Coffeehouse Reflection/Mango Street

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Write a personal reflection about the Fall Coffeehouse (1 page single spaced):

• TITLE: "My First SOTA Coffeehouse"  Nonfiction Reflection (personal narrative)
• Write a one page personal narrative about your experience at the Coffeehouse for your portfolio.
• What were your expectations about this event?  Any fears about public speaking?
• Were the rehearsal classes helpful?
• Why did you select the pieces you read?
• What did you think about other readers?
• What was your overall feeling about the event and how you "performed"?
• What did you "discover" about yourself?

Begin working on your Mango Street vignettes

Coffeehouse Readings

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House on Mango Street

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1. Test on Elegance of Hedgehog--Friday

2. Introduction to The House on Mango Street

Go to library and pick up book

EQ: What is a vignette?

vi·gnette

vinˈyet/

noun

noun: vignette; plural noun: vignettes

1. 1.

   a brief evocative description, account, or episode.
2. 2.

   a small illustration or portrait photograph that fades into its background without a definite border.

   • a small ornamental design filling a space in a book or carving, typically based on foliage.

verb

verb: vignette; 3rd person present: vignettes; past tense: vignetted; past participle:vignetted; gerund or present participle: vignetting

1.

portray (someone) in the style of a vignette.

Example:

 

Four Skinny Trees

"Four Skinny Trees" is an excerpt from the book by Sandra Cisneros entitled The House on Mango Street. "Four Skinny Trees" is found on pages 74 and 75. Copyright Sandra Cisneros, 1984 and published by Vintage Contemporaries, 1991.

"They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them. Four skinny trees with skinny necks and pointy elbows like mine. Four who do not belong here but are here. Four raggedy excuses planted by the city. From our room we can hear them, but Nenny just sleeps and doesn't appreciate these things.
"Their strength is secret. They send ferocious roots beneath the ground. They grow up and they grow down and grab the earth between their hairy toes and bite the sky with violent teeth and never quit their anger. This is how they keep.
"Let one forget his reason for being, they'd all droop like tulips in a glass, each with their arms around the other. Keep, keep, keep, trees say when I sleep. They teach.
"When I am too sad and too skinny to keep keeping, when I am a tiny thing against so many bricks, then it is I look at trees. When there is nothing left to look at on this street. Four who grew despite concrete. Four who reach and do not forget to reach. Four whose only reason is to be and be."

http://writingfix.com/Chapter_Book_Prompts/HouseonMangoStreet2.htm

http://writingfix.com/Chapter_Book_Prompts/HouseonMangoStreet4.ht

Le Herisson

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Vocabulary Quiz/Poems

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HMWK:  Continue reading The Elegance of the Hedgehog.
Finish Hedgehog for Monday


Part 1, Camellias: Chapters 11-18,
Journal of the Movement of the World
No. 3 and Profound Thoughts Nos. 6-8
Part 1, Camellias: Chapters 11-18, Journal of the
Movement of the World No. 3 and Profound Thoughts
Nos. 6-8 Summary
In Chapter 11, Manuela comes early for tea because of Maître Arthens' condition.
Manuela tells Renee how she saw Arthens daughter on the stairs. This causes Renee
to remember Arthens son, a spoiled young man who had a problem with drugs. Renee
remembers how he asked her once the name of the flowers she had planted outside the
building. Renee recalls how he asked about the flowers and she told him they were
called camellias.
In Profound Thought No. 6, Paloma thinks Maître Arthens is a bad man and finds it
interesting that news of his death has caused such excitement throughout the building.
Paloma also begins to drink tea in the morning, finding it more sophisticated than her
father's morning coffee.
In Chapter 12, the impending death of Arthens causes Renee to reflect on the meaning
of life. Renee feels that art gives meaning to life.
In Chapter 13, Renee has recently been introduced to the films of a Japanese filmmaker
called Ozu. Renee is particularly fond of a movie called The Munekata Sisters. Renee
feels that many of scenes are filled with breathtaking metaphor.
In Journal of the Movement of the World No. 3., Paloma is fascinated with television and
recently saw a diving contest in which she felt profoundly moved by the failure of two
divers to dive at exactly the same time and speed.
In Chapter 14, Chabrot comes to Renee's loge to let her know that Arthens has died and
the mortuary will be coming for him soon. As Chabrot leaves, Renee can hear someone
playing a Japanese tune on a piano. Renee feels this is very suited to the occasion.
Chapter 15. The Rich Man's Burden. As Renee comtemplates her decision to live in
solitude, another tenant rings her bell. Renee takes a note from her visitor that has
come from another tenant, asking that she pick up some items from the dry cleaner's.
Renee is astounded by the bad grammar of the note.
In Profound Though No. 7, Paloma is punished when her sister boyfriend, Tibere, and
his parents come for dinner because she corrects the father on his description of the
Japanese game Go.



