Theme
Answer the following questions. This blog is the equivalent of a classroom discussion, so you will need to respond to your peers' posts in order to learn from multiple perspectives and in order to represent a discussion. Please refer to the blog rubric on Blackboard in order to achieve the grade you desire.
1. What is the theme of "Girl?" What makes you think so?
2. What is the theme of "Jesus Shaves?" What makes you think so?
3. What is the theme of "Happy Endings?" What makes you think so?
Happy Posting!
Professor Stanley
1. What is the theme of "Girl?" What makes you think so?
ReplyDeleteIt is important to remember the advice of the past, but more so important to find your way into the future. This is apparent due to the good advice and bad advice that the narrator gets, and how she responds to it.
2. What is the theme of "Jesus Shaves?" What makes you think so?
That faith is in the eye of the beholder. A giant rodent delivering candy is completely understandable, but a bell from Rome? No French bell would ever allow that…
3. What is the theme of "Happy Endings?" What makes you think so?
That the beginning can be different, and the ending is always the same, it is the middle that is the most exciting. She tells you the theme on page 767.
4. What is the theme of "I Stand Here Ironing?" What makes you think so?
That no matter how austere the environment, you can still turn out to be successful. Judging by the terrible living conditions she had to endure her entire life, she turned out to be successful. A functioning, all be it socially awkward, member of society.
J.N.Karshner
Well done. I think you did a very excellent job of discussing the theme of each story.
Delete- Elephantsicko
Sarai Garcia
ReplyDelete1. The theme of "girl" is that a women's reputation is important to society. I think so because the women keeps reminding the girl what her duties and responsibilities as a lady are like doing chores not acting like a slut, doing everything around the house.
2. The there of " Jesus Shaves" is that explaining faith to someone is never easy. I think so because some because can judgmental base on their religion
3. The theme on " Happy Ending" is that rich or poor no matter the financial situation there is no happy ending and everybody dies. I think so because in all the endings but one ends in tragic sad endings.
I agree completely.
Delete- Haakam Sherwani
Viridiana Salinas
ReplyDeleteThe theme of “Girl” revolves around the idea of societal expectations imposed on women from a very young age. This piece seems like it makes a mockery or criticizes what an older traditional woman would probably say to a younger lady to try to educate her on “proper etiquette”. For the most part, everything that was said tied back to the ideology of male dominance and magnified a woman’s place in the home and inferiority to a male.
The theme of Jesus shaves is about faith. All of us look at or value faith differently. The setting of a classroom for instance, reflected the idea of the diverse world we live in. The classroom was a space where different minds would come together, but when a certain topic arose the reader could clearly see that there are extreme contrasts and beliefs from person to person that played out humorously throughout the text. For example, the Moroccan student did not know what the whole concept of Easter entailed. For the American boy who attempted to clarify its meaning, Easter was something meaningful and made complete sense. On the other hand, the Moroccan lady and others in the class probably didn’t agree. The point is, our faith has a lot to do with how we have been raised, our lives, and some personal bias.
The theme of happy endings is that no matter what happens in our lives, what mistakes we do, what we say the outcome will always be the same. By this I am referring to death. The idea of a happy ending is artificial. No one really has and entire life worth of happiness and no one really lives forever either. It is in our human nature to always have a beginning and an end to everything. Therefore, our lifecycle is a tragedy of its own marked by death on the very last stage.
Would you care to discuss your personal stance on the theme of Girl?
Delete- Elephantsicko
Yeah, sure. In a more broader sense the theme I see in this story is about the tradition of gender norms, especially for women.
DeleteViridiana S.
Viridiana Salinas
ReplyDeleteI also agree with J.N Karshner on the fact faith is in the eye of the beholder. In this story we see that very clearly when one of the characters believes in the Easter bunny and the other one doesn't. This shows the contrast of beliefs that happens when we talk from person to person. All answers will vary because everyone is clearly from different backgrounds.
Roman Leal
ReplyDeleteI don’t know if the woman is so much concerned about the girl’s reputation as Sarai mentioned. The theme in Girl is, “oh, how times have changed.” I’m lead to think this because the author’s upbringings are not anything like her mid and latter years of life. I think the author may have been reminiscing on a life she may have had growing up.
