I agree with you Radcliffe but I feel that the first 10 pages definitely was a unique way of introducing the characters and showing different experiences that influence Rafa , Ysreal and Carajo. As I read pass the 10 pages everything seems more clearer being that he gave a lot of information in the beginning. Currently i'm up to the second chapter and i'm enjoying it so far .
Yesss. I agree Tyra because even though the first 10 pages were unclear . It was like a little taste of what is fourth to come . Right now I'm on page 35 and I've realized Rafa is the trouble maker .The incident with the Ysrael boy was mean and who was mastermind behind it ask Rafa once again . Even do he is young he is knowledgeable which he proved to me in the beginning when he was telling his little brother about his sexual experience in his life .
(From Derrick) This Book seems very interesting so far.Rafa the older brother is very adventures and experienced.He treats his brother like he is nobody.Rafa already is having sex and knows more than he should know.I feel like He is going to get his little brother in alot of trouble later on.I think that he is like this because his parents don't take good care of him and his brother.They sent them away and they barely look after them.I look forward to reading the rest of the book and to get deeper into the concept.
This book is highly interesting especially the second chapter. The author talks about Carajo and how he vomits during car trips. This tells me that the third world country that he was leaving in previously effected him in away . Him and his brother traveled by bus and sometimes foot so when their family made it to New York it change his normal way of traveling . I also find it astonishing that the characters that surround him all have different personalities that act a current way towards Carajo . I'm going to continue to read this chapter and see how it all comes together.
I passed that chapter already but i agree with Tyra. I think that chapter 2 is very interesting because it tells about the type of family he has and all of their different personalities. It also gave us a view of how strict his father really is and how much of a bond they really have. After chapter 2, I get a little confused because I feel like the author goes back and forth about different times in his life.
Although I agree with Mandy that in the second chapter Junot Díaz beings to describe his family and all their different personalities, and I also agree that the book is starting to get confusing, But I cannot accept her overall conclusion that chapter 2 is interesting because since chapter 1, I barley understand what's going on, and over since the 2nd chapter I wanted to put the book down.
I really like this book honestly I didn't take time to read a book in years despite the fact it effects my grade . This author did a great job with imagery in the beginning of the book when he was talking about when Rafa and his little brother got sent away to the campo . He wa taking about the mountains,streems and their daily routines . I think it's, ironic that Rafa's little brother's name was never mentioned . Is it because he is the narrator ?because I just don't understand he is an important character , the story is based on his point of view . I like how the big really takes time to explain the characters relationship with the narrator . The beginning was with Rafa and more in the book is about his Papi . Can't wait to see what's next . :-)
I agree with Radcilffe about the whole not mentioning his little brothers name because I also feel he is an important character in the book but I guess sooner or later we'll figure his name out.
I agree with you both. The little brother does play an important roll in the book, He seems to be the one most affected by everything that is going on but, maybe that's due to the fact that we hear the story from his perspective. Later on the book states that the youngest brother's name is "Yunior," which seemed important to me as well. In my opinion the name symbolizes the way he is affected by his fathers absence.
The suspense of not knowing what Ysrael's face looks like is killing me. The details they give on what you can see from the mask makes it seem like he looks like a monster, i Kindof feel bad for him the way the boys en le campo treat him. Always chasing him like if he's some type of animal its not right.
The Chapter "Fiesta" is intense the way it talks about the Puerto Rican woman there father is cheating with. Yunior talks about the Times he went to her house and how she treated him. You can tell he wants to tell his mom about the Puerto Rican Woman but he doesn't for he doesn't want to hurt his mom, or have to think about what life without his father would be like for his mom. The way his father treats him is frustrating to me because it could be that since he's younger he might spill the beans about the Puerto Rican Woman but than again I could be wrong. I guess in the end ill find out for sure what's the deal behind that but for now its a cliff hanger.
I'm already up to page 69. I find this book very interesting. The author caught me by surprise because I thought that Yunior would have turned out to be the " good boy " type that always stays in school and grows up to have a good job since his father was so strict but turned out that he became the drugs, money, & sex kind of boy. I can't wait to keep reading to see what happens in his life or if he turns his life around to become a better person.
The Chapter "Aurora" is so strange. It's focused on I'm guessed Yunior girl Aurora but also his life as a drug dealer. Each section is different but all end up having to do with Aurora and how he feeds into her drug habits because he loves her. You can tell he love her because even after she goes to jail and everything he still goes back to her like she's this prize. I don't understand why he deals with her cause she garbage from the way he talks about her. It weird that he has all this love for her cause she has nothing good going for her in her life so why would he put up with her ? I have a feeling she's goes to give him some kindof disease that will be the end of him.
As soon as i pick up the book drown i could tell that it was going to be a book that i will find very interesting. Due to the fact that this book will have a lot of things in which i can relate to. Just as the main character had to spent the summer in the Campo, i once had to do the same. instead of me being with a other brother i was with my cousin. that was a summer that i will never forget. So far the book has shown a lot of imagery, i love how he describes everything. The author is able to give the reader a clear picture of what is happening. I can tell that Rafa and the main character are going to have a summer that they will never forget.
Now that i have read more of the book i am starting to notice that rafa is a boy that knows a little to much for his age. Him knowing too much will end up getting him in trouble. I hope that nothing happens to him. Due to him i keep reading more and more i love how he is able to get him self into a mess and then get right out of it. Both these boys are growing up a little to fast. But then again they come from a poor background which enforces them to act like adults in order to learn how to make ends meet.
YES MY BRUDDA :).......I UNDERSTOOD THAT MUCH BUT I DONT KNOW MUCH YET BECAUS EI JUST STARTED AN IM KINDA CONFUSED BUT AS I READ MORE I'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY
When I first pick up Drown I ask myself why Ms.Lambert assigned me this book to read. My mind set for this book change after I finishing reading the first Chapter "Ysrael". In this chapter the author begins the describe Rafa and his brother Mami by saying how she puts out so much hours at work, which makes her unable to support Rafa and his brother. At first I didn't really understand the book since some of the words were in spanish, but I did notice a lot of literary element in this book, such as imagery,Setting, characterization, irony. Can't wait to see what happen to Rafa and his brother at the Campo. :D
The book "Drown" by Juniot Diaz, contains a couple of different perspective. In the beginning of the book we are reading from Yunior's perspective whom seem to be the misunderstood one since his always getting picked on by his older brother Rafa. In the first chapters Yunior talks about the differences between the city and the campo. I find this very interesting because it only shows that Yunior obviously wish he was back there, with all the mosquitos. On page 8 "Your average campesino only bets big when he feels lucky and how many of them feel lucky?" This shows how society it self is not the best. People don't try to get better because they are so afraid of losing more than what they already have. What type of society would be able to get better of the people in it only "bet" when they are feeling "LUCKY"? In the same chapter he gives us a brief story of Ysrael who to me is the real outcast of the book. I also see Ysrael as a way society works. How based of what happened to him when he was little and because of his looks people see him as something different that he might not be. On page. 13 they make a great description how Ysraels face. In this chapter is your are able to see through 3 different perspectives. One is of course Yuniors, something very interesting is that you can see that Rafa and Yunior don't have the best brother relationship but in the end Rafa is always following Rafa. Also you can see Ysraels perspective, how he feel about people thinking his a monster? Has society and the comments called rumors has driven Ysrael be the way he is? And finally Rafas perspective which is the cover of him. The though guy who really isn't afraid to do anything, the one that gets more action than anyone, the guy that doesn't really cares about anything but to be stable. This is why I find the next chapters very intreating, "Fiesta and Aurora" Because when it gets to Rafas father he acts a different way, like of he really was afraid of him. I love "Aurora" because it shows us a different angle of view to Rafas life. Dispute Rafas" though look" his always going back to one girl that he can't walk away from her.
Just finished reading the book. It seems to me that Rafa knows too much things for someone his age. Pedro states that, "Him knowing too many things at his age will get him into trouble". I hope that in the future he doesnt get in trouble because he seems to be an interesting character.
Jeff & Amanda are making me read this book more. I really think that Yunior is the good brother. I want to know why they think his not. does he betray Rafa or his family in a way ? D:
IN THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK I DID NOT UNDERSTAND CERTAIN PARTS. NOW AS I AM GETTING DEEPER INTO THE STORY I UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTERS MORE. RAFA IS THE BAD BROTHER. RAFA SEEM'S TO BE THE TROUBLE MAKER. YUNIOR SHOULD NOT FOLLOW HIM SO MUCH OR HE WILL END UP IN A BAD PLACE
(continued) So Far I Feel Rafa Has Alot Of Swagg . He Has This Aura About Himself Like He's Down For Whatever As Long As It Keeps Him Out The Line Of Fire. I feel he inherited his nature from his cheating dad who i also think is smoother than a crook. He regulates the whole family & they're all under his control. He actually takes it as far as to bringing along Rafa and Yunior to accompany him on private visits at his mistress house. This was shocking at first because I questioned his character, like what type of man would drag their children through their problem of infidelity? I wondered how the boys felt about it and Yunior seemed to really be affected because his mom noticed , then questioned him on it . However i have not seen much of a change in Rafa. I analyze that since he's already sexually active he must be at least preteen or older so to him it may be normal or just apart of history with his father.
I totally agree with "Loe Rotalty"( who ever is that). I feel that Yunior is a very interesting character because in the beginning of the book he seem to be the good son from his mother view. It was very noticible how affectionest his mother was towards him because even whenever he used to get far sick she would try to help him out. Now I'm learning new things that I didn't know from him. For example that he had a best friend and that he even got into a car accident. I honestly don't know who's worst Rafa, who uses drogs or Yunior that has no clue of what his doing the the consequences. I think you have a very good point on saying that his philanderer father has to do with the way they act. I mean in chapter "Drown" he explained how he would see his mother suffer because of his father and because of what he was doing. I think this driver both, Rafa and Yunior to an endless roads. Making a self to book connection, I would feel weird or different if I didn't had my father. I really want to know where all the feelings they have agains their father would end up to.
I so agree with isa saying that yunior is an interesting character. He is a kid living in bad condition but still manages. At the begining of the book as isa stated he was veiwed as the good son but then ended up changing later on in the book . I dislike the fact that the book goes back and forth because after a while I tend to lose the concept of the book. But overall the book is very enjoyable,and I want to learn more about my character rafa because it seems like I loose him while I read. The fact that his father cheated gives the story an extra twist and I also agree that they ended up on endless roads.
