Culture

1. Culture is the way someone lives and their values and customs he/she adheres to. 

2. Religion, food, clothing, music, language, environment and traditions are all a part of someone's culture. 

3. Culture is extrinsic because the people surrounding someone and the place someone grows up all play a part in someone's culture. Culture is not something like breathing where everyone is born doing it, but culture is unique to a certain person making it something one must learn. Many external forces help to create someone's culture, for example someone in the United States has a different culture when compared to someone in Kenya. These people think differently, speak differently and act differently. It is not because they were born any differently, but because they learned differently. Likewise someone's culture can change, especially now when society is changing fast. This fast pace could lead to the development of new values and ideas.

Runaway

Fact

1. The policeman has a gun in his possession 

2. The diner has specials 

3. The stools in the diner are green

Claim

1. The diner is welcoming 

2. The young boy is running away

3. The men are interested in what the young boy is doing 

Analytical Claim

The stool next to the boy is vacant and the white walls portray an empty diner showing that if the boy runs away he will be alone and will not always have someone by his side.

Pygmalion Part 2

Further into the story you meet Mrs. Higgins who soon grows fond of Eliza. I find the connection between the two very easy to understand. Mrs. Higgins is the one who takes Eliza under her wing and somewhat guides her because I feel she just understands. I believe she mostly does this to help Eliza who I always felt was lost, but I can see how she might do it to partly annoy Higgins. When Mrs. Higgins is introduced readers can sense her disapproval with her son’s experiment, so she may also want to teach him a lesson. This is why I like Mrs. Higgins and the way the author chose to use her. She is the sensible one in the play who comes along at the right moment. At this point in the play Eliza seems to be more confused than ever as she can’t decide whether to stay with Higgins or if she wants to go on her own. Mrs. Higgins helps in her decision by allowing her to stay with her after she runs away and by defending her when Higgins comes to take her back. I couldn’t help but feel Mrs. Higgins pushed Eliza to leave and do what she wants.

The most intense moment and possibly the most important came when Eliza and Higgins were fighting. During this battle Eliza is really letting Higgins know how she feels. I think the most obvious way that she showed this was when she gives all of the credit of being turned into a lady to Pickering. I believe this is what really made Higgins mad. I feel like he felt that he made Eliza and for her to turn on him is just unacceptable. Although anyone would be upset if they got a taste of their own medicine, I can’t help but question why Higgins reacted the way he did. I feel he let Eliza win the battle because she showed that she got the best of him and was better off without him, while Higgins showed he needs her and without her he will struggle.

I enjoyed the way the play ended because the readers got to see Eliza grow and develop. From everyone in the play she is the one dynamic character. Pickering is still the same from beginning to end. He is still very kind-hearted. Eliza thanks him for treating her like a lady, and he has done this throughout. Higgins is still the same stubborn, no-nonsense professor he always was. He treats Eliza the same whether she is a flower girl or the princess he made out of her. He is still pushy and he still tries to walk over her. While Mr. Doolittle did change, he just changed his job and therefore his social status; he is still the same man. Eliza is the one who has gone from the helpless nuisance to the mature young lady. She no longer feels the need to feel sorry for herself. She has grown as a person and is now capable of making her own decisions. This ending made me feel that you can try to change someone, but ultimately you can’t. Higgins tried hard to change Eliza and give her a better life, but after his efforts she still goes with Freddy, which he finds laughable. Also, how Higgins never treats her differently. She may look like a lady now, but to him she will always be the flower girl.

Pygmalion Part 1

The beginning of the book was unusual, particularly the introductions of the characters. Higgins is introduced into the story as the man lost in the crowd noting the distinct pronunciation of words of various surrounding people. The introduction was perfect for a character like Higgins. Even before readers know his purpose in the story they already know a big part of his personality. Higgins already seems full of himself and overly confident, and this personality makes him interesting. Another odd introduction is that of Pickering. It is very sudden and almost surprising. Pickering is there the entire opening just as another bystander and it turns out he is some important man that came from India. Then there is the flower girl, Eliza, her introduction isn’t so much odd, but the reader does learn about her personality and how she is from this opening scene. She is a hard to understand, helpless nuisance making her very bothersome from the start. Her constant sobbing and need to feel sorry for herself make it completely understandable how Higgins treats her. Although, I feel this story is meant to follow Eliza I find Higgins more intriguing and easier to identify with.

Every act is different from the last and that helps to make the book more interesting because you don’t feel you’re reading something multiple times while it also keeps the story moving. In the first acts you begin to meet important side characters, like Mrs. Pearce. Mrs. Pearce is very honest, which makes her a great balance for the in denial Eliza. Eliza asks to be turned into a lady, yet she complains about everything it takes to become one. She doesn’t want to bathe or when she is asked to say her alphabet she gets defensive. At some point it gets old and tiring. I wondered throughout if she acts like this for attention or if it is because a stable family didn’t raise her?

