Post B

"She knew how to get by on next to nothing."(21) This quoute symbolizes how a child looks up to thier parent as a role model. They often think parents are perfect and can't imagine anyone else's opinion of them being right. The mom shows her children how to be self sufficient, and they look up to her, so naturally they learn how to be self sufficient themselves. But as metioned in my first blog Mrs. Walls was ashamed of her mother. So how could this be? I think that the older we become, the more our knowledge of things grows (at least for most of us). I think that Jeanette realized her parent's life style after she had grown up and was introduced to luxury items. I think that being in the lap of luxury, if only for a moment changes peoples' view on life. They want that luxury back Jeanett's parents couldn't afford to put thier family in the life of luxury. They found a way to make they poor lifestyle seem glamorous to thier children, and therefore the kids were content with the way they were raised. It wasn't until she got older that Jeanette stopped looking up to her parents. I think that she views them as a lower class than herself because she has more money than they do. On the contrary, I think her parents have class being able to be happy with thier lifestyle and not begging on the streets, which they very well could be doing.

Post A

arroyos(22)- small steep-sided watercourse or gulch with a nearly flat floor

saguaros(22)-a tall, horizontally branched cactus

"the way the sunset looked like a sheet of fire."(21)- This is a simile because it compares a sunset to fire.

"the overwhelming emptiness and severity of all that open land that had once been an ocean bed."(21)- this is imagery because it forces the reader to think about the past and present condition of the land and to imagine the complete opposites.

"but since we always went barefoot, our soles were as thick as cowhides."(21)- this is a simile because it compares the soles of fett to cowhide using the word as.

"She said it was god for you to drink unpruified water, as long as animals were drinking from it."(21)- This quoute supports the most common theme in this book; self sufficiency.

Theme: parents are raising thier children in a way that teaches them how to raise themselves.

Post B

"Grandma would yell at her telling her not to let that worthless horse's ass not to take her gandchildren. Mom would shrug and say ther's nothing she could do about it; he was her husband."(20)- This passage represents a common theme in life of children rebeling against thier parents. However I viewed this as how strong of love these people have for one another. The mom was willing to leave the comfort and security of money and having another person to take care of her children to support her husband's decision. I think that if she truly didn't love this man, that she would have left him a long time ago. He doesn't have a decent job to keep a steady income, and the family is being constantly uprooted as soon as they get settled somewhere. She has to love her husband a lot, as well as love the lifestyle they lead not to leave her husband. I don't think I would be happy having to move all the time. I would also be constantly worried about the money supply annd how I will be able to leave my children. This woman has clearly found her inner-peace and as a result is able to live in rough situations and actually enjoy them. I admire her for being so care-free. I would go back to live with my parents if I was in an extreme financial situation. I would never be able to live a happy life with the stress of money and not being able to stay grounded in one place for more than a few months.

Post A

flapper(20)-a young woman who behaved and dressed in a boldly unconventional manner
Prospector(20)- potential or likely customer


"Mom and Dad found another small town that caught thier eye. Then we'd circle around, looking for houses with for-rent signs."(20)- This is imagery because they make people sound like birds with a bird's eye view and circling around. The reader can picture them as birds.

"thier faces wrinkled and brown form the sun, like dried up apples."(20)- this is a simile because it compares peoples' faces to dried up apples.

"the gun kicked and the bottle exploded."(21)- this is personification because it gives the gun the ability to kick.

"mom and Dad did most of our teaching."- This quoute is significant because it supports the theme of being able to be self sufficient.

A continued theme is the power/ trait of be able to take care of youself and make do with what you've got.

"Even though her face was melted, she was still my favorite toy."(16) This qute makes me think about how people only become judgemental when they grow older. Younger kids can make best friends with anybody as long as they are nice. They don't care about race or religion. Maybe I am analyzing this too much but this sentence made me think about why people judge others the way they do. I'm not afraid to admit it. I judge others before I know them, and I know that it's a horrible thing to do. Everyone deserves a first impression before they can pass judgement on a person. I think that the values that we hold close and even the standards we hold for ourselves we hold for others. Wow she really needs to work on her appearance. Maybe they were in a rush and were working hard on a project. Maybe they have a big time stressor in thier life at the moment. You can't see someone's view if you don't know the facts. I think that society today has us trying to to leap over a constantly raising bar. Not everyone one makes it first time trying. In fact most need more than two chances. I think that what makes the person is how they handle the criticism, the judgement. How they can pick themselves back up after running headlong into society's expectations. No one person is better than another. No one has the right to pass judgement on others.

renditions(18)-An interpretation of a musical score or a dramatic piece

gypsum(19)-common mineral, hydrated calcium sulfate, CaSO4·2H2O

The way the flame leaped out of the red coated tip with a pop and a hiss.(15)- This is personification, the flame leaps again.

Mom hurried out to the yard and started digging holes by the light of the moon.(17) This is imagery because it shows how dark it is outside. and using the term moonlight makes it seem like what they are doing is very sly and they are probably running form some cops.

We moved around like nomads.(19)- A simile comparing to her family traveling to nomads.

" A few days later Mom and Dad brought me home, I cooked myself some hot dogs.....and no one else was there to fix them for me."(15) This is an important quote because it receals a trait about Jeanetee Walls; bravery.

A theme that continues to emerge is self sufficiency.

Post B

"They asked me what I was doing cooking hotdogs all by myself at the age of three."(10) This quote makes me think about how each set/single parent chooses how to raise thier children. This could be why they are people who slack more and depend on others, while there are some people who rarely need help. I think that the way a parent raises thier child plays a big part in how the child's personality will develop in the future. The fact that the author was able to cook for herself at the age of three shows how the parents' valued thier children having a trait of self sufficiency. To others this could be viewed as abuse because they are putting thier children at great risk. I think that abuse occurs only when the child/person is bothered by what is happening to them. At the time Jeanette wasn't upset at all cooking her own lunch. This chapter actually had a somewhat content mood before she was burned. Yes she was burned severely, but judging by the author's tone, Jeanette wasn't at all angry towards her parents for being neglectful. Would I do this to my child? Heck no. But I would teach them other things that would be less dangerous but would still teach them how to be self sufficient. Like getting dressed by themselves or making thier own bed.