Amina Gautier
Read Amina Gautier, “The Last Hurricane” (https://artsandsciences.utulsa.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2020/04/The-Last-Hurricane.pdf)
1. What do you see as the main conflict in this story? What lines in the story illustrate this conflict most clearly, in your view? Don’t forget to use a signal phrase and a page number in your answer.
2. Gautier evokes a very specific time and place in this story.
a) If you were going to write a story that captured the essence of your own time and place—the here and now—what would be the main event or conflict in it?
b) What objects would you use to identify/characterize this time and place?
3. Write the first paragraph of your own story.
Answers:
ReplyDelete(1) I consider the main conflict to be the author's situation with her family, which she describes throughout the story. Her family lives in the diaspora, and they only call her for two main reasons. The first, to come for vacations when it is cold in their country, as she describes, "When it is too cold on the mainland, they take paid vacations to fly over" (p.20). The second, to ask her how she is doing whenever they see devastating news of Puerto Rico. "So when your relatives on the mainland-in New Haven, Hartford, Philadelphia, Newark, and New York-call to tell you that they have been watching the latest reports and say that the tropical storm is growing and it looks like it will be a big one and ask you how you are doing, you say, "I'm fine."" (p.20). In the last hurricane the author experienced, she lost her husband. Thus, I believe that the fact of facing another hurricane make her feel frustrated and desperate. Such frustration and despair she channels it towards her family. Perhaps it is because "they really don't care and they don't know anything about being a Puerto Rican in Puerto Rico anymore" (p.20), or because she would also like to live in the diaspora but cannot.
(2) (a) If I capture my "here and now" essence, the story would be about my attempt to apply to a research program. Right now I am in the process of writing my personal statement. Once completed, I will have it sent to my research mentor and, after he proofreads it, I will send it to the administrators of the program. For those who don't know, a personal statement is describing yourself and your goals in an essay, letting the reader get to know you. Therefore, it is super difficult because there is nothing more complicated and time consuming than writing about yourself. Me, I have until Friday to finish it. The main conflict in this story would be whether I will be able to finish it by Friday or not, which will decide my future on the program.
(2)(b)The objects I would use to identify/characterize the time is the application deadline for the research program. To identify/characterize the place I would say the name of the research program I am applying, since it is affiliated to the UPR Río Piedras.
(3) Two more math exercises to conclude that class for today. The teacher speaks too slowly, so you speed up the video by 2x. Once you finally find the motivation to continue watching, you get a message that throws you off your concentration again. It's your friend from the research lab. "Applications are open now! Apply! I'll help you with anything <3," says the message she sent. She knows how much you're interested in research, and how much that research program will help you. You close all the math class tabs, still missing those two exercises, but enough for today. You type in the search bar "NeuroID application". Enter. There it is, the link to submit your application. You read "Requirements: two letters of recommendation, official transcript, curriculum vitae, and personal statement. Deadline: February 25." Less than a month to complete all that —to make your personal statement—. You don't hesitate, let's get to work. Step one: thank your lab friend. Step two: call your research mentor to tell him the news. For the next three weeks, he won't be able to get rid of you.
-Angelys M. Rivera-Hernández
16/feb/22
1. The main conflict in “The Last Hurricane” by Amina Gautier is the main character’s decaying mental health, due to trauma, and its impact on her relationships with her family. Her trauma originates from the disastrous outcomes of a previous hurricane that affected PR - which involves the death of her husband and precarious circumstances (no electricity and other essentials). Therefore, her trauma and having to relieve these events reflects on her treatment towards her children, her views towards her family living on the mainland, and effects on self-love and self-esteem. The scene that best illustrates this is when the main character’s relatives call to monitor what’s happening on the island and offer their help. Gautier writes, “This is the answer you give because they really don’t care, and they don’t know anything about being a Puerto Rican in Puerto Rico anymore.” (Gautier, pg. 20) Focused on her mental problems and responsibilities, the character misunderstands her family’s true intentions, lies about her current situation, and denies the help she was offered. Furthermore, the reader can interpret this as a coping mechanism – if her family doesn’t care for her - if a tragedy happens - it won’t hurt as much.