In Chapter 16, Olympe Saint-Nice is a tenant in the building. Olympe wants to be a
veterinarian someday, so whenever an animal in the building is sick they take it to
Olympe. Olympe and Renee are friends. Olympe comes to Renee and tells her how
Constitution, the Josse's cat, came down with a bladder infection. What Olympe finds
truly amusing is that the vet diagnosed Olympe with an anxiety disorder and put her on
Prozac.
In Chapter 17, Renee learns that Arthens' widow is going to sell their apartment. This
will be the first sale of an apartment in the building in Renee's tenure because most of
the apartments have passed down from family member to family member. Later, on her
way to the market, Renee runs into Gegene, a local homeless man who often hangs
around the building. Renee tells him about Arthens' death and is surprised by Gegene's
profound grief.
In Chapter 18, Renee finds herself thinking of Ryabinin, one of her favorite characters
from Anna Karenina, as she struggles with her emotions regarding life and death.
In Profound Thought No. 8, Paloma reflects on a visit to her father's mother at the new
rest home where she has been relocated. Paloma finds it unfair that her grandmother,
who is an unpleasant person, will live out her life in a very expensive home while some
kind person who happens to be poor will be forced to live out his life in less luxurious
accommodations. Paloma also finds it difficult to understand her father's guilt for placing
his mother in a home, especially such a nice one.
Part 1, Camellias: Chapters 11-18, Journal of the
Movement of the World No. 3 and Profound Thoughts
Nos. 6-8 Analysis
One of the tenants of the building where Renee lives is dying. Renee is surprised by this
man's unexpected illness and death, causing her to think about mortality and the
meaning of life. Although Renee does not truly like any of her tenants, she admires
Arthens because his clear affection for words. Renee also pities Arthens to a small
degree because his only son is a drug addict. Renee recalls the young Arthens asking
her about the flowers she has planted outside her loge, a fact that will prove to be
important later in the novel.
Paloma also finds herself thinking about mortality and the meaning of life. However,
where Renee comes to the conclusion that art makes life worth living, Paloma finds
multiple reasons why life is meaningless. Paloma points out numerous inequalities
about life and uses them as reasons why she should continue with her plan to commit
suicide.
Another character is introduced in these chapters. Olympe Saint-Nice is one of the few
tenants who are nice to Renee and they have built a friendship based on their common
love of animals. Olympe is truly a good soul and her relationship with Renee will have
importance later in the novel.


Part 2, On Grammar: Chapters 1-6 and
Profound Thought Nos. 9-11
Part 2, On Grammar: Chapters 1-6 and Profound
Thought Nos. 9-11 Summary
In Chapter 1, one of the tenants of the building, Jacinthe Rosen, introduces Renee to
the new tenant of the building. Renee does not hear the man's last name, but is
fascinated that the man is Japanese because of her resent interest in Ozu movies. Just
as Madame Rosen and the new tenant are leaving, Renee makes a comment about
happy families that is a quote from Anna Karenina. The new tenant recognizes it and
finishes the quote.
In Chapter 2, as Renee fears that she has given herself away to the new tenant,
someone knocks on the door. The visitor is Paul Nguyen, the new tenant's assistant.
Paul tells Renee that the new tenants name is Kakuro Ozu. Renee is shocked that the
man shares the names of her favorite author on traditional Japanese teas and her
favorite filmmaker.
In Profound Thought No. 9, Paloma finds it interesting that a tenant who has never
befriended her mother before because of a differences in politics, suddenly wants to
have tea with her mother because the Josses live above the Arthens' former apartment
where a great deal of construction is going on for the new tenant.
In Chapter 3, Manuela tells Renee that Monsieur Ozu has fired the Grelier, but has
decided to keep Manuela at an increased rate. Manuela is happy because this means
she can stop working for Madame Pallieres. Manuela then describes the construction
going on in Ozu's apartment. When Renee learns the names of Monsieur Ozu's cats,
Levin and Kitty, she suddenly realizes that Monsieur Ozu has a similar affection for
Anna Karenina.
In Chapter 4, Renee thinks of how sliding doors in a house offer more continuity than
the conventional doors in most French homes. Renee admires Monsieur Ozu for putting
sliding doors in his apartment.
In Profound Thought No. 10, Paloma relates how she contradicted a teacher in class
who told a student that learning grammar was important because it helped a person get
along in society. Paloma tells the teacher that grammar is important because it helps a
person learn and understand the beauty of language. The teacher did not appreciate
Paloma's view.
In Chapter 5, Manuela continues her discussion of Monsieur Ozu's apartment by
mentioning that he has nothing superfluous in his apartment. Renee finds this refreshing
while other tenants of the building find it odd.