I’m not sure if I agree with J.N. Karshner that “faith is in the eye of the beholder.” Faith is more based on how you were raised and lead to believe. The theme in Jesus Shaves is that our religious backgrounds are based on how we were raised; we are all product of our upbringings. I think this because where we (Americans) see the Easter bunny as normal as breathing air, in other countries, where religious beliefs vary and the people are brought up with different beliefs, the Easter bunny is taboo, as is a the Easter “bell” for Americans.
I agree with all my previous classmates on this one. The theme in Happy Endings is that no matter what, every ending is the same, everyone dies in the end. This was easy to think of because the author mentions that death is the only “authentic ending.”
I didn’t read I Stand here Ironing because we were asked to scratch it off our list.
The theme of Girl is that no matter what qualities a woman has, in a society developed and governed by men, she will always be regarded as a "slut" if she does not follow the guidelines to being a "lady" (I, in no way, share or support this belief). The reason this is so is because the narrator is listing qualities men desire in a wife but then is regarding the undesirable qualities as "slutty".
ReplyDeleteThe theme of Jesus Shaves is that humans are always trying to instill beliefs or practices on others but do not understand that these beliefs may seem a little more than foreign to an outsider. In the story, the students attempt to explain the holiday, Easter, to the Muslim student. Though the meaning of Easter is clear to the other students, it is difficult to convey the meaning to the Muslim student. Allegory is even utilized to use the broken French as a language barrier that makes the interpretation much more difficult.
The theme of Happy Endings is that every story begins and ends the same but what truly matters is the how and why you choose to live yours. The narrator even explains this in the last two paragraphs of the literary work.
- Elephantsicko
1. I think that the theme of "The Girl" was that societal views on how a woman is "supposed" to act is outrageous and stupid. In the whole piece, she is giving ridiculous advice and instruction. It was never said who the woman was or who she was talking to, which leads me to believe that the author wrote this piece to display that something of higher power (society) is talking to someone of lower power (1 woman). Also, the author is writing this sarcastically, she wrote this not from her point of view, but from society's
ReplyDelete2. The theme of "Jesus Shaves" is that we all see things differently. The french teacher saw the delivery of candy was done by a bell, but the narrator thought it was a bunny. The muslim woman valued easter differently than them two. We all are different, and we all value things differently.
3. The theme of "Happy Endings" is that no matter which way you put it, we all die. There is no way around it. Each story had the same ending. Everyone dies. Some had happy plots. Some had sad plots. They all have the same ending. This is a very pessimistic point of view, but it is true.
- Haakam Sherwani
Liz Fusciardi - I think we are all on the same page for the most part, although Roman brought up a good point in "Girl" with is being a different time and J.N.Karshner with saying that its "in the eye of the beholder"
ReplyDeleteTheme is what you take away from something; the theme in “Girl” is how to be the woman a man would want. The way the woman is talking to this girl makes it seem like she is in a type of prep school for women and is of that age when she needs to start portraying herself as a desirable wife.
“Jesus Shaves” was a little hard to peg down for me, after reading it over again the theme became clearer. This story is about faith, beliefs and what we make of them. The main character gets wrapped up in a conversation about the French beliefs of a bell at Easter which he thinks is the most absurd thing he has ever heard. Mix in some bad grammar and people who don’t truly understand what someone is saying and you have the mumbo jumbo thoughts of his classmates. The end result is having faith in something, anything, even a big giant bell.
My favorite, “Happy Endings” poor John and Mary were never really going to be happy. This story’s theme was a play on words; there is never a happy ending. John and Mary were always going to die in the end, no matter which way it was written. Ending A was a lie.
1. What is the theme of "Girl?" What makes you think so?
ReplyDeleteThe theme of girl would be a demanding commanding theme,in wich the character may rebel depending on what kind of person she is and if she enjoys being treated the way she is treated.
2) What is the theme of "Jesus Shaves?" What makes you think so?
The theme of Jesus shaves is a theme of how our society has accepted our traditions, and with no evidence if they were true or not, just like in the tittle Jesus shaves, when we think of Jesus we visualize a wise man with a beard…did he in fact have a beard?
3) What is the theme of "Happy Endings?" What makes you think so?
That you can never really have a happy ending because in all happy ending we all die.
1) The theme analysis of a girl and a mother, and the mother past exeperiences and guiding her daughter in a tradition, and perpespective of how the world changes with tradition.