ReplyDelete2.
a) Setting: Life on campus
Main conflict: Homework due soon.
b) homework, character’s procrastinating attitude towards fishing the assignment, elements of handing-in an online assignment, computer, phone, distractions
3. A detailed to-do list sits peacefully on my neatly organized desk, waiting for a responsible soul to complete it. Tired from doing absolutely nothing – other than carefully examining and observing the multiple scenarios of which rom-com I should watch next – I, responsibly, approach my desk to analyze the to-do list and confirm I have nothing else to do for the time being. “Ok, INGL’s reading, check. EDES 4019’s reading, check. CISO’s reading, check. HUMA assignment, due next Friday” I read aloud. Interesting, I’ll start off brainstorming ideas and creating an outline. In my head, it sounds like a fascinating idea. My motivation, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to be… motivated enough. Nevertheless, I decide to do the right thing and push through. Five minutes into deep brain work, “Penny!” yells my mom from across the room. “You want to open up the Ben & Jerry’s from Valentine’s Day and watch Harry Potter together?” I carefully analyze and examine the tempting offer and its possible outcomes. My family has Harry Potter marathons every other week, therefore, we could just push it another week, and I can get a head start on my HUMA work… “Come on Penny, hurry up! What do you want to do?” Want, what an interesting choice of words.
And so, it begins…
Pennélope Alers
2/16/2022
1.The main conflict of the story is the interpretation of the mother to the helping hands her family were offering. This can be seen at the beginning of the story when she says, “They want to send blankets, powdered milk, deodorant, Pampers. This is not St. Croix...” I think the mom has a very critical and pessimist point of view. I think the family members were just trying their best to help.
ReplyDelete2.
Political problems about the protest.
Trouble focusing in class
The pandemic while being a student
3.
Signs, microphones, crowds.
Professor, work, college.
Masks, alcohol, fear.
3.5
The day has finally arrived, Friday 18, the protest is starting soon. My mom and I had prepared some signs ready to fight for our rights, something Puertorrican’s are known for. We had woken up early to hopefully get a good parking spot. We stopped to get some breakfast and arrived too the Capitolio just in time to get a safe parking spot. We walked up to the crowd with our signs, there were people with sighs and microphones while shouting, “Lucha si, entrega no”. Some signs spelled out, “Puerto Rico grita” “El futuro es Nuestro” “Unidos somos más”. The clock hit 12PM and the crowd got even bigger and the shouts louder. No matter how loud we shouted the uncertainty was still evident, we weren't expecting a change in our income, but we still used our voices and stood up for what we believe is right.
- Amanda D. Mendez Rodriguez 2/16/2022
1. The narrator centers the conflict on the effect hurricanes have on a mother. One can deduce she suffers mental health problems after she tries to commit suicide by standing outside in the middle of the storm. As Gautier wrote, “You could not get the last one to take you. You stood outside for hours, getting drenched.” Also, she lost her husband in a past hurricane, which worsens her psychological state. The lack of stability and family support hinders her post-hurricane recovery.
ReplyDelete2.
a) Main conflict: Travelling in a pandemic
b) Objects: plane, masks, covid test, alcohol
3.
After waiting a year for the borders to open, international travel finally began. Travelers from around the world finally get to pack their bags and explore new surroundings. I have made all the hostel reservations and coordinated who is picking me up in every city. The first flight went smoothly with no delays, turbulence, or babies crying. At the Miami Airport, the two-hour layover turned into 10 hours of wait. When the airline crew called the first boarding group, the excitement began. The solo trip I dreamed about for the last three years was becoming reality. I had my mask on, a face shield, and only 3oz of alcohol that the FDA let me take on the plane. I was only a few hours away from Madrid, but my smile fell flat when I saw the desk man asking for a negative covid test. Focused on choosing the outfits and preparing all the logistics, I completely forgot to get a PCR test.