In Chapter 6, a courier delivers a package to Renee. Inside is an expensive book.
In Profound Thought No. 11, Paloma relates a tea date with Kakuro Ozu, whom she
previously met in an elevator at the building. Paloma and Ozu talk about Renee and
both agree that there is more to her than she allows people to see. They agree to work
together to learn the truth about Renee.
Part 2, On Grammar: Chapters 1-6 and Profound
Thought Nos. 9-11 Analysis
A new tenant moves into the building for the first time in more than two decades. This
causes a great deal of excitement in all the tenants of the building as well as the
employees. Paloma finds it ridiculous until she learns the new tenant is Japanese.
Paloma is fascinated with Japanese culture and is happy to befriend the new tenant. At
the same time, Renee finds the tenant fascinating, but is concerned that she has
revealed too much of herself at their first meeting. Renee is caught between her desire
to seek out a fellow fan of Anna Karenina and keeping intact her persona of an
unintelligent concierge.
As Paloma's relationship with the new tenant grows, she finds in him a kindred spirit.
Paloma also discovers that, like her, Monsieur Ozu has doubts about the concierge's
apparent lack of intelligence. Paloma once saw Renee with a philosophy book similar to
one her sister uses to study for her master's degree in philosophy. For this reason,
Paloma agrees to help Monsieur Ozu seek out the truth, giving her a purpose and
foreshadowing a meeting between the two main characters of the novel.

Le Herisson Video/ Sentence Structure

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GRAMMAR: Sentence Structures
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Think , pair, share.  Discuss the following questions with a partner.  Post your response in the comments box.

3. —a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet. Both Renée and Paloma use stereotypes to their benefit, hiding behind the perceptions others have of their roles. Our understanding and appreciation of people is often limited to a superficial acknowledgement of their assigned roles, their social monikers—single mother, used car salesman, jock, investment banker, senior citizen, cashier… While we are accustomed to thinking of people as victims of stereotypes, is it possible that sometimes stereotypes can be useful? When, under what circumstances, and why, might we welcome an interpretation based on stereotypes of our actions or of who we are? Have you ever created a mise en place that conforms to some stereotype in order to hide a part of yourself?

4. “One of the strengths I derive from my class background is that I am accustomed to contempt.” (Dorothy Allison)
Some critics call this novel a book about class. Barbery herself called Renée Michel, among other things, a vehicle for social criticism. Yet for many other readers and reviewers this aspect is marginal. In your reading, how integral is social critique to the novel? What kind of critique is made? Many pundits were doubtful about the book’s prospects in the US for this very reason: a critique of French class-based society, however charming it may be, cannot succeed in a classless society. Is the US really a classless society? Are class prejudices and class boundaries less pronounced in the US than in other countries? Are the social critique elements in the book relevant to American society?

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Preamble, Marx: Chapters 1-2 and Profound Thought No. 1 Summary

This novel was originally written by Muriel Barbery in French. The translation was written by Alison Anderson.

In Chapter 1, the son of a tenant in the building where Renee Michel is the concierge comments that Marx has changed the way he sees the world. Renee suggests that he read The German Ideology. The young man stares at Renee as though she has gone insane because concierges are not supposed to understand such things. Renee quickly tells him to say hello to his mother, content in the fact that his wealthy outlook on life will allow him to forget what Renee had said previously.

In Chapter 2, Renee has been concierge of the building at number 7, rue de Grenelle for more than twenty years. All of Renee's clients are exceptionally wealthy, therefore they have the belief that all concierges, who are far below them in social class, are unintelligent. Renee likes to keep up this charade, therefore she hides her intelligence by leaving the television on all day and keeping conversations with clients to a bare minimum. However, Renee loves to read, is a big fan of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, and is currently making her way through several writers on philosophy.

