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This is a college level tranfer course, the second in a series where we will examine the poetics of life lived on the ground...as in rough and tumble, as in America at war with herself. This is a world art alone makes sense of, an artist's work is a gift freely shared like air...sympathetic systems aligned, the the fictive or imaginary worlds of possiblity simply an inhale or exhale away. This class is an opportunity to close your eyes and believe.
6 comments:
Allen Lee
Professor Sabir
English 1B
7 March 2012
Character Profile
Kimberly – She is an 11 year old girl who knows enough English to get by but she is not comfortable with using it (15). For example, she tried to buy ice crea, but ended up being ripped off because she got yogurt, and ended up hating the taste of it. When she immigrated here, she had to have her name changed to make it easier for her to be accepted into society, but since the intergration was difficult for her she decided to separate herself from the school grounds by skipping school (43).
Ma – As part of tradition she married a stranger inorder to get a green card for America. She wanted her children to have a better life, and so she left everything in China and moved over to America. She is brave for starting a new life in an unknown place and making the best of the most difficult situations (17). As of respect, she does not want to disrespect family members and so she treats the Aunt nicely (5), eventhough she was useless in comforting the family.
Aunt – She is a bit of a liar because she claims many things but provide little proof of it (5). She found an apartment for Kimberly’s family and said it was a good place, but it turns out that it was a broken down building that even Kimberly’s mother was scared to touch (6). At the work place, she is known as, Dog Flea (34). For people to make such a nickname just reflect how she is around others. She can be considered as the “badguy” in the beginning of the story because of her actions.
Billy Russell
Professor Sabir
English 1B
7 March 2012
Character Profiles
Kimberley Chang- The main character in the story. She is 11 years old when she comes to America. In Hong Kong she was the smartest student in her school. Has an incredible amount of responsibility since her mother speaks no English, Kim has to translate everything, and do things like pay income taxes.
Ma- Kimberley’s mother, she was a music teacher in Hong Kong, a clumsy sewer, speaks almost no English. She does not understand American culture, has very high morals and standards. For example even though it is apartment that Aunt Paula completely screwed them over on the apartment, Ma feels that she is still in debt to Aunt Paula and that she must pay it.
Aunt Paula- Ma’s older sister, has two young boys, married to Uncle Bob. Main antagonist of the story. She is deceptive, and seemingly wants to punish her younger sister, and Kimberly. Called Dog Flea Mama at the factory because of the way she scratches herself.
Uncle Bob- Originally supposed to marry Ma, walks with the help of a cane. Married to Aunt Paula.
Matt- Kimberley’s friend at the factory, he takes Kim “under his wing”
Nelson- Aunt Paula’s son, didn’t get into Harrison Prep. Tries to insult Kimberly in Chinese whenever he sees her.
Tyrone- The smartest student in Kimberley’s elementary school, he is very shy. Kimberley admires him.
Annette - Kimberley’s best friend since elementary school. She has frizzy hair, her and Annette do everything together.
Tammy- Gets Kimberly in trouble for cheating at Harrison Prep.
Mrs. Avery- Annette’s mother, real estate agent
Mr. Bogart- Kimberley’s grade school teacher, disliked by almost all of his students, he has little understanding and little patience for Kim’s culture.
Sherrlyne Apostol
English 1B
Professor Sabir
7 March 2012
Kimberly- She and her mother are migrated to America with help from her Aunt Paula. She is 11 years old. Her father died when she was two(15).She's an intelligent little girl, for instance when ma and her were at the liquor store she knew they were gettting ripped off and her insticnts told her the "ice cream" they had bought was not ice cream but yogurt(15). She is also loving and caring daughter to her ma. This is shown when she asked her mom if she can sleep on the far side of the bed near the wall at night bacuse she knew her mother was afraid of rats/mice(18). She is also religous because they set up altars to worship the gods (20).
Ma- An immigrant who moved to America with her daughter. She was diagnosed with teburculosous a few years back(14). She is a widow and single mother raising Kimberly. Her husband died of a stroke when kimberly was two(15). She doesnt know much english and depends on her daughter to break the language barrier. She is religous because her and Kimberly set up altars in their apt to worship the gods(20). She is in denial when it comes to her sister (aunt paula) she doesnt want to believe aunt paula is not the little sister she knew when they were younger (14).
Aunt Paula- Aunt Paula helps her sister and niece come to America. She took advantage of her beauty and had an arranged marriage with Uncle Bob and moved to America when she was younger. She is manager of two businesses for Uncle Bob. She is deceptive because she leads her sister and niece to believe they were going to stay at her house when they came to America (13). Instead she sends them off to live in a nasty apartment(6). She is wealthy and and has two boys.