Amanda
1.
ReplyDeleteIn "The Last Hurricane", Amina Gautier details what it feels like to be Puerto Rican in the island versus Puerto Rican in the mainland. The story compares the adversities faced in Puerto Rico during hurricane season. There is fear, anger, and even resentment towards those who left and have better lives as stated in “They want to send you and the children things to ease the guilt that they feel as they sit in their safe condos and co-ops with central air and all the other amenities, as they put their feet up to watch the news for the weather report, smug that they are safe and warm while you are . . . not. “ (p.1).
2.
(A) Personally I do not have any major conflict in my life, just the pressure of choosing a career to guide my studies. I know that I like chemistry but do not know what to do with that. Do I want to be a pharmacist? Do I want to work on research? There is a lot of pressure to have it all figured out. My conflict is that I do not want to regret my choices and I have until 2024 to make them.
(B) It is like I gambling, maybe the roulette table where you do not know where exactly it is going to end but you feel fear, excitement, and expectancy all at the same time.
3.
At the age of 17 or 18 most of us have to decide what to study. To some that decision is easy, most of my friends knew exactly what they wanted to study, what they wanted to be, but not me. When the time came I felt completely lost, I chose chemistry because it was the only class I really enjoyed. Almost two years in college and I still do not know where to take my studies after finishing the bachelors degree. Time is ticking, the pressure is stronger, and the answer is still not clear.
- Miranda Martínez
1. The main conflict in "The Last Hurricane," written by Amina Gautier, is the narrator's suboptimal mental health. It’s reflected in her relationship with her family and the living situation in Puerto Rico. The author describes the narrator’s dynamic with her family in diverse ways, for example: "You have become a postcard to them. Beaches and good food, exotic fruit and salsa clubs; they are no better than the turistas. But you can’t tell them so because they are familia” (p. 21). In addition, the situation in Puerto Rico is reflected in the narrator's attempt to cope with the effects of a hurricane.
ReplyDelete2. - Main conflict: Getting up early
- Environment: College life
- Objects: Netflix, phone, alarm, distractions
3. In the distance, I can hear Meredith Grey arguing with Cristina Yang in the Grey's Anatomy series. Time passes too quickly, and I don't have time to decipher the reasons for the argument. My mind is busy figuring out all the things I must do tomorrow. A thousand thoughts cross my mind per second:
“I need to read for INGL 3104 class”
"I must go to bed earlier so I can rest"
"If I go to bed now, I will sleep for 8 hours, 32
minutes, and 17 seconds."
Despite everything, I continue to watch the series as if my life depended on it. Three episodes later, I check the time again:
"If I go to bed now, I will sleep for 4 hours, 10
minutes, and 39 seconds.”
I go to bed. The next morning my alarm goes off. I feel as if I only slept 5 minutes. I tell myself this would never happen again but not everyone keeps their promises.
Amanda Quiñones 2/16/2022
1. What do you see as the main conflict in this story? What lines in the story illustrate this conflict most clearly, in your view? Don’t forget to use a signal phrase and a page number in your answer.
ReplyDeleteI believe the main conflict in this story has to do with the mother’s mental health given that she has been through some trauma from past hurricanes. Part of her mental health is affected by the “Americano” part of her family. Lines that help me support this are: “When they find out that another hurricane is coming your way, your relatives on the mainland—in New Haven, Hartford, Philadelphia, Newark, and New York—always call and ask if you are ready. If you need anything. They want to send you and the children things to help you cope. But you know the truth. They want to send you and the children things to ease the guilt that they feel as they sit in their safe condos and co-ops with central air and all the other amenities.”
2. Gautier evokes a very specific time and place in this story.
a) If you were going to write a story that captured the essence of your own time and place—the here and now—what would be the main event or conflict in it?
If I were to write a story about my own time, the main conflict would be the about who I will be in the future and how my personal development will play out. Shortly put, the biggest conflict would play a mental role in the story.
b) What objects would you use to identify/characterize this time and place?