In Profound Thought No. 1, Paloma Josse is a very intelligent and precocious twelve-year-old girl. Paloma knows that her future as a wealthy person will require her to live in something of a gold fish bowl. For this reason, Paloma has decided to end her life on her thirteenth birthday. As a great fan of everything Japanese, Paloma at first thought of committing suicide in Japanese tradition, but ruled it out because she has no desire to suffer. Instead, Paloma intends to take an overdose of her mother's sleeping pills after setting fire to her family's apartment to rid the world of this example of wealth.

Preamble, Marx: Chapters 1-2 and Profound Thought No. 1 Analysis

In the preamble, the author has introduced her two main characters and the conflict that will propel the plot of the novel. The first main character is Renee Michel, a highly intelligent woman who has had the misfortune of being born poor. Renee has it in her mind that poor people are not supposed to be intelligent, therefore she hides her intelligence from the people around her, going to great lengths to create an appearance that shows lack of intelligence and imagination as well as a general disinterest in the world around her. To the contrary, Renee is quite intelligent, taking great joy from reading literature and philosophy, as well as watching artistic movies and studying great art. Renee is a complex person who hides her intelligence behind a mask to keep the world from intruding on her carefully created world.

At the same time, the reader is introduced to Paloma, a twelve-year-old girl who is also highly intelligent. Paloma feels as though her life as the daughter of wealthy people places her in a fishbowl where she does not want to be. Paloma too feels as though the world perceives her in a particular way, but that her true person is not the one in which people see. For this reason, Paloma has chosen to end her life on her thirteenth birthday.

The crisis that will propel the plot in this novel is self-identity. Neither of the main characters of this novel feel as though they can or are perceived by the person they truly are on the inside. Both feels the need to hide for one reason or another. The book, therefore, will take the reader along as each character finds a way to deal with their secrets and their reality.

Part 1, Camellias: Chapters 1-4, Journal of the Movement No. 1 and Profound Thought No. 2 Summary

Renee has tea with her friend, Manuela. Manuela is a maid who works for several of the families at number 7, rue de Grenelle. Manuela is from Portugal and is always scheming to go back. Renee thinks of Manuela as an aristocrat who is too refined for her current station in life. As Renee and Manuela gossip about the tenants in the building, Pierre Arthens, a local food critic and tenant in the building, stops by to ask Renee to bring a package to him when it arrives. Renee is somewhat annoyed with Arthens speaks to her as though she is unintelligent.

Journal of the Movement of the World No. 1. While reluctantly watching rugby with her father, Paloma notices how one of the players seems to move without motion. Paloma is fascinated by this man and decides that before she dies she will try to seek out as many of these types of movement without motion as she can.

Renee has never had any formal education, though there was once a teacher who took special interest in her. Since Renee's family was one that never spoke or showed affection, Renee was deeply affected by this teacher, which led to her interest in learning. However, Renee was forced to leave school at the age of twelve to work in the fields on her family farm.

Renee thinks of concierges as poodles, an ugly dog that is annoying, but somewhat necessary. Renee was once married, but her husband died many years ago. Renee feels it was easier to keep up her charade of unintelligent concierge when her husband was alive because he was a common man who did not share her interests in literature, art, and philosophy. Renee still recalls how surprised she was that her husband would be interested in her, an unattractive, but intelligent young woman. Renee still remembers how her husband told her what he wanted in a wife and how it changed her thoughts of herself. Renee compares her marriage to that of the Greniers, a couple who keeps house for the Arthens, and feels she married well.

In Profound Thought No. 2, Paloma tells the reader that her family is a group of people who have lost the ability to feel emotion.

In Chapter 4, Renee has been reading Husserl and his thoughts on phenomenology. However, Renee admits that Husserl is beyond her comprehension despite her extensive reading on philosophy.

Part 1, Camellias: Chapters 1-4, Journal of the Movement No. 1 and Profound Thought No. 2 Analysis

The author introduces Manuela in this section of chapters. Manuela is a maid with whom Renee is friends. In fact, Manuela is Renee's only friend. With Manuela Renee does not have to hide as much of her true self and she feels happy sharing her thoughts and feelings with Manuela. In Renee's mind, Manuela is much like her because she carries herself like an aristocrat even though she is a maid. In this way, Renee feels that Manuela is a step above her and yet still gracious enough to be her friend. This friendship will play an important role in the novel.