I am just now getting deeper into the book, I wasnt able to blog at first because I was unclear about the book. Now I am able to write about it because I understand it much more....I am up to page 54 Basicly it was up and down because they were at camp then next thing you know there home in Ney York (confused). I find it crazy how the mom and the kids know that there dad is cheating but yet still no one does anything about it they act as if everything is great. Why they dont get a devorce are seperate is that ok in most Dominican homes? they make it seems like the male is more dominent over the female. I dont get why they are all making it seems as if cheating is ok, and the boys have no say they even met the mistress and they act as if evrything is fine. I feel that there should be a stop to this because a male cheating on his family is not ok and no one in the family should be ok with this. Light should be shead on this matter.
I agree with you 1OO% michelle. This Book does confuse readers however, this is what keeps me motivated to keep going and find out the mysterys of the story. This May Be A Turn Off To Others Because You Are Often Veered Off The Path Of One Thing To The Next, quite unexspectedly. For Example The New Chapter Aurora, Who's Cut? & How Did Innocent Little Yunior Become A Drug Dealer? Thus, To Me That Fact That MY Book Is Confusing Builds The Trill & Adventure & Keeps Me Reading It :)
I too was confused by the beginning of the book "Drown". The reason for this was because of the changing scenenary in the beginning of the book. But as i progressed in the book i was able to get a better feel on whats going on in the book. ONce i found out that the father was committing adultery and the mother was tolerating it i got the impression that the family is dis-functional. As a mother you shouldn't want your growing boys to be around such negative an improper behavior. I know it may be hard for the mom to move on because of her love for her husband but if he's not going to be faithful an commit to the family like he should then she should stop seeing him. Especially if the father doesn't have enough respect to even keep it a secret. He blatently disrespected his wife by allowing their children too meet his "CRACKHEAD" mistress. She has too let him go -Yaboy
While reading Drown I got very confuse because this book goes back and forth but at the bottom of the pages it says the name of who is speaking or what the chapter is about. This is just a pointer to people who are confuse just the way I was.< ---- (pointer) on page 47 Yunior met up with is friend Cut it seems like they are apart of a gang who sell weed and stuff. He also shares girlfriend with cut, she is a crack head and every now and then Yunior will run off with her and find and empty apt together so they can have sex. A gender theist would say that they have no respect for her as a women they use her whenever they want as an object. Yunior also beats on her whenever he gets mad they really fight and he hurts her.Also the boys sell drugs to older people in the area they have there regular costumers and Yunior want Cut to sell to everyone so they can make more money, but he doesn't want to because he doesn't want to get caught up with problem with the cops an so fourth. The older people is better to work with because they are serious about business they don't play any games.
Michelle I agree with you a 100% . When I was up to the pages that you reading I was highly confused . Now that im up to page 94 I realized that all the different events that the author spoke about must have an importance to it . The author spoke alot about his childhood and it really affected him as he got older . The chapter how to date black girls... Was a chapter that showed how he plays girls and by race how he treats them . This part also was confusing because he had broken up with his girlfriend so it made me think that I guess his last break made him not take other girls to seriously . I enjoy the fact that towards the end of the book he grown up and he still reminise on his childhood but still including his present life . As of now Yunior is working as a mover and pool table maker . This gives readers the chance to see that he is responsible and grown out of his old habbits of living of the company of his brother and family . Theres one more thing that I find interesting is in the chapter Drown i thought that was the part of the story that was important being that the book is called Drown . As i read it i realized the it was basically about his days a the public pool with a boy name Beta . Yunior went to his house after wards and Beta tried to come on to him a couple of times . This automaticaly made me realize that Yunior a bit insecure because when this happened he didnt know what to do and how it would effect him .
Adding to what Tyra wrote I agree even more because, this book has a lot to do with the focus that we are studding in class. The men seems way more than the female they over power them. I found something very interesting which showed a little symbolism of the title "Drown" when they were talking about the house that they use to live in on page 69 they had memories of pictures of their dad and they had to save it in baggies so that way they won’t be destroy. The house had a lot of leak and that was the only way they were able to save most of their important papers and etc... This stood out to me the most in a way I found it interesting.
Exactly Michelle I realized that in the Yunior household when he was younger ; the father had more power in the house he had the last say . But in addition to that I feel while Yunior father wasn't around his mother really was portraying a strong women by taking care of the kids even through hard times. Rafa and Yeasrel also stepped up to the plate with helping his mom with Yunior and the house . I highly agree that the gender theory exist in this book claiming that men have more of a higher power then women . For example when Papi came in the room from cheating with the peurtian women - he automatically told Mami that he didn't want to hear anything she had to say and she immediately stopped talking while he walked to the bathroom to wash off the evidence . In addition to that I can relate to the fact that Mami kept the pictures in the baggy to keep the memories that they had present . But I agree that as Yunior said everything got damage from the water besides it so it made is mother want to hold on to the photos longer thinking that maybe the father would come back even though he's been out Yunior's life for nine years . I realized another gender theory in the book which was that people usually think that men are the ones who goes away to jail while the wife stays by his side until he came home . But in the story he shows Yunior waiting for his girlfriend to come back from Juvie . This proves to me that men would also wait for the woman to come from jail and they stay by their side through thick and thin also . I need to catch up on the book I should be finish soon because it's such a interesting book that I have no problem reading it . I'm really intrigued in what's going to happen next .
So far in Drown by Junot Díaz I'm starting to find this book interesting and mind puzzling. Thus far, aunt and uncle move to America, the boy's father, decides to throw a celebration party, and comes home and pushes his way to the bathroom to wash off evidence of his affair with a Puerto Rican woman. I found this to show that papi feel guilty and remorseful about the situation.As well the boys seem like their not going to tell their mother about their father affair. This is the most interesting part about the second chapter.I was asking myself is the reason why the boys didn't tell their mother about Papa affair because they are intimidated of him or because they find it natural to cheat on a women. I find their father abusive, haughty, and unpredictable. Which makes me think how would his father and the environment will affect the boys.
Omar it seems like your interested in the relationship between the family . When you get to the chapter called Aguantando . You would be surprise because before they even move to America with their father-he abandoned them the first nine years of youniors life . They were living in poverty times 2 , I didn't believe it he would wash parasites from between his legs daily .This evoked a emotion out of me when I was reading thus showing that this book is really something . Like I was trying to say in the begining before talking about the struggles , I'm surprised the father would chest after abandoning his kids like that . He should feel as if he owes the family not try to operate the.family by acts of infidelity but they broke up because they talk about the mom getting remarried . This was astonishing because I could never imagine the mom finding out because she looked blind to the while situation even though the rest of the family knew . Read more Omar you'll like it.
At first I lost track of the book when I got to the middle because it went forward on his life than back to his teenage years . Now I realized this is just jumpers of his ; some people remember in chronological order but his is more cluttered . The chapter Aurora and Aguantando was very intriguing . Is funny though because Youniors girl was a crackhead for some reason in movies and shows the female is always the crackhead and the men is always emotionally attached .I think that is how a gender theorist would look at it . Younior been through alot , who would've thought he would've becae a drug dealer. Them again for some reason people who come from poverty is looking for easy money which is either dealing with narcotics in a illegal way or robbing . This way of getting "fast money" has increased for the fact the economy is in a, bad condition so it's even harder to get a job . I honestly can day its easier to get a gun than a job ; it's sad but true . I don't blame Youbior for doing what he is doing . I feel he is always going to love her despite her bad descions because of his parents divorce and I think the reason he has a dream but her having sex with cut was because his fathers infjdelty scarred him for life . If I wa Younior I would not let my father interfere in my life because of all the pain he put the family through . Constantly he said he was going to come get the kids after nine years and never came
Cont . This made the mother going into a serious depression to the point where she left her kids for a month . Also from what I learned their relationship wasn't the best when they were reunited by the car and party expierence . Then the infidelity and abandonment . Rafa and Younior got it hard . I wonder Younior will become a big drug dealer and turn his life from tragedy to triumph despite the fact outs illegal he made it .
So Far this book haves been the best thing that i have read in years , I am up to chapter two and i just can't stop reading the book.When the boys aunt and uncle move to America, the boys' father, Papi, decides to throw a party. Papi comes home and pushes his way to the bathroom to wash off evidence of his affair with a Puerto Rican woman. i wonder if Papi will ever get caught for what he have done, Also might this bring drama in the family?, I also didn't like the part that Papi try to hit Rafa , That really got me upset because Rafa is a kid its not his fault that he was hungry and wanted to eat.
Chapter three was a very interesting because it shows us that Younior is now a drug dealer and he is trying to cheat in life,instead of him working and making a honest living he wants to cheat and life and try to make fast money by selling drugs. Beside that he is now haves a girlfriend that is a crackhead. We also need to remember that Younior comes from a very poor background that limits him to better himself. Just as Younior choose that path , so do many other people its not because they want to its because of the money and power they think they will receive. I also wonder if he will leave his girlfriend and get a better one because the girl he haves noe is a crackhead and is willing to sleep with anyone for money or drugs. i happen to find this very sad.
I can honestly say I felt in love with the chapter"New Jersey"z . everything is so detail and its the type is story that brings you back and fourth. One thing that I found very interesting is that when the story beggings he describes seeing a duck family, and that he thought it was really cute. Also how we explained his job and how he loved going into places where usually rich people would work at. How he treated customers differently. If they gave a nice tip and were nice to him and Wayne they never asked for the bathroom. If not then they would mess the bathroom up. I agree when he mentions that when they would be left alone in big rich houses the owners would check everything and would try to remember where everything was left out. I seeing this my self and I guess is a stereotype because if your now rich you are not basacly trusted. I also think that we he says that he would buy lottery tickets is just a symbol that shows how he wished his life changed. In this chapter he admits that he had rob from his job but only did it because of girls and money. Because he loved how he would say proudly"Take anything you want" . I mean is not really proudly if you are stealing the money but doesn't regret it since with all the girls he did this with left and his glad that money didn't came from his hardworking. The short story about the girl in the house is just a bit confusing and to me it seems that for both Wayne and him-girls always bring them problems. They just can't get enought even when they know the consequences. In LOVE the end of the chapter when Junot brings everything back. He mentions that he never got lucky with the lottery tickets. Also him showing them getting back to work like nothing happened shows that life is hard an that nothing really changes no matter what. The places, so many places they are left to go.