Objects that help me characterize this moment would be myself, college and my surroundings as a whole.
3. Write the first paragraph of your own story.
If you sit to look at a 19 year old and how their life might be you might think they have it easy in this generation because they have technology nowadays and things that make school and overall daily life easy, but to some it may not seem like such a walk in the park. Do you remember when you were 19? Maybe if you’re reading this you already lived through that stage and are already a grown adult and probably don’t remember or if you do, you might ask; “How difficult can it really be?” It is true that we have technology that makes things easier for us but it only facilitates things and helps us get the job done, the rest is up to ourselves, we are the ones that are in charge of our future and individually take action to reach all our goals in our life.
The main conflict of “The Last Hurricane” is the rejection of foreigners' erroneous vision of what it means to be Puerto Rican. As the protagonist tells us the story through her memories about the effects of a hurricane, she shows us her thoughts towards whom she calls "the relatives" when she says: “…they don't care and they don't know anything about being a Puerto Rican in Puerto Rico anymore” and “You point at your relatives' retreating backs and warn your children not to ever become like them.” It is in these and other parts of the text that we can observe the protagonist's disagreement with the incorrect thinking about what it is like to live in Puerto Rico, a place compared to a paradise, but the reality for the inhabitants is very different since as everywhere there is poverty, loneliness, and family problems. If to all these problems we add natural disasters, the fragility of our facilities such as electricity and water, and the little help from the government towards its citizens, then we can see that the life of a Puerto Rican is not as easy as many believe.
ReplyDeleteA. Main event or conflict:
Saving the life of an abandoned dog during a pandemic.
B. What objects would you use to identify/characterize this time and place?
-Abandoned dog
- Discuss lifestyle in a pandemic
- Neighborhood parks and streets
The yin and yang
Have you ever heard the theory that says that inside the good things that happen there is always something bad, while inside the bad things there is always something good that happens? It all started at the beginning of 2021, specifically in March when the virus Covid-19 came to Puerto Rico putting everyone in confinement, preventing them from approaching other people for fear of being infected, stipulating strict security measures to maintain optimal hygiene, and limiting the communication with everyone. Within all this situation was a boy full of energy along with his sister, who hated staying at home, and only waited for the moment when going out to places full of people was not a concern. That is why one day, they decided to go out to the park of their urbanization, which had been abandoned for a long time, but in the circumstances in which they were found, the park was the perfect place to explore, have fun, and escape once for all from the situation at least for a few hours. They had such a good time that going to the park every day at around 6 pm became part of the routine.
One day as they were on their way to the park, they heard that something or someone was chasing them, when they decided to turn around there was a black dog whose collar was so damaged that not even his name could be read. The dog did not hesitate to approach them and accompany them while being in the park. To their surprise the next day the same thing happened, on their way to the park he decided to show up again, so they played, had fun and then they said goodbye. Things did not stop there, because the dog appeared every day at 6 pm when the brothers were on their way to the park, so they decided once and for all to give a name to their new friend: Felipe.
Emmanuel Santiago
1. The main conflict in the story is the main character’s mental health due to the living situation in Puerto Rico. I feel like the line that illustrates this the most would be when the author writes “...it looks like it will be a big one and ask you how you are doing, you say, "Estoy bien”. This is the answer you give because they really don’t care and they don’t know anything about being a Puerto Rican in Puerto Rico.” I think this line reflects how tired and depressed she feels about having to discuss her situation of living on the island. How she gave up on communicating with her family what she really feels because they wouldn't understand.
