Not normal - narrative - essay #1

      As far back as  I can remember I had unnatural feelings. I'd find myself wondering what was wrong. At a young age I often wondered if my brain was broken.  Nothing was physically wrong with me yet I always felt different. Something wasn't right and no one knew it.
     It wasn't until about third grade (I guess I was about eight) when the unnatural feelings started to surface outward. As I sat in Mrs. Carter's third grade class on one sunny afternoon I remember watching the girl next to me gently stroke the classroom pet, a white fluffy bunny. I turned to her and asked her if she promised to not tell anyone if she'd be my girlfriend . Now I'm really not sure if I really expected her to say yes but when she did I was unprepared. In my eight year old mind knowing girls aren't to be with girls because the Bible tells you so I did the best thing I knew to do. I told her, "eew! no we  can't be girlfriends. We're both girls eew, your gay!!" Finally it had come out of me into the world to show its ugly face. To bad "it" came a few years to early because even though it showed itself I was still to young to process what "it" was and the direct impact it would have on me and in my life. What I did know was that that was not a conversation I'd have with anyone else. Ever.
     Well ever wasn't forever. Going into the late 1990's it may have seemed like it but it wasn't . By now my family had relocated to the beantown (it took me forever to figure out why it was called that). My family consisted of my mother, two sisters and one annoying big brother. It was hard enough to move to a new city away from all of your friends let alone a new state. The only friends I had now were my siblings. Of course my mother too but being a single parent working two jobs to keep the family afloat we didn't see her much. Although my mother was not home as often as she or we would have preferred she was very much so involved and she always knew every and anything going on with us. She was my best friend.
     After finally settling in finding my groove here in Boston I felt normal, not like I was walking around with a sack of patties in my backpack. Then one day out of the blue "it" came back. I was terrified I hadn't had to deal with it in so long. Finally I get a handle on what my perception of normalcy was and how it should feel and...it's back. This time each day worst than the last. Everyday
it was harder to wake up and go on about my day like it wasn't hovering around me. Each step regardless of the direction was much harder than its predecessor. My steps were heavy, my mind heavy with thought and mostly my heart being drug down with sadness. I went to sleep feeling like that, the next morning after waking up feeling like I had been hit by a Mac truck, I decided no more. It's time. I knew what "it" wanted. I just didn't want to acknowledge what I thought only existed  secretly locked safely away in may mind.
     Mother was home sick one day. One day turned into a week I catered to her everyday of that week to nurse her back to health. It's an amazing sixth sense parents have about their children because tho she was not well she was still able to sense something was up with me. She informed me that she'd noticed a difference in me a couple of weeks ago. Damn and here I was thinking thinking I choose the perfect mask to wear in her presence, apparently not. I informed her that something was indeed weighing heavily on me then I proceeded to asked her what she thought it was? She gave a few gauge responses all which were incorrect yet I could tell she was holding something back from me. I asked her, "what is you really want to say"? After a long pause which in my mind translated to oh God she must know, she asks, her Spanish accent heavier than usual as if she's choosing her next words very carefully, "Marilyn are you pregnant"? Pregnant oh how she couldn't be further from the truth. Truth was I'd never b pregnant, have a husband or give her grand kids. So after a long awkward silence between us (which I'm sure translated to her, as yep I knew it. Mami knows these things- her favorite phrase).














   













                                                                                                                                                                                                   

In Class Writing 9/20

Read the Langston Hughes essay, "Salvation".  On your own blog, make two lists: 1) a list of things you thought worked well in the essay and 2) a list of things that didn't work for you.

                                  Things that worked well:

                                           1.  That it as a good story
                                           2.  Made me want to keep reading.
                                           3.  Set the scene well 
                                           4.  Very descriptive.



                                  Things that didn't work well.

                                            1. The ending! -no it was a good ending however considering he was a child, I do wonder if he ever regained his faith?
                                             2. Author didn't really speak

In Class Writing - 9/18

Think into the future about Mae Mobley. What do you think she will have to say about her childhood?



If May Mobley remembers Abileen she will be alot like Skeeter in the sense that she will have an endearing love for Abileene. Maybe she will want to change things like Skeeter especialy with her mother not being loving.

In class writing - 9/13/12

Compare and contrast Aibileen and Minny's relationship with Skeeter and Hilly's relationship.


Abileen and Minny's relationship is genuinely loving and caring. Whereas on the surface of Skeeter and Hilly's relationship appears to to be the same howener it's not. All of Hilly's actions are motivated to make herself look good. Opposed to her doing something selfless like risking her job for the sake of a friend, she'd rather talk about people, spread rumors about people or boss her "friends" around. Anytime someone has an idea or an opnion Hilly dosen't like she shoots them down or down plays their oponion.
Abilene and Minny are the opposite. There isin't one thing one wouldn't do for the other. When Minny lost her job Abileen risked her own by lying to Celia Foote (which at that time would be considered a cardinal sin: to lie to a white woman) on behalf on Elizabeth Lefolt.

Homework #3

Minny and Abiee's Relationship

Kathryn Stockett developed  Minny and Abileen's relationship by having Minny take care of Abileen for three months straight after Abileen's son Treelore died. Minny made sure Abileen was still breathing and feed her food to keep her alive. On the commute to and from work the ladies sat together on the bus. They attended the same church and went to church functions together. Also both of the white women they waited on are in the same social circle. This elite social group meets every fourth  Wednesday of the month. Early on in this book Ms. Stockett shows  how strong their relationship is. The relationship only gets stronger throughout te book.

Homework #2

Skeeter hates the fact that her mother is super pushy about her appearance or lack there of. She also can't stand the "husband" conversations that are had quite frequently. Not understanding that Skeeter wants more than the small town average results in constant badgering from her mother. Mrs. Phelan thinks Skeeter isn't trying to meet a potential mate, she even questions Skeeter's sexuality. What Mrs. Phelan fails to realize is that Skeeter wants a husband however she wants to be more than just a housewife. With that being said Mrs. Phelan has made it very clear that If a man does not fall in love with Skeeter for her there's always her trust fund. And what genius wouldn't love a trust fund, because if he doesn't love you for that he's not worth you marrying anyway. Skeeter absolutely hates it when her mother brings up the trust fund. Skeeter despises the fact that her mother feels like she cannot get a husband on her own and that she must prep and marry her off before she dies.


In high school my mother expected me to be the obedient daughter in which she raised not the rebellious student no teacher wanted to teach, which is what I became. I was expected to go to class, learn, listen to teacher and do my work which was not what I did. At that time in my adolescent mind, thinking that I was grown and that I knew what was best for me I did not realize that my actions didn't only affect me. I didn't realize that all of the trips my mother made to the school for my behavior were not only embarrassing but physically and mentally draining. Especially when I was not the only child. Having to take out time to always be at the school with me for nothing to be proud of took time away from my siblings and sometimes even her work. My disruptive actions and disrespectful behavior was hurtful and disappointing to my mother because that was not how she raised me. She was disappointed because she knew even when I didn't that I was more than capable of being a good model student.

In Class Writing (1st blog)

While reading the Help my opinion is that the way Abileen speaks is appropriate. With her limited education she is quite knowledgeable. White people didn't care or want to see a smart black person so although her spelling wasn't great she spoke clearly for a southern house maid in the 1960s.