The Rudy Elmenhurst Story

Yolanda tells her story of how for a few years she was the wildest one out of her sisters. In high school, she had a lively personality and had lots of callers. In college, she couldn't keep the guys interested because she wouldn't sleep with them. She met Rudy Brodermann Elmenhurst, the third in her English class. Yolanda didn't feel like she belonged there because she was a foreign student. They began going out and they wrote a pornographic poem together. Yolanda was shocked when Rudy explained all the double meanings to her. At a party in the guy's dorm rooms, she refused to take drugs, in fear of Rudy taking advantage of her. After they broke up, Yolanda kept thinking that Rudy would come back to her during the spring dance, but Rudy had brought another girl.

Five years later in grad school she met Rudy but threw him out after realizing that he only wanted to have sex with her.

-- Janet.

Immigration To America

In the beginning of part 2, the book described how life was like in America, as an immigrant also described how their parents were worried about their children in America.

We had only second-hand stuff, rental houses in one redneck Catholic neighborhood after another, clothes at Round Robin, a black and white TV afflicted with wavy lines. Cooped up in those little suburban houses, the rules were as strict as for Island girls, but there was no island to make up for the difference.

Since I was fortune enough to be born in America, I not realize all the struggles and the difficult adaption immigrants have to go through. My mom immigrated from China when she was young and that made me think about how she went through it all back then; being all alone and knowing her parents are in the other side of the world.

-Michelle Xia(:

Narration

This is something I have realized while I'm reading this book. The majority of books I've read in the past there was always a narrator and "I"'s in the story. However, this book, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accent, there is no narrator or no point of view. I find that interesting.

Do you think it has an affect on how the story is told? Do you think the read maybe written better if it had an narration?

Later on in the book, narration starts...isn't that a bit confusing at times?

-Michelle Xia (:

Tycoon?

Mama Coon is -- Yo looks around the room -- scarf, mirror, soap, umbrella--an umbrella tycoon. A dark cloud rolls lazily towards her in the sky. The ghost of the tennis ball is coming towards her in the sky. The ghost of the tennis ball is coming to haunt the man. Yo smiles, appreciating her charms.

An umbrella tycoon will never do. One more turn around the room: typewriter, red satchel--nice sound to that. But he isn't a red satchel tycoon. A breeze blows the white curtains in on either side of her, two ghostly arms embracing her. A room tycoon...(Alvarez, pg 69, paragraph 1-2)

When I read this, I was confused on what she was talking about. It was difficult for me to paint an image of this in my mind. What do you guys think they are saying? Any clues?

-Michelle Xia (:

Chapter 4 - Joe

Yolanda is in a mental hospital, telling Dr. Payne about her relationship with her husband, John. She begins to suspect John when he started calling her crazy and said she needed to see a therapist. She also mistrusted him when he began to make a list of the pros and cons of marrying her. Yolanda leaves him to go to her parents when she couldn't understand what he was saying anymore. But, she begins to quote and misquote books, poems, and songs so much that her parents took her to a mental institution to help her get better. Yolanda also developed an allergy to certain words, such as, love, alive and her own name. She repeats the words over, determined to get rid of the allergy.

--Janet

Que es...?

VOCABULARY:

admonished: To remind of something forgotten or disregarded, as an obligation or a responsibility. [page 87]

tendrils: A twisting, threadlike structure by which a twining plant, such as a grape or cucumber, grasps an object or a plant for support. [page 87]

dearth: A scarce supply; a lack. [page 90]

preliminaries: Something that precedes, prepares for, or introduces the main matter, action, or business. [page 91]

coverlet: it's a bedspread. [page 96]

amorous: Strongly attracted or disposed to love, especially sexual love. [page 97]

decadent: Being in a state of decline or decay. [page 103]

concocting: To prepare by mixing ingredients, as in cooking. [page 114]

toke: A puff on a cigarette, marijuana cigarette, or pipe containing hashish or another mind-altering substance. [page 115]

schizoid: Of, relating to, or having a personality disorder marked by extreme shyness, flat affect, reclusiveness, discomfort with others, and an inability to form close relationships. [page 117]

repatriated: To restore or return to the country of birth, citizenship, or origin. [page 117]

myopic: unable to see distant objects clearly. [page 129]

berate: To rebuke or scold angrily and at length. [page 130]

Spanish Words:

Que viva la revolucion: means "that the revolution lives." [page 126]

misterio: means "mystery." [page 114]

novios: means "fiance." [page 129]

What Do You Think?