ReplyDelete2) the Theme in "Jesus Shaves is faith, faith in things that no one can see and faith in things that can be proven. Throughtout the story fiath comes into play. When the narrator poses the question the teacher doesnt answer it simply points out how his beliefs is just as unlikely.
3) Happy Endings is a short story, which is essentially a self-referentail story framework and falls into third category, and explores of deomesticity, welfare, and success and of course the ending when character's all die.
Jessica Gallardo
I agree, that in the story "Girl" the mother is trying to covey what she has been taught.
Delete-Salam Zaidan
1. The theme of “Girl” is that maintaining femininity circulates around the idea of knowing how to maintain a house, and what to do in order to get married. The narrator gives many statements about how a girl should clean, and how she should take care of her “image”.
ReplyDelete2. The theme of “Jesus Shaves” is to have faith in what one believes in. The boy asks how you believe do in a bell and the teacher responds saying how you believe in a rabbit. Both beliefs are questionable, but it is all about faith in what people can’t see.
3. The theme of ‘Happy Endings” is that not every story has to have a happy ending. No matter how he story was written, the story always ended with Mary and John’s death.
-Salam Zaidan
Tommy Wheeler
ReplyDeleteThe theme of “Girl” is rather hard to pinpoint. There is so little information about the narrator and even less about the main character. It is entirely open to the reader’s interpretation, which reveals their own ideals. This story may have revealed more about my classmates, than it has about the actual characters. But to answer the question, I think the theme is, people always think they know what’s best. I think this because the narrator is giving advice that is “certain” and if you don’t follow the advice, you’re a slut.
I think the theme to “Jesus Shaves” is more than how we have differing beliefs, it’s bigger than that. I think the theme is something to the effect of, cultural barriers suck. Because of the different backgrounds, nationalities and languages, it’s hard for the characters to communicate about anything. Especially long held traditions and beliefs, which require more than a few sentences (usually). Because of this hurtle, all of the characters are prone to be misunderstood and misheard; like Jesus “Shaves”.
I agree with Elephantsicko’s view on the theme of “Happy Endings”. The only thing different in all of the stories (besides how they died), was the middle. The life you live is where the story is.
I like your thoughts on how it's up to the reader's interpretation in "Girl"
Delete-Austin Duenes
Austin Duenes
ReplyDelete1. My thoughts are a lot like Tommy's about "Girl" and that you can make up just about any interpretation you'd like because the detail of the story is very odd. Seeing how the question states that I must pick a theme my guess would be a theme as an idea. Which is a phrase and mine being "A Way Of Life"
2. My opinion about "Jesus Shaves" seems to differ slightly from everyone elses (that I've read) I Think that there's a theme and that there's a subtheme going on as well. I think that the subtheme is actually "faith" and that's what most of y'all think is the main theme. I think that the main theme is more along the lines of "Man vs Universe" This line at the end says it all, "...my
heart expanded to encompass all the wonders and possibilities of the universe." He's gone past the point of faith towards the end because he's thought about it so much and like a lot of people who've laid in their beds wondering and questioning "what's on the other side"
3. The theme in "Happy endings" would most likely be you don't know what will happen in a lifetime and that the chances of you having a happy ending are slim to none. We all have the same exit pass and that's just how we have to look at it.
1. A way of life, yes, but a specific way. in fact, instruction for a specific way. work hard, be a proper lady. because it is a "how to" litany. the whole piece is instruction.
ReplyDelete2. In this work, there is more than one. A group of students from varying backgrounds, struggling to understand religious symbolism, described through the eyes of one student, who concludes that faith is the underlying theme of the days lesson. "In communicating any religious belief, the operative word is faith, a concept illustrated by our very presence in that classroom. Why bother struggling with the grammar lessons of a six-year-old if each of us didn't believe that, against all reason, we might eventually improve? If I could hope to one day carry on a fluent conversation, it was a relatively short leap to believing that a rabbit might visit my home in the middle of the night, leaving behind a handful of chocolate kisses and a carton of menthol cigarettes. So why stop there? If I could believe in myself, why not give other improbabilities the benefit of the doubt? I accepted the idea that an omniscient God had cast me in his own image and that he watched over me and guided me from one place to the next. The virgin birth, the resurrection, and the countless miracles -my
heart expanded to encompass all the wonders and possibilities of the universe." because the last paragraph tells me so.