ReplyDelete2. (a) Main conflict: getting sick during a pandemic
2. (b) Emergency room, the chair, the nurses, the coughing/the pandemic, the mask
3. It starts out of nowhere, you suddenly feel too tired after walking up the stairs. Something that didn’t happen before. You chalk it up to not sleeping enough that week. You are not that hungry, so you just eat a snack. This all seems very normal to you until the people around you say otherwise. They say you look different. You go to the clinic and find out your blood platelets are very low. You need to go to the emergency room but you just know it's going to be chaos. People are coughing and vomiting because of Covid-19. you make sure the mask is placed correctly on your face. You sit one that uncomfortable chair knowing it’s going to take a while. Looking around and the nurses are running trying to do the job faster, there’s not enough staff. The doctor finally sees you after three hours of waiting. “You have a medical condition that will keep killing your blood platelets so it's necessary you keep coming in for the transfusion”- she says. You look at her and all you can think about is how draining it will be to go through all this process again. That’s when you remember how much easier it was before the pandemic.
-Ismary Negrón Fernández
1)What I think is the main conflict in the story “The Hurricane”, is the family members that live outside of Puerto Rico. We can see that she detest her family members that come from the U.S.A. because she doesn't even want her kids to turn like them. “You point at your relatives’ retreating backs and warn your hijos not to ever become like them.” (P. 21) She probably doesn't want her children to become like them because, from her point of view, her family didn't care that much about the hurricane that affected, not only her family but also the whole island and that they also didn't care about the death of her husband.
ReplyDelete2)
a)Late night homework would be the main event of my story.
b)The objects would be a lamp, table, computer and food.
3) After a long day at university, I finally got home and can relax now, or so I thought. Once I left my backpack at my room, I remembered that I had homework and that I had until 11:59 to submit it. I ran back into my room to get the computer so I could start doing the assignment. I went to the kitchen to do some food myself, while I was waiting for the food to be done I sat down at my desk, with the lamp lighting the computer, and started to do the homework. Once the food was done, I started to eat and do the homework at the same time until I had to focus so I could finish my homework on time. After 20 minutes of writing and thinking, I finally finished my homework and submitted it just in time. Now I can relax while I eat my food and listen to music in peace.
Jekxelmaniel Martínez
In story structure, the most common form of problem is the linear one. This is when the main character has one goal in mind, and the entire tale is their pursuit of that goal. But “The Last Hurricane” is different. Here, the main character isn’t trying to complete one specific goal but instead has to deal with the problems that come with a hurricane. This can be seen in the following line:
ReplyDelete“With the children, you waited on line for over three hours for a block of ice. You carried your ice around the corner where the boys raised their guns to your head and took your block of ice away, the same as they had done to the people who had been in front of you, the same as they planned to do to the people coming after you. Nothing personal. Later—if you have the money—you can buy it back.” Pag. 3.
This scene takes place in between all the other problems that the main character is facing. It adds to everything. And from this perspective, we can see that the conflict isn’t focusing on one particular problem but on the variety of conflicts that come with the aftermath of a hurricane.
If I had to write a story portraying the current world, I would most likely be around the current economic crisis. We’re currently facing a problem as unemployment rates rise and people simply refuse to work. I’d use elements such as the poor working conditions and the use of social media to characterize the time and place and the central conflict. That being the collapse of the work economy as we know it.
“The day was long enough already, and the last thing I wanted was for it to be longer. I didn't want to write that article, but the magazine really wants something on The Great Resignation movement. Even if it’s just a bunch of teenagers quitting their jobs cause their lazy. So that’s how I found myself having lunch with one such advocate of this movement. All while eating at a barely employed restaurant desperately looking for new work. Who knows, maybe this will be the one to convince me otherwise.”
- Adrian Jimenez
1.
ReplyDeleteThe main conflict in this story is the concern that the main character has about his children forgetting who they were in Puerto Rico when they move to the diaspora. He is concerned that they will become superficial and call that place home, when is not. Their family has forgotten where they came from, they treat their island differently and only care about their family at specific times. "and ask you how you are doing, you say, 'I'm fine." This is the answer you give because they really don't care and they don't know anything about being a Puerto Rican in Puerto Rico anymore." (pg. 3) The concern is so big that he warns his children that if they forget that they come from Puerto Rico a hurricane will go after them "You point at your relatives' retreating backs and warn your children not to ever become like them. You tell them that if they do, a hurricane will come and sweep them away and they will end up like their father." (pg. 4)
2.
a) The main conflict would be me trying to overcome that triggering memory.
b)
- Cars
- Highways, roads
- Sounds of braking car quickly
3.