Renee tells the reader what she thinks of the tenants of her building. Renee is not terribly impressed with most of the tenants, looking down on them because they are so filled with their own beliefs that they cannot see what is right in front of them. For this reason, Renee feels somewhat superior to the wealthy tenants of the building. Renee also tells the reader how she is mainly uneducated, only learning how to read because a teacher took special interest in the affection starved child she once was. This too is how Renee ended up married to her husband, because he saw past the masks and her ugliness to see the woman underneath. Renee feels that although her husband was not her intellectual equal, he was a good man and they had a good marriage. This is an important distinction to Renee and the reader should make notice of it. It is clear to the reader at this point that like her tenants, Renee has certain thoughts of what it means to be of a certain social class and it is she, not others, who is placing her in a box.

Paloma continues her journals, discussing the strange phenomenon of movement without motion. Paloma also discusses her family, three people whom Paloma sees as lacking strong emotion. Paloma compares her family to her pet cats, giving the reader the impression that like Renee, Paloma sees herself as better than those around her but suppressed by them anyway.

Part 1, Camellias: Chapters 5-10, Journal of the Movement of the World No. 2 and Profound Thoughts Nos. 3-5 Summary

In Profound Thought No. 3, Paloma hears a statement at a dinner party that she believes is totally wrong, but which comes with another profound thought. Paloma realizes that in the world it is words that have power, not deeds.

In Chapter 5, Renee has decided that phenomenology is a fraud. Renee has studied Husserl and decided that it is a bunch of nonsense.

In Chapter 6., Renee uses Kant to further her argument against phenomenology.

In Chapter 7, Renee and Manuela are having tea again and they gossip about Madame de Broglie, another tenant of the building. This leads to a discussion about Neptune, Madame de Broglie's sad and deprived dog.

In Journal of the Movement of the World No. 2., Paloma relates how she saw Neptune, Madame de Broglie's dog, attempt to mate with Athena, a cocker spaniel belonging to another tenant named Diane Badoise. As the two owners waited for the elevator with their dogs, Neptune mounted Athena. The two owners tried to separate the dogs and Madame Badoise injured her ankle in the process. Paloma finds the entire episode amusing.

In Chapter 8, although Renee is a big fan of Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, she also enjoys modern fiction such as Michael Connelly. Renee also likes modern cinema.

In Chapter 9, one of Renee's favorite movies is the Hunt for Red October. Not only does Renee find this movie to be of exceptional quality, but it is also the last movie she saw with her husband before his death of cancer.

In Profound Thought No. 4, Paloma thinks the only important thing to her mother is her plants and that she ignores everything else. Paloma's mother has been in therapy and taking anti-anxiety drugs for more than ten years.

In Chapter 10, Chabrot, Pierre Arthens' personal physician, rings at Renee's loge and tells her that Maître Arthens is dying. Chabrot is polite and requests that Renee not allow anyone up to see the Arthens except for his nephew.

In Profound Thought No. 5, Paloma beieves that life is a constant battle in which the only way to learn is to crush all opponents. Paloma's sister Columbe has taught her this. Paloma feels as though it is Columbe's goal in life to crush her.

Part 1, Camellias: Chapters 5-10, Journal of the Movement of the World No. 2 and Profound Thoughts Nos. 3-5 Analysis

In these chapters, Renee tells the reader more about her intelligence by indulging in a discussion of Husserl's phenomenology and why she believes it all a fraud. Later, Renee makes excuses for her enjoyment of simple fiction and movies by relating a touching story about the last time she and her husband saw a movie together. This gives the reader not only insight into Renee's psyche, but also the emotional turmoil that has caused her to become a recluse in her own world.

As the reader learns more about Renee, the reader also learns more about Paloma. In Paloma's journal entries, it soon becomes clear that she feels persecuted by her sister and ignored by her mother, both normal teenager complaints. However, these complaints are compounded by Paloma's incredible intelligence and insight into the world. Paloma feels as if no one truly sees her or understands her, the opposite of what she claims is her reason for wanting to commit suicide, leading the reader to better understand that Paloma is a normal child with normal complaints, a child with similar emotional baggage to that which Renee carries around. These two characters clearly have a great deal in common.