Some words I found while reading

Innumerable- Too numerous to be counted; numberless

Pharmaceutical- pertaining to pharmacy or pharmacists

Cursory- going rapidly over something, without noticing details

Hindsight- Perception of the significance and nature of events after they have occurred

Prodigious- Impressively great in size, force, or extent

Eerie- affected with superstitious fear

Expurgated- to amend by removing words, passages, etc.

Interim- An interval of time between one event, process, or period and another

Capita- any head or headlike expansion on a structure, as on a bone

Murmurs-a low, continuous sound, as of a brook, the wind, or trees, or of low, indistinct voices

Misnomers- an error in naming a person or thing

Yearningly- deep longing, esp. when accompanied by tenderness or sadness

Amapola-poppy

Delinquents- failing in or neglectful of a duty or obligation

Infinitesimal- indefinitely or exceedingly small; minute

Azalea- Any of various shrubs of the genus Rhododendron having showy, variously colored flowers

Agitation- Also called psychomotor agitation. psychological and physical restlessness, manifested by pacing, hand-wringing, or other activity, sometimes occurring as a symptom of severe depression, schizophrenia, or other mental disorder

Enormity- outrageous or heinous character

Jubilant- showing great joy, satisfaction, or triumph; rejoicing; exultant

Interrogation-To examine by questioning formally or officially

Some words I found while reading

Surnamed- the name that a person has in common with other family members, as distinguished from a Christian name or given name; family name

Santería- a religion merging the worship of Yoruba deities with veneration of Roman Catholic saints

Misterio- mystery

Oregano- having leaves used as seasoning in cooking

Illegitimate- born of parents who are not married to each other

Delinquent- failing in or neglectful of a duty or obligation; guilty of a misdeed or offense

Brassiere- a woman's undergarment for supporting the breasts

Acclimated- to accustom or become accustomed to a new climate or environment; adapt

Schizoid- of or pertaining to a personality disorder marked by dissociation, passivity, withdrawal, inability to form warm social relationships, and indifference to praise or criticism

Epithets- any word or phrase applied to a person or thing to describe an actual or attributed quality

Oligarchy- a form of government in which all power is vested in a few persons or in a dominant class or clique

Tyrant- a sovereign or other ruler who uses power oppressively or unjustly

Jamona- well stacked

Contraception- the deliberate prevention of conception or impregnation by any of various drugs, techniques, or devices; birth control

Titillation- to excite or arouse agreeably

Impotence- the condition or quality of being impotent; weakness

Anticlimactically- A decline viewed in disappointing contrast with a previous rise

Some words I found while reading

Beaus- a frequent and attentive male companion

Admonished- to caution, advise, or counsel against something

Vivaciousness- Full of animation and spirit; lively

Credentials- anything that provides the basis for confidence, belief, credit

Untenured- unheld, as property or a position

Utensil- any instrument, vessel, or tool serving a useful purpose

Sonnet- A 14-line verse form usually having one of several conventional rhyme schemes

Preliminaries- preceding and leading up to the main part, matter, or business

Boughs- A tree branch, especially a large or main branch

Sentiments- an attitude toward something; regard; opinion

Prolonged- To lengthen in extent

Proviso- a clause in a statute, contract, or the like, by which a condition is introduced

Sublimated- to divert the energy of (a sexual or other biological impulse) from its immediate goal to one of a more acceptable social, moral, or aesthetic nature or use

Connotation- An idea or meaning suggested by or associated with a word or thing

Exquisite- of special beauty or charm, or rare and appealing excellence, as a face, a flower, coloring, music, or poetry

Amorous- showing or expressing love

Rending- to separate into parts with force or violence

Cotillion- a formal ball given

Recluse- a person who lives in seclusion or apart from society, often for religious meditation

Luridly- gruesome; horrible; revolting

Some words I found while reading

Contemplative- A member of a religious order that emphasizes meditation

Irises- the contractile, circular diaphragm forming the colored portion of the eye and containing a circular opening, the pupil, in its center

Satchel- a small bag, sometimes with a shoulder strap

Unison- coincidence in pitch of two or more musical tones, voices, etc.

Cielo- sky

Cavern- a cave, esp. one that is large and mostly underground

Coaxed- to attempt to influence by gentle persuasion, flattery, etc.