Ethel.murrey1013@gmail.com
Profile characters
Aunt Paula is an older sibling of Kim's mom,shse is wealthy and is married to an older chinese American. Upon their marriage she and her husband leave hon kong and move to America. Her husband allows her to run his business. She marries her husband because Kims mother renig on the supposed marriage to the man Paula married. Paula does not appear to be verbally mean to Kim and her mother but there could be lingering resentments with reference how she comes to marry uncle Bob, her husband. Added to her chaaracter could be her ego having much, relatively good looking and being depended on by the now very poor family member.
Kim's mother feels the power of an older sibling, to a degree feels the need to be subservient because older sibling generouslity to her and her child. She is resolved t accept what ever is dished out to her.
Kim is like a new born whose eyes are opening to many things, her mother, in this particular environment, her aunt paula who whe has mixed emotions about her motives and even the street merchanta Mr, Al. She is drawing an analyses as to how she will navigate her way through this unseemly maze.
freewrite:
published review Girl in translation (goodread)
This is a tale simply told but is orated in a manner which tells the story of everyone who has been on unchartered territory and is encountering the like people on the journey.
kimberly comes to America by way of New York City with her mother who is not without accomplishments which are desireous but are idioms o their home land making her gifts unfamiliar. Kim and her mother are aided by close family members who are already accustomed to the new country. Not expected but non the less they are ruthlessly taken advantage of on the onseet. Promised better but are maneuvered into what feels like an abandomed tenement where theyind themselves working in a sweat shop which is comparable to slave labor compensation
Maribel Arrizon
English 1B
Professor Sabir
22 March 2012
Character Profile
Kimberly—as the protagonist we know her the most. As an 11 year old she is very mature for her age. She is very empathetic to her mother, thinking about all the struggles her mother must have gone through after her husband died (43). Kimberly is also very logical and exceedingly smart and determined. It is her determination that gets her a better life. She is, in many ways, more like the type of man that society wants all men to be like.
Ma—Ma in my opinion has been lucky. She isn’t extremely clever and determined like Kim, she follows her heart and that led her to her late husband. She’s a caring mother who wanted to give a better life for her child but she was ignorant and manipulated into thinking that going to America would bring her riches just by being there. She is in a way a two dimensional character, she doesn’t learn English and she expects American society to be exactly like the one in China (140), making Kimberly go through some embarrassments unintentionally. She worries a lot about Kim.
Aunt Paula—She is more like Kim than Ma is. She was determined to get out of China and get rich, which she did, but luck wasn’t on her side. She resents Ma for following her heart because Ma was supposed to be the one to marry Uncle Bob and so does everything she can to keep Ma and Kimberly poor and barely scraping by. She gets very jealous when she sees that Kimberly is exceptionally smart and talented, unlike her children, and keeps comparing them to each other.
Matt—I see Matt as the equivalent of Kimberly except in male form. He is just as responsible and determined to get his family out of the dirt as Kim is, the difference is that Matt is a man. He has the urge to be the sole provider and sees the world in the traditional Chinese perspective.
Vanessa Dilworth
Professor Sabir
English 1B
16 May 2012
Lost in Translation Character Profiles
Kim- Kim is an immigrant from Hong Kong that has a natural gift for school. She is very selfless person, as she helps her mother in any way she can in a sweat shop. She is trying to figure out how to navigate herself in America while still maintaining her own personal sense of self. She has plans to get her mother out of the sweat shop and them into better living conditions by advancing herself in school.
Ma- Ma seems like a very humble, quiet person that is weak in a way. She allows herself to be mistreated by her older sister without a fight. In her own kind of way I think she feels resolved to her situation and is determined to work as hard as she can in the sweat shop to survive. She loves Kim and wants to help her the best way she can, but perhaps being in a strange foreign country hinders this from happening.
Aunt Paula- Aunt Paula seems to be a very bitter woman with lots of resentment towards her younger sister, Ma, and Kim. However, she seems very businesslike and orderly. The only time she seems to lose her cool is with Kim and Ma. She also seems to equate success with materialism and works very hard to run her sweat shop well in order to get worth out of her life.
Matt- Matt is a very nice, respectful young man that has a crush on Kim. He is very protective of his younger brother and helpful to his ailing mother. He seems to take charge of situations and have natural leading abilities. He seems to being growing up too fast into a man because of his situation.
Annette- Is Kim’s best friend and seems to be the odd ball out at school. She is very eager to introduce Kim to American ways and customs. She shares her food with Kim, which is quite a learning experience, and they share a lot of laughs. She seems to want the best for Kim.
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