Junot Diaz is an interesting author from the way he starts off. In chapter one, he tries to confuse us by not stating the brothers name. Rafa and his brothers are speaking in first person so thats one thing that makes it eye drawing in from the start. Chapter 2 was when the whole big party took place. This party was to celebrate the coming of their aunts and uncles that moved to america from Puerto Rico. Chapter 2 also discusses how "Papi" takes a shower to release away his infidelity. As the chapter goes on you see how "Papi" is the man of the house, the tough guy and they all scared of him.
OMG this is a very clear explanation of the entire chapter way to sum this up. The way how you stated this is exactly how i wanted to say it but wasnt able to put it in correct grammer even if someone did not read this part of the book they woulod have been able to catch on and know whats going on.
Maybe Part Of They Reason The Family Accepts The Father's Infidelities Or Just Lives With It Is Because they Know That He's The One Who Holds Them Down And Without Him They'd Just Be Waiting For Something Better Like They Were Before In D.R. When The Dad Was In The States His Kids Hardly Knew Him At All , Often Feeling Forgotten By Their Dad, His Wife Miserable. Now I've Jus Got Into Chapter Aguantando. Based On this Word I Can Tell Junot Diaz Will Discuss Struggles or Something This Family Had To Endure Seeing As How Aguantado means like endure, sustain, or stand. The Ending Of The Chapter Aurora Was Quite Confusing. Every time Its Time For Him To Change Chapters He Takes Us Through A Little Challenge, Speaking From Different Points Of View. Starting On Page 69 Yuinor Begins To Talk About The Struggle His Family & Him Had To Go Through When His Father Was Missing In Action For 9years And How Some Nights They'd Literally Starve. I Haven't Gotten Too Far But Yet Still No One Seems To Blame The Dad For Any Of His Wrong Doings. Again Maybe Their Just Happy He Came Back To Rescue Them & Provided Better Surroundings. So They Respect Him Enough To Accept All Of Him Based on That.
JUST FINISHED READING THE BOOK...IT SEEMS THAT YOUNIOR IS A CRACKHEAD. HE ISNT A HARD WORKER. HE JUST WANT THE EASY WAY OUT OF LIFE. HE NOW HAS A GIRLFRIEND WHO IS ALSO A CRACKHEAD. SOMETHING BIG GOING TO HAPPEN. HE IS MONEY HUNGRY AND I UNDERSTAND THAT HE CAME FROM A POOR BACKGROUND
Well I agree to disagree with Jeff I don’t think Younior is exactly a crack head it doesn’t really tell if he’s doing it you just know that he’s selling it. I agree with you because he is money hungry he wants the finer things in life without working hard for it. In the chapter before it was talking about how him and his friend use to go to the store and steal stuff... which ties back in he is money hungry he even wanted cut to start selling to more people making the business larger so they can get richer, but cut said no because he didn’t want to become noticeable. Younior doesn’t really care about anything in life he just goes by as the day goes by he faced so much hardship in his life he somewhat became numb. He’s set into his own way of life which is sad. I personally think he doesn’t make choices in life, life makes choices for him. Which is a negative effect on him because this can lead him to his downfall, if he doesn’t take note of this early enough. I am still reading so hopefully I can find out if my prediction is true or false.
For The First Book I Picked Up In A Real Long Time, This Is A Great One. It's Better Than Most Books I've Read In The Past. It Has Drama, Sacrifice, Much More. It Feels Like This Book Is Just A Bunch Of Short Stories About The Main Character's, Yunior, Life. Right Now I'm Proceeding To Chapter 5. From What I've Just Read In Chapter 4, It Seems That The Family Is Holding On To The Father Or What Thoughts Still Remain Of Him. Because Of The Title Of This Chapter, "Aguantando" , Which Is Spanish For "Holding On", I Was Able To Understand Things More And Conclude That The Family Misses The Father. I'm Sort Of Upset That I Can't Relate To The Main Character. His Family Is Broken Up But Tries To Stay Together, He's Going Down The Wrong Path, Buying And Selling Drugs, And Him Being A Troublesome Person. Unlike Yunior, My Family Is Still Together, I'm Going Down The Right Path, Going To School And Doing What Is Needed For Me To Escalate In Life. I Hope In Chapter 5 I Find Something That Relates Me To The Main Character, So i Can Feel More Connected To The Book.
I'm reading the chapter Drown and I like the different setting that Papi's in . But I understand that father moved to Nyc to get money and a better life to send for his family but I feel that the father isn't trying his hardest to make it right for the family . Reason being is that he went on and married another women with a child knowing that he has a family of his own to take care of . Even though he likes the woman and it was the only place papi stayed at he still didn't have to sceam an live off of her because its making him seem like a worthless person . I think the first thing that the father needs to do is step up to the plate and become independent instead of using women . On the other hand I think that the father has the family in DR in the back of his head to motivate him to know why is there and what's his priority . He made many promises to Mami about sending them out the country but never did and as we know it was a hard task for him to even come visit the family in DR so it's a huge leap for him to reunite them in the united states. I understand that times are hard but If he found him a paying job , kept it, saved is money and try to by an apartment then maybe that would prove that he is sorry for leaving his family behind but he can't give back the nine years of him being out Yunior life that's something that's gone forever . As of now Yunior is grown up working and stuff which makes me feel like maybe he's not trying to follow his father's footsteps but instead make something out of his life .
I am at the end of chapter two “Fiesta”, and I am surprised to found out from Radcliffe that Papi wasn’t apart of the boys life, and made them lived in horrible condition. From this I still don't understand why Yunior and Rafa still haven't told their mother about the affair with the Puerto Rican. Since their father wasn't apart if their live shouldn't the boys be more connect and have a stronger bond with their mother, which I believe makes Yunior and Rafa duty to tell their mother about their father affair with another women. I also notice a lot of abuse between the father and Yunior. Before the family went to the party Yunior's father was barking at him, as was physically abusing before they arrived to the party. Even when they arrived to the "Fiesta" Papi didn't allowed Yunior to have any food. I find this act of abuse and secrets to be damaging to the family relationship later in the book.
I just got through finishin the book Drown by Junot Diaz . This was a pretty good book eventhough i dont really like how the author ended it. At the conclusion it was alot of questions i had in my mind that still wasnt answered. I think im better off reading the ended of the book over so i can get a better concept of the conclusion. I really enjoyed the suspence , drama and social humor the author used to tell the story . I thought it was amazing that he can stretch the smallest experinces in his life using lots of details a figurative language. By him doing this it made readers more interested and intrigued in his story. When i was reading the book at first i thought it was weird that the author didnt tell the story in a orderly matter but as i got further and deeper into the book i realized that all this experince that occured Drowned him and made up his life . Everything that happened in the past some how effected his future .
Tyra I am almost near the end so I can only imagine was yet to come . I seen everything in this book already sex , lies , depception , only thing left is death . I agree and disagree the smallest expierence were the most relevant so you can't really call them small expierences , it dsen't have to be a large expierence to have alot of details . Just look at the old saying " A picture is worth a thousand words " so do you need a thousand words to tell a picture ? What I am trying to say is the picture represents a big expirence and it could be told by a few instead of a thousand . I agree on the fact that you mentioned the author used alot if imagery - I practically felt like I was there with him from the campo , to the house , to the parties , and the pools . I cant wait to see what is yet to come and I hope you think about what I said in this post .
Cont. I almost forgot I don't understand your opinion on the symbolic meaning of Drown . I don't understand when you say everything he been through drowned him . I just want to reword it with a little of my opionion . I think the tile "Drown" is because all his expierence brought him down but the same expierences brought him back up . His expierences Drowned him and saved him . What don't kill you only makes you stronger right ?
I was saying the same thing I don't understand the meaning of the title Drown maybe he's taking it more as drowning in emotion. That's how I took it because he doesn't drown maybe its like everything he's done in his life or things that happen hsve drowned him in his emotions and he doesn't know how to deal with it.
I am on the verge of finsihing this book . Everyime I think the surprises are over the book surprises me with another surprise . This book is overwhelming with information about these two poor boys . While reading the chapter "Drown" i was in a state of serendipity because of what I just learned. I just found out that Yunior was sexually molested by his best friend . I think that the reason Younior let it hapen was because he had no other friends ; on page 104 he said " terrified that I would end up abnormal , a fucking pato , but he was my best friend and back then he mattered to me more than anything. " The way Younior wrote it seemed like he opposed of the sexual acts alot but in his life he been through so much that he finally found some one to trust he dosen't want that to end . So it's like his emotions is split in two right and wrong; love and hate and Younior is torn between the two. I believe that is where the name "Drown" comes from in this chapter because this is when he had the state of mind that life ended because all the things he been through was enough and the sexual molestation was the icing on the cake and this all happened around the summertime when they was at the pool so its like a metaphor and symbolism at the same time.I don't know why the title is named "Drown" yet but i have a feeling the worst is yet to come .
I 100% aggre with you in everything you said. When I read "Drown" I was actually a little confused of what was going on and is one of my favorite chapters it brings you back to the main argumeant. I mean like when the chapter started it talked about how he really didn't want to see his" best friend" and little by little it started to give hits of the story or maybe reading behind it. I also agree that he let his friend do all that because he felt alone . He felt different, maybe curious but it deffenetly shows something very interesting. I dont know if you noticed this but when it mentions that the first time he didn't like it but like you said since he has gone through so much he just let him self be. I don't blame him for any actions he took. He felt alone or something else.
I wouldnt know how to deal with a life without my father , but I do thats a text to self connection. My father is dominican and was a drunkie, im not sure if he cheated but he was killed :( and I was forced to live a life without that other part. Rafa and yunior are smart boys so with or without his father I believe that they will find the road and follow it. The part that also surprised me was that fact that yunior was molested really shocked the hell out of me.
I wouldnt know how to deal with a life without my father , but I do thats a text to self connection. My father is dominican and was a drunkie, im not sure if he cheated but he was killed :( and I was forced to live a life without that other part. Rafa and yunior are smart boys so with or without his father I believe that they will find the road and follow it. The part that also surprised me was that fact that yunior was molested really shocked the hell out of me.