This afternoon, memories of that terrible accident invaded my mind while I was driving in San Juan. It has been several days since that memory crossed my mind, I remember it so vividly. A car was about to hit the car that was next to me. The unexpected sound of the brakes took me back to the summer of 2021, when the accident occurred. Seven months have passed, and I have not yet been able to overcome it. Deep down i feel like i will never do it, the thought of me losing my life makes it even harder.
Luis Merced Cotto
02/16/2022
1. Puerto Ricans who have emigrated from the Island or have been born in the United States but did not grow on the Island have little to no idea how the life of a Puerto Rican living in Puerto Rico really is, what their everyday life problems and situations include. Perhaps at first, they remember what it was like and go through an adaptation period, but eventually they end up sounding and behaving like the American tourists that only visit our Island for vocational purposes.
ReplyDelete2. Main Conflicts & Objects:
a. Main Conflicts
- Home away from home, moving from Lajas to San Juan
- New city, new home, new university
- Finding the classrooms on time
b. Objects
- GPS, parking spot, places to eat, face masks
3. It’s the first day, it’ll be my first time going inside a classroom after so long, and it started just “great” … My alarm goes off… well I guess it’s time to wake up and get ready. I jump out of bed and rush to the bathroom. It feels like only ten minutes have gone by, but when I check my phone, it’s been more like thirty. After spending all that time in front of my mirror, I finish my morning routine: brushed my teeth, washed my face, did my hair. All that’s left is finding the right outfit for the day. Naturally, I had something in mind last night before going to bed, but I wasn’t the morning to be so humid and chilly. Nevertheless, I adjusted to my circumstances and am pleased with the practical jeans and Converse mix-match. As I gather all the supplies I could need while on campus, the clock marks 7am. It’s time to leave for University. I open the front door and… the sky is falling. Of course, I don’t mean literally but the raining won’t stop. How am I supposed to start the day with my right foot if the weather decided to start with its left one? My umbrella is nowhere to be found, so I guess it’ll be me and my hoodie against the rain. I pick up my purse, get into my car and off to the “Land of hens and roosters” I go. I got there in just a few minutes. A little anxious, I look at the time on the car’s dash. It’s 7:17 a.m. I was worried I wouldn’t find a parking spot close enough to get to class in as little time as possible throughout the day, but luckily, I did. I guess it pays off to wake up a little earlier than usual after all. I get out of my car and take my bag. My class isn’t until the next hour or so; seems like a good moment to walk around and explore a strangely designed cement building that has been affectionately nicknamed “El Sapo”. I wonder what the rest of the day holds for me. Either way, I’m determined to keep an open mind.
- Kendra J. Santana Irizarry 16/feb/2022
1. The main conflict in this story is the family’s experience of living through hurricanes. We see that the mother already knows what to expect when another hurricane is on it’s way. Because of her experience with hurricanes, she already knows what her kids and herself really need. We can see this when she is talking about her family in the diaspora who have not gone through those hurricanes and are trying to help her; she says, “What will you need? they ask. Clean water. Hot water. Ice. Electricity. None of which they can provide.” She has gone through enough of these scenarios to be able to know how unhelpful her family can be, even if they have their best intentions to help. The family’s experience with hurricanes allows them to be conscious of the things that are truly essential to live comfortably; because many who have not lost them, like their family from the diaspora, can’t understand how desperate the situation can get without this resources.
