foriegn.
ReplyDeletewhen eugenes mother says it's nothing personal, either it was or she was implying that she doesn't want anyone that's not white in her house.
and the guy in alone and all together was foreign the one who was getting bullied.
In "Theme for Engrish B" the main character is African American in the 50s so the walls of his box are made of his race and Ethnicity/Nationality. In "Sylvia's story it is also her culture that her walls are made out of. The only difference is that in T.F.E.B. society makes those walls of the box and in Sylvia's life it's her parents. Both characters try to escape their boxes but their cultures don't allow them to do that.
ReplyDeleteHow much to you think each character wants to stay in their box, at least some of the time? How does that help you understand this issue of cultural identity?
DeleteIn "Alone and All together" Libby is made fun of and her sister is an "American" so she won't talk to her mom or grandmother in arabic and sally is not part of the family or Religion. In "Crickets" the boy is an all "american" even though his parents are not he doesn't do any thing that is Vietnamese or anything that his dad did as a kid, so his dad is afraid that they will grow apart and not pass on his religion or anything Vietnamese to the boys children or his grandchildren.
ReplyDeleteI was thinking about The Examination too.
ReplyDeleteIn "Crickets" Bill has trouble connecting with his Vietnamese background. In Sylvia's story she has trouble connecting with her Mexican background. That is a box they are both in. In "Crickets" Ted is all for Bill being American but does get upset when Bill doesn't want to fight crickets. In Sylvia's story she is almost not allowed to be American. Although those situations seem the same the little detail about the way their parents feel about them being very American changes the whole situation.
ReplyDeleteIn Alone and All Together, Libby wants to be an Arab, but her sister is telling her no, you are an American. And after 9-11, I think she was sort of ashamed to be one because the people who flew into the twin towers were Arab. In American History, Elena is one of the only kids that are puerto rican. I think she might also feel like she is stuck in a box because she has always looked into the window of that house right next to El Building and always wanted to go in there, but when she thinks she finally has the chance, Eugene's mom won't let her.
ReplyDeleteIn Alone and All Together, Sally and Libby feel " stuck in a box " because they are Muslim, and so everyone expects them to be terrorists. In American History, Elena is "stuck in a box" because she is Latino, and she wants to visit Eugene's house really badly, but Eugene is white. These two stories are related a lot because I think that these three characters, all escape the box. Sally goes to a "candlelight vigil" held by the Arab American community, Libby stands up for Ahmed, and Elena gets up the courage to go to Eugene's house.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I’ll buy it. How do their three choices end up? What do they learn in the end? What is different about the two author’s attitude toward cultural “boxes.”
DeleteIn "Crickets" Ted is not american so is like Sylvia. Who gets does not quite fit in. They are both no the same as the others around them. Ted is trying to get Billy his son to learn more about who he is. Sylvias mom is trying to do the same thing. She wants her to be a mexican girl. But she is like Billy who just wants to be like every one elas. American.
ReplyDeleteIn Crickets and Sylvia's story, Bill and Sylvia want to be American, but their parents try to persuade them out of it and back into their original culture's box and fail. In the Little Boxes song, however, the people in boxes never try to escape, like in Alone and All together, where Libby is proud of the (Arab) box that she's in. In American History, Elena tries to escape her box (Puerto Rican) but fails and is pushed back in. So some do stay in their boxes, but honor them, some try to escape.
ReplyDeleteSylvia and Elena had very similar situations. They both wanted to leave their house to go out and meet their friends. Sylvia's mom was scared to leave the house and was scared for her daughter to too. Elena wanted to meet Eugene but because of the presidents death, her mom wouldn't allow her to leave. The only difference was Elena took charge and didn't listen to her mother.
ReplyDeleteI think the story "Crickets" and "Alone and All Together" share a connection. In "Crickets" the character Ted is Vietnamese and cherishes his culture, but his son does not really appreciate his Vietnamese background because in an American town with American people and has an American name. In "Alone and All Together Sally's mom and grandmother are proud of their Arab culture and speak the language to Sally whereas Sally thinks its silly because they are in America. Sally gets mad when her family members speak to her in Arabic and she starts to cry.
ReplyDeleteAlone and all together Libby wants to Arabis but her sister is kind of holding back telling her not to be.
ReplyDeleteCrickets Bill was trying to connect with he father and his Vietnams side but it does not work out.
Leah test.
ReplyDeleteElena from "American History" and Sylvia are very similar and at the same time very different. They both seem trying to get out of the box. For Elena, she wants to see Eugene, while the others mourn for the death of the president. For Sylvia, she wants to go to college, and have a different life then the rest of her family. They both eventually get out of their box (Elena leaves to go see Eugene against her mother's will and Sylvia goes to college), but for both of them it doesn't turn out the way that they wanted it to be. Elena gets rejected by Eugene's mother, and wants to mourn for Kennedy, but she doesn't. Sylvia gets to college, but doesn't get treated well there, she feels like an outcast... but when she goes back, she doesn't feel accepted there either. So It's like they both have been trapped in another box with just them, and no one else. Alone.
ReplyDeleteIn all of the readings, all of the characters who fight with their identity are also fighting against their parents' will. In "American History" Elena is fighting with her mom in order to hang out with Eugene, and his mom didn't want him to hang out with Elena. On the day that President Kennedy was shot, her mom wanted her to come to Church, but all Elena wanted to do was to go see Eugene. In "Sylvia's story", Sylvia fights with her mom in order to do something different because she doesn't want to do what her cousins did (have children and getting married at 18). She wants to go to college, get a job, and wait to have kids, and in this story, Sylvia's mom tries to understand what Sylvia wants to do. She is the only one, in all of the texts, who is trying to understand what her mom wants her to do and why. In "Alone and Altogether" Libby is trying to understand why her sister is acting the way she's acting. Her sister wouldn't talk to their grandmother in Arabic, and acts like/ or tries to act like an all American teenager, as well as moving in with their dad who remarried an American woman and changed his name to an American name. Libby is stuck in a box about her race. She is bullied because she is Arabic, and when 9/11 happened it was very dangerous for her, but she escaped the box when she stood up for her best friends brother. In "American History" Elena wants to escape the box because Eugene is outside the box. The reason Elena didn't escape the box is because she didn't have a good reason to and because, as in all the other texts, each character is struggling. But Elena isn't struggling with her identity as much as the other characters are; yes she had limited opportunities, but instead of doing something she just pretended that she was like Eugene. In all the other texts all the main characters are trying to do something about their walls. Libby proves to herself that she isn't that different and is strong enough to climb out, and Sylvia tries to help her mom understand, but Sylvia doesn't try to understand her mom (like all the other characters except Libby). All of these stories come together because in each one there is a conflict about the characters' race and how each one struggles to prove that everybody is like one another.
ReplyDeletein "crickets" Ted follows his culture and stays as much of Vietnamese as possible, but his son is sort of driven away from his Vietnamese culture and parked in an American culture. Which is similar to "alone and all together" libby is trying to stick with her Arab culture, but her sister is trying to take that away from her.
ReplyDelete