Piccolo- a small flute sounding an octave higher than the ordinary flute

Ascribe- to credit or assign, as to a cause or source; attribute; impute

Vague- not clearly or explicitly stated or expressed

Confettied- small bits of paper, usually colored, thrown or dropped from a height

Hackneyed- to make trite, common, or stale by frequent use

Limerick- a kind of humorous verse of five lines, in which the first, second, and fifth lines rhyme with each other, and the third and fourth lines, which are shorter, form a rhymed couplet

Congeals- to change from a soft or fluid state to a rigid or solid state, as by cooling or freezing

Enunciates- to pronounce words, esp. in an articulate or a particular manner

Some words I found while reading

Camioneta- van

Campesinos- peasants

Phalanx- a compact or closely massed body of persons, animals, or things

Asylum- a place offering protection and safety; a shelter

Guerrillas- a member of a band of irregular soldiers that uses guerrilla warfare, harassing the enemy by surprise raids, sabotaging communication and supply lines, etc.

Prodigal- giving or yielding profusely

Jargon- any talk or writing that one does not understand

Indelicacy- something indelicate, as language or behavior

Schizophrenic- Also called dementia praecox. a severe mental disorder characterized by some, but not necessarily all, of the following features: emotional blunting, intellectual deterioration, social isolation, disorganized speech and behavior, delusions, and hallucinations.Ensuing-

Cajole- to persuade by flattery, gentle pleading, or insincere language

Ominous- portending evil or harm

Melodrama- a dramatic form that does not observe the laws of cause and effect and that exaggerates emotion and emphasizes plot or action at the expense of characterization

Burlesque- to make ridiculous by mocking representation

Likelier- seeming like truth, fact, or certainty

Illustration: Chapter 10

This finally uploaded! I asked the questions on it earlier, but I wanted to give the visual also.

Time Zones.

I want you guys to realize something throughout the book, especially in "Snow" (166-167) where Sister Zoe was teaching Yolanda about the Cuban Missle Crisis. Yolanda was obviously scared from hearing about the missle crisis, but how else do you think it effected her life, and her familie's lives. Give me one example from the text, and give me one of your own personal thoughts.

In search of their own identity

They eagerly searched for a more clear and different identity, the way the Garcia girls were confused with their identites and cultures showed a lot. Between the change from Dominican republic and the United States they really didnt know what to do. If they were to act the same or if it would be a different life style, actinf different, etc.

They constantly searched for their own identities, as they begin growing up the girls start following what their parents do. The need to fit in america within the American groups and people. They show that they constantly neede help knowing who they were and what they did here, do you agree or disagree?

Sofia's Personality

Out of all the sisters I feel that Sofia shares the more exciting stories in the novel. Being the youngest of all four girls she is the one who gained most of my attention multiple time as I read the novel.

"Sofia was the one without the degrees. She had always gone her own way."
Sofia is more different than all four girl, she had the more simple life without a doubt yet she was the one with the boyfriends, and all her sisters asked her (the younger one) for advice on boys. Doesnt that make you think why would they all ask her for the advice, wouldnt you think they would mostly ask the older sister for advice? What do you think this shows?

Memory also plays a big part of the book, you may think what does it have to do with it so here it goes.
After the Garcia girls lost their innocence the girls neede to return to their childhood memories in an attempt to bring some sense into them about their present realities and what they are now going through. The only memory Sofia carries with her is in which her Haitian maid gives the girls a voodoo goodbye befor they leave. Sofia doesnt feel good about this at all because this is the one and only memory she has of her childhood to recunstruct her bicultural life now that she has left for the United States.

With not mayn childhood memories to help you out, or to remind you of your past cultures what would you do in a total different country? How would you feel being in Sofias shoes? Do you agree with memory being a big part of the book?

Fear in the book

One theme of the book began as fear, their fear of coming to the country and not having anything. The way they showed they highly disliked the country and wanted nothing to do with it really wasn't all because they didn't like it but the fear they had of not having anyone besides their family here, not knowing many, and the way they haven't ever been here for much. They were coming to live here after the Revolution.

Think about your way of life here in the United States, maybe even NY since that's where they came.. if you lived somewhere else, loved where you were and for a change going to live somewhere totally different without knowing anyone. What would you possibly do? Also grow fear inside of you? Keep your thoughts bottled up? Talk about it.

Chapter 10

I apologize for not posting the picture for this, but it wouldn't upload properly so I will try again in a little. But, I will post the information about it here.


