What makes a memorable life moment and why is it hard to appreciate it once it's happening?
Two Kinds by Amy Tan
1949 after losing everything in China: her mother and father, her home, her first husband, and two daughters, twin baby girls. But she never looked back with regret.
Here it is telling how the narrator's mother, after losing everything she had in China her whole family, moved to San Francisco
The words "she never looked back with regret" connect to the unit question of this being a memorable life moment, her leaving China with everything she had there.
Amy's mom wants a better life for daughter. making a hard life choice to leave her family behind and shows emotion of how she is strong for keeping going after leaving her whole family behind and not looking back on her decsions
This moment is hard to moment to appreciate and is very memorable as she is making a hard life choice to leave her family behind
"You pick up fast," my mother said, as if she knew this was certain. "You have natural talent.
The mom of the girl tells her that she has natural talent of playing piano and she will pick it up quickly after offering her, her piano on her birthday
The words "she knew this was certain" and when she says "you have natural talent" connect to the unit question because it shows how this is a start between a memorable bond between her and her mother. Her mother believes in her and knows she has natural talent which connects them in some way.
The feelings of the mother to her daughter are feelings of being together and sparks of strength of .
This can be considered a memorable life moment because this change with her mom can be be a changing point in their relationship.
Bullet in the Brain by Tobias Wolff
"No," Anders said, but the barrel tickled like a stiff finger and he had to fight back the titters. He did this by making himself stare into the man's eyes, which were clearly visible behind the holes in the mask: pale blue, and rawly red-rimmed.
Here Anders is speaking calmly but isn't taking the robber seriously. He is staring at the robber's eyes in order to make himself calm.
The word "No" which shows how he doesn't really care about the serious situation that he is in and when it says, "he had to fight that titters. He did this by making himself stare into the man's eyes" shows even though he is kinda scared it seems like he is trying to act cool and calm.
These words convey emotions that show that when you are in a certain state you can act more calm then you would react when you think about it later.
These feelings help me understand the unit question because they show how it could be hard to acknowledge moments like these in the heat of the moment.
"Oh, bravo, " Anders said. "Dead meat." He turned to the woman in front of him. "Great script, eh? The stern, brass-knuckled poetry of the dangerous classes."
The robber is threatning Anders but Anders isn't taking this situation seriously
The words that Anders says like, "oh bravo" shows how he isn't really taking this situation seriously and it sounds mocking. It relates to the unit question of why it's hard to appreciate a memorable moment while it is happening because in moments like this it holds too much emotion which is why we may react in a why we may regret.
The words convey emotions which show how in a current moment we could forget how to act.
These feelings help me understand the unit question because they show how it could be hard to acknowledge moments like these in the heat of the moment.
Handsomest Drowned Man in the World
Half a Day
"Go in by yourself," said my father, "and join them. Put a smile on your face and be a good example to others."
His father telling him to go first into the school
Words like "Go in by yourself" shows the moment where he goes by himself and being himself giving himself a chance to experince
this is a memorable moment because it shows that this is the first time as a kid he had to go somewhere by himself , without his parents
These feelings help you understand the unit question by how moments of his life where he have to go do things by himself which is memeroable
I did not know what to say. The gate was closed, letting out a pitiable screech. Some of the children burst into tears. The bell rang. A lady came along, followed by a group of men. The men began sorting us into ranks. We were formed into an intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded on three sides by high buildings of several floors; from each floor we were overlooked by a long balcony roofed in wood.
Moment where he is in school and not being looked after by his partner.
Words like We were formed into an intricate pattern in the great courtyard surrounded on " This shows how the character connected with others and having the feeling without the parents looking after him.
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These feeling help me understand how the school can be a social memory for the child and being around other and not being looked after by his partner show the self of himself that his parents dont see.