Ch 20-25

Summary and Thoughts, also known as post B

In these chapters, Ellie moves to a new apartment with her mother, and settles into her new home. Both are very thrilled about this fortunate event, and make the most of it, milking it for everything it's worth. They also witness thier first snowfall out of the window of their new home... a spectacular thing, since they haven't seen something so pure and innocent for a very long time. Ellie is then elected to go to camp- a huge honor coming from the school she teaches at. She says goodbye to her first graders, letting them go into the world, wondering what they will become, hoping she has taught them wrong from right. At the camp, Ellie accidentally enters a relationship with another councelor named Yishai. Ellie didn't understand the concept of 'giving someone your sweatshirt'. Incase some of you don't know what that means, it's basically an offer to date. So, Ellie accepted the sweatshirt, and then, when she realized what it meant, she quickly accepted the relationship without missing a beat... which I thought was amusing, because every time she thinks she has something down, it sneaks up on her another way. But she's getting so much better at the American ways. It also amuses me that she talks about the boys that are hounding her like hungry dogs as though they were just passing friendly faces. Because from the way I read the book, she's quite a little blonde bombshell!


Vocab and such, which most call post A

misanthropic (171)- someone who hates people

bungalow(192)- single story house


Appeals

A lot of emotional appeal in these chapters. For example, when Yishai wants his sweatshirt back, and because Ellie didn't go to the 'bushes' with him... I think you all know what that's suggesting. "'Would you mind returning my sweatshirt, Leah?'" (187) (Leah is her Jewish name) Naturally, Ellie is embarassed and angry, and conveys pathos to get the readers to feel for her.


"The head of the dark crwon waves turns, bits ofsound travel in the wind, shreds of sound, unintelligible fragments reach me. I cannot make them out." (220) Emotional appeal, portrayed quite nicely, in my opinion. She meets her potential husband on a subway! They exchange phone numbers, but never get eachothers' names. This is trying to convey anxiety to the reader.


Quote

"I've done it, Papa! The first stage of a fervent dream has come true!"

This quote encompasses everything that has happened so far. Ellie has worked hard, and she has stuck to it. Every time she is down, she pushes herself back up, and doesn't let others get in her way. She impresses the reader with this final quote in the chapter, which fills in all the hazy unsure edges with certainty and no hesitation.


Theme

-the theme is most definitely overcoming obstacles in these chapters. This was the toughest chunk to digest so far, both as a reader, and a young girl myself. This issue was very prominent in all five chapters, and always kept the reader on edge.