One of my Favorite chapter of this book is "girlfriend" because it just stereotype the girlfriend so much they make it seems like she is a nag, the girl doesn’t even have a name she just called girlfriend. The boyfriend had so much power over her he was able to go out and do whatever then comes back, and the girlfriend would fight with him and then whenever he comes back have sex with him and then act as if everything is ok. Junior know what was going on with this girl and yet still he had no respect for her he messed with her emotions. Every boy seems the same in this book they only want one thing and one thing only.
I am on chapter four. "Aguantando" means "holding on," and this story is about how the family tries to hold on, waiting for a father and husband to return. Yunior says he has lived without a father for the first nine years of his life. I can also relate to Yunior because i my self have also grown up with my father not always being there for me. Yunior only seems to know his father from pictures. It seems that Yunior growing up with out a father affect the type of person he is. He had haven't had a male role model in his life that has really hurt's him
I'm almost finished with the book and I must say as I get closer to the end I get more excited about how it will end. The chapter drown has to be the most interesting. The way he talks about his friend beto and how he would touch him. It's weird because he talks about "patos" but he let beto touch him and never stopped him. How can he be such a Hippocrate on gays but not stop his friend from touching him its so strange. Maybe this is the reason he doesn't like gay people because of Beto touching him when he was younger and him being worried about people finding out.
The chapter Boyfriend is kindof confusing cause at first he talks about listening to his neighbos girlfriend and boyfriend and how after they broke up he tried to mess with her but she wasnt having it but than getting to the end he talks about him and girlfriend. which makes me wonder if he's talking about the neighbor or his own girlfriend he didn't give a name. It's a confusing chapter for me but than again it isn't its strange.
In the chapter "boyfriend" it was like walking down memory lane for Younior . Everything the couple downstairs did he did with his ex girlfriend Loretta . This chapter is significant because it shows us why Younior acts the way he acts in terms of lacking trust . Him and his ex went through a horrid break up I assume . Only catch is he still has feelings and regrets because he says he still wants her back . Thats why they made a whole chapter about Loretta . He said every girl with a Cleopatra-Latino look reminds him of her . The end was funny though because i could never imagine Younior stepping up to get a girl it don't seem in his nature based on what I read about him , that sounds more like his Rafa . Younior tried to get her while she was emotionally weak because of the break up . He wanted the easy way out but at the end of the chapter it seemed as if she wasn't interested . He claimed that all he wanted out of her was a smile when he complemented her and said she looked fierce . I think that was all he needed to relive the memory of Loretta because he probably use to always get a smile out of her when he complemented her . I think later in life they are going to meet back up and become a couple becuas it reminds him of Loretta .
I recently read the last chapter of drown to get a better understanding of how the story end . I dislike how the book ended because the father didn't exactly get back with his family . The chapter that I enjoyed the most was fiesta because the author included characterization , humor, and lots of other details to tell the story . This chapter was important because it explains the times Yunior was with his dad which was very rare . But overall it was a very interesting book I would advise others to read it also . I am glad that I picked this book but I wonder if the author uses the same method to tell his other stories. Being that i finished reading the book it should be easy for me to write a essay about it .
I agree with Tyra. The author gave us a taste of how Yunior's dad acted when he actually was around & I thought that was smart because I didn't have to wonder how his dad was or anything. As I finished the book the one thing that stood out to me was "How did Yunior's little sister deal with her dad not being in her life ?" or even his older brother. I can predict that his older brother grew up the same or worse than Yunior , dealing with drugs, hoodrats , etc. I also predict that Yunior learned all of those things from his older brother because Rafa was already wild even when he was still a child.
I absolutely loved "How to date a browngirl . . ." From the beginning of the chapter when it mentions "you've already told them that you're feeling too sick to go to Union City to visit that Tia who likes to squeeze your nuts " Brings me back to when I was 9 and I would always make up any excuse whenever my grandpa would tell us that we were going for a visit, I would come up with the fakes excuses for why I couldn't make it. I also had a Tia that used to grab my nose all the time. I love this chapter not only because it brings back some good memories about my family but because it shows how Yuniora family would hide what is really there. By this is mean "Hide the picture of you with an Afro....spray the bucket with Lysol, then close the cabinet" my mom would always do this. A day before visit she would make me and my other two sister to clean every corner. I woul always get mad at her because our house was pretty big and one day wasn't enough. Not only that but because I would always wonder why would she clean a day before ? Who she was trying to impress? That's what I feel that Yuniors family is trying to do. Cleaning the bathroom , making everything in place . Maybe they knew they didn't had a lot so therefor they had to make it as presentable as it could be. In this chapter it also mentions about meeting people's families. Honestly I have always being afraid of bringing friends over or even having family over just for the simple fact that they might misjudge what you have. I also find this funny because the whole "cheese" thing is something I haven't really heard . In really looking forward into reading "No face" I have a feeling that it talks about Ysrael :x
Like Pedro, can really relate to the chapter when Yunior talks about his dad because I also grew up with out my dad. Although I see it as I didn't need him because I always had my grandfather, I came up with the prediction that that chapter links to the chapter where Yunior is a drug crazy teen with a drug crazy girlfriend. Not having a father figure in his life could of been the cause for Yunior to become that person. Not only did it have an affect on him but also on his mother. She had a really hard time accepting the fact that her husband always lies to her and her kids and it killed her inside. I can kind of relate to that because my dad used to come around & make un-kept promises. It killed me on the inside but I kept in mind that I never need him. I think that's the kind of things that Yuniors mom should have kept in her mind too. She has been a struggling mother for nine years without him but to her kids she's been doing the best job.
I'm angry -,- I really didn't like the end of the book. It made me feel like I missed on things or I feel like the last chapter" Negocios " expects you to know things. I felt like the story about his father should of being better from the beginning of the book it would of game me more information and it would of gave me more things to actually rely on. The whole fact that his father was born a "Mujeriego" makes me even mader. I actually like the fact that it gives you the reasons for why he feels that way and explains the storie behind it but also when I was reading I felt like I was never going to finish the chapter. I kinda enjoy reading "no face" since I was right that it was about Ysrael :) It shows how much he actually went through and how he faced his problems. Have maybe bully him and called him names and how he was affected by all of this. When I started reading this book I loved everything on it and I guess I was expecting a more eating ending but is not. It just repeats things that are predictable to the reader. Regardless this was an amazing book to read and the ending makes it more unique in a way. I can finally say that in done with this book :D Maybe of I read it again I would catch more things from the book that I didn't the first time I read it That way the ending would make sence .
Throughout the course of the stories Yunior , as the father is not always there for them and the family struggles with money problems , he changes from a sweet, typical boy child to a more hardened young man who must survive on the streets. he has learn to be more streets smart in order to survive in the world in which he lives in. Yunoir and his family is now located in America. Yunior and a friend, Beto, have gone crazy, out of control, in their neighborhood. They stealed, broke windows,pissed on people's steps and then challenged them to come out and stop us. he been acting like a big ass hole. Yunior has another year to graduate from high school. if he keeps acting like he is i think he is going to end up droping out of school and not making it in life.
I honestly think that I have a better connection with my dad than anyone in my family and I didn't grew up with my dad like Amanda did or anything but I did had a better communication. Since I was little I was races by my grandparents. My dad is 100% different from Yuniords that and im sure that if I was only raced by him I could of have being a different person that Im now. I hate the fact that in the end his father newr try anything to get closer to Yunior. It was like a thing he would never do. I wonder how things would of have changed if in the book Yuniors dad had a reason of why he was never around web Yunior needed him. He basacly has no reason. Maybe in the book when they mention what he was going through when he first came to the US should of showed some compassion towards him but he didn't deserve it.
Finally I can say this book is everything I would thought it would be like "Scarface" . I Use that term loosely . There are so much similarities lies, sex , drugs , guns and deception and it goes on . In every chapter I feel there is a new character I just finsh reading the chapter "Edison , New Jersey" and now theres another character named Wayne , who helps him putting tables together which consist of cards and the game of pool . But this is no regular bar type place it is for upscale people younior said . Wayne is fuuny though he always hitting on girls and he's married . Is like throught this whole story things are never what they ssem to be in a relationship but a gender theorist would beg to differ. The gender theorist would say its all lovey-dovey in relationships but on the contrary all the lies and deception in relationships . Ex 1: Youniors pops was come adultery with his mom. Ex 2: Younior and his own thieving Girlfriend from the chapter "Aurora" Ex 3: Younior and his ex grilfriend Loretta he didn't state why they broke up but his label "ex" was enough Ex 4: Now Wayne hitting on other girls knowing he got a wife . I think all of this effect Younior's future relationships because based on his and everybody around him relationships they are crap . I think this is why he said all he wanted was a smile in the end of the "Girlfriend" chapter . He just wanted some reassurance to know that he still got it which is what the smile gave him . He didn't want to engage in a relationship because he knows that they all end up in the garbage based on his expierences.
As far as Drown the main theory expressed in the book is the gender theory . I feel that in book Yunior father had more power in the house because he was the man of the house . Even though Papi was rarely in the house he had the last say in the family . Papi was very masculine and his masculinity brought him diferent women in his life like the Puertorican women and the women that he meet in New York . Psychoanalytical theory is shown in book because the characters all had different personalities that was influenced by the society . Through out the book Yunior went a struggle of growning up without his father . Rafa acts a certain way towards Yunior but at the end of the day he has alot love for him . Rafa taught him how to be tough being that his father wasnt around to do the role .
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ReplyDeleteTHE FIRST 10 PAGES WAS A RUSH OF INFORMATION
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Radcliffe but I feel that the first 10 pages definitely was a unique way of introducing the characters and showing different experiences that influence Rafa , Ysreal and Carajo. As I read pass the 10 pages everything seems more clearer being that he gave a lot of information in the beginning. Currently i'm up to the second chapter and i'm enjoying it so far .
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DeleteYesss. I agree Tyra because even though the first 10 pages were unclear . It was like a little taste of what is fourth to come . Right now I'm on page 35 and I've realized Rafa is the trouble maker .The incident with the Ysrael boy was mean and who was mastermind behind it ask Rafa once again . Even do he is young he is knowledgeable which he proved to me in the beginning when he was telling his little brother about his sexual experience in his life .
DeleteTHIS IS TRUE BECAUSE RAFA SEEMS TO BE A GOOD BROTHER IN THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK. BUT NOW HE SEEMS TO BE A TROUBLE MAKER.