Furthermore, I like how the upper and lower class were contrasted and compared. The upper class such as Higgins and Pickering are more sure of who they are. Pickering is the kind-hearted gentleman who tends to steer away from conflict preferring to observe and not step out of his place. Higgins knows who he is as well; he is not afraid of a challenge and often says whatever comes to mind. Both of them seem to know what they want from life. However, Eliza represents the lower class and she sometimes seems lost or confused on what she wants. When she asks to be turned into this lady she seems hesitant and she seems she only wanted to change her lifestyle because the opportunity was presented. This makes the resemblance between her and Mr. Doolittle, her father, even stronger. Both are part of the lower class and Mr. Doolittle seems to be searching instead of settling. He almost mooches money from Higgins instead of working for his trade, and Eliza says she is a product of her sixth stepmother, so he’s not exactly content with what he has. However, I feel the author makes a point to compare the two classes. Eliza and Higgins are very similar in the fact they’re both stubborn making it difficult for the two to coexist. Even though they live differently they behave the same. This makes the point that ultimately they are all just human beings.

The Pearl Part 2

The worst thing that could have happened to this family was finding that pearl. First it sends evil upon the family as people look to steal it. The family cannot feel safe and secure when the pearl is in their possession. Also, it divides the family. Juanna can feel the evil in the pearl, so when she finally stands up for what she wants and attempts to throw the pearl away Kino shows his disapproval by hitting her. This moment is the most heartbreaking to me. Not only because I was rooting for Juanna to do something like throwing away the pearl, but also because Juanna knows of what is to come and Kino is blinded by the fortunes he felt the pearl would bring. His high hopes for this pearl make the fact that his pearl was worthless a little more enjoyable. Juanna got the satisfaction of being able to think ‘I told you so’ and I hoped Kino would learn from his mistakes and return to the family man he seemed to be at the beginning of the story. However, the fact that Kino wouldn’t give up on his desire so easily was a little predictable.

I was confused when Kino killed the man and ran away. I don’t understand why he felt the need to leave. During that moment he acted almost in self-defense. He felt threatened and so he reacted like most people would. Juanna told him that it would not matter if he were attacked because of the temper he had the day before when they went to the city, but I still found it somewhat odd because to me the brush houses where they live seemed to be in an obscure location. I just didn’t figure that people from the city would look there to find the missing man.

Something I enjoyed though was the way the author depicted men and women in this story.  The way the man is described as half insane and half god helps you to envision Kino more as everyone can envision his violent spurts. However, the way the woman is described is very reverent of the man of the household. The man is the one who makes the decisions and the woman is expected to follow. This is shown with Apolina and Juanna. Both may not agree with what the man says, but they always obey. This was a little troubling for me because the women always seemed to know best. Juanna is the one who tries to do what’s best because she knows what is to come, but because Kino tells her he wants the pearl and that he wants to runaway, she agrees.

Overall, The Pearl was a simple story with a great message. The pearl itself was a strong symbol. At first it represented hope for a better life, but when Kino gets lost in its value the pearl no longer represents this hope. It is now the evil that divided the family and took away Kino’s innocence. The evil in the pearl destroys the family by forcing them to leave behind everything they knew to explore unknown territories and fend for themselves. This in turn divided Kino and his wife all the while taking away their son’s life. This story cannot do anything but evoke many emotions in the reader. I found myself struggling with the lovable family that just wanted better.

The Pearl Part 1

Kino is first introduced as a family man as he works to protect his son and wife, so immediately I fall in love with his family. They are very lovable because they seem so close, so when the scorpion bites Coyotito I couldn’t help but feel sympathetic towards them. Although the entire family is lovable I feel a connection with Juanna. I feel that even though she loves Kino the two are in two completely different places. Kino wants more for his family, but Juanna is content with what they have. While she is working to save her son by trying to suck the poison out of him and search for a doctor, Kino is getting mad at the world because he cannot have the best. Ultimately I believe their early differences are going to lead to bigger problems for the family. While I understand that Juanna would be stepping out of her place by speaking up for what she wants I can’t help but root for her to do so not only for herself but also for her son.

The songs Kino hear are something I enjoyed in the story. The songs were great motifs to include. They showed what emotions Kino was going through at a certain time. They also seemed important to Kino. The Song of Family was what Kino first heard at the opening as he is looking over his family. This song shows the loving side of Kino and it shows that Kino is at peace. However, The Song of Evil comes along at the site of the scorpion. The Song of Evil triumphs over The Song of Family. Since this happened so early in the book I couldn’t help but question whether this was purposefully done to foreshadow later events.

While I was reading I was a little surprised at how smart Kino seemed. He moved the pearl when the doctor tried to figure out the location and he didn’t allow the doctor to hold the pearl in his home.  I understand why he didn’t since he was very suspicious of the doctor. However, I don’t understand why he let the doctor into his brush house to begin with. He seemed very mad at the doctor after leaving the first time, so I figured that he would hold a grudge against the doctor. Also, I wonder why he was not suspicious of the doctor’s motive. He felt rage against the doctor when he saw him, so why would he let him operate on his child? Kino said that he didn’t want his ignorance to get in the way of his child’s health, but still he said that Coyotito was better.  I feel this part in the story in general was a little unusual. I feel the author may have included it to show how everyone wants the pearl and the evil and greed it brings out. This was the first sign of what is to come because of the pearl that Kino received, which I guess makes it an important moment.