ReplyDelete2. a) Puerto Rico’s lack of agriculture
b) lack of interest, economy, culture, politics, food
3. The news have lately been talking about the problem with agriculture in our island. They tell us that about 400 years ago Puerto Rico’s economy was based on it’s agricultural production. Our small island was once a giant in the sugar and tabaco industry. But after the industrial revolution everything changed, we industrialized ourselves and the agricultural production kept on declining. Now it’s the year 2022, and I sit here in my living room listening to the lady on the news talk, “…yet today, Puerto Rico imports over 80 percent of it’ s food.” It made me start thinking, could I do something about this? I’m not really into farming, nor do I want to start a new business from scratch. What can I do about this? There must be a way to help. And then an add from the tv catches my attention, “Visit El mercado agrícola of San Juan every Saturday. Starting next weekend.” Maybe I can start from here. So I choose to pay a visit next Saturday.
-Alondra Acevedo Ortiz
1.
ReplyDeleteThe main conflict in Amina Gautier's novel "The Last Hurricane" is the narrator's deteriorating mental state. Her connection with her family and her living environment in Puerto Rico reflect such problem. The author uses a variety of metaphors to explain the narrator's relationship with her family, such as "You have become a postcard to them." Beaches and good food, exotic fruit and salsa clubs; they are no better than turistas. But you can't tell the so because they are familia" (page 21). Furthermore, the narrator's struggle to bear with the aftermath of a hurricane reflects the situation in Puerto Rico.
2.
a) Main conflict: Being afraid to go out.
b) Objects: trauma, guns, party, music, gunshots.
3.
In the distance, I can hear horrifying gunshots, people yelling, and others running for their lives. Time flies very quickly and you only have time to protect yourself. The Friday of February 11th of 2022 is a day that I’ll always remember. Hearing one gunshot was just enough for me to be traumatized for the rest of my life. I started thinking: “what if I die today?”, “what if my parents will never see me again?”, “what if this is my last day?” My mind was contemplating about the worst thing that could ever happen to me. At that moment I felt my body completely freeze, I didn’t know where I was heading to or neither did I know that I was in a state of shock. Moments like these traumatizes us for the rest of our lives. We go out and think that something will happen, so we make the decision to stay at home. This change and affects the way that we live, see the world, do our daily tasks and our mental health.
-Marisabel Cordero Méndez
Amina Gautier’s story “The Last Hurricane” illustrates the narrator’s hurricane induced stress. Her emotions take over her and seem to cloud her judgement. We can see this when the author says, “They want to send you and the children’s things to ease the guilt that they feel as they sit in their safe condos and co-ops with central air and all the other amenities.” (P. 18) The fact that her family in the diaspora are not in immediate danger doesn’t mean that they can’t genuinely worry about her and try to help. We can also see her lack of clear judgement when the narrator says, “The storm within you was more frightening.”
ReplyDeleteA) I would write about me having a homework due in the next couple of hours and my neighbor, who is also a close friend, doesn’t want to help me.
B) I would describe how my dog keeps distracting, the intense rain that’s dropping, the hunger that I’m experiencing, and the fact that there are only 30 minutes left to turn in my homework.
Story
It’s 11:29 PM, I’m trying to finish a very important assignment for a class. In fact, the assignment is worth almost sixty percent of the final grade. I’m having trouble with the assignment, for it requires some analytical skills that exceed my current capabilities. One of my closest friends, who happens to also be my neighbor, refuses to help me because she’s still mad about a previous misunderstanding. This has caused me to be mad at her and to lose my concentration.
The world seems to be conspiring against me. I just noticed that I haven’t eaten anything since the breakfast I had at 7:00 AM. There’s an intense amount of rain falling from the sky, and that’s something that typically makes me feel sleepy. My dog keeps distracting me. Paradoxically, my intention was to make her my Emotional Support Animal. Adding even more to this situation, some friends want me to help them with other assignments.
There are only thirty minutes left for me to finish the assignment, and all I can think is what will happen if I fail to turn in my assignment on time. If that happens, I can’t graduate. The issue of not knowing what will happen tomorrow makes me feel like I’m reliving hurricane María. All the zinc panels flying around and the water coming inside the house has the same effect on me as all the chaos surrounding the completion of my homework.