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ReplyDelete(From Derrick)
ReplyDeleteThis Book seems very interesting so far.Rafa the older brother is very adventures and experienced.He treats his brother like he is nobody.Rafa already is having sex and knows more than he should know.I feel like He is going to get his little brother in alot of trouble later on.I think that he is like this because his parents don't take good care of him and his brother.They sent them away and they barely look after them.I look forward to reading the rest of the book and to get deeper into the concept.
This book is highly interesting especially the second chapter. The author talks about Carajo and how he vomits during car trips. This tells me that the third world country that he was leaving in previously effected him in away . Him and his brother traveled by bus and sometimes foot so when their family made it to New York it change his normal way of traveling . I also find it astonishing that the characters that surround him all have different personalities that act a current way towards Carajo . I'm going to continue to read this chapter and see how it all comes together.
ReplyDeleteI passed that chapter already but i agree with Tyra. I think that chapter 2 is very interesting because it tells about the type of family he has and all of their different personalities. It also gave us a view of how strict his father really is and how much of a bond they really have. After chapter 2, I get a little confused because I feel like the author goes back and forth about different times in his life.
DeleteAlthough I agree with Mandy that in the second chapter Junot Díaz beings to describe his family and all their different personalities, and I also agree that the book is starting to get confusing, But I cannot accept her overall conclusion that chapter 2 is interesting because since chapter 1, I barley understand what's going on, and over since the 2nd chapter I wanted to put the book down.
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ReplyDeleteeb 5, 2012 06:37 AM
ReplyDeleteI really like this book honestly I didn't take time to read a book in years despite the fact it effects my grade . This author did a great job with imagery in the beginning of the book when he was talking about when Rafa and his little brother got sent away to the campo . He wa taking about the mountains,streems and their daily routines . I think it's, ironic that Rafa's little brother's name was never mentioned . Is it because he is the narrator ?because I just don't understand he is an important character , the story is based on his point of view . I like how the big really takes time to explain the characters relationship with the narrator . The beginning was with Rafa and more in the book is about his Papi . Can't wait to see what's next . :-)
I agree with Radcilffe about the whole not mentioning his little brothers name because I also feel he is an important character in the book but I guess sooner or later we'll figure his name out.
DeleteI agree with you both. The little brother does play an important roll in the book, He seems to be the one most affected by everything that is going on but, maybe that's due to the fact that we hear the story from his perspective. Later on the book states that the youngest brother's name is "Yunior," which seemed important to me as well. In my opinion the name symbolizes the way he is affected by his fathers absence.
DeleteThe suspense of not knowing what Ysrael's face looks like is killing me. The details they give on what you can see from the mask makes it seem like he looks like a monster, i Kindof feel bad for him the way the boys en le campo treat him. Always chasing him like if he's some type of animal its not right.
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ReplyDeleteThe Chapter "Fiesta" is intense the way it talks about the Puerto Rican woman there father is cheating with. Yunior talks about the Times he went to her house and how she treated him. You can tell he wants to tell his mom about the Puerto Rican Woman but he doesn't for he doesn't want to hurt his mom, or have to think about what life without his father would be like for his mom. The way his father treats him is frustrating to me because it could be that since he's younger he might spill the beans about the Puerto Rican Woman but than again I could be wrong. I guess in the end ill find out for sure what's the deal behind that but for now its a cliff hanger.
ReplyDeleteI'm already up to page 69. I find this book very interesting. The author caught me by surprise because I thought that Yunior would have turned out to be the " good boy " type that always stays in school and grows up to have a good job since his father was so strict but turned out that he became the drugs, money, & sex kind of boy. I can't wait to keep reading to see what happens in his life or if he turns his life around to become a better person.
ReplyDeleteThe Chapter "Aurora" is so strange. It's focused on I'm guessed Yunior girl Aurora but also his life as a drug dealer. Each section is different but all end up having to do with Aurora and how he feeds into her drug habits because he loves her. You can tell he love her because even after she goes to jail and everything he still goes back to her like she's this prize. I don't understand why he deals with her cause she garbage from the way he talks about her. It weird that he has all this love for her cause she has nothing good going for her in her life so why would he put up with her ? I have a feeling she's goes to give him some kindof disease that will be the end of him.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as i pick up the book drown i could tell that it was going to be a book that i will find very interesting. Due to the fact that this book will have a lot of things in which i can relate to. Just as the main character had to spent the summer in the Campo, i once had to do the same. instead of me being with a other brother i was with my cousin. that was a summer that i will never forget. So far the book has shown a lot of imagery, i love how he describes everything. The author is able to give the reader a clear picture of what is happening. I can tell that Rafa and the main character are going to have a summer that they will never forget.
ReplyDeleteNow that i have read more of the book i am starting to notice that rafa is a boy that knows a little to much for his age. Him knowing too much will end up getting him in trouble. I hope that nothing happens to him. Due to him i keep reading more and more i love how he is able to get him self into a mess and then get right out of it. Both these boys are growing up a little to fast. But then again they come from a poor background which enforces them to act like adults in order to learn how to make ends meet.
DeleteJUST STARTED READING THE BOOK AND IT SEEMS PRETTY INTERESTING. RAFA SEEMS TO BE A GOOD BROTHER. HE SEEMS TO LOVE HIS LITTLE BROTHER.
ReplyDeleteYES MY BRUDDA :).......I UNDERSTOOD THAT MUCH BUT I DONT KNOW MUCH YET BECAUS EI JUST STARTED AN IM KINDA CONFUSED BUT AS I READ MORE I'LL HAVE MORE TO SAY
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DeleteWhen I first pick up Drown I ask myself why Ms.Lambert assigned me this book to read. My mind set for this book change after I finishing reading the first Chapter "Ysrael". In this chapter the author begins the describe Rafa and his brother Mami by saying how she puts out so much hours at work, which makes her unable to support Rafa and his brother. At first I didn't really understand the book since some of the words were in spanish, but I did notice a lot of literary element in this book, such as imagery,Setting, characterization, irony. Can't wait to see what happen to Rafa and his brother at the Campo. :D
ReplyDeleteThe book "Drown" by Juniot Diaz, contains a couple of different perspective. In the beginning of the book we are reading from Yunior's perspective whom seem to be the misunderstood one since his always getting picked on by his older brother Rafa. In the first chapters Yunior talks about the differences between the city and the campo. I find this very interesting because it only shows that Yunior obviously wish he was back there, with all the mosquitos. On page 8 "Your average campesino only bets big when he feels lucky and how many of them feel lucky?" This shows how society it self is not the best. People don't try to get better because they are so afraid of losing more than what they already have. What type of society would be able to get better of the people in it only "bet" when they are feeling "LUCKY"? In the same chapter he gives us a brief story of Ysrael who to me is the real outcast of the book. I also see Ysrael as a way society works. How based of what happened to him when he was little and because of his looks people see him as something different that he might not be. On page. 13 they make a great description how Ysraels face. In this chapter is your are able to see through 3 different perspectives. One is of course Yuniors, something very interesting is that you can see that Rafa and Yunior don't have the best brother relationship but in the end Rafa is always following Rafa. Also you can see Ysraels perspective, how he feel about people thinking his a monster? Has society and the comments called rumors has driven Ysrael be the way he is? And finally Rafas perspective which is the cover of him. The though guy who really isn't afraid to do anything, the one that gets more action than anyone, the guy that doesn't really cares about anything but to be stable. This is why I find the next chapters very intreating, "Fiesta and Aurora" Because when it gets to Rafas father he acts a different way, like of he really was afraid of him. I love "Aurora" because it shows us a different angle of view to Rafas life. Dispute Rafas" though look" his always going back to one girl that he can't walk away from her.
DeleteJust finished reading the book. It seems to me that Rafa knows too much things for someone his age. Pedro states that, "Him knowing too many things at his age will get him into trouble". I hope that in the future he doesnt get in trouble because he seems to be an interesting character.
ReplyDeleteJeff & Amanda are making me read this book more. I really think that Yunior is the good brother. I want to know why they think his not. does he betray Rafa or his family in a way ? D:
ReplyDeleteIN THE BEGINNING I THOUGHT THE BOOK WAS BORING.BUT I THOUGHT WRONG. THIS BOOKS IS GETTING TO BECOME INTERESTING.
ReplyDeleteIN THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK I DID NOT UNDERSTAND CERTAIN PARTS. NOW AS I AM GETTING DEEPER INTO THE STORY I UNDERSTAND THE CHARACTERS MORE. RAFA IS THE BAD BROTHER. RAFA SEEM'S TO BE THE TROUBLE MAKER. YUNIOR SHOULD NOT FOLLOW HIM SO MUCH OR HE WILL END UP IN A BAD PLACE
ReplyDeleteok ; Drowns getting pretty interesting now..
ReplyDelete(continued) So Far I Feel Rafa Has Alot Of Swagg . He Has This Aura About Himself Like He's Down For Whatever As Long As It Keeps Him Out The Line Of Fire. I feel he inherited his nature from his cheating dad who i also think is smoother than a crook. He regulates the whole family & they're all under his control. He actually takes it as far as to bringing along Rafa and Yunior to accompany him on private visits at his mistress house. This was shocking at first because I questioned his character, like what type of man would drag their children through their problem of infidelity? I wondered how the boys felt about it and Yunior seemed to really be affected because his mom noticed , then questioned him on it . However i have not seen much of a change in Rafa. I analyze that since he's already sexually active he must be at least preteen or older so to him it may be normal or just apart of history with his father.
DeleteThat was from Loe Royalty from Lambert's computer. :)
DeleteI totally agree with "Loe Rotalty"( who ever is that). I feel that Yunior is a very interesting character because in the beginning of the book he seem to be the good son from his mother view. It was very noticible how affectionest his mother was towards him because even whenever he used to get far sick she would try to help him out. Now I'm learning new things that I didn't know from him. For example that he had a best friend and that he even got into a car accident. I honestly don't know who's worst Rafa, who uses drogs or Yunior that has no clue of what his doing the the consequences. I think you have a very good point on saying that his philanderer father has to do with the way they act. I mean in chapter "Drown" he explained how he would see his mother suffer because of his father and because of what he was doing. I think this driver both, Rafa and Yunior to an endless roads. Making a self to book connection, I would feel weird or different if I didn't had my father. I really want to know where all the feelings they have agains their father would end up to.
