Post One: Ch 1-3
My book is called 'Hello America' by Livia Bitton Jackson.
My first impression of this book is of a girl called Ellie who has been intimidated by her surroundings, seeing as she's just escaped the Holocaust and moved to America. This is a huge feat, and I can see her expressing her gratitude nearly every paragraph. Ellie is a bright, optimistic, down to Earth girl, and she has no problem saying what she feels. I enjoy this about her, and I definitely see some similarites between the two.
However, she is also strong. She shows strength in emotion that you could not imagine one who has just been scraped from underneath the fingernails of death and spared from a terrible dreath. Her father lies in a mass grave in Bergen-Belsen, and her home has been torn to shreds. There is nothing, absolutely nothing left for her, and she has the outlook of someone who has just won the lotery. She is hesitant, however, to believe in hope. She has witnessed too many things that've been snatched from under her nose like a hungry dog mourns the loss of a steak dinner to be completely filled with excitement for a new future right off the bat. I predict that this will get better as she goes along and grows and resets her mind to the American mindset. I noticed too just how much I myself take for granted. I cannot control how I have grown up, spoiled with love and chivalry and learned and given a mind of my own. But I know enough about her to know that she lost everything that I held dear, and that makes me realize just how fortunate I am. After I finish this book, I would like to wake every morning to a new sunrise, diverse in its colors and patterns and breathe in peace and freedom. I want to live the life of forture that I know I will bring upon myself and others and know in the end that what I have done is right.
Some Vocab
(6) Sabbath- Sunday: the day of Jewish religious worship
(23)Schnitzel- Fried, thin slice of meat.
And the Appeals
1. '"Throw it out?" I cry, taken aback. You throw out a pair of shoes just because the strap broke?... I have been happy with the one pair of shoes I own... forever remembering the shoes I was forced to wear in the death camps, the agony of walkin miles and miles in shoes two sizes too small...' This is emotional appeal, forcing the level of pathos of the particular character to sky rocket. (23)
2. 'I will not let the mass grave be the final arbiter of your dreams! Your dreams are not buried in Bergen-Belsen. I will make them live on here in New York. I will make all your dreams live on. I promise I will make all your dreams come true.' Emotional appeal again. Basically shows her overall strenght at losing everything, moving to a new country, being in unfamiliar territory with unfamilar customs and still holding her head high. (42)
3. 'What does kidding mean? I hope it means he was not serious about Brooklyn being a foriegn land.' Ok, so there's a lot of emotional appeal in this book so far. The reader is sorry for this young girl who does not know how to kid. (4)
Quote
'America, will you be my home? wIll you embrace me as a daughter yearning to belong, an equal among equals, or will I forever remain a stranger, as on the other side of the ocean?' (1) This quote invoked curiosity in me, I want to know what happens to her, and if she keeps this attitude throughout the book. It's important to the overall plot because it tells how most Jews were feeling when they first lay eyes on America.
Theme
As of now, this book seems to focus primarily on self discovery, and how one can either start new with a positive outlook, or a terrible one.
4 comments:
Dani-
As I read your theme I realized that it is a theme I never considered for my memoir, but it is actually quite prevalent in the story I'm reading. I'm reading "The Color of Water" which is the story of a black man's tribute to his white, jewish mother. Ruth, the mother of the author experienced a difficult childhood as she was brought up by a father who sexually abused her. Her father was an orthodox jewish rabbi and also, I believe, the reason she decided to change her religious beliefs. I don't think it was the religion itself that influenced her to change her religious beliefs as an adult. However, she found a great deal of self-worth after converting from orthodox judaism to christianity. Her choice to try to erase those horrible memories of her childhood by leaving behind the religious association is what I thought of when I read your theme.
Dani- I really like the emotional appeals that you picked, because they show how exactly how the character feels. I also like quote you picked. I think it is strong and shows Ellie's attitude, and captures her feelings towards coming to America!
Dani- I really enjoyed reading your appeals! The first and second ones reminded me of the fall play last year- And Then They Came for Me. I also think your quote really encompasses what so many immigrants thought as they came to America-whether by choice or from fleeing persecution.
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