ZAINAH GADOUI    ELA       BUILDING BRIDGES   711

         Having adults be in charge of your life is difficult, to say the least. In the short story “Building Bridges” by Andrea Pinkley, the main character, Bebe, wants to work on the bridge project, but her grandmother, Mama Lil, won’t let her. I think a theme of this book is you have to follow your dreams, whether the adults in your life support you or not. Through Bebe’s journey to work on the bridge project we see that she represents hope and determination.

         At first, we see how intent on Bebe is to go to the bridge project, that she’ll make her only family member distraught. “I don’t wanna cross you Mama Lil, but I will if I have to.” This demonstrates that Bebe is so serious about doing the bridge project that she’ll irritate the only family she’s got. This is good because she’s not always going to live with Mama Lil. Bebe is going to be by herself at one point, and she’ll be depressed if she’s not doing what she loves. “I’ll sign it myself. I been helping you sign checks and letters for years now.” This shows that Bebe will do anything to get to the bridge, even sneaking out and forgery.

         Later in the story, Bebe has realized that she needs to do what makes her happy, with or not with Mama Lil’s support. “Mama Lil, I got to find my way.’ This quote explains how she tries to tell Mama Lil how important the Brooklyn Bridge is to her, and how she feels that Mama Lil has to let her go, and let Bebe do her thing. After a breakfast of fried Dunbar’s ham, Bebe says, “’Mama Lil,’ I said firmly ‘I’m going to the bridge’”. Bebe is done asking permission to follow her dreams. She’s going to do what she wants to do, by herself if she has to.

         In Bebe’s journey to working on the bridge project, we see that she symbolizes hope and determination. This connects to most teenagers’ lives. We fight with the people who are in charge of us, so we can do what we want. This story relates to us because we all do what Bebe does, which is argue, but even though Bebe and Mama Lil argue, Bebe still stays hopeful. Bebe still hopes that Mama Lil will somehow change her mind, and sign the permission slip for her.

My Name

Zainah Gadoui    711     ELA     My Name

            In Arabic, my name means good and beautiful. I don’t like my name. I don’t want to be defined by it. My name is awkward. Nobody can say it. Nobody can spell it. Different can be good, but being so far out there that no one can see you isn’t a good thing.

My name came from nowhere. Nobody in my family had it before me. It was just suggested because it was pretty. My parents were deciding between my name and another one. Ayeesha. It was my grandmother’s name. If I got Ayeesha, at least it would mean something to me and my family. Zainah. It means nothing to us.

            Zainah reminds me of cool, stormy, summer nights. I can see it now. Dark grey and black clouds. Slightly drizzling. Purple lightning bolts lighting up the sky. Cool and humid. You don’t know what is happening.

            If I had the chance to change my name, I would do it in a heartbeat. Without question, I would change Zainah to Ana. But I wouldn’t change it on my birth certificate. I wouldn’t make it official. Even if I do change my name, I will always have been born a Zainah. Even though the name Ana means nothing to my family or me, at least people can see and spell Ana.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (summer)

       
 
         Forgetting can sometimes be a good thing. This is a theme of The Perks of Being a Wallflower  by Stephen Chbosky. Chbosky uses relationship as a really good author move. He shows us more about the main character, Charlie's, past through relationships.

         Relationship is a great author move in this book because Charlie thought that his relationship with his Aunt Helen was all innocent and perfect. But his relationship with Sam, (Charlie's crush and best friend) showed him that it wasn't. After Sam touched Charlie, he stopped her, and went to bed. That night he had a dream where his Aunt Helen had done the same to him. After weeks of therapy he realized it wasn't a dream. It was real. His relationship with Sam gave him that dream. I think if he hadn't done what he had done, we as readers wouldn't have figured out what happened to him as a child. Charlie was never the same after this realization struck him.
       
       Not remembering can sometimes be fine. This theme is shown through relationship. I think our main character, Charlie, would've felt a whole lot better if he didn't remember his past. I don't think this would have made Aunt Helen's death any easier for him. Charlie didn't remember this side of Aunt Helen. His brain decided to block it out. It probably felt like a dream, or something he was watching from the outside, like it wasn't happening to him. My point is, forgetting can sometimes be good.