On page 87, Yolanda says that she had what teachers would say a "vivacious personality." She could always make guys blush and laugh, and always had a group of callers following her. What do you think the word vivacious means?

-MONICA SHARMA (:

words & examples.

here are the definitions and examples of the words I picked up. (:

complied: To be courteous or obedient. [page 70]

example: Mary complied to her doctor's orders to take her medicine twice a day.

guffawed: A hearty, boisterous burst of laughter. [page 71]

example: Ryan guffawed when his brother recited a love poem in front of the whole class.

inadvertent: not attentive; marked by unintentional lack of care. [page 71]

example: Lola was inadvertent and barely awake when her principal gave a speech about the consequences of vandalism.

Some Spanish words (:

*cielo: it is the Spanish word for "sky." [page 72]

example: Jorge wondered why there so many airplanes flying up high in the cielo.

*amor: is the Spanish word for "love." [page 85]

example: Rosa ran away from home with her amor in order for them to be together.

-MONICA SHARMA (:

Reading Assignment

I think that since we read 67 pages last time,  I think that we should read up to page 132.

By when?  Friday?  Is this too much?  Give me your feedback.

-Angelina

An observation.

I also noticed that there is a lot of jumping around in this book;  from the past to the present,  to the past again,  making it quite confusing sometimes.  What do you think?

-Angelina Castroooooooooooooo (:

I feel bad for the poor young man in the hospital as the grandma is there, yapping away. Hahaa. :D

-Angelina

Why don't you put the book down.

On the third Chapter, I found it entertaining reading it. The four girls parents were highly concerned for Sandra who has been loosing A LOT of weight. Their parents confronted the doctor about her situation; that she was reading nonstop and won't eat.

I don't know about you guys but this chapter made me think of people in America. They probably aren't in the same situation as the family in the book however, there is a lot of parents who are super duper concerned for their child's massive weight gain or weight loss. It kind of reminds me of an episode on the Tyra Banks show where there are kids who have eating disorders.

-Michelle Xia

Sandra's story.

I'd like to really evaluate one of the things that Janet has brought up in her last post.

From page 50 to about page 56,  the mother's story about Sandra.

As Janet mentioned before, the mother does not like to talk about Sandra, and telling stories about her.  Sandra had a "small breakdown", and began to starve herself.  She claimed in the hospital that she had "very little time left", so she began to read religiously.  She said that she was going to turn into a monkey soon..

What do you guys think of this situation?  I'm a bit confused.. Does she really have monkey organs, or is this all crazy talk?

Comment with your feedback here (:

-Angelina 

Giving out money on your own birthday?! Are you CRAZY?

When I was reading Chapter 2, I easily made an connection with the dad. On my grandpa's 70th birthday, all his grandchildren (including me of course) received money even though it was HIS birthday. At that time, (this is about 7 years ago) I just accepted the money happily and never questioned why. But, now as I think of it, shouldn't my grandpa be receiving presents and money? I found it rather interesting that in the novel, they did they same even though my grandpa didn't gave be hundreds and hundreds of dollars.

Have this ever happened to you guys? How do you feel about this?

-Michelle Xia (:

Imagine This

On page 14, I start to hear the word Altamira. It is described as a pretty dangerous village. But also, it is said that Altamira has amazing beach resorts.

On page 21, I think it shows great use of words to explain the situation and scenery.

Yolanda makes the motions of pumping. The darker man looks at his companion, who shrugs, baffled as well. Yolanda waves for them to follow her. And as if after dragging up roots, she has finally managed to yank them free of the soil they have clung to, she finds she can move her own feet toward the car,

The small group stands staring at the sagging tire a moment, the two men kicking at it as if punishing it for having failed the senorita. They squat by the passenger's side, conversing in low tones. Yolanda leads the men to the rear of the car, where they lift the spare out of its sunken nest--then set to work fitting the interlocking pieces of the jack, unpacking the tools from the deeper hollows of the trunk. They lay their machetes down on the side of the road, out of the way. Above them, the sky is purple with twilight. The sun breaks on the hilltops, spilling its crimson yolk.

