ipl-logo

Analysis Of 'Abuela Invents The Zero'

1150 Words5 Pages

Life is all about making decisions. Making the right decision that positively affects yourself and others, and trying your best not to make the wrong choices that may negatively hurt yourself and others. The most important factor in why people choose to do something is of how it affects themselves and the other people around them because the outcome of the decision for them and others, in the end, helps mainly determine the choice for the person or persons. Paragraph #1: In “Abuela Invents the Zero”, by Judith Ortiz-Cofer, the main character, Constancia, decides to base her decision to not help her grandmother when she becomes lost in the church, off of how other people would react and feel towards her rather than actually thinking about …show more content…

Since they loved their mother so much, they would definitely do the special task and knew that doing it would make their mother feel overjoyed, which would make them feel overjoyed, too. For instance, whenever the mother would come home, the girls would always feel happy and cheery no matter what was going on: “Somehow the sight of the old shoes had a good effect upon the girls, for Mother was coming, and everyone brightened to welcome her” (Alcott para 1). The strong love between the mother and the girls partly helped push the girls to choose to help the immigrant family. Also, not only does the secure bond between the mother and the daughters help influence the girls to make the conclusion to help the family but, it also helps impact the needy family, later explained in this paragraph. For example, when the mother proposes to the girls to go and help the family on Christmas morning by giving them their breakfast, they’re silent at first, but then the girls say: "‘May I go and help carry the things to the poor little children?’ asked Beth eagerly. ‘I shall take the cream and the muffins,’ added Amy, heroically giving up the article she most liked” (Alcott para 34-35). The girls hesitate at first, then they quickly realized that if they did the generous act, their mother would be very delighted. The March sisters’ choice soon began to happily impact not only themselves and their mother, but also the needy family. For instance, while the destitute family was being fed and getting warmed-up by the fire, they were greatly appreciating the March daughters’ and their mother’s great generosity: "’Das ist gut!’ ‘Die Engel-kinder!’ cried the poor things as they ate and warmed their purple hands at the comfortable blaze” (Alcott para 44). The indigent family has been greatly

Show More
Related
563 Words | 3 Pages

No matter how ordinary a human being could be, no one has lived their entire life in someone’s shoe. Everyone stumbles upon different decisions in life, causing different but unique life experiences. However, one’s life can only be changed with one’s decision. Life is about making decisions, whether it’s right or wrong, it all comes from the decision maker.

Read More
771 Words | 4 Pages

One generally invites one’s friends to dinner, unless one is trying to get on the good side of enemies or employers. We’re quite particular about those with whom we break bread.” (Foster, 9) Through the breaking of bread, or in this case the laborious cleaning, cooking, and finally the eating of chitlins is representative of a communion, between the almost sacred bonds between a mother and her daughter. Throughout the exposition of the short story, we constantly see that the other members of her family reject the chitlins for being “country” or smelling strange.

Read More
422 Words | 2 Pages

Tension is created when two people have conflicting ideas/perspectives. This is displayed in the stories “The Elevator,” by William Sleator and “Abuela Invents the Zero,” by Judith Ortiz. Both authors portray how tension is created through the differences of perspective that their character. In the story , “The Elevator,” by William Sleator the author creates tension by creating different conflicting perspectives between the characters.

Read More
358 Words | 2 Pages

Chrystal Meeker When becoming a mother, the first instinct is to protect and raise a healthy child at whatever cost. Habits are drop as well as large life changes. The last bite is given as well as altering one’s life style to insure the child has no needs. This could mean getting rid of negative, toxic people who could pose as a threat or even a sleeping pattern may need to be altered. However, the child comes first and the mothers wants are secondary.

Read More
1819 Words | 8 Pages

Throughout one's life, there are many decisions to be made. In retrospect, some decisions, such as what to wear in the morning, can seem trivial. On the other hand, there are more extensive decisions that impact the rest of one's life. With these decisions, people tend to base their conclusions on what motivates them. When an individual finds someone with similar beliefs and values, it can take away from expectations set by one's parents, create a different path that was not anticipated and construct a more meaningful life.

