At the beginning of the excerpt, the setting is described as somber with the shadow falling on the world and the sun hiding behind a thick cloud. However, this changes when there is a "shout of joy". It says that Umuofla "broke into life and activity." The setting is not necessarily being described as sad, tragic or bitter. These emotions are too strong for the image of the clouds rolling in. Also, the contrasting image of the people shouting for joy does not exude humor or compassion necessarily. Happy isn't enough since they are shouting. Therefore the best choice is "somber and joyous".
At the beginning of the excerpt, the setting is described as somber with the shadow falling on the world and the sun hiding behind a thick cloud. However, this changes when there is a "shout of joy". It says that Umuofla "broke into life and activity." The setting is not necessarily being described as sad, tragic or bitter. These emotions are too strong for the image of the clouds rolling in. Also, the contrasting image of the people shouting for joy does not exude humor or compassion necessarily. Happy isn't enough since they are shouting. Therefore the best choice is "somber and joyous".
A. Diverse representation in stories can lead to compassionate individuals.
The passage discusses how Sandra Cisneros, through her book "The House on Mango Street," aimed to provide representation and share stories of her community that were not commonly found in literature. She wanted to create literature that reflected the experiences of young Latinas and people from working-class Mexican American backgrounds. By writing about her community with love and honesty, Cisneros aimed to humanize and inspire compassion in readers, allowing them to recognize themselves in people who may be different from them. This central idea emphasizes the importance of diverse representation in stories, as it helps individuals gain empathy, understanding, and a broader perspective on the world.
In the passage, Cisneros introduces the belief that American culture has not really included the Mexican American experience by showing that the books she read about houses did not reflect her experience. This can be found in paragraph (4) where she talks about reading books written from the perspective of people who owned their own houses and had roomy, comforting, and safe homes, which were different from her own experiences as a working-class Mexican American. She mentions houses owned by Nabokov in Russia and Baroness Blixen in Africa and how these books were not representative of her own life. Therefore, the correct answer is D. by showing that the books she read about houses did not reflect her experience.
The sentence that best reflects the idea that Sandra Cisneros wanted to be a voice of the Mexican American experience is:
(7) But Mexican women are very strong women, and the opposite side of sadness is rage. It took me only a weekend to get to the opposite side of my sadness. Why had I never seen literature written about my community with love and honesty? Why have I never seen my house in newspapers or magazines or in ads or cinema? It's never been portrayed. My community has never been portrayed with honesty. So I got angry. This is a wonderful thing you can do with rage if you know how to transform it: You can either light up Las Vegas, or you can create a Chernobyl. I had been wanting to create Chernobyl all weekend. Then I realized I'm going to stay here and write that book I haven't seen. I wrote The House on Mango Street on the side for no credit, while I was in poetry workshop, to keep my spirit alive.
In this passage, Sandra Cisneros expresses her frustration about the lack of literature that accurately represents her Mexican American community. She emphasizes the absence of honest portrayals of her community in various forms of media like newspapers, magazines, ads, and cinema. Feeling angry about this lack of representation, she decides to write the book she hasn't seen, which eventually becomes "The House on Mango Street." She wanted to capture the authentic experiences and voices of Mexican Americans in her writing, making her a strong advocate for representing her community in literature.
Explanation: In the given excerpt we can see the description of a situation where a man named Peter was very angry and sad, because he had lost his job at the First Apostolic Church because he stole a doughnuts from Mrs. Smithers' pantry. In this excerpt, Peter's character is best described a self-pitying because he is convinced that he is absolutely miserably and he thinks that he won't be able to make his situation better.
Explanation: In the given excerpt we can see the description of a situation where a man named Peter was very angry and sad, because he had lost his job at the First Apostolic Church because he stole a doughnuts from Mrs. Smithers' pantry. In this excerpt, Peter's character is best described a self-pitying because he is convinced that he is absolutely miserably and he thinks that he won't be able to make his situation better.
The excerpt that best shows that Sandra Cisneros hopes her book will bridge a cultural divide is option B: "If you can recognize yourself in the person most unlike you in literature, then the book will have done its work." This excerpt, from paragraph 13, highlights Cisneros' belief that reading her book can help humanize people and foster empathy and understanding between different cultures and communities. By seeing themselves in characters or situations that may be unfamiliar or different, readers can gain new perspectives and expand their empathy towards others. This reflects Cisneros' intention to bridge the cultural divide and encourage compassion and recognition of shared humanity.
The sentence that best creates an image of Sandra Cisneros' big moment of revelation is:
B. "'Oh my God, I'm in my class here and I'm wearing my pajamas.'" (paragraph 5)
This sentence conveys the shock and embarrassment Cisneros felt when she realized that she didn't belong and didn't have a house like the others in her class. The image of wearing pajamas symbolizes her vulnerability and sense of not fitting in or being accepted. It represents her realization of the class difference and the absence of representation of her own community in literature and media. It was a significant moment that sparked her determination to write The House on Mango Street and tell her own story.