The picture is from Chapter 10, Floor Show. I drew a picture of the four girls, their parents, and the Fannings at the dinner table. In the picture the girls all have braids and are smiling, except Sandi who is looking at Mrs. Fanning angrily. Why did I draw Sandi angry? Mrs. Fanning was described as "ugly" and "bucktoothed". Do you think Sandi was over-exaggerating her features out of disgust based on the events that happened at the dinner? Mr. Fanning is also upset with his wife in the picture. Why is this?

Recall what Carlos told his daughters before the dinner: be on you best behavior. He wanted to impress the Americans and show that they could fit in. In the end, how do you think this was ironic? Also consider how the Garcia family felt while with the Fannings.

Illustration: Chapter 11

Sorry that this isn't in chronological order, the one I drew for chapter 10 had a problem uploading.

Anyway, this is a drawing of their father, Carlos, hiding in a hidden compartment in his walk-in closet. This all happens right in front of Carla, Sandi, Yolanda, and Sofia's eyes. The girls are taught to not reveal too much information to the police.

How do you think the girls felt watching their father hide? Based on this, do you think that their move to America was the best choice for the family?

Illustration: Chapter 8

I drew a picture of the "long-nosed, lime-green car" (page 155) that Carla discussed in chapter 8, Trespass. The four girls' mother had gone through a lot of trouble to protect the girls from dangers in America. She sent all of them to Catholic school, their mother insisted public schools "were where juvenile delinquents went and where teachers taught those new crazy ideas about how we all came from monkeys." (page 152) However, the seventh grade in the closest Catholic school was full, so Carla was sent to one that was even farther away from the public school.

One day on her walk home from the bus stop, Carla was stopped by a man in a green car who exposed himself to her and tried to get her to come into his car. What kind of affect could this have on a young girl who barely knew about the changes happening to her own body? How do you think this changed their mother's perception of the protection she thought she had been offereing her daughters?

Illustration: Chapter 5

This is a picture of Yolanda's boyfriend, Rudy Elmenhurst, in college. He had "a scarred, masculine, bad-boy face", "an ironic smile on his lips", and "bedroom eyes". (page 89)

I found this chapter very important because it showed one of the daughters, Yolanda, beginning to respond to American culture. However, she still managed to keep some of her culture at this point. She refused to drink more than one or two sips and would not smoke, being afraid of what they would do to her while she was under the influence. In her religion, it would be considered a sin to have sex before marriage, which is why she would always stop Rudy. How do you think this represents a change in her culture? Do you find this important? What other parts show a shift away from their Dominican culture in any of the sisters' lives?

Illustration: Dominican Republic vs. New York City

In this picture, I drew the typical home they would have lived in in each location. I drew a large house to show how they lived in the Dominican Republic and an apartment building for NYC since they lived in an apartment. How do you think their locations affected them as people in the book?

Compare and Contrast

Yes, it's time for the comparing and contrasting. In part 3, the garcia girls and their family lived in the Dominican Republic, but in part 2, they moved to America. Now, at first they didn't like it in America, but eventually, they started to love the country, and get used to it's traditions, while trying to maintain their own. So, if there wasn't a revolution in the Dominican Republic, then do you think that they should of stayed in the Dominican Republic or not? Would you leave the Dominican Republic if you were born and raised there to come to America? Explain.

What's Under the Chapter?

I have a small question, does anyone know what the names at the bottom state? Why are they there? Do you think you know? Please comment.

What Happened Here?

So group, we all know that the four Garcia Girls are very respectful and loving to their father, but tell me, what happens if they're not? What are the outcomes, why do you think they feel these emotions? Post one example of a time this happened and why it happened.

Dominican Repuplican Traditions

So group, tell me, we have been reading a lot about the garcia girls at hom when they were adults in part one. So can you tell me some of the traditions they did that you found intresting. Why did you like it, would you like to try something like that? Please explain, thanks.

Reminder

I just wanted to remind you guys that we are supposed to be having conversations about the book on this blog.

Can someone make a new post about a discussion they'd like to start about the book? Andrew and I were talking about how the book begins in the four sisters' adulthood and works backwards, did anyone else pick up on anything they find important?

Meet the Group

On this blog, you will see that we will discuss about what the book How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is about. We will also discuss what types of literary devices the author, Julia Alvarez, uses. We thought the we would like to use this post to explain who the group members of this literary circle are. Andrew Villa is the Discussion Director, Danielle Cantatore is the Illustrator, Johanna Hasing is the Illuminator, and Edina Klotsey is the Word Watcher. Thanks for reading this post to the people who actually took their time reading this and didn't just skim through it or skip it completely.