3. I see a different theme, than my fellow classmates, at work here. We all meet the same fate, death; but the journey is what really matters. life happens right here, right now. this moment, now, is all we are guaranteed. live every moment as if it were your last, because some day, it will be. because in every version, even though they die in the end, they lived.
Doug T.
1. That you must follow a strict set of guidelines to be a decent and honorable woman. That is what this story states, it serves as a how to manual for a young woman growing up. All of the instruction is what leads me to believe this.
ReplyDelete2. That you shouldn’t ever give up, and should always keep an open mind to learning and other people’s customs and traditions. Everybody is there with the intent of learning and improving their second language skills. This makes me believe the message is to persevere, no matter how old.
3. I think the theme of “Happy Endings” is pretty clear, we all die. The author goes out of her way to show the reader that no matter how much sugar coating, and alternate plots a story takes, everybody eventually dies. I think this because the author seems to be extremely pessimistic.
Marc Moody
I agree with you Marc the type of events you go through in life don't matter because eventually everyone dies.
Delete-Cristian Rayas
The theme for the story "Girl" is being represented as woman/feminism. Reason behind my opinion is because this theme illustrates and interprets everything a woman must do to become a housewife. I'm not being biased its basically what the narrator points out. It's almost like an instruction manual on how to act and do things in a certain way.
ReplyDeleteJesus shaves has a theme of illusion/innocence due to the fact that they're children and don't know any better. It would be befoul and disorganized if the children were told that Easter bunny, bell, etc was not real. It would crush their spirits.
"Nothing will come out of nothing" is a theme for the story "happy endings" Yes it is a theme i have my notes on it from my last year AP English class. No matter what you do in life life accomplishments, hard work, and effort that took you to get where you're now won't matter in the end because we all die. Sounds harsh Huh? however that's the truth. There's nothing we can do against that, its God's Law. If i was to die right now i would be fine with it. All the suffering this world has to offer is not worth my time. That's why time is the most important thing in the world.
-Cristian Rayas
1. What is the theme of "Girl?" What makes you think so?
ReplyDeleteThe theme in "The Girl'' is complications betwen mother and daughter. She loves her daughter very much, but maybe what the mother is trying to point out is that she is concerend and wants to direct her daughter in the right path. And I would say many mothers and daughter always have that tension when they have troubles.
2. What is the theme of "Jesus Shaves?" What makes you think so?
The theme in "Jesus Shaves" is all about faith because, he has faith in things that others can't see like he can.
3. What is the theme of "Happy Endings?" What makes you think so?
The theme of "Happy Endings" is basically about domesticity. Because Mary thinks that by doing histerical thing as in trying to kill herself, or only having sex twice a week so he won't get tired of it so he can come back for more plesure. And in the end she thinks that it will make her succesful with him and have a marriage and kids as she was hoping for. But no that's not how it is instead they both die.
-karla Menchaca
Madison Tollett
ReplyDeletethe theme of girls is that we are told in olden time how to be the perfect housewife however as times have changed we take different advice now intend to forget some things that were portrayed in girl
the theme in Jesus shaves is that everyone has a different way of celebrating holidays and explaining the different religions may come off either is wrong to certain people or unimaginable
the theme of happy endings is that there is an ending to everything and the ending is death no matter the factors throughout life we all have an ending. Whether we choose to make it happy or sad its up to you
1. In the story “Girl” as a young a girl, the advice you get doesn’t all make sense. Makes you wonder why must you act a certain way to be perceived as something. The reason I think that is because the narrator questions the acts she must display to be seen as a woman what the story says more of what you should display according to society.
ReplyDelete2.In Jesus Shaves a we learn that we all have different cultures and beliefs. Our belief can sound humorous to someone else’s belief but despite of that we will still hold faith in it. The narrator finds it hard to believe that in France the chocolate is brought in by a big bell, but realizes he should be open to accepting other believes and continue remaining faith in his.
3. We all have different journeys and experiences in life. Regardless of it, we all have the same ending not knowing when or how. In happy endings each paragraph has a good beginning, a different experience, but the same ending.
Julie Rosales
What is the theme of "Girl?" What makes you think so? The theme is how the mom defines womanhood. The mom gives daughter list very traditional expectations she has for her daughter. She is showing her daughter what a women’s role should be. It seems the mom cares a lot how she wants society to view her daughter.
ReplyDeleteWhat is the theme of "Happy Endings?" What makes you think so? No matter what choices we make in life we all have the same ending.
soria