Humanities Homework Help

Read the book A Dream Called Home Chapter 1-4 page 3-32 before doing this:

In our first discussion of  a A Dream Called Home, we will focus on theme as a literary device.  A theme is what a book is about. It is the main idea a writer explores in a book, short story, memoir, or other literary work.

There are many themes in Reyna Grande’s memoir, A Dream Called Home.   In chapters 1-4, the themes of belonging and relationships are introduced.  Think about these themes as you read chapters 1-4.  Annotate as you read, noting examples/evidence of these themes.  After you read, please post your response to the following two questions:

1.  Choose a quote or passage from chapters 1-4 that highlights the theme of belonging OR relationships.  Explain how this quote or passage relates to the theme and why it is significant in understanding Grande’s main idea.  Only write about one theme. Write one paragraph (about 200 words).  

Note: This paragraph is about how the author conveys a theme. Therefore, first person I should not be used.

2. Explain why you chose the passage or quote you chose. Why was it significant to you? How do you relate to it? Do you have a similar experience? Write one paragraph (about 200 words).  

Note: This paragraph is a personal response. It is about how you relate to the theme. Therefore, first person I should be used.

3.  Respond to two classmates’ posts. Make sure your responses are meaningful, constructive, and respectful. Each response should be one paragraph (about 200 words).

Remember, this is an advanced course and your posts should demonstrate advanced writing and correct use of academic vocabulary.  Make sure to proofread before you post. Make an initial post early in the week so your classmates have enough time to respond to your posts. Refer to Discussion Forum Guidelines in the syllabus for complete instructions.

Naoko KyogokuSundaySep 26 at 12:08pmManage Discussion Entry1.     At the end of the chapter 4, Grande refers to Candide, the protagonist in Voltaire’s novel, when she sees the face of an acquaintance at UCSC.  The true reason she mentions this name, however, is probably not that she wants to compare her friend’s depressed face to this agonized hero, but rather, this reference is done to liken Grande herself to Candide.  Candide, an exile from his beautiful castle, realizes at the end of the novel that earnestly cultivating his own field is all he can do to live, and that working hard is the only way to make his life bearable.  Grande notices that she and Candide are alike in their experiences and beliefs.  “Also like Candide,” Grande writes, “I had come to learn that not all is for the best, but if there was anything that life had taught me so far, it was to try my hardest to make the best of things, no matter how difficult they might be (p. 32).”  It can be said that this sentence highlights the themes of both belonging and relationships.  On one hand, this seems to be a declaration of her readiness to make the world of literature her new home and to do anything to show the world that she is a talented writer.  On he first day of school, Grande freezes at the door, finding over a hundred people in the lecture hall (p. 27) and even begins to doubt her talent (p. 28).  The university is also full of discouraging things for Grande.  At the welcome party, she feels inferior to all the students (p. 15) and at the bookstore, she watches some parents helping their children (p. 20).  This awareness of her bearing some resemblance to Candide is the rediscovery of her tenacity as her virtue (p. 5).  In the quoted sentence, Grande seems to have found out that her industriousness is what makes her outstanding and that only by that virtue she can find her place in the literary world.  In this sense, this resolution means Grande’s gaining her own home –where she belongs to– by her own efforts.  This must be a significant moment for her, as finding a place to call home is one of her dreams.   At the same time, however, this sentence is highly ironic.  It is because her diligence obviously comes from her father.  When Grande finds some homeless people in the downtown, what her father taught her and her siblings comes back to her: “[M]y father drilled into us the expectation that we were to grow up into hardworking adults (p.22).”  Grande also recalls her father’s cruel prophecy about her being a failure again and again.  Can it be said that she is working hard just to prove that her father was wrong?  No matter how hard Grande tries to be released from the past, her father always haunts her.  Therefore, the sentence about Candide also can be the highlight of Grande’s unbreakable relationship with her father.2.     I chose the sentence, because at college I often felt diligence was the only thing I had, too.  (My measure was also literature.)  On the first day of college, when I was 18, I was overwhelmed by how confident other students looked.  What discouraged me most was the fact that the gap between those students and I seemed impossible to be filled up.  At least for me, it seemed that they were privileged to have anything they wanted since they were very young.  They were able to study abroad if they wanted to, and were able to attend good private schools whose tuition was very expensive.  I was one of the very few students from a tiny rural city, being ignorant of the flashy world.  I did not know what was my strong point, but when I was writing an essay for a literature class, I felt something was waiting in me to become words.  That something was very elusive, and it was hard to find proper words that match it, and it took a lot of time to finish the essay.   I felt exhausted, but it was such a fulfilling experience.  That was when I noticed that I might have the persistence to find words for abstract thoughts that had never been expressed before.  That notion gave me confidence.  (I am sorry my essay was too long.  I tried and tried to make it shorter, but I felt the themes of belonging and relationships were inseparable in this book.)

Hafsa Sarwar

YesterdaySep 27 at 12:07pmManage Discussion EntryHi,1) The quote I choose from the book is, I turned away from the families and grabbed my suitcase and backpack from the trunk. ” Focus on what you’re here for.”  (c1h 1. pg 8). This quote highlights the main idea of author’s about achieving  American dream of getting higher education. And, she wanted to stayed focus on achieving her dream. Her dream was as she mentioned, Higher education is the only way to succeed in this country ” , (ch 1, page 6). Before she gets emotional from her surrounding and losses her aim for higher education she moved on, because in her surrounding there were families saying goodbyes to their children, supporting them and there she was, no one from her family came to drop her off to campus, she started to fell that stress of being at college more but doesn’t want reflect it on her boyfriend. She was at USCS for fulfilling her American dream. Though she was scared but still wanted to achieve for what she came for. This quote conveys her message that she grabbed not only her things but her feelings, struggles and emotions to stay focus for her target.  2) Reason that I choose this quote and  sentences because when I moved to USA in 2010 with my parents I was myself student BBA-4 year out which I was almost completed 6 semesters and only 2 semesters were left for my graduation. But my parents wanted to move to USA at any cost though we were from middle-upper class. So, at that point my feelings were same as Grende that higher education can lead you to success. And than, I decided to continue my education here and I enrolled myself in one of the colleges in New York, so,  I said same thing to myself  “Focus on what you’re here for.”  I am at DeAnza CC for my degree in medical assistant program. And when I enrolled myself in college in New York I felt same. My english was fair because english my second language I felt shy talking to people or even asking professors questions because I thought students will laugh at me. But later I ended up securing an A in one of the core courses because of my hardwork.Hafsa