-Michelle Xia (:

Something to think about

Hey there, guys. Sorry I haven't been able to post in awhile, I haven't really had access to a computer.

I'd like to go back to page 17, the last paragraph.

Summary.

Hey. I'm going to do a summary for each chapter cause I think it's easier that way, since the story isn't told in order.

So.. Chapter 1-Antojos

Yolanda returns to the Dominican Republic for the first time in five years. Her aunts and cousins celebrate her return with a cake shaped like the Island. She goes to the north by herself to pick some guavas to eat. She stops at a cantina to ask the woman there where to find guavas. The woman's grandson, Jose, and other little boys goes with her to pick guavas. When they were all ready to leave, they got a flat tire. Yolanda sends Jose to the mansion for help. While she's waiting, she encounters two men, who want to help her. But, she becomes too frightened to speak or move. When asked if she was an American, she begins to speak to them in English. The men changed the tire for her and Yolanda heads back on the road. She finds Jose, who tells her that the guard at the mansion had hit him for telling lies. The guard didn't believe that a Dominican woman would be out late alone getting guavas.

Chapter 2-The Kiss

The four girls would always celebrate their father's birthday. For his seventieth birthday, Sofia wanted the party to be at her house, and managed to include the girls' husbands. There was tension between Sofia and her father because when she was young, she left home to be with her boyfriend. They had lost interest in each other and broke up. A few days later, Sofia met Otto, a German man, in Columbia. When the father found her love letters, he became enraged and accused her of destroying his reputation. She ran away from home and got married with Otto. Sofia wanted to reunite with her father again, so she organized his 70th birthday party. But, when the father didn't include her in his daughter count, her feelings were hurt.

Chapter 3-The Four Girls

The girls' mother would sometimes confuse the girls' names, their birthdates, or their careers. But, the mother liked to tell stories about each girl on special occasions. At Carla's wedding, her mother told a story about how Carla, as a child, really wanted red sneakers. Carla and her father had painted the white sneakers they got from a neighbor with red nail polish. Yolanda wanted to be a poet, but became a schoolteacher instead. At Yolanda's poetry reading, her mother told Clive, a professor and Yolanda's boyfriend, a story about how her daughter has a great imagination and how as a child, she would lose all her hair. The mother also told him how Yolanda used to recite poems on the bus. At the hospital, the mother told a story to a young man about how lucky Sofia is. But, the mother doesn't tell any stories about Sandra. As a result of Sandra's dieting,  she had a mental breakdown, causing her parents to place her in a mental hospital.

-Janet Chen

Bogota.

This is a beautiful view of Bogota to help you have a better picture of the setting. (:

This is where Bogota is located on the map. :]

-MONICA SHARMA

what are the definitions of..?

corrugated: To shape into folds or parallel and alternating ridges and grooves. [page 14]

cantina: its a spanish word for "bar." It's a bar that serves liquor. [page 14]

Altamira: A group of caverns of northern Spain west-southwest of Santander. The caves contain magnificent specimens of Paleolithic art discovered in 1879. [page 15]

latticework: An open, crisscross pattern or weave. [page 17]

gratifying: To please or satisfy. [page 18]

docile: Ready and willing to be taught. [page 20]

subsequent: Following in time or order; succeeding. [page 23]

nordic: Of, relating to, or characteristic of Scandinavia or its peoples, languages, or cultures. [page 26] *Scandinavia is a region of northern Europe consisting of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Finland, Iceland, and the Faeroe Islands are often included in the region.

solace: Comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or distress; consolation. [page 28]

aerogramme: An airmail letter in the form of a lightweight sheet of stationery that folds into its own envelope for mailing at a low postage rate. It is also called an air letter. [page 29]

Bogota: It is the capital and the largest city of Colombia. It is located in central Colombia on a high fertile plain. [page 29]

placated: To allay the anger of, especially by making concessions; appease. [page 31]

thwarted: To oppose and defeat the efforts, plans, or ambitions of. [page 32]

impinging: To collide or strike [page 36]

diminishing: To make smaller or less or to cause to appear so. [page 40]

jargon: Nonsensical, incoherent, or meaningless talk. [page 43]

dissension: Difference of opinion; disagreement. [page 45]

ascribe: To attribute to a specified cause, source, or origin. [page 46]

flailing: To wave or swing vigorously; thrash [page 65]

distraught: Mad; insane. [page 65]

endearment: An expression of affection, such as a caress. [page 66]

If there are any words I missed that you want me to define, just post the word ! ;)

-MONICA SHARMA :D

A great way to start a book.