DeleteI so agree with isa saying that yunior is an interesting character. He is a kid living in bad condition but still manages. At the begining of the book as isa stated he was veiwed as the good son but then ended up changing later on in the book . I dislike the fact that the book goes back and forth because after a while I tend to lose the concept of the book. But overall the book is very enjoyable,and I want to learn more about my character rafa because it seems like I loose him while I read. The fact that his father cheated gives the story an extra twist and I also agree that they ended up on endless roads.
DeleteI am just now getting deeper into the book, I wasnt able to blog at first because I was unclear about the book. Now I am able to write about it because I understand it much more....I am up to page 54 Basicly it was up and down because they were at camp then next thing you know there home in Ney York (confused). I find it crazy how the mom and the kids know that there dad is cheating but yet still no one does anything about it they act as if everything is great. Why they dont get a devorce are seperate is that ok in most Dominican homes? they make it seems like the male is more dominent over the female. I dont get why they are all making it seems as if cheating is ok, and the boys have no say they even met the mistress and they act as if evrything is fine. I feel that there should be a stop to this because a male cheating on his family is not ok and no one in the family should be ok with this. Light should be shead on this matter.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you 1OO% michelle. This Book does confuse readers however, this is what keeps me motivated to keep going and find out the mysterys of the story. This May Be A Turn Off To Others Because You Are Often Veered Off The Path Of One Thing To The Next, quite unexspectedly. For Example The New Chapter Aurora, Who's Cut? & How Did Innocent Little Yunior Become A Drug Dealer? Thus, To Me That Fact That MY Book Is Confusing Builds The Trill & Adventure & Keeps Me Reading It :)
DeleteI too was confused by the beginning of the book "Drown". The reason for this was because of the changing scenenary in the beginning of the book. But as i progressed in the book i was able to get a better feel on whats going on in the book. ONce i found out that the father was committing adultery and the mother was tolerating it i got the impression that the family is dis-functional. As a mother you shouldn't want your growing boys to be around such negative an improper behavior. I know it may be hard for the mom to move on because of her love for her husband but if he's not going to be faithful an commit to the family like he should then she should stop seeing him. Especially if the father doesn't have enough respect to even keep it a secret. He blatently disrespected his wife by allowing their children too meet his "CRACKHEAD" mistress. She has too let him go
ReplyDelete-Yaboy
While reading Drown I got very confuse because this book goes back and forth but at the bottom of the pages it says the name of who is speaking or what the chapter is about. This is just a pointer to people who are confuse just the way I was.< ---- (pointer) on page 47 Yunior met up with is friend Cut it seems like they are apart of a gang who sell weed and stuff. He also shares girlfriend with cut, she is a crack head and every now and then Yunior will run off with her and find and empty apt together so they can have sex. A gender theist would say that they have no respect for her as a women they use her whenever they want as an object. Yunior also beats on her whenever he gets mad they really fight and he hurts her.Also the boys sell drugs to older people in the area they have there regular costumers and Yunior want Cut to sell to everyone so they can make more money, but he doesn't want to because he doesn't want to get caught up with problem with the cops an so fourth. The older people is better to work with because they are serious about business they don't play any games.
ReplyDeleteMichelle I agree with you a 100% . When I was up to the pages that you reading I was highly confused . Now that im up to page 94 I realized that all the different events that the author spoke about must have an importance to it . The author spoke alot about his childhood and it really affected him as he got older . The chapter how to date black girls... Was a chapter that showed how he plays girls and by race how he treats them . This part also was confusing because he had broken up with his girlfriend so it made me think that I guess his last break made him not take other girls to seriously . I enjoy the fact that towards the end of the book he grown up and he still reminise on his childhood but still including his present life . As of now Yunior is working as a mover and pool table maker . This gives readers the chance to see that he is responsible and grown out of his old habbits of living of the company of his brother and family . Theres one more thing that I find interesting is in the chapter Drown i thought that was the part of the story that was important being that the book is called Drown . As i read it i realized the it was basically about his days a the public pool with a boy name Beta . Yunior went to his house after wards and Beta tried to come on to him a couple of times . This automaticaly made me realize that Yunior a bit insecure because when this happened he didnt know what to do and how it would effect him .
DeleteAdding to what Tyra wrote I agree even more because, this book has a lot to do with the focus that we are studding in class. The men seems way more than the female they over power them. I found something very interesting which showed a little symbolism of the title "Drown" when they were talking about the house that they use to live in on page 69 they had memories of pictures of their dad and they had to save it in baggies so that way they won’t be destroy. The house had a lot of leak and that was the only way they were able to save most of their important papers and etc... This stood out to me the most in a way I found it interesting.
DeleteExactly Michelle I realized that in the Yunior household when he was younger ; the father had more power in the house he had the last say . But in addition to that I feel while Yunior father wasn't around his mother really was portraying a strong women by taking care of the kids even through hard times. Rafa and Yeasrel also stepped up to the plate with helping his mom with Yunior and the house . I highly agree that the gender theory exist in this book claiming that men have more of a higher power then women . For example when Papi came in the room from cheating with the peurtian women - he automatically told Mami that he didn't want to hear anything she had to say and she immediately stopped talking while he walked to the bathroom to wash off the evidence . In addition to that I can relate to the fact that Mami kept the pictures in the baggy to keep the memories that they had present . But I agree that as Yunior said everything got damage from the water besides it so it made is mother want to hold on to the photos longer thinking that maybe the father would come back even though he's been out Yunior's life for nine years . I realized another gender theory in the book which was that people usually think that men are the ones who goes away to jail while the wife stays by his side until he came home . But in the story he shows Yunior waiting for his girlfriend to come back from Juvie . This proves to me that men would also wait for the woman to come from jail and they stay by their side through thick and thin also . I need to catch up on the book I should be finish soon because it's such a interesting book that I have no problem reading it . I'm really intrigued in what's going to happen next .
DeleteSo far in Drown by Junot Díaz I'm starting to find this book interesting and mind puzzling. Thus far, aunt and uncle move to America, the boy's father, decides to throw a celebration party, and comes home and pushes his way to the bathroom to wash off evidence of his affair with a Puerto Rican woman. I found this to show that papi feel guilty and remorseful about the situation.As well the boys seem like their not going to tell their mother about their father affair. This is the most interesting part about the second chapter.I was asking myself is the reason why the boys didn't tell their mother about Papa affair because they are intimidated of him or because they find it natural to cheat on a women. I find their father abusive, haughty, and unpredictable. Which makes me think how would his father and the environment will affect the boys.
ReplyDeleteOmar it seems like your interested in the relationship between the family . When you get to the chapter called Aguantando . You would be surprise because before they even move to America with their father-he abandoned them the first nine years of youniors life . They were living in poverty times 2 , I didn't believe it he would wash parasites from between his legs daily .This evoked a emotion out of me when I was reading thus showing that this book is really something . Like I was trying to say in the begining before talking about the struggles , I'm surprised the father would chest after abandoning his kids like that . He should feel as if he owes the family not try to operate the.family by acts of infidelity but they broke up because they talk about the mom getting remarried . This was astonishing because I could never imagine the mom finding out because she looked blind to the while situation even though the rest of the family knew . Read more Omar you'll like it.
DeleteAt first I lost track of the book when I got to the middle because it went forward on his life than back to his teenage years . Now I realized this is just jumpers of his ; some people remember in chronological order but his is more cluttered . The chapter Aurora and Aguantando was very intriguing . Is funny though because Youniors girl was a crackhead for some reason in movies and shows the female is always the crackhead and the men is always emotionally attached .I think that is how a gender theorist would look at it . Younior been through alot , who would've thought he would've becae a drug dealer. Them again for some reason people who come from poverty is looking for easy money which is either dealing with narcotics in a illegal way or robbing . This way of getting "fast money" has increased for the fact the economy is in a, bad condition so it's even harder to get a job . I honestly can day its easier to get a gun than a job ; it's sad but true . I don't blame Youbior for doing what he is doing . I feel he is always going to love her despite her bad descions because of his parents divorce and I think the reason he has a dream but her having sex with cut was because his fathers infjdelty scarred him for life . If I wa Younior I would not let my father interfere in my life because of all the pain he put the family through . Constantly he said he was going to come get the kids after nine years and never came
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DeleteThis made the mother going into a serious depression to the point where she left her kids for a month . Also from what I learned their relationship wasn't the best when they were reunited by the car and party expierence . Then the infidelity and abandonment . Rafa and Younior got it hard . I wonder Younior will become a big drug dealer and turn his life from tragedy to triumph despite the fact outs illegal he made it .
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ReplyDeleteSo Far this book haves been the best thing that i have read in years , I am up to chapter two and i just can't stop reading the book.When the boys aunt and uncle move to America, the boys' father, Papi, decides to throw a party. Papi comes home and pushes his way to the bathroom to wash off evidence of his affair with a Puerto Rican woman. i wonder if Papi will ever get caught for what he have done, Also might this bring drama in the family?, I also didn't like the part that Papi try to hit Rafa , That really got me upset because Rafa is a kid its not his fault that he was hungry and wanted to eat.
ReplyDeleteChapter three was a very interesting because it shows us that Younior is now a drug dealer and he is trying to cheat in life,instead of him working and making a honest living he wants to cheat and life and try to make fast money by selling drugs. Beside that he is now haves a girlfriend that is a crackhead. We also need to remember that Younior comes from a very poor background that limits him to better himself. Just as Younior choose that path , so do many other people its not because they want to its because of the money and power they think they will receive. I also wonder if he will leave his girlfriend and get a better one because the girl he haves noe is a crackhead and is willing to sleep with anyone for money or drugs. i happen to find this very sad.
ReplyDeleteI can honestly say I felt in love with the chapter"New Jersey"z
ReplyDelete. everything is so detail and its the type is story that brings you back and fourth. One thing that I found very interesting is that when the story beggings he describes seeing a duck family, and that he thought it was really cute. Also how we explained his job and how he loved going into places where usually rich people would work at. How he treated customers differently. If they gave a nice tip and were nice to him and Wayne they never asked for the bathroom. If not then they would mess the bathroom up. I agree when he mentions that when they would be left alone in big rich houses the owners would check everything and would try to remember where everything was left out. I seeing this my self and I guess is a stereotype because if your now rich you are not basacly trusted. I also think that we he says that he would buy lottery tickets is just a symbol that shows how he wished his life changed. In this chapter he admits that he had rob from his job but only did it because of girls and money. Because he loved how he would say proudly"Take anything you want" . I mean is not really proudly if you are stealing the money but doesn't regret it since with all the girls he did this with left and his glad that money didn't came from his hardworking. The short story about the girl in the house is just a bit confusing and to me it seems that for both Wayne and him-girls always bring them problems. They just can't get enought even when they know the consequences. In LOVE the end of the chapter when Junot brings everything back. He mentions that he never got lucky with the lottery tickets. Also him showing them getting back to work like nothing happened shows that life is hard an that nothing really changes no matter what. The places, so many places they are left to go.