Read More
1361 Words | 6 Pages

At the end of the book, Sara is able to become college educated and she’s a successful teacher working at a public school. However, all of Sara’s sister are not as lucky and end up being ruined by their controlling father. The Bread Givers gives the reader a vivid insight into the inner workings of an immigrant family struggling in poverty during the 1920s, and the burden placed on the women in the story to continue to provide for the family. In the house, the opposing generations constantly clashed between Old World Ideas of misogyny and women’s proper role vs. the ideas of the New World like independence and love. In the end, The Bread Givers shows an alternate view of the booming wealth and flapper dresses constantly associated with the

Read More
721 Words | 3 Pages

Every time we make a decision in life are we influenced by things around us? In Tim O’Brien’s story “On the Rainy River”, challenged Tim’s decision if he should go to war where there is violence or to flee to Canada where there is freedom; although, his final decision was to go to war he was influenced by doing the right thing and the shame or guilt he could have felt when being faced with the dilemma of going to war. When people are put into a situation when they have to choose over two places most will go with what feels right, but others will go with what will be the best for not only themselves but others around them too. A big part of this story and real-life situations is that people want to make others happy and content so they do things

Read More
281 Words | 2 Pages

Throughout person’s life, they do a lot of things they end up regretting. People’s mistakes can sometimes end up with death. Another reason people regret their actions is because they are rash and not well thought out. People live for a very long time and they often regret much of their lives.

Read More
730 Words | 3 Pages

it’s better than doing what’s wrong therefore the person will create a positive impact. Throughout the story, we learn that one always has a chance to make the right decision.

Read More
1108 Words | 5 Pages

One’s outlook on life can be dictated by their importance of

Read More
1452 Words | 6 Pages

Margaret Atwood’s short story, “Lusus Naturae” portrays the story of a woman who has to face the problem of isolationism and discrimination throughout her whole life. In this short story, the protagonist very early in her life has been diagnosed with a decease known as porphyria. Due to the lack of knowledge at the time, she did not receive the help required to help her situation. Thus she was kept in the dark, her appearance frightens the outsiders who could not accept the way she looks, slowly resulting in her isolationism physically and mentally from the outside world. This even caused her to separate herself from the only world she knew her family.

Read More
813 Words | 4 Pages

Author Erica Funkhouser’s speaker, the child of the farm laborer, sets the tone in “My Father’s Lunch,” through their narrative recount of the lunch traditions set by their father preceding the end of a hard days worth of work. The lunch hour was a reward that the children anticipated; “for now he was ours” (14). The children are pleased by the felicity of the lunch, describing the “old meal / with the patina of a dream” (38-39) and describing their sensibilities as “provisional peace” (45). Overall, the tone of the poem is one of a positive element, reinforced by gratitude.

Read More
488 Words | 2 Pages

In Abuela Invents the Zero by Judith Cofer, a common theme would be respect. If you don’t respect others, you can’t respect yourself. To begin, Constancia, Abuela’s granddaughter, shows disrespect toward her grandmother multiple times throughout the story. In the beginning of the story , when connie was waiting for her grandmother at the airport, Constancia doesn’t feel like she is close to her grandmother.

Read More
804 Words | 4 Pages

In the world that we live in today, there are many things that we face daily. Whether it be illness, love or just bad decisions, everybody encounters them and many more. Rash decisions are made on a very common basis among people. A lot of stuff affect the decisions you make. May it be, being too young and not having enough experience to make good decisions, or just the lack of care of the outcome.

Read More
671 Words | 3 Pages

The stories “Abuela Invents the Zero” and “A Celebration of Grandfathers” follow the past of a very nice, thoughtful man by the name of Rudolfo Anaya, and the present day of a rude, unthoughtful girl by the name of Constancia. Both of these stories give very different points of views in terms of character personality and respect towards their elders. To begin, both of the stories are based off of the relationship between a grandparent and their grandchild. In “Abuela Invents the Zero”, Constancia’s grandmother went on her first trip to America. She went to America between September and March because the story explained that she wanted to see the snow in America before she died.

Read More

More about Analysis Of 'Abuela Invents The Zero'

Related Topics

Open Document