When I opened the book to read, I think it got my attention right away. The first few pages made me visualize a spanish family, all gathered for a special event.

They are probably rich, because they can afford maids and drivers.

"Let me tell you about the latest at my house," Tia Flor goes on. "The chauffeur was driving me to my novena yesterday. Suddenly the car jerks forward and dies, right there on the street. I'm alarmed, you know, the way things are, a big car stalled in the middle of the university barrio. I say, Cesar, what can it be? He scratches his head. I dont know, Dona Flor. A nice man stops to help, checks it all--and says, Why, señora, you're out of gas. Out of gas! Can you imagine?" Tia Flor shakes her head at Yolanda. "A chauffeur who can't keep a car in gasoline! Welcome home to your little island!" Grinning, she flips open her fan. Beautiful wild birds unfold their silver wings. (Alvarez, page 5)

Other then that, I picture a family with extremely rich culture and a family with A LOT of relatives that are visiting their home country.

In halting Spanish, Yolanda reports on her sisters. When she reverts to English, she is scolded,"¡En español!" The more she practices, the sooner she'll be back into her native tongue, the aunt insist. Yes, and when she returns to the States, she'll find herself suddenli going blank over some word in English or, like her mother, mixing up some common phrase. This time, however, Yolanda is not so sure she'll be going back. But that is a secret. (Alvarez, page 7)

-Michelle Xia (:

YUM !

In the book, I noticed the word "guavas" appeared in many pages, including page 9 and 13. Guavas are a type of plant in the myrtle family that contains about 100 species of tropical shrubs and small trees. It is said that they are native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Guavas are now cultivated and naturalized throughout the tropics. Due to the growing demand that the fruit has, they are also grown in some subtropical regions. The image above is a picture of what a guava fruit looks like. Doesn't it look delicious? ;)

-MONICA SHARMA

WORDS !

Hey guys ! Here are some words I came across while reading. (:

squabble: to argue over petty things. [page 3]

phalanx: any of the bones of the fingers or toes. [page 3]

dubious: fraught with uncertainty or doubt; undecided. [page 4]

minced: to cut or chop into very small pieces. [page 4]

quip: a clever, witty remark often prompted by the occasion. [page 6]

tartly: 1. having a sharp pungent taste; sour. 2. sharp or bitter in tone or meaning; cutting. [page 8]

tapered: to become gradually narrower or thinner toward one end.

turbulent: 1. violently agitated or disturbed; tumultuous. 2. having a chaotic or restless character or tendency. 3. causing unrest or disturbance; unruly. [page 11]

Since our book is based around Spanish culture, I figured I should post the definitions and meanings of the Spanish words from the book.

barrio: an urban district or quarter in a Spanish-speaking country. [page 5]

camioneta: light truck. [page 9]

campesinos: farmers. [page 9]

bienvenida: welcome. [page 11]

Hope this helped advance your vocabulary and make you have a better understanding of the words. :]

-MONICA SHARMA

Welcome, fellow readers.

Hey.  Welcome to our literature circle group's blog about the book,  "How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez.  Here, we will be discussing certain passages in the book that caught our eye, and comment eachother's thoughts and ideas.  A blog is an easy, convenient, and well organized way to do this.

Our group has different roles, which we will keep in mind as we are reading the book:

Word Watcher- Monica.  The word watcher looks out for unfamiliar words or phrases, and brings it to the group's attention.

Illustrator/Connector- Michelle.  The job of the illustrator/connector is to find intriguing passages and post them on the blog, as well as making any connections that they can.

Illuminator/Summarizer-  Janet.  This person summarizes the assigned pages for that night. 

Discussion Director- Me, Angelina.  My job is to bring up important or interesting parts about what we had to read, and lead a discussion.

I hope you enjoy our blog (:

-JAMM.