Junot Diaz is an interesting author from the way he starts off. In chapter one, he tries to confuse us by not stating the brothers name. Rafa and his brothers are speaking in first person so thats one thing that makes it eye drawing in from the start. Chapter 2 was when the whole big party took place. This party was to celebrate the coming of their aunts and uncles that moved to america from Puerto Rico. Chapter 2 also discusses how "Papi" takes a shower to release away his infidelity. As the chapter goes on you see how "Papi" is the man of the house, the tough guy and they all scared of him.
ReplyDeleteOMG this is a very clear explanation of the entire chapter way to sum this up. The way how you stated this is exactly how i wanted to say it but wasnt able to put it in correct grammer even if someone did not read this part of the book they woulod have been able to catch on and know whats going on.
DeleteMaybe Part Of They Reason The Family Accepts The Father's Infidelities Or Just Lives With It Is Because they Know That He's The One Who Holds Them Down And Without Him They'd Just Be Waiting For Something Better Like They Were Before In D.R. When The Dad Was In The States His Kids Hardly Knew Him At All , Often Feeling Forgotten By Their Dad, His Wife Miserable. Now I've Jus Got Into Chapter Aguantando. Based On this Word I Can Tell Junot Diaz Will Discuss Struggles or Something This Family Had To Endure Seeing As How Aguantado means like endure, sustain, or stand. The Ending Of The Chapter Aurora Was Quite Confusing. Every time Its Time For Him To Change Chapters He Takes Us Through A Little Challenge, Speaking From Different Points Of View. Starting On Page 69 Yuinor Begins To Talk About The Struggle His Family & Him Had To Go Through When His Father Was Missing In Action For 9years And How Some Nights They'd Literally Starve. I Haven't Gotten Too Far But Yet Still No One Seems To Blame The Dad For Any Of His Wrong Doings. Again Maybe Their Just Happy He Came Back To Rescue Them & Provided Better Surroundings. So They Respect Him Enough To Accept All Of Him Based on That.
ReplyDeleteJUST FINISHED READING THE BOOK...IT SEEMS THAT YOUNIOR IS A CRACKHEAD. HE ISNT A HARD WORKER. HE JUST WANT THE EASY WAY OUT OF LIFE. HE NOW HAS A GIRLFRIEND WHO IS ALSO A CRACKHEAD. SOMETHING BIG GOING TO HAPPEN. HE IS MONEY HUNGRY AND I UNDERSTAND THAT HE CAME FROM A POOR BACKGROUND
ReplyDeleteWell I agree to disagree with Jeff I don’t think Younior is exactly a crack head it doesn’t really tell if he’s doing it you just know that he’s selling it. I agree with you because he is money hungry he wants the finer things in life without working hard for it. In the chapter before it was talking about how him and his friend use to go to the store and steal stuff... which ties back in he is money hungry he even wanted cut to start selling to more people making the business larger so they can get richer, but cut said no because he didn’t want to become noticeable. Younior doesn’t really care about anything in life he just goes by as the day goes by he faced so much hardship in his life he somewhat became numb. He’s set into his own way of life which is sad. I personally think he doesn’t make choices in life, life makes choices for him. Which is a negative effect on him because this can lead him to his downfall, if he doesn’t take note of this early enough. I am still reading so hopefully I can find out if my prediction is true or false.
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ReplyDeleteFor The First Book I Picked Up In A Real Long Time, This Is A Great One. It's Better Than Most Books I've Read In The Past. It Has Drama, Sacrifice, Much More. It Feels Like This Book Is Just A Bunch Of Short Stories About The Main Character's, Yunior, Life. Right Now I'm Proceeding To Chapter 5. From What I've Just Read In Chapter 4, It Seems That The Family Is Holding On To The Father Or What Thoughts Still Remain Of Him. Because Of The Title Of This Chapter, "Aguantando" , Which Is Spanish For "Holding On", I Was Able To Understand Things More And Conclude That The Family Misses The Father. I'm Sort Of Upset That I Can't Relate To The Main Character. His Family Is Broken Up But Tries To Stay Together, He's Going Down The Wrong Path, Buying And Selling Drugs, And Him Being A Troublesome Person. Unlike Yunior, My Family Is Still Together, I'm Going Down The Right Path, Going To School And Doing What Is Needed For Me To Escalate In Life. I Hope In Chapter 5 I Find Something That Relates Me To The Main Character, So i Can Feel More Connected To The Book.
ReplyDeleteI'm reading the chapter Drown and I like the different setting that Papi's in . But I understand that father moved to Nyc to get money and a better life to send for his family but I feel that the father isn't trying his hardest to make it right for the family . Reason being is that he went on and married another women with a child knowing that he has a family of his own to take care of . Even though he likes the woman and it was the only place papi stayed at he still didn't have to sceam an live off of her because its making him seem like a worthless person . I think the first thing that the father needs to do is step up to the plate and become independent instead of using women . On the other hand I think that the father has the family in DR in the back of his head to motivate him to know why is there and what's his priority . He made many promises to Mami about sending them out the country but never did and as we know it was a hard task for him to even come visit the family in DR so it's a huge leap for him to reunite them in the united states. I understand that times are hard but If he found him a paying job , kept it, saved is money and try to by an apartment then maybe that would prove that he is sorry for leaving his family behind but he can't give back the nine years of him being out Yunior life that's something that's gone forever . As of now Yunior is grown up working and stuff which makes me feel like maybe he's not trying to follow his father's footsteps but instead make something out of his life .
ReplyDeleteI am at the end of chapter two “Fiesta”, and I am surprised to found out from Radcliffe that Papi wasn’t apart of the boys life, and made them lived in horrible condition. From this I still don't understand why Yunior and Rafa still haven't told their mother about the affair with the Puerto Rican. Since their father wasn't apart if their live shouldn't the boys be more connect and have a stronger bond with their mother, which I believe makes Yunior and Rafa duty to tell their mother about their father affair with another women. I also notice a lot of abuse between the father and Yunior. Before the family went to the party Yunior's father was barking at him, as was physically abusing before they arrived to the party. Even when they arrived to the "Fiesta" Papi didn't allowed Yunior to have any food. I find this act of abuse and secrets to be damaging to the family relationship later in the book.
ReplyDeleteI just got through finishin the book Drown by Junot Diaz . This was a pretty good book eventhough i dont really like how the author ended it. At the conclusion it was alot of questions i had in my mind that still wasnt answered. I think im better off reading the ended of the book over so i can get a better concept of the conclusion. I really enjoyed the suspence , drama and social humor the author used to tell the story . I thought it was amazing that he can stretch the smallest experinces in his life using lots of details a figurative language. By him doing this it made readers more interested and intrigued in his story. When i was reading the book at first i thought it was weird that the author didnt tell the story in a orderly matter but as i got further and deeper into the book i realized that all this experince that occured Drowned him and made up his life . Everything that happened in the past some how effected his future .
ReplyDeleteTyra I am almost near the end so I can only imagine was yet to come . I seen everything in this book already sex , lies , depception , only thing left is death . I agree and disagree the smallest expierence were the most relevant so you can't really call them small expierences , it dsen't have to be a large expierence to have alot of details . Just look at the old saying " A picture is worth a thousand words " so do you need a thousand words to tell a picture ? What I am trying to say is the picture represents a big expirence and it could be told by a few instead of a thousand . I agree on the fact that you mentioned the author used alot if imagery - I practically felt like I was there with him from the campo , to the house , to the parties , and the pools . I cant wait to see what is yet to come and I hope you think about what I said in this post .
DeleteCont. I almost forgot I don't understand your opinion on the symbolic meaning of Drown . I don't understand when you say everything he been through drowned him . I just want to reword it with a little of my opionion . I think the tile "Drown" is because all his expierence brought him down but the same expierences brought him back up . His expierences Drowned him and saved him . What don't kill you only makes you stronger right ?
DeleteI was saying the same thing I don't understand the meaning of the title Drown maybe he's taking it more as drowning in emotion. That's how I took it because he doesn't drown maybe its like everything he's done in his life or things that happen hsve drowned him in his emotions and he doesn't know how to deal with it.
DeleteI am on the verge of finsihing this book . Everyime I think the surprises are over the book surprises me with another surprise . This book is overwhelming with information about these two poor boys . While reading the chapter "Drown" i was in a state of serendipity because of what I just learned. I just found out that Yunior was sexually molested by his best friend . I think that the reason Younior let it hapen was because he had no other friends ; on page 104 he said " terrified that I would end up abnormal , a fucking pato , but he was my best friend and back then he mattered to me more than anything. " The way Younior wrote it seemed like he opposed of the sexual acts alot but in his life he been through so much that he finally found some one to trust he dosen't want that to end . So it's like his emotions is split in two right and wrong; love and hate and Younior is torn between the two. I believe that is where the name "Drown" comes from in this chapter because this is when he had the state of mind that life ended because all the things he been through was enough and the sexual molestation was the icing on the cake and this all happened around the summertime when they was at the pool so its like a metaphor and symbolism at the same time.I don't know why the title is named "Drown" yet but i have a feeling the worst is yet to come .
ReplyDeleteI 100% aggre with you in everything you said. When I read "Drown" I was actually a little confused of what was going on and is one of my favorite chapters it brings you back to the main argumeant. I mean like when the chapter started it talked about how he really didn't want to see his" best friend" and little by little it started to give hits of the story or maybe reading behind it. I also agree that he let his friend do all that because he felt alone . He felt different, maybe curious but it deffenetly shows something very interesting. I dont know if you noticed this but when it mentions that the first time he didn't like it but like you said since he has gone through so much he just let him self be. I don't blame him for any actions he took. He felt alone or something else.
