Journal Four - Vilma L.

      
    The chapter "No Speak English" is about a lady who comes to live across the street and does not leave her house. Esperanza was told because she is fat and does not speak English.  Rachel and Esperanza calls her "Mamacita". Before her arrival, her husband and child were alone. The father would have to leave his baby boy with someone. Not only that but had two jobs. So, he did not see his child till night but would leave early the next morning. An important theme I found in this chapter was adapting to a new country. This was something new, a new change and new people. Its writing at its best is " Out stepped a tiny shoe, a foot soft as a rabbit's ear, then the thick ankle, a flutter of hips, fuchsia roses and green perfume"(Page 76). Esperanza describes how her whole body is fat and the only thing that is tiny is her feet.
       A personal influence is my adolescence was my sister. We are just two girls. She was not that older than me. My sister and  I would get along together and mostly did everything together. During my elementary years , she was one grade above me. She would tell me what to expect the next year. This helped me and affected my habits. When I was in the grade, I already knew what the teachers were going to talk about. Also mostly had the same teachers my sister also had. When I saw my sister get in trouble for doing something, I would prevent myself from doing so. I would take advantage from what I saw my sister do and learned many things. She was way one that I learned how to speak English when I was an adolescence.