The Theme Of Greed In Gombei And Abuela Invents The Zero

Ryder Wettig, Ezekiel Gerler, Jaden Clover, and Brandon Martinez Pineda

Mrs.Coleman

6th hour Writing

2/21/23

Greed “intense and selfish desire for something, especially wealth, power, or food.” This is what caused the Conflict in “Gombei and the wild ducks” but not in “Abuela Invents to Zero”.In “Gombei and the Wild ducks” and “Abuela Invents the Zero” there are similarities in the theme. However, there are differences in the genre of both texts. In “Gombei in the Wild Ducks” Gombei experiences greed when he decides he wants to hunt one hundred ducks in one day instead of just one per day. In “Abuela invents the zero” Connie is embarrassed by her grandmother in church which results in Abuela feeling like a zero. In both texts the theme is

In “Gombei and the Wild Ducks”, Gombei catches 100 ducks and becomes greedy. He then transforms into a duck and gets caught in his own trap and realizes he has become greedy and is transformed back into a human. He treats the ducks as basically scum and then is transformed into a duck. He starts to realize you need to treat others the way you want to be treated. The text states, “Oh-h-h-h-me, Gombei wailed, “now I know how terrible it is for even one wild duck to be trapped, and only this morning I was trying to trap a hundred poor birds” (par. 82-83). This shows how Gombei becomes greedy and decides to catch one hundred ducks instead of catching one per day. If it wasn't for Gombei’s old age he wouldn’t have considered catching one hundred ducks. Similarly, in "Abuela Invents the Zero”, Connie wanted to go to the fashion show but her parents wanted her to help her grandmother at church and while at the church Connie ignored her grandmother and treated her badly. The text states“Constancia that if it wasn’t for this old woman whose existence you don’t seem to value,you and I would not be here.” (par 17). After Connie treated her grandmother poorly she was scolded and she realized a valuable life lesson to treat others how you want to be treated. Connie then realized that if it was not for her grandmother, Connie and her

In Gombei and the Wild Ducks it is a folktale because it transforms the old man into a duck which cannot happen in real life. The text states, “As Gombei tumbled toward the ground, however, a very strange thing began to take place. First, he sprouted a bill, and then feathers and wings, and then a tail and webbed feet. By the time he was almost down to earth, he looked just like the creatures he had been trying to trap. Gombei wondered if he was having a bad dream. But no, he was flying and flapping his wings, and when he tried to call out, the only sound that came from him was the call of the wild duck. He had indeed become a wild duck himself.”( paragraph 60-65). This shows Gombei transformed into a duck which makes it a folktale. Although, in “Abuela Invents the Zero '' it is realistic fiction because it never happened but it could have happened. According to the text ,“I can feel myself shrinking right there in front of her. But I can't bring myself to tell my mother that I think I understand how I made Abuela feel. I might be sent into the old lady's room to apologize, and it's not easy to admit you've been a jerk-at least, not right away with everybody watching”(par. 17). This explains how in the text that nothing within the conflict cannot occur in real