DeleteI wouldnt know how to deal with a life without my father , but I do thats a text to self connection. My father is dominican and was a drunkie, im not sure if he cheated but he was killed :( and I was forced to live a life without that other part. Rafa and yunior are smart boys so with or without his father I believe that they will find the road and follow it. The part that also surprised me was that fact that yunior was molested really shocked the hell out of me.
ReplyDeleteI wouldnt know how to deal with a life without my father , but I do thats a text to self connection. My father is dominican and was a drunkie, im not sure if he cheated but he was killed :( and I was forced to live a life without that other part. Rafa and yunior are smart boys so with or without his father I believe that they will find the road and follow it. The part that also surprised me was that fact that yunior was molested really shocked the hell out of me.
ReplyDeleteOne of my Favorite chapter of this book is "girlfriend" because it just stereotype the girlfriend so much they make it seems like she is a nag, the girl doesn’t even have a name she just called girlfriend. The boyfriend had so much power over her he was able to go out and do whatever then comes back, and the girlfriend would fight with him and then whenever he comes back have sex with him and then act as if everything is ok. Junior know what was going on with this girl and yet still he had no respect for her he messed with her emotions. Every boy seems the same in this book they only want one thing and one thing only.
ReplyDeleteI am on chapter four. "Aguantando" means "holding on," and this story is about how the family tries to hold on, waiting for a father and husband to return. Yunior says he has lived without a father for the first nine years of his life. I can also relate to Yunior because i my self have also grown up with my father not always being there for me. Yunior only seems to know his father from pictures. It seems that Yunior growing up with out a father affect the type of person he is. He had haven't had a male role model in his life that has really hurt's him
ReplyDeleteI'm almost finished with the book and I must say as I get closer to the end I get more excited about how it will end. The chapter drown has to be the most interesting. The way he talks about his friend beto and how he would touch him. It's weird because he talks about "patos" but he let beto touch him and never stopped him. How can he be such a Hippocrate on gays but not stop his friend from touching him its so strange. Maybe this is the reason he doesn't like gay people because of Beto touching him when he was younger and him being worried about people finding out.
ReplyDeleteThe chapter Boyfriend is kindof confusing cause at first he talks about listening to his neighbos girlfriend and boyfriend and how after they broke up he tried to mess with her but she wasnt having it but than getting to the end he talks about him and girlfriend. which makes me wonder if he's talking about the neighbor or his own girlfriend he didn't give a name. It's a confusing chapter for me but than again it isn't its strange.
ReplyDeleteIn the chapter "boyfriend" it was like walking down memory lane for Younior . Everything the couple downstairs did he did with his ex girlfriend Loretta . This chapter is significant because it shows us why Younior acts the way he acts in terms of lacking trust . Him and his ex went through a horrid break up I assume . Only catch is he still has feelings and regrets because he says he still wants her back . Thats why they made a whole chapter about Loretta . He said every girl with a Cleopatra-Latino look reminds him of her . The end was funny though because i could never imagine Younior stepping up to get a girl it don't seem in his nature based on what I read about him , that sounds more like his Rafa . Younior tried to get her while she was emotionally weak because of the break up . He wanted the easy way out but at the end of the chapter it seemed as if she wasn't interested . He claimed that all he wanted out of her was a smile when he complemented her and said she looked fierce . I think that was all he needed to relive the memory of Loretta because he probably use to always get a smile out of her when he complemented her . I think later in life they are going to meet back up and become a couple becuas it reminds him of Loretta .
DeleteI recently read the last chapter of drown to get a better understanding of how the story end . I dislike how the book ended because the father didn't exactly get back with his family . The chapter that I enjoyed the most was fiesta because the author included characterization , humor, and lots of other details to tell the story . This chapter was important because it explains the times Yunior was with his dad which was very rare . But overall it was a very interesting book I would advise others to read it also . I am glad that I picked this book but I wonder if the author uses the same method to tell his other stories. Being that i finished reading the book it should be easy for me to write a essay about it .
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tyra. The author gave us a taste of how Yunior's dad acted when he actually was around & I thought that was smart because I didn't have to wonder how his dad was or anything. As I finished the book the one thing that stood out to me was "How did Yunior's little sister deal with her dad not being in her life ?" or even his older brother. I can predict that his older brother grew up the same or worse than Yunior , dealing with drugs, hoodrats , etc. I also predict that Yunior learned all of those things from his older brother because Rafa was already wild even when he was still a child.
DeleteI absolutely loved "How to date a browngirl . . ." From the beginning of the chapter when it mentions "you've already told them that you're feeling too sick to go to Union City to visit that Tia who likes to squeeze your nuts " Brings me back to when I was 9 and I would always make up any excuse whenever my grandpa would tell us that we were going for a visit, I would come up with the fakes excuses for why I couldn't make it. I also had a Tia that used to grab my nose all the time. I love this chapter not only because it brings back some good memories about my family but because it shows how Yuniora family would hide what is really there. By this is mean "Hide the picture of you with an Afro....spray the bucket with Lysol, then close the cabinet" my mom would always do this. A day before visit she would make me and my other two sister to clean every corner. I woul always get mad at her because our house was pretty big and one day wasn't enough. Not only that but because I would always wonder why would she clean a day before ? Who she was trying to impress? That's what I feel that Yuniors family is trying to do. Cleaning the bathroom , making everything in place . Maybe they knew they didn't had a lot so therefor they had to make it as presentable as it could be. In this chapter it also mentions about meeting people's families. Honestly I have always being afraid of bringing friends over or even having family over just for the simple fact that they might misjudge what you have. I also find this funny because the whole "cheese" thing is something I haven't really heard . In really looking forward into reading "No face" I have a feeling that it talks about Ysrael :x
ReplyDeleteLike Pedro, can really relate to the chapter when Yunior talks about his dad because I also grew up with out my dad. Although I see it as I didn't need him because I always had my grandfather, I came up with the prediction that that chapter links to the chapter where Yunior is a drug crazy teen with a drug crazy girlfriend. Not having a father figure in his life could of been the cause for Yunior to become that person. Not only did it have an affect on him but also on his mother. She had a really hard time accepting the fact that her husband always lies to her and her kids and it killed her inside. I can kind of relate to that because my dad used to come around & make un-kept promises. It killed me on the inside but I kept in mind that I never need him. I think that's the kind of things that Yuniors mom should have kept in her mind too. She has been a struggling mother for nine years without him but to her kids she's been doing the best job.
ReplyDeleteI'm angry -,- I really didn't like the end of the book. It made me feel like I missed on things or I feel like the last chapter" Negocios " expects you to know things. I felt like the story about his father should of being better from the beginning of the book it would of game me more information and it would of gave me more things to actually rely on. The whole fact that his father was born a "Mujeriego" makes me even mader. I actually like the fact that it gives you the reasons for why he feels that way and explains the storie behind it but also when I was reading I felt like I was never going to finish the chapter. I kinda enjoy reading "no face" since I was right that it was about Ysrael :) It shows how much he actually went through and how he faced his problems. Have maybe bully him and called him names and how he was affected by all of this. When I started reading this book I loved everything on it and I guess I was expecting a more eating ending but is not. It just repeats things that are predictable to the reader. Regardless this was an amazing book to read and the ending makes it more unique in a way. I can finally say that in done with this book :D Maybe of I read it again I would catch more things from the book that I didn't the first time I read it That way the ending would make sence .
ReplyDeleteThroughout the course of the stories Yunior , as the father is not always there for them and the family struggles with money problems , he changes from a sweet, typical boy child to a more hardened young man who must survive on the streets. he has learn to be more streets smart in order to survive in the world in which he lives in. Yunoir and his family is now located in America. Yunior and a friend, Beto, have gone crazy, out of control, in their neighborhood. They stealed, broke windows,pissed on people's steps and then challenged them to come out and stop us. he been acting like a big ass hole. Yunior has another year to graduate from high school. if he keeps acting like he is i think he is going to end up droping out of school and not making it in life.
ReplyDeleteI honestly think that I have a better connection with my dad than anyone in my family and I didn't grew up with my dad like Amanda did or anything but I did had a better communication. Since I was little I was races by my grandparents. My dad is 100% different from Yuniords that and im sure that if I was only raced by him I could of have being a different person that Im now. I hate the fact that in the end his father newr try anything to get closer to Yunior. It was like a thing he would never do. I wonder how things would of have changed if in the book Yuniors dad had a reason of why he was never around web Yunior needed him. He basacly has no reason. Maybe in the book when they mention what he was going through when he first came to the US should of showed some compassion towards him but he didn't deserve it.
ReplyDeleteFinally I can say this book is everything I would thought it would be like "Scarface" . I Use that term loosely . There are so much similarities lies, sex , drugs , guns and deception and it goes on . In every chapter I feel there is a new character I just finsh reading the chapter "Edison , New Jersey" and now theres another character named Wayne , who helps him putting tables together which consist of cards and the game of pool . But this is no regular bar type place it is for upscale people younior said . Wayne is fuuny though he always hitting on girls and he's married . Is like throught this whole story things are never what they ssem to be in a relationship but a gender theorist would beg to differ. The gender theorist would say its all lovey-dovey in relationships but on the contrary all the lies and deception in relationships .
ReplyDeleteEx 1: Youniors pops was come adultery with his mom.
Ex 2: Younior and his own thieving Girlfriend from the chapter "Aurora"
Ex 3: Younior and his ex grilfriend Loretta he didn't state why they broke up but his label "ex" was enough
Ex 4: Now Wayne hitting on other girls knowing he got a wife .
I think all of this effect Younior's future relationships because based on his and everybody around him relationships they are crap . I think this is why he said all he wanted was a smile in the end of the "Girlfriend" chapter . He just wanted some reassurance to know that he still got it which is what the smile gave him . He didn't want to engage in a relationship because he knows that they all end up in the garbage based on his expierences.
As far as Drown the main theory expressed in the book is the gender theory . I feel that in book Yunior father had more power in the house because he was the man of the house . Even though Papi was rarely in the house he had the last say in the family . Papi was very masculine and his masculinity brought him diferent women in his life like the Puertorican women and the women that he meet in New York . Psychoanalytical theory is shown in book because the characters all had different personalities that was influenced by the society . Through out the book Yunior went a struggle of growning up without his father . Rafa acts a certain way towards Yunior but at the end of the day he has alot love for him . Rafa taught him how to be tough being that his father wasnt around to do the role .
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