-Simon Hidalgo
1. The author of ''The Last Hurricane'', Amina Gautier, tries to emphasize the experience of a hurricane on the island Once you start reading you will focus on how Puerto Ricans have gone through the same experience several times throughout history and focus on the reasons why the mental health of citizens is the way it is. Firstly, the location of the island is in a position where it is more than exposed to atmospheric catastrophes. Even though this is a fact, the country is not politically prepared for situations like this. Therefore, all the families that live there find it difficult to take advantage, mainly the middle and lower classes. There are times when resources are scarce for many people, so what little they find is of low quality, the author emphasizes this when he mentions: “They eat your mangoes and papayas as if they were going out of style, excusing themselves by reminding you that mangoes are so cheap here that they often have to pay almost two dollars for one at home (home is what they now call the mainland) which is half as sweet'' (p. 21). In addition to the political situation, mental health, the minimum wage, the regular living conditions on the island overwhelm each citizen and may even feel trapped.
ReplyDelete2. a) Setting: University
Main conflict: Fisrt day of college in a pandemic
c) masks, cars, college students, professors
3. It's February 8th and the university is going to receive a lot of students again after being closed for 2 years. For me, it was going to be a bit strange since I had attended the first semester in person and I was already less lost on campus than I would be if it were my very first day. There were no nerves during the whole weekend, until the day of going to the university arrived. That morning while I am getting ready I realize that I am not so ready at all to return to the life of “before”. With many thoughts in my head, many expectations about that day, I prepared myself and went to college. Upon entering, I see that there are a lot of people and it gives me a momentary panic since they haven't seen so many people in the same room for a long time. Getting parking was like a game and I was seeing who was winning first. When I finally find parking, I get off and go to the general center, obviously that is where most of the young people my age are going to be, therefore, there were many people with many different personalities. After lunch, which was another journey, I go to the room that corresponds to me. The room is different from the ones I had in highschool, the chairs are more renovated, there is air, it has glass windows where you can see the trees and the sky. All my teachers made me feel comfortable in the study environment and in the change that the students were presenting since they, despite the fact that they have been on campus, were also going through different types of nerves after returning to the university after 2 years.
1) In my opinion Puerto Ricans that go to the United States are just trying to achieve a better quality of life. Sometimes, these new traditions corrupt them to the point they forget or leave their essence. This story highlights this problem; about how some people, because not only Puerto Ricans, have this problem. In the journey of finding a new beginning people tend to erase part of themselves to become better ones but the thing they don't know it's that they're forgetting their true self. Some quotes in the story are: "This is the answer you give because they really don’t care, and they don’t know anything about being a Puerto Rican in Puerto Rico anymore." (p. 20) Another one in the story it's at the end when it says: "You point at your relatives’ retreating backs and warn your hijos not to ever become like them. You tell them that if they do, a hurricane will come and sweep them away and they will end up like their father." Here the author refers to their Puerto Rican relatives that lost their complete essence of what it is to be Puerto Rican.
ReplyDelete2) a) My main conflict here and now would be the trouble of finding a parking spot. These days, now that almost everyone its going to the university, it’s so difficult to find a spot.
b) The objects I think I would use are my car, the location which it’s the university, and maybe the other cars also looking for a parking spot.
3) I need to ask you, is this new year in college what you were expecting? I mean… Do you know how difficult it is to find an empty parking spot? Now that everything its going back to normal I find almost impossible leave my vehicle in a safe spot because there are not, they are all fulfilled. Today I was looking for a parking spot about 30 minutes… 30 MINUTES! That’s too much for a person to be looking in the same area. I know there are a lot of students in the university but come on; the ones that are available cost money and I already spend seven dollars for a stamp that doesn’t helps too much. You want to know why? Because it only gives me five parking lots that are twenty to thirty minutes away from my classrooms. This its too much. The university its cool and stuff, but the parking… like please get your work done and make some more lots for us. I’m not trying to sound rude but I’m walking more than a field athlete.
Karla L. Colón