Chapters 7-10

As I read this chapter, I looked with a budding interest towards which American ideals Ellie would pick up first, because obviously, if she did not pick anything up from America, a book there would not be. It was especially important to me to see the changes, because I too have recently embraced the theme of starting new, fresh, in a place that is unfamiliar to me. Though not such a drastic change (I mean, come on. We the Valley Viewians moved about 3 feet to the left...), it was still a hard adjustment, as most of my friends are younger than me. What was most prominent was the emerging theme of love in these three chapters. Ellie is slowly falling for her doctor who escaped a similar fate to that of Ellies as a child. His name is Alex, and he is 18 years older than she. But who really cares if it's love, right? Ellie actually snaps at her mother for saying that her daughter was getting into 'complications' with Alex... she refused to say 'falling in love.' I don't know if this is an impact of losing her own husband during the Holocaust, but she just does not like the idea of her daughter falling for anyone.

Ellie also gets a job in chapter seven... or rather tries to get one. Her boss and she are all alone in the factory, and Ellie does not work fast enough. Her boss tries to 'help' her, but the reader can see what is actually going on. 'He draped his arm around me, I could smell his garlic breath and his chest was pressed to my back...' (79) Hopefully, we all got the same conclusion there. But she got away and was assigned another job from the company who does the job suppliances.




Vocab:

guillotine- machine for beheading people (77)


oblong-elongated (76)



Appeals:

'She's afraid that I'm falling in love with Alex, an older man who is "not right" for me. Why isn't he right for me when I'm so happy in his company?' (86)
Here Ellie's using a mixture of logical and emotional appeal. She cannot understand why her mother would not want her to be in love if all she wants is for Ellie to be happy. The emotional bit is the hurt clearly heard within her tone. This shows the reader how much she's come to care for Alex.


'How will I ever gain admission to college without a highschool diploma? And if I can't go to college, how will I become a teacher?' (71)
More emotional appeal. She is quite scared that since her highschool years were taken from her, she will never become a teacher for her lack of ability to go to college. Her friends say that she shouldn't worry, but she is quite afraid. I can't blame her.

Quote:

'Despite my initial disappointment, I find myself anticipating the challenge of my new job with a growing sense of adventure.' (72)

I liked this one because it shows the reader her idea about looking at things another way. I agree with her on this: A problem becomes much more solveable when you are curious about it instead of afraid of it. This is how Ellie faces America, without fear.


Theme:

I'd have to say once again, that this was overall love. Basically, she built this theme up through all three chapters until it climaxed in chapter 10. Love keeps trying to find a way into her life, but everything is so complicated already that she cannot seem to let love in the way she wants to.