Building Bridges Essay

 Building Bridges Essay

December 11, 2014

Family relationships can be hard, especially when the parent has to learn how to let go of the child when the time comes.  “Building Bridges,” by Andrea Pinkney, is a story about a 17-year-old girl, Bebe, and her grandmother, Mama Lil.  Bebe lives with Mama Lil, and they are always arguing.  Bebe wants to get a job fixing the Brooklyn Bridge so she can become an engineer, but Mama Lil doesn’t want her to. I believe that eventually Bebe and Mama Lil’s relationship changes, and Mama Lil learns to let go so Bebe can follow her dreams.  The author wants the reader to know that parents should allow their kids to have their own life as they grow up.

     

      In the beginning, Bebe and Mama Lil are constantly bickering.  Bebe wants to get a job fixing the Brooklyn Bridge, but Mama Lil thinks that isn’t a good job for her.  In the story, it says “‘Hammering a bridge together is not respectable work for a young lady’” (Pinkney, page 22).  Mama Lil thinks that working on a bridge is a man’s job.  I think Mama Lil is just using this as an excuse for keeping Bebe with her.  In addition, Mama Lil says “You get cranky every time we talk about that nasty job you want to get” (Pinkney, page 22).  Mama Lil is trying to get mad at Bebe whenever she talks about the bridge job, so the subject will be avoided altogether.  I think that Mama Lil is stalling for time.  She is hoping that the day the bridge job form is due, by not talking about it, Bebe will forget to turn it in and won’t get the job.  Mama Lil doesn’t want Bebe to leave her because she doesn’t want her last shot at being a parent to end.  Mama Lil doesn’t want to be alone.

      Later in the story, Mama Lil and Bebe’s relationship is changing.  For the first time ever, Mama Lil reveals to Bebe the real reason she has been arguing about the job, by saying that Bebe’s job will take her away from Mama Lil.  In the story, it says, “You got big hopes, child, but they gonna leave me alone, by myself.”  The big reveal happens right after the climax of the story, right after they have a big fight, when Bebe accuses Mama Lil of not listening to her, and the level of intensity in their fight takes a big dip.  Bebe and Mama Lil both now know Mama Lil’s internal conflict, about her fear of letting Bebe grow up.  After Mama Lil says her thoughts, Bebe becomes less angry, because Mama Lil has said something powerful and sentimental, which makes Bebe understand Mama Lil’s point of view a lot more.  This is a big character change moment for Bebe.  She changes from seeing her grandmother as an obstacle, something to prevent Bebe from doing what she wants to do in life, to feeling sympathetic towards Mama Lil.

By the end, Mama Lil overcomes her fear of Bebe leaving her.  It is Mama Lil’s turn to change.  In the text, Mama Lil says, “‘Bebe that bridge is lucky to have you’” (Pinkney, page 34).  Deep down, Mama Lil still wishes that she could stay with Bebe forever, but she knows that it’s important for Bebe to have her own life.  Furthermore, Mama Lil implies that Bebe will become a great engineer, and will be a big help in fixing the bridge.  Bebe could become a great engineer someday, and without her, the world might not have some amazing invention.  After all, great minds only come once in a while.  After Mama Lil signs the job application, Bebe and Mama Lil’s relationship changes for good.  The night before Mama Lil signs the form, Bebe was worrying about how Mama Lil might destroy the form, but the morning Bebe wakes up and finds the form still there, she knows Mama Lil is going to sign it.  In that moment, the big change happens.

      Throughout the story, Mama Lil finally accepts what she needed to so Bebe could do what she wants to do in life.  I can relate Mama Lil’s thoughts before the change to my own life.  Often my mom will want to come in my room, but I wont want her there.  She feels the same way Mama Lil did.  My mom just wants to spend time with me.  Mama Lil wants to see Bebe more.  In six years, I’ll be in college and my mom will rarely see me.  My mom wants to preserve the moments before this.  Mama Lil will never see Bebe when Bebe’s working far away, but she understands Bebe’s point of view and changes by the end of the story.  Many parents need to accept this and if you are one of them, you are not alone.

My Name Project

Razor

Zach A. Thompson 711

My name is like a razor.  The sharp point is my Z.  If you say the letter Z for long enough, your tongue starts to hurt, like a blade slicing through meat.  I have a hot temper, growing angry when my brother annoys me, making stupid noises with his spit.  He stares at me, in the backseat of the car, with fat puffy cheeks and a look in his eyes that shows he knows he’s bothering me and he doesn’t care.  I yell at him to stop, and stare at him with my evil glare, my eyes judging his every move.  My Z is my fiery temper, a sharp slicing razor.

The rest of my name is more like the handle of the razor, rather than the blade, not as sharp in your hand.  I’m not always mad.  When there’s nothing to be angry about, I am easy to be around.  When people spell my name with a K, I’ll send that K back because I don’t want it. “CH” is better, rounder and softer, because I already have my sharp Z.

When I was little, my dad used to play a game with me called “Zach of potatoes,” where he would pick me up at the base of the stairs leading to our apartment, toss me behind his back like a sack—or Zach—of potatoes, carry me up the stairs and then toss me onto the living room sofa.  I would be giggling the whole time, upside down with my legs dangling above me, and when it was over I would ask my dad to do it again.  “Pleeeeease, just one more time?  Pleeeeeeeease?”  I still like that kind of roughness, being tossed around and shaken.  I love roller-coasters, especially wooden ones like the Cyclone at Coney Island, where there is extra shaking.  I also never get dizzy.  Roller-coasters and other thrill rides are my “Zach” of potatoes.

Like a roller coaster, I have big ups and big downs.  I feel things strongly.  I get very mad at times, like when people annoy me, but I also get very excited on thrill rides.  My name is like a razor, sharp on one end but soft on the other.

Summer Reading Response

The Black Cauldron by Lloyd Alexander

SEPTEMBER 14, 2014 

The Black Cauldron, by Lloyd Alexander, is the second book in the Chronicles of Prydain series. In the story, the main character, Taran the   Assistant Pig-Keeper, Prince Ellidyr, Adaon the bard, and others, are on a quest to find and destroy the Black Crochan, a cauldron the evil Arawn uses to create his deathless warriors, the Cauldron-Born.  Throughout the book, Ellidyr changes from being constantly mean and snotty to Taran, and even betraying him, to sacrificing himself for the good cause.

In the beginning of the story, Ellidyr was mean to Taran, calling him Pig-boy instead of Taran or Assistant Pig-Keeper, and being nasty and grumpy to everyone in general.  In the text, it says, “‘Must I hear reproof from a pig-boy?’ Ellidyr retorted.  “Must I let a scullery maid cost me my head?’” (pg. 38).  Ellidyr was mean to everyone, especially Taran, and not at all likable.  The reason Ellidyr was mean was because of all the weight he was carrying.  He felt that he needed to be worthy of his pride that he was a prince.  Adaon the bard said that he dreamed of Ellidyr having a black beast on his shoulders, a symbol for the burden of responsibility the prince was carrying.  In the text, it says, “‘Last night I dreamed of us all,’ Adaon said, thoughtfully fingering the iron clasp at his throat. ‘You [Ellidyr] I saw with a black beast on your throat.  Beware, Ellidyr, lest it swallow you up!’” (pg. 27).  Ellidyr was proud to be a prince but felt he needed to live up to that pride and believes that he is not doing enough.

By the end of the story, Ellidyr freed himself from the black beast, and changed from being nasty and cruel to being compassionate, even sacrificing himself to help Taran and help defeat Arawn.  He understood about the black beast Adaon told him about, instead of saying things like, “‘Spare me from pig-boys and dreamers!’” (pg. 27) and that the black beast was just a stupid untrue dream.  He also overcame the black beast and died proud. He became less stressed because he was carrying a lighter burden.  He finally felt like he had lived up to his pride. In the text, it says, “‘The black beast is gone from you, Prince of Pen-Llarcau,’ he [Taran] murmured.” (pg. 173).

Ellidyr also became much kinder and less quick to put others down.  He regretted what he had done, and apologized to Taran.  The text says, “‘I [Ellidyr] am truly sorry.  I would make up all the ill I have done all of you [Taran].’” (pg. 168).  Ellidyr finally realized what he had done wrong, and also understood what the black beast symbolized.  He also sacrificed himself to help the heroes in the story.  The text says that, “A few paces from the cauldron, struggling madly, Ellidyr broke free of the warriors.  Then, with a cry, he flung himself into the Crochan’s gaping mouth” (pg. 172).  When somebody jumps into the Black Crochan, alive and knowing what they’re doing, they die, but the cauldron is destroyed, and when Ellidyr jumped in, it wasn’t any different. Ellidyr changed and sacrificed himself to destroy the Crochan and help Taran.

Throughout the book, Ellidyr changed from being uncaring and calling everyone names, especially Taran, to being more understanding and kind, and eventually even killing himself so he could destroy the Crochan, to help Taran and the heroes of the story.  He also started out carrying the black beast on his shoulders, symbolizing all the feelings of pride and feeling pressured to live up to that pride, but by the end, understood the black beast more clearly and died feeling that he had lived up to the pride he wanted.