Danger of a Single Story

"Danger of a Single Story" is a text that explains what single stories are. When people believe single stories, they believe the only thing they read, and think there is nothing more or different. Single stories are stereotypes, often false. On the fourth page, sixