1. Identify and briefly define important words, terms, concepts, or characters.
Call- girl- Prostitute., In this chapter Holidays decides that she is done being a prostitute. This begins to put her on the road to becoming a “lady.”
Money- throughout the book Holiday has an obsession with money. Her ways of securing it have evolved. She gets it through her father by embarrassing him. She gets it from the audience by making them cry with her singing. Holiday acquires money generally to take care of her mother who might otherwise be tossed out onto the street. While at first like the rest of the performers she would take money off tables, afterwards she would only accept what people actually gave her. People started to refer to her as a “lady” (in a derogatory way) because of this.
Mother- Her mother appears to be the most important character in her life. She was the motivation that sent Holiday on the path which led to her first singing job. Portrayed as well-meaning, but misunderstanding she once gave Holiday her own money back in tips which she then had to split with the piano player.
Father- Holiday’s father on the other hand is portrayed as not caring about anyone. The only reason he gives the family the money they need to survive is to avoid humiliation. The father serves as a foil for the mother.
2. Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
“bitch, That aint your mother.”
After all her work for Mother, it is insulting to have her mother’s identity doubted. The entire chapter basically details the various ways that Holiday protects and provides for her Mother. Perhaps this is not evident on the surface but the lengths that Holiday will go to protect her Mother shows this.
3. Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
Holiday was forced to think outside the box when searching for a job and took to basically begging for a job from anyone. She tried to be a dancer but failed miserabley. Luckily however, the pianist asked her to sing and she was hired at livable wages, thus starting her career as a singer.
Her mother was about to be thrown out on the street when this happened.
How has Holidays protection of her Mother led her to current singing career? Was this because of specific actions of her mother or a result of Karma, “what goes around comes around?”
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Yuliya - Chapter 14
1. Identify and briefly define important words, terms, concepts, or characters.
Gardenias- any evergreen tree or shrub belonging to the genus Gardenia, of the madder family, native to the warmer parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, cultivated for its usually large, fragrant white flowers
52nd street between 5th and 7th avenue is mostly known for jazz clubs and lively street life
Sanatorium is a hospital for the treatment of chronic diseases, as tuberculosis or various nervous or mental disorders.
Narcotics Bureau was established in the Department of the Treasury by an act of June 14, 1930 consolidating the functions of the Federal Narcotics Control Board and the Narcotic Division.
Squawked- to utter a loud, harsh cry, as a duck or other fowl when frightened
2. Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
Billie Holiday mentions Tony Golucci who was one of her good friends. He had respect for her, not like her other so called friends. He said that he would always help/ support her financially. Holiday goes around looking for a sanatorium and finds one in Manhattan. It would cost them two thousand dollars for three weeks stay and everything there was promised to be confidential. As she finishes her three week course, she sees a man that she believes is a cop and is tailing her. Holiday thinks that someone in the hospital told the police and betrayed her. She goes on to talk about how there was a scandal in New York in the 1920’s dealing with the Federal Narcotics Bureau.
What really got to her was that when she was a nobody, no one cared about her, and no one bothered her. She’ll never forgive the people that changed her life.
3. Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
After going through the sanatorium and finding out that someone told the law about her problems, how does that affect her trust in others?
Gardenias- any evergreen tree or shrub belonging to the genus Gardenia, of the madder family, native to the warmer parts of the Eastern Hemisphere, cultivated for its usually large, fragrant white flowers
52nd street between 5th and 7th avenue is mostly known for jazz clubs and lively street life
Sanatorium is a hospital for the treatment of chronic diseases, as tuberculosis or various nervous or mental disorders.
Narcotics Bureau was established in the Department of the Treasury by an act of June 14, 1930 consolidating the functions of the Federal Narcotics Control Board and the Narcotic Division.
Squawked- to utter a loud, harsh cry, as a duck or other fowl when frightened
2. Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
Billie Holiday mentions Tony Golucci who was one of her good friends. He had respect for her, not like her other so called friends. He said that he would always help/ support her financially. Holiday goes around looking for a sanatorium and finds one in Manhattan. It would cost them two thousand dollars for three weeks stay and everything there was promised to be confidential. As she finishes her three week course, she sees a man that she believes is a cop and is tailing her. Holiday thinks that someone in the hospital told the police and betrayed her. She goes on to talk about how there was a scandal in New York in the 1920’s dealing with the Federal Narcotics Bureau.
What really got to her was that when she was a nobody, no one cared about her, and no one bothered her. She’ll never forgive the people that changed her life.
3. Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
After going through the sanatorium and finding out that someone told the law about her problems, how does that affect her trust in others?
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Igor - Chapter 21
Identification and definition of the important words, term concepts or characters
“If you’re doing something wrong, you know it and you’ve got at least one eye peeled
looking for trouble” (par1). Billie Holiday says that some body who do something wrong in purpose is aware of the consequence of his act and is prepared to face or avoid them.
“You’re just a pigeon” (par1). “A person who is easily flooded or cheated; dupe”
(htt//dictionary.infoplease.com).
I met a cat in a 52nd street club where I was working” (par2 ). She says that she met a man.
“He was over the hill form some camp down south” (par2). He has left his military camp for a long time without leave.
“To knock some sense into his head” (par2). To make him to behave in a more sensible
way”(wordReference.com).
“The number of his outfit”(par3). The number of “his military company”
(http//ardictionary.com).
“Tough looking white characters” (par4). She means two aggressive white persons
“ hiding a G.I who was AWOL”(par4). A AWOL is a soldier or other military person who is absent from duty whiteout leave (htt//dictionary.infoplease.com).
"Somebody had set me up" (par5). That means Somebody fooled me.
“I was not using anything and I wasn’t thinking about using anything”(par6). She says that she was not in drug and did not want to take some.
“I’ve got one strike against me I can’t beat it, so let me take the rap”(par12). She says she is in a bad position. And that she will take the blame for the bad thing that happened. (http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com).
It was Joe Tenner, boss of the club, who went to bat and called Jack Ehrich, a famous San Francisco criminal lawyer(par19). She says that Joe “supported or helped her” (http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com).
"Picturesque criminal cases" (par 19). It her criminal case was striking or interesting in an unusual way. (http://www.answer.com).
The clincher that I had a record (par21). “clincher is a point, fact, or remark that settle something conclusively; a decisive factor (http://www.answer.com).
“I guess Mr. Ehrlich figured this would bring me to my sense about John Levy, and it did”(par30). He convince her that John Levy was not a good man.
The summary of the man idea, them, action or event
The thesis of Billie Holiday is to be naïve can be very dangerous, “you can get in just as much trouble by being dumb and innocent as you can by breaking the law… if you are doing something wrong… your in position to protect yourself. The other way, you’re just a pigeon”(par 1). And she illustrate that by two examples coming form her own life. The first one take place during the world war II when she met a musician soldier. Who was a deserter. She locked him in her room and told him that she will helped him “ I told him I’d call his sergeant on the phone and see if I couldn’t fix it up for him to get back without getting in trouble”(par2). when she came back two white person said to her that they knew she was hiding a soldier and that they will denounce. So she bribe them “ I tried offering them money…if they let me alone and let that poor little soldier head back to the camp. They were very big about that”(par5).
Then she realized she get tricked “when I saw them running across the rooftops with my money, I knew I’d been had”(par5).
The in the second story she get caught by the police in possession of the opium her manager told her to throw in the toilet….. She got “Arrested on Narcotics Charges” (par16) later she her lawyer made her realized that her manager Mr. Levy was an informatory of the “the man in charge of the raid the famous Colonel George H. White”(par28) was in fact the a trick made by John levy. “john Levy was an informer on other people and bragged about it. What was there to stop him from informing on me?”(par30).
The question
Billie Holiday was an artist who did not have a good education. She learned by experience that to be innocent can be dangerous. But if she had been to college would she been fool the same way? What is the contribution of the theoretical knowledge to the building of the mid of an individual ? Is it more important than the experience?
“If you’re doing something wrong, you know it and you’ve got at least one eye peeled
looking for trouble” (par1). Billie Holiday says that some body who do something wrong in purpose is aware of the consequence of his act and is prepared to face or avoid them.
“You’re just a pigeon” (par1). “A person who is easily flooded or cheated; dupe”
(htt//dictionary.infoplease.com).
I met a cat in a 52nd street club where I was working” (par2 ). She says that she met a man.
“He was over the hill form some camp down south” (par2). He has left his military camp for a long time without leave.
“To knock some sense into his head” (par2). To make him to behave in a more sensible
way”(wordReference.com).
“The number of his outfit”(par3). The number of “his military company”
(http//ardictionary.com).
“Tough looking white characters” (par4). She means two aggressive white persons
“ hiding a G.I who was AWOL”(par4). A AWOL is a soldier or other military person who is absent from duty whiteout leave (htt//dictionary.infoplease.com).
"Somebody had set me up" (par5). That means Somebody fooled me.
“I was not using anything and I wasn’t thinking about using anything”(par6). She says that she was not in drug and did not want to take some.
“I’ve got one strike against me I can’t beat it, so let me take the rap”(par12). She says she is in a bad position. And that she will take the blame for the bad thing that happened. (http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com).
It was Joe Tenner, boss of the club, who went to bat and called Jack Ehrich, a famous San Francisco criminal lawyer(par19). She says that Joe “supported or helped her” (http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com).
"Picturesque criminal cases" (par 19). It her criminal case was striking or interesting in an unusual way. (http://www.answer.com).
The clincher that I had a record (par21). “clincher is a point, fact, or remark that settle something conclusively; a decisive factor (http://www.answer.com).
“I guess Mr. Ehrlich figured this would bring me to my sense about John Levy, and it did”(par30). He convince her that John Levy was not a good man.
The summary of the man idea, them, action or event
The thesis of Billie Holiday is to be naïve can be very dangerous, “you can get in just as much trouble by being dumb and innocent as you can by breaking the law… if you are doing something wrong… your in position to protect yourself. The other way, you’re just a pigeon”(par 1). And she illustrate that by two examples coming form her own life. The first one take place during the world war II when she met a musician soldier. Who was a deserter. She locked him in her room and told him that she will helped him “ I told him I’d call his sergeant on the phone and see if I couldn’t fix it up for him to get back without getting in trouble”(par2). when she came back two white person said to her that they knew she was hiding a soldier and that they will denounce. So she bribe them “ I tried offering them money…if they let me alone and let that poor little soldier head back to the camp. They were very big about that”(par5).
Then she realized she get tricked “when I saw them running across the rooftops with my money, I knew I’d been had”(par5).
The in the second story she get caught by the police in possession of the opium her manager told her to throw in the toilet….. She got “Arrested on Narcotics Charges” (par16) later she her lawyer made her realized that her manager Mr. Levy was an informatory of the “the man in charge of the raid the famous Colonel George H. White”(par28) was in fact the a trick made by John levy. “john Levy was an informer on other people and bragged about it. What was there to stop him from informing on me?”(par30).
The question
Billie Holiday was an artist who did not have a good education. She learned by experience that to be innocent can be dangerous. But if she had been to college would she been fool the same way? What is the contribution of the theoretical knowledge to the building of the mid of an individual ? Is it more important than the experience?
Caren - Chapter 20
“No-Good Man” as the title of this chapter, at the beginning, reader will think it means “No, he is a good man”.
In 1948 John Levy, a owner of the Ebony club on 52nd street got Billie out of jail, and gave her a job when no one else dared. In Billie’s eyes, Mr. Levy is a very good man. Billie had Bobby Tucker and his great group backing her; she still got a fancy dress with very expensive jewelry from Mr. Levy.
“I never had had a mink coat in my life, John Levy bought me my first one… the biggest surprise of all was that he never once suggested or insisted that I go to bed with him”.
Mr. Levy also fixed Billie’s relationship with her husband---Jimmy, and chased Jimmy away from her. Everything happens too fast and perfect. Billie had a car and chauffeur to drive her around; she got a fabulous place in St. Albans Queens, and furnished in modern stuff and antiques. All these make Billie feels like she is the most lucky and happy woman in the world. She thought this had to be part of a build-up and the love eyes had to come later.
But reader forgets another meaning of the title of this chapter; “No-Good Man” also means “no man is good”.
After happiness, trouble was coming. Billie had to start to work seven days a week, five shows a day. She lost her freedom, and became a machine of money maker. And Mr. Levy became a nightmare of her. Things are clearer and clearer that Mr. Levy used Billie to make money for him, and he does not love her at all.
“I was making thirty-five hundred dollars a week, but I didn’t have a nickel in my pocket. John handled all the finances, and I wasn’t even allowed to draw five bucks”.
Outside, people thought Billie is great, famous and successful, she has a great life. But the fact is she can not do what she wants, she lost herself, all she had to work over and over. Finally, she made a decision to end relationship with Mr. Levy. “This was the beginning of the end with Mr. Levy, I decided”.
My question is, have you ever got hurt from love? When you fall in love with someone, could you distinguished is it true love? Did anyone fooling you and use you before? If he or she just used you, how have you deal with it?
In 1948 John Levy, a owner of the Ebony club on 52nd street got Billie out of jail, and gave her a job when no one else dared. In Billie’s eyes, Mr. Levy is a very good man. Billie had Bobby Tucker and his great group backing her; she still got a fancy dress with very expensive jewelry from Mr. Levy.
“I never had had a mink coat in my life, John Levy bought me my first one… the biggest surprise of all was that he never once suggested or insisted that I go to bed with him”.
Mr. Levy also fixed Billie’s relationship with her husband---Jimmy, and chased Jimmy away from her. Everything happens too fast and perfect. Billie had a car and chauffeur to drive her around; she got a fabulous place in St. Albans Queens, and furnished in modern stuff and antiques. All these make Billie feels like she is the most lucky and happy woman in the world. She thought this had to be part of a build-up and the love eyes had to come later.
But reader forgets another meaning of the title of this chapter; “No-Good Man” also means “no man is good”.
After happiness, trouble was coming. Billie had to start to work seven days a week, five shows a day. She lost her freedom, and became a machine of money maker. And Mr. Levy became a nightmare of her. Things are clearer and clearer that Mr. Levy used Billie to make money for him, and he does not love her at all.
“I was making thirty-five hundred dollars a week, but I didn’t have a nickel in my pocket. John handled all the finances, and I wasn’t even allowed to draw five bucks”.
Outside, people thought Billie is great, famous and successful, she has a great life. But the fact is she can not do what she wants, she lost herself, all she had to work over and over. Finally, she made a decision to end relationship with Mr. Levy. “This was the beginning of the end with Mr. Levy, I decided”.
My question is, have you ever got hurt from love? When you fall in love with someone, could you distinguished is it true love? Did anyone fooling you and use you before? If he or she just used you, how have you deal with it?
Shenwei - Chapter 19
1. Identify and briefly define important words, terms, concepts, or characters.
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, it is one of the most famous venues in the United States for classical music and popular music. In the early chapters, Billie mentions she felt exciting and happy to be there.
Fishman and Glaser are the two agents that were fighting over Billie Holiday , at the end, Billie sign contract with Glaser.
Bobby Tucker is Billie Holiday’s accompanist also her close friend.
Sarah Vaughan was an American jazz singer, very famous at that time.
Lena Horne was a legend singer and actress, “people like Lena took the sting out of other little people.”
Helen Hironimus worked for the federal government, Helen Hironimus tried to buy something for Billie, and such movement make Billie sick and angry.
2. Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
Chapter 19 of Billie Holidays autobiography Lady Sings the Blues, Billie first described the excitement of performing a show at Carnegie Hall at the night before Easter. Usually, the night before Easter is the worst night in show business, but there were thirty-five hundred people went to Billie’s show. Before the show she was excited but also unconfident, but after seeing so many audience, she realize Americas could accept her after she got out the jail. The public acceptance is always a anonymous thing to her. She went to Sarah Vaughan’s concert, and Sarah did not even look at her, it makes Billie very sad. “ I broke down and cried, Sarah made me wish I’d never left jail or, worse, like I was still in or carried the bars around me.”
And in the end of the chapter, Billie also mentioned the people that really cares about her, people like Lena and John, they made Billie felt happy and at least Billie not felt been discriminated, she gained some confidence from that relationship, she felt she was really existing, and there were people who cares about her. It was a hard time for Billie after got out of jail, as a black female and a jailbird, she could not get a cabaret card, and without the card, no one would hire her.
After Billie got back to Philadelphia, she met Helen Hironumus, they went shopping and Helen tried to buy everything for Billie, Billie hates that, “ if I’d gone to jail I’d have killed you and they could have had me for murder.”
I think this chapter is talk about the relationship and the people around Billie Holiday, after Billie got out of jail, she had a hard time, and she also found out who was really friends of her, and who was not. The quotes best summarize this chapter is “ Being around New York those first few days as a jailbird sure separated the sheep from the goats as far as my friends and colleagues were concerned, I’ll Never forget their reactions, and nothing can change or make me forget the way they treated me.”
3. Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
Who are Billie’s best friends, are they going to be with Billie Holiday at the end?
Carnegie Hall is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, it is one of the most famous venues in the United States for classical music and popular music. In the early chapters, Billie mentions she felt exciting and happy to be there.
Fishman and Glaser are the two agents that were fighting over Billie Holiday , at the end, Billie sign contract with Glaser.
Bobby Tucker is Billie Holiday’s accompanist also her close friend.
Sarah Vaughan was an American jazz singer, very famous at that time.
Lena Horne was a legend singer and actress, “people like Lena took the sting out of other little people.”
Helen Hironimus worked for the federal government, Helen Hironimus tried to buy something for Billie, and such movement make Billie sick and angry.
2. Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
Chapter 19 of Billie Holidays autobiography Lady Sings the Blues, Billie first described the excitement of performing a show at Carnegie Hall at the night before Easter. Usually, the night before Easter is the worst night in show business, but there were thirty-five hundred people went to Billie’s show. Before the show she was excited but also unconfident, but after seeing so many audience, she realize Americas could accept her after she got out the jail. The public acceptance is always a anonymous thing to her. She went to Sarah Vaughan’s concert, and Sarah did not even look at her, it makes Billie very sad. “ I broke down and cried, Sarah made me wish I’d never left jail or, worse, like I was still in or carried the bars around me.”
And in the end of the chapter, Billie also mentioned the people that really cares about her, people like Lena and John, they made Billie felt happy and at least Billie not felt been discriminated, she gained some confidence from that relationship, she felt she was really existing, and there were people who cares about her. It was a hard time for Billie after got out of jail, as a black female and a jailbird, she could not get a cabaret card, and without the card, no one would hire her.
After Billie got back to Philadelphia, she met Helen Hironumus, they went shopping and Helen tried to buy everything for Billie, Billie hates that, “ if I’d gone to jail I’d have killed you and they could have had me for murder.”
I think this chapter is talk about the relationship and the people around Billie Holiday, after Billie got out of jail, she had a hard time, and she also found out who was really friends of her, and who was not. The quotes best summarize this chapter is “ Being around New York those first few days as a jailbird sure separated the sheep from the goats as far as my friends and colleagues were concerned, I’ll Never forget their reactions, and nothing can change or make me forget the way they treated me.”
3. Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
Who are Billie’s best friends, are they going to be with Billie Holiday at the end?
Jonathan - Chapter 16
Words and Terms
Federal agents - also known as "the fuzz." The Federal agents are most likely agents from
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and they tail Billie Holiday because of her past
drug usage and want to find bust her again.
hunch - a strong "gut" feeling one has about what future events will transpire but not with
an identifiable reason
Welfare Island - an island, now known as Roosevelt Island, in the East River of New York,
and located between Manhattan and Queens. In this chapter it refers to the prison on
Roosevelt Island, and is noted for the being a place whose people treat the inmates
there well, if the inmates show their good side.
Jimmy Asundio – a young man who was Billie Holiday’s road manager at the time.
Joe Guy – Billie’s drug dealer who she fell in love with while she was still married to Jimmy
Monroe.
Summary
One night in May of 1947, after Billie finished a show at the Earle Theater in Philadelphia, she had a hunch that the cops would be waiting back at her hotel room to arrest her together with Bobby Tucker and Jimmy Asundio. She tried convincing them not to go back but they brushed her off. Upon pulling up to the hotel, they saw the lobby full of cops. She ordered the chauffeur to drive a little distance, but they were met by a FBI agent. Billie took the wheel, for the first time in her life, and got away, finally making it to New York.
Once there, Billie performed as scheduled at the Onyx Club, and did not have to worry about the feds bothering her until the end of the week. She decided that rather than run, and never have peace, she would give herself in. She went to the hotel where, surely enough, two agents were waiting for her. They arrested her and Joe. These officers were nice though. As she said herself, "I wasn't too much of a drug addict for some of these federal men not to make passes at me."
What is Billie's real motive for turning herself in? Could it be so that once she is released she can get back to her drug abuse?
Federal agents - also known as "the fuzz." The Federal agents are most likely agents from
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and they tail Billie Holiday because of her past
drug usage and want to find bust her again.
hunch - a strong "gut" feeling one has about what future events will transpire but not with
an identifiable reason
Welfare Island - an island, now known as Roosevelt Island, in the East River of New York,
and located between Manhattan and Queens. In this chapter it refers to the prison on
Roosevelt Island, and is noted for the being a place whose people treat the inmates
there well, if the inmates show their good side.
Jimmy Asundio – a young man who was Billie Holiday’s road manager at the time.
Joe Guy – Billie’s drug dealer who she fell in love with while she was still married to Jimmy
Monroe.
Summary
One night in May of 1947, after Billie finished a show at the Earle Theater in Philadelphia, she had a hunch that the cops would be waiting back at her hotel room to arrest her together with Bobby Tucker and Jimmy Asundio. She tried convincing them not to go back but they brushed her off. Upon pulling up to the hotel, they saw the lobby full of cops. She ordered the chauffeur to drive a little distance, but they were met by a FBI agent. Billie took the wheel, for the first time in her life, and got away, finally making it to New York.
Once there, Billie performed as scheduled at the Onyx Club, and did not have to worry about the feds bothering her until the end of the week. She decided that rather than run, and never have peace, she would give herself in. She went to the hotel where, surely enough, two agents were waiting for her. They arrested her and Joe. These officers were nice though. As she said herself, "I wasn't too much of a drug addict for some of these federal men not to make passes at me."
What is Billie's real motive for turning herself in? Could it be so that once she is released she can get back to her drug abuse?
Friday, May 1, 2009
Jan - Chapter 12
This chapter of Billie Holidays autobiography captured a major transitional period in her life. As quickly as the second paragraph she started to describe a young man named Jimmy Monroe. She was clearly infatuated with him because she said “he was the most beautiful man I have ever laid eyes on”. After giving this man such a flattering description, she followed up by stating her doubts a possible interest for her “he was a big deal, I figured what would he want with me?” She spent a bit of time with him every now and then “going around” with him. Billie Holiday had then discovered her mother and Joe Glaser felt he would never marry her. This fueled her to pursue the man everyone thought she couldn’t get.
Billie and Jimmy get married and she shoved the marriage certificate in both their faces. The marriage was full of abuse and eventually Billie “got wise” that something was going on. Jimmy turned from having affairs with other women to experimenting with drugs. Things worsened but the couple moved to Los Angeles together anyway.
It was not long after moving when Jimmy got into “trouble” and Billie was left with no husband to support her. She moved back to her old city and lived alone in an apartment close to her mother. It was not long until she met a new man named Joe Luke Guy, who was a musician from Alabama. They were set to ride a tour bus in a few weeks. Her mother was lonely and insisted on her to move back in with her, but Billie mets the offer half way by staying three days a week with her mother and the rest of the week with Joe Luke. Billie gave her mother a dog named Rajah Ravoy. That dog kept her mother company until the day it died from old age. Billie recalled her mother saying “that dog was all I had to live for”. When on tour with Luke Guy and her newly formed band Billie found out that her mother died. No one verbally told her the news, she just felt it. With no husband, and no mother left, she told Joe Luke Guy “ god dammit you better be good to me because your all I have left now”.
My question is as follows, does it seem that in the beginning of the chapter Billie is looking for independence? Did she try too hard and not cherish the only woman who ever cared for her? In the end of the chapter is she “alone” or “independent”?
Billie and Jimmy get married and she shoved the marriage certificate in both their faces. The marriage was full of abuse and eventually Billie “got wise” that something was going on. Jimmy turned from having affairs with other women to experimenting with drugs. Things worsened but the couple moved to Los Angeles together anyway.
It was not long after moving when Jimmy got into “trouble” and Billie was left with no husband to support her. She moved back to her old city and lived alone in an apartment close to her mother. It was not long until she met a new man named Joe Luke Guy, who was a musician from Alabama. They were set to ride a tour bus in a few weeks. Her mother was lonely and insisted on her to move back in with her, but Billie mets the offer half way by staying three days a week with her mother and the rest of the week with Joe Luke. Billie gave her mother a dog named Rajah Ravoy. That dog kept her mother company until the day it died from old age. Billie recalled her mother saying “that dog was all I had to live for”. When on tour with Luke Guy and her newly formed band Billie found out that her mother died. No one verbally told her the news, she just felt it. With no husband, and no mother left, she told Joe Luke Guy “ god dammit you better be good to me because your all I have left now”.
My question is as follows, does it seem that in the beginning of the chapter Billie is looking for independence? Did she try too hard and not cherish the only woman who ever cared for her? In the end of the chapter is she “alone” or “independent”?
Jennifer - Chapter 9
Important Words
segregation - the act or practice of separating different people or the state or condition of being segregated.
racial prejudice - the hostile attitude towards or judgement of people based on their race.
cosmopolitan - free from local, provincial, or national ideas, prejudices, or attachments; at home all over the world.
taboo - a prohibition or interdiction of anything; exclusion from use or practice.
lynching - to put to death, esp. by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.
"Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday's song based on a poem written by Lewis Allen which describes the situations that caused her father's death.
Local 802 - a welfare organization that her mother went when she stopped working at a cheap restaurant in order to "go legit " (actually cheat on welfare money) and to make her own new restaurant.
Uptown and Downtown Manhattan - Uptown Manhattan symbolizes the ghetto and immigrant areas (especially African-Americans) in Harlem and Downtown Manhattan symbolizes the rich and luxurious areas that are well-integrated and culturally diverse.
Summary
In Chapter 9 in Lady Sings the Blues, Billie Holiday moves in from the ghetto Harlem in Upper Manhattan to Sheridan Square, Fourth St. in the luxurious Downtown Manhattan which she found a nightclub with no segregration and no racial prejudice. In other words, she found a haven where there's a diversity of famous celebrities, rich people, and artists.
As she performed the song, "Strange Fruit", everyone applauded her although the song had several flashbacks of her turbulent past. The song itself symbolizes prejudice of different people in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. As she became a celebrity, things become different for her since she is in a new environment of an upper-class society. Things become culturally different as she befriends a white upper-class woman named Brenda. Brenda wants to help Billie with her life, including her relationship with her mother which later refused to lend money to Billie for the new restaurant. As for revenge, she composed this song called, "God Bless The Child" in order to cause wrath to her mother. Finally, Billie took a vacation and convinced Barney Josephson to hire Hazel Scott as a lounge singer at Cafe Society.
Quotation
"God bless the child that's got his own..."
- Billie Holiday
Question
What was Billie Holiday trying to insinuate or infer when she says "God bless the child that's got his own."? In other words, what does she mean by saying this back to her mother?
segregation - the act or practice of separating different people or the state or condition of being segregated.
racial prejudice - the hostile attitude towards or judgement of people based on their race.
cosmopolitan - free from local, provincial, or national ideas, prejudices, or attachments; at home all over the world.
taboo - a prohibition or interdiction of anything; exclusion from use or practice.
lynching - to put to death, esp. by hanging, by mob action and without legal authority.
"Strange Fruit" - Billie Holiday's song based on a poem written by Lewis Allen which describes the situations that caused her father's death.
Local 802 - a welfare organization that her mother went when she stopped working at a cheap restaurant in order to "go legit " (actually cheat on welfare money) and to make her own new restaurant.
Uptown and Downtown Manhattan - Uptown Manhattan symbolizes the ghetto and immigrant areas (especially African-Americans) in Harlem and Downtown Manhattan symbolizes the rich and luxurious areas that are well-integrated and culturally diverse.
Summary
In Chapter 9 in Lady Sings the Blues, Billie Holiday moves in from the ghetto Harlem in Upper Manhattan to Sheridan Square, Fourth St. in the luxurious Downtown Manhattan which she found a nightclub with no segregration and no racial prejudice. In other words, she found a haven where there's a diversity of famous celebrities, rich people, and artists.
As she performed the song, "Strange Fruit", everyone applauded her although the song had several flashbacks of her turbulent past. The song itself symbolizes prejudice of different people in terms of race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. As she became a celebrity, things become different for her since she is in a new environment of an upper-class society. Things become culturally different as she befriends a white upper-class woman named Brenda. Brenda wants to help Billie with her life, including her relationship with her mother which later refused to lend money to Billie for the new restaurant. As for revenge, she composed this song called, "God Bless The Child" in order to cause wrath to her mother. Finally, Billie took a vacation and convinced Barney Josephson to hire Hazel Scott as a lounge singer at Cafe Society.
Quotation
"God bless the child that's got his own..."
- Billie Holiday
Question
What was Billie Holiday trying to insinuate or infer when she says "God bless the child that's got his own."? In other words, what does she mean by saying this back to her mother?
Ricky - Chapter 8
Artie is the head of the band that Billie has joined in this chapter. He sticks up for Billie because she’s black and is mistreated almost everywhere they go. He has his own his problems, but he doesn’t bother the others with them, and Billie respects that he has his own moods.
Most of the characters in this chapter are people they met while they were going around the United States trying to find gigs for them to be in. Most of the “white cats”, as Billie calls them, in the band respect Billie, and would stick up for her when needed. However, there was this other vocalist who didn’t like her because she was black and that vocalist thought she was being discriminated against.
“I’m the girl who went West in 1937 with sixteen white cats, Artie Shaw and his Rolls-Royce – and the hills were full of white crackers.”
I feel that this sums up the chapter because it was basically talking about her time with Artie Shaw and the band. When she was traveling with them, she met all kinds of people, white crackers she called them. They were people who didn’t like Negroes; they would call her names, wouldn’t allow her to stay in a hotel, or would tell her to go through the back door. At this time, racism is still a huge problem, and while traveling to the South, where racism is most prominent at this time, it became a huge problem for her. What hit her the hardest, however, was when she reached New York, her home town. She said that she liked it better when the people in the South would just tell her up front that they didn’t like her because of her skin color. However, in New York, they backstabbed her, and slowly made her go off air. In the end, she just fired herself though.
My question is, have you ever suffered racism in your life? If so, how have you dealt with it, and did you have friends there to help you through it? How does it feel to suffer racism? I myself know exactly how it feels, and I must say, it’s horrible.
Most of the characters in this chapter are people they met while they were going around the United States trying to find gigs for them to be in. Most of the “white cats”, as Billie calls them, in the band respect Billie, and would stick up for her when needed. However, there was this other vocalist who didn’t like her because she was black and that vocalist thought she was being discriminated against.
“I’m the girl who went West in 1937 with sixteen white cats, Artie Shaw and his Rolls-Royce – and the hills were full of white crackers.”
I feel that this sums up the chapter because it was basically talking about her time with Artie Shaw and the band. When she was traveling with them, she met all kinds of people, white crackers she called them. They were people who didn’t like Negroes; they would call her names, wouldn’t allow her to stay in a hotel, or would tell her to go through the back door. At this time, racism is still a huge problem, and while traveling to the South, where racism is most prominent at this time, it became a huge problem for her. What hit her the hardest, however, was when she reached New York, her home town. She said that she liked it better when the people in the South would just tell her up front that they didn’t like her because of her skin color. However, in New York, they backstabbed her, and slowly made her go off air. In the end, she just fired herself though.
My question is, have you ever suffered racism in your life? If so, how have you dealt with it, and did you have friends there to help you through it? How does it feel to suffer racism? I myself know exactly how it feels, and I must say, it’s horrible.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Freida - Chapter 6
My assigned reading was chapter 6. The quote I chose to best summarize the reading was the first sentence of the chapter. This is my question:
Imagine you have your own band, where you are traveling and performing and having a good time. What do you think your experience would be like? Would it be similar or different to Billie Holiday's experience? Why? Have times changed so that traveling bands are more successful in the modern times than the past? Explain.
______________
[I joined Count Basie's band to make a little money and see the world.]
Imagine you have your own band, where you are traveling and performing and having a good time. What do you think your experience would be like? Would it be similar or different to Billie Holiday's experience? Why? Have times changed so that traveling bands are more successful in the modern times than the past? Explain.
______________
[I joined Count Basie's band to make a little money and see the world.]
Melissa - Chapter 5
Throughout much of Billie Holiday’s early years of her life she suffered many hardships. Chapter 5 of her autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues, is titled, “Getting Some Fun Out of Life,” because it is about a time in her life when she was actually happy. She discusses about a rich white man, named Jimmy Donahue, whom she says, “knew how to live it up” (pg. 58). Billie brings him to a place that she knows called Small’s. He is truly the life of the party and makes everyone have a good time. A widowed woman, named Libby Holman, threw a party for her baby’s birthday, and once again Jimmy proved himself to be able to make everyone have fun. Jimmy is a memorable person in Billie’s life because he didn’t act different around “Negroes” then he did around white people, or “ofays” as she refers to them as. He also didn’t let his money change him. He didn’t act snobby towards poor people, but he instead treated everyone the same. Jimmy wasn’t afraid to spend his money to have a good time.
Billie Holiday also mentions a man named Shelton Brooks, who introduced her into the acting world. She got small parts, nothing big that really came out of it, but it helped her pay her bills. She also got to experience being an actress for a short period of time. She mentions how her mother thought that she was going to be a famous actress, which shows her mother’s pride in her daughter. She thinks she can do anything that she can set her mind to and it seems as if her mother’s support is something that is extremely important to Billie.
The quotation that best captures this chapter of Billie Holiday’s autobiography would be, “This was one hell of a party-the way a party’s supposed to be. I’ll never forget it or Jimmy. I wouldn’t think of throwing a big ball unless I was sure Jimmy could come and keep things moving” (pg 61). Billie is discussing the party that Libby Holman threw for her child. This quote shows how Jimmy Donahue really made an impact on her life. He made her forget about all her worries and she could just have fun for once. All of her past struggles were in the back of her mind and she could concentrate on what truly made her happy, which was singing.
When Billie discusses the exact amount of pay she received for doing a gig, or the amount of money that Jimmy spent when they went out one night, it raises the question of why she felt the need to include these details. Was money all that really mattered to her? Throughout her autobiography she makes it seem like her first priority was to make her mother and herself have money to live together and not have to struggle. As time goes on it seems as if she cares more about the money then anything else.
Billie Holiday also mentions a man named Shelton Brooks, who introduced her into the acting world. She got small parts, nothing big that really came out of it, but it helped her pay her bills. She also got to experience being an actress for a short period of time. She mentions how her mother thought that she was going to be a famous actress, which shows her mother’s pride in her daughter. She thinks she can do anything that she can set her mind to and it seems as if her mother’s support is something that is extremely important to Billie.
The quotation that best captures this chapter of Billie Holiday’s autobiography would be, “This was one hell of a party-the way a party’s supposed to be. I’ll never forget it or Jimmy. I wouldn’t think of throwing a big ball unless I was sure Jimmy could come and keep things moving” (pg 61). Billie is discussing the party that Libby Holman threw for her child. This quote shows how Jimmy Donahue really made an impact on her life. He made her forget about all her worries and she could just have fun for once. All of her past struggles were in the back of her mind and she could concentrate on what truly made her happy, which was singing.
When Billie discusses the exact amount of pay she received for doing a gig, or the amount of money that Jimmy spent when they went out one night, it raises the question of why she felt the need to include these details. Was money all that really mattered to her? Throughout her autobiography she makes it seem like her first priority was to make her mother and herself have money to live together and not have to struggle. As time goes on it seems as if she cares more about the money then anything else.
Angela - Chapter 4
In the biography Lady Sings the Blues, written by Billie Holiday, Eleanora Fagan a.k.a Billie Holiday struggles through life to support herself and maintain a career. In chapter 4 entitled “If My Heart Could Only Talk,” Eleanora talks about the people who played a role in her life and helped to guide her. In the beginning of the chapter she focuses mainly on her mother and she mentions that she is a much respected individual. Eleanora also stressed the idea that her mother always found the good in people, even in robbers or murders, and was never judgmental towards anyone. The mother was even able to put up with the father and the fathers new wife, even after the wife knocked her over the head with her pocketbook. The next character that she focused on greatly was Lester Young; a musician who played the saxophone. The chapter expresses how Eleanora looked up to Lester because although he did not play with the largest volume or tone, he always played his heart out. Eleanora greatly looked up to him and because of that she gave him the nickname of “Prez”, after Franklin D. Roosevelt, because she felt that he was as great as the president at the time. In return Lester had given the nickname “Lady Day” to Eleanora. Another character that was mentioned in the chapter was Benny Goodman, a fellow musician, whom she was originally good friends with, but she eventually fell in love with him. I feel that the quote that best captures the main idea of the reading is, “In those days everything that happened, happened at a jam session somewhere.” I feel that summarizes that chapter greatly because everything that Eleanora seemed to mention originated at a show or during a musical session. For example, when the mother saw her ex-husband and his new wife it occurred at one of Eleanora’s shows. Also I feel that quote is appropritate because that is ultimately where she meets all of her friends and possible love interests. One question that I would ask is why Eleanora felt the need to go after a married man, and why exactly did the relationship turn sour?
Joseph - Chapter 2
The second chapter of Lady Sings the Blues, an autobiographical novel by Billie Holiday, introduces the audience to Billie's teenage years and her adolescent growth. It is a period of her life defined by prostitution, imprisonment, redemption and rebellion.
The chapter begins with Billie's mother leaving her in Baltimore again, after it becomes apparent that together they cannot make ends meet. After the death of her cousin Ida, Billie is called to New York by her mother. When she is supposed to take the train to Long Branch, the rebellious Billie decides to visit Harlem, the mecca of a jazz community which she wishes to belong. She never gets there, however, as she is quickly scooped up in Penn Station by a social worker and brought to a halfway house. Although we don't learn much about this social worker, she provides the most important commentary on Billie at this point in her life. Billie writes, “'I know you,' she'd tell me. 'You're smart'” (Holiday, 22).
Her mother quickly discovers her whereabouts and with no place to live, decides satisfy Billie and take her to Harlem. She gets Billie a room in an apartment belonging to Florence Williams. She says, “I hadn't emptied basins, laid out lifebuoy soap and towels in Alice Dean's place in Baltimore for nothing. I knew what was cooking. But Mom didn't” (Holliday, 25). Billie's Mom had bought her a room in one of Harlem's largest brothels. It's apparent in this passage that young Billie had no qualms with the prospects of being a call-girl, regardless of the nightmarish experiences with Henry, Mr. Dick, and the boy who took her virginity. She preferred “white cats,” as she called them, and turned down Negroes after one romp that left her bed-ridden and sick.
Unfortunately for Billie, her refusal to bed a Negro by the name of Big Blue Ranier ultimately got her arrested and imprisoned. Billie writes, “So they hauled me off to jail, not for anything I did, but for something I wouldn't do” (Holiday, 27). It was at court that Billie was judged by Magistrate Jean Hortense Norris, who had the honor of being the first female Police Judge in New York. Ms. Norris believed that women misunderstood society and needed to be reformed. Billie was sent to work at a hospital, but quickly wound up back in front of the judge, after pushing a flirtatious lesbian down a flight of stairs. Ms. Norris was not as lenient this time, and sent Billie off to Welfare Island, a women's prison.
Life for Billie on Welfare Island did not seem as difficult to her as one would think. It is apparent that she enjoyed working in the kitchen there, but was still a piece of meat for the lesbian inmates. After she punched one for making a pass at her, she was sent to solitary confinement. Ironically, she was let out of solitary by leading on one of the lesbian matron's who worked at the prison. She says, “If it hadn't been for this nice dikey matron, I don't know if I would have made it” (Holiday, 31). Although Billie is unattracted to women she is willing to fake attraction in order to get what she wants.
After her release from prison, Billie coaxes a cop to buy her clothes and give her some money. When she refuses to pay him back, he beats her and she flees to Jamaica, Queens. It is here where she begins to sing in clubs while hiding from the abusive cop. We also learn that Judge Norris is under investigation and ultimately thrown off the bench. Billie is satisfied with this result, as she writes, “This was the old dame that sent me to jail as a 'wayward woman.' This was the character who told me I was a bad character. She should have gone to jail herself, but she never did” (Holiday 33-34).
Throughout this chapter, we learn that Billie does not cry or get emotional when she is threatened, harassed, arrested, or even sent to jail. Instead, she is resourceful, independent, and relies only on herself. She is not afraid of life's path upon which she walks, and makes the best of every situation. She does not let anyone stand in her way, and is willing to risk her life to protect herself. Is Billie's independent, rebellious attitude a result of the numerous physical and sexual abuses which she experienced as a child? Or is it a result of time spent at Alice Dean's listing to the victrola while she supported herself scrubbing kitchen floors and white steps?
The chapter begins with Billie's mother leaving her in Baltimore again, after it becomes apparent that together they cannot make ends meet. After the death of her cousin Ida, Billie is called to New York by her mother. When she is supposed to take the train to Long Branch, the rebellious Billie decides to visit Harlem, the mecca of a jazz community which she wishes to belong. She never gets there, however, as she is quickly scooped up in Penn Station by a social worker and brought to a halfway house. Although we don't learn much about this social worker, she provides the most important commentary on Billie at this point in her life. Billie writes, “'I know you,' she'd tell me. 'You're smart'” (Holiday, 22).
Her mother quickly discovers her whereabouts and with no place to live, decides satisfy Billie and take her to Harlem. She gets Billie a room in an apartment belonging to Florence Williams. She says, “I hadn't emptied basins, laid out lifebuoy soap and towels in Alice Dean's place in Baltimore for nothing. I knew what was cooking. But Mom didn't” (Holliday, 25). Billie's Mom had bought her a room in one of Harlem's largest brothels. It's apparent in this passage that young Billie had no qualms with the prospects of being a call-girl, regardless of the nightmarish experiences with Henry, Mr. Dick, and the boy who took her virginity. She preferred “white cats,” as she called them, and turned down Negroes after one romp that left her bed-ridden and sick.
Unfortunately for Billie, her refusal to bed a Negro by the name of Big Blue Ranier ultimately got her arrested and imprisoned. Billie writes, “So they hauled me off to jail, not for anything I did, but for something I wouldn't do” (Holiday, 27). It was at court that Billie was judged by Magistrate Jean Hortense Norris, who had the honor of being the first female Police Judge in New York. Ms. Norris believed that women misunderstood society and needed to be reformed. Billie was sent to work at a hospital, but quickly wound up back in front of the judge, after pushing a flirtatious lesbian down a flight of stairs. Ms. Norris was not as lenient this time, and sent Billie off to Welfare Island, a women's prison.
Life for Billie on Welfare Island did not seem as difficult to her as one would think. It is apparent that she enjoyed working in the kitchen there, but was still a piece of meat for the lesbian inmates. After she punched one for making a pass at her, she was sent to solitary confinement. Ironically, she was let out of solitary by leading on one of the lesbian matron's who worked at the prison. She says, “If it hadn't been for this nice dikey matron, I don't know if I would have made it” (Holiday, 31). Although Billie is unattracted to women she is willing to fake attraction in order to get what she wants.
