25-27

Summary (B)

These are the last two chapters of the book! Yay!

...mkay. So Ellie finally gets her high school diploma after taking two exhausting and rigerous tests. She is now free to go to college and get her actual teaching diploma. This frees her physically of the lowly under-provided-for life, emotionally from the hurt that surrounded her, and spiritually from all the chaos of her doubt. Ellie breaks out of a rocky relationship, and finds her husband on a subway of all places... this inspires me to believe in miracles. If I could tell Ellie one thing, it would be that her persistance and good attitude payed off and that she should be proud of herself. I really admire Ellie and everything she's been through. She kept a positive attitude and a clear mindset all the way throughout her ordeal... more so than any of the 'Americans' she so admires. In that sense, she beat not only her enemy, but her idols as well. For this, she should be proud of herself.


(A) Vocab and such

Vocab

Fedora (223)- a soft felt hat with a brim and a crease along the length of its crown Encarta

(® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.)

Milieu-the surroundings or environment that somebody lives in and is influenced by

gossamer- something smooth and delacate


Appeals-

Mostly emotional appeal in these last two

(230)'snatching my bright red coolie from the closet I run down the stairs, out into the street. Ocean Avenue is basking in the golden rays of the late afternoon sun.' She describes her emotional happiness in imagery, which is very creative and endearing.


also, I like:

(232)'Papa, for me you're not gone. You're near me, within me foreer. Tears are trickling down my cheeks form under closed eyelids. I want you to be proud of me, Papa!''

You can definitely feel the pathos for this girl already building behind your eyes. She's so incredibly brave and you just want to hug her and tell her so. It's amazing how much emotion she puts into the page.



Quote:

(240)'... This entitles Mrs. Friedman to the equivilant of a high school diploma.'

Really puts her achievements into perspective, but not her struggles. She can see past everything she's been through in one moment of shining glory that this piece of paper gives her. The whole book seems to center around this moment. Plus, what a powerful ending.

Theme:

Achievement. Finally, it's nothing but achievement. No sorrow, so anger, just pure happiness and realization of achieving one's dreams. The book closes with this emotion radiating off of the page, and the reader feeling it right along with her.