After her release from prison, Billie coaxes a cop to buy her clothes and give her some money. When she refuses to pay him back, he beats her and she flees to Jamaica, Queens. It is here where she begins to sing in clubs while hiding from the abusive cop. We also learn that Judge Norris is under investigation and ultimately thrown off the bench. Billie is satisfied with this result, as she writes, “This was the old dame that sent me to jail as a 'wayward woman.' This was the character who told me I was a bad character. She should have gone to jail herself, but she never did” (Holiday 33-34).
Throughout this chapter, we learn that Billie does not cry or get emotional when she is threatened, harassed, arrested, or even sent to jail. Instead, she is resourceful, independent, and relies only on herself. She is not afraid of life's path upon which she walks, and makes the best of every situation. She does not let anyone stand in her way, and is willing to risk her life to protect herself. Is Billie's independent, rebellious attitude a result of the numerous physical and sexual abuses which she experienced as a child? Or is it a result of time spent at Alice Dean's listing to the victrola while she supported herself scrubbing kitchen floors and white steps?
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Joel - Chapter 1
1) Identify and briefly define important words, terms, concepts, or characters.
So reading chapter one of Lady Sings the Blues the story opens finding out that mom and pop, parents of Elenora Fagan, were just kids 16, 17 and Elenora was 3 when they were married, but became pregnant and gave birth to Elenora before ever getting married. Sadie Fagan, mother of Elenora worked as a maid most of the time, but made a deal with the head nurse at the hospital to have Elenora there in exchange for scrubbing the floors. On April 7, 1915 in a Baltimore hospital Elenora was born.
By the time Sadie had paid the debt off to the hospital Elenora could sit up in the carriage when she was first seen by her grandparents. Her father peddled newspapers, ran errands.
Sadie takes jobs all over the country to pay the bills and make a nest egg for the family. Mean while her father things about playing the trumpet but gets gassed in WW I and learns to play the piano instead. While the war was on, Sadie worked in a war factory. Elenora lives with her cousin Ida, her two children Henry and Elsie, and her great-grandmother.
Everyone was crowded in a small house. Ida always abused Elenora. Elenora spread a blanket on the floor for her grandmother and fell asleep with her, only to wake to the death grip of a deceased grand-parent and became traumatized.
Elenora loved listening to the blues at the whore-house. She was almost raped by Mr. Dick and his wife. Elenora was sent away to a Catholic institution, run by Catholic sisters.
2) Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
Elenora grew up most of her child-hood with her cousin and grandparents. This remoteness from her mother, this enabled Elenora to see, experience, be forced into things that most children her age would never experience, if they did it would mostly be in their late teens or early twenties. Elenora started to listen to the blues played on an early record player in the front room of a whore-house. This started to give Elenora a bad reputation. Eventually Elenora's mother came back from living in New York, and Boston, to find out what her daughter had been doing and strongly disapproved. One day Mr. Dick was waiting for Elenora and told her, that she was to go with him and that her mother would pick her up from a friend’s house later. Well, it got very late and Elenora started to fall asleep, suddenly Mr. Dick was up upon her, trying to rape her. "A bitch can turn twenty-five hundred tricks a day and she still don't want nobody to rape her. (Elenora, pp15-16)
3) Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
On page twelve Elenora speaks of disappointing her mother, and says that her mother was always afraid that Elenora would end up bad, and that her mother never hit her if she did something bad, rather she would just start to cry. Elenora speaks of one time “she would just cry, and I couldn’t stand it to see her cry. I didn’t want to hurt her, and I didn’t - until three years before she died, when I went on junk. “(Elenora, pp 12)
Did Elenora become a drug user, and if so was this the same thing that the boys were trying to get girls to do?
So reading chapter one of Lady Sings the Blues the story opens finding out that mom and pop, parents of Elenora Fagan, were just kids 16, 17 and Elenora was 3 when they were married, but became pregnant and gave birth to Elenora before ever getting married. Sadie Fagan, mother of Elenora worked as a maid most of the time, but made a deal with the head nurse at the hospital to have Elenora there in exchange for scrubbing the floors. On April 7, 1915 in a Baltimore hospital Elenora was born.
By the time Sadie had paid the debt off to the hospital Elenora could sit up in the carriage when she was first seen by her grandparents. Her father peddled newspapers, ran errands.
Sadie takes jobs all over the country to pay the bills and make a nest egg for the family. Mean while her father things about playing the trumpet but gets gassed in WW I and learns to play the piano instead. While the war was on, Sadie worked in a war factory. Elenora lives with her cousin Ida, her two children Henry and Elsie, and her great-grandmother.
Everyone was crowded in a small house. Ida always abused Elenora. Elenora spread a blanket on the floor for her grandmother and fell asleep with her, only to wake to the death grip of a deceased grand-parent and became traumatized.
Elenora loved listening to the blues at the whore-house. She was almost raped by Mr. Dick and his wife. Elenora was sent away to a Catholic institution, run by Catholic sisters.
2) Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
Elenora grew up most of her child-hood with her cousin and grandparents. This remoteness from her mother, this enabled Elenora to see, experience, be forced into things that most children her age would never experience, if they did it would mostly be in their late teens or early twenties. Elenora started to listen to the blues played on an early record player in the front room of a whore-house. This started to give Elenora a bad reputation. Eventually Elenora's mother came back from living in New York, and Boston, to find out what her daughter had been doing and strongly disapproved. One day Mr. Dick was waiting for Elenora and told her, that she was to go with him and that her mother would pick her up from a friend’s house later. Well, it got very late and Elenora started to fall asleep, suddenly Mr. Dick was up upon her, trying to rape her. "A bitch can turn twenty-five hundred tricks a day and she still don't want nobody to rape her. (Elenora, pp15-16)
3) Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
On page twelve Elenora speaks of disappointing her mother, and says that her mother was always afraid that Elenora would end up bad, and that her mother never hit her if she did something bad, rather she would just start to cry. Elenora speaks of one time “she would just cry, and I couldn’t stand it to see her cry. I didn’t want to hurt her, and I didn’t - until three years before she died, when I went on junk. “(Elenora, pp 12)
Did Elenora become a drug user, and if so was this the same thing that the boys were trying to get girls to do?
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Welcome!
Welcome to the 110 - Introduction to College Writing blog. We will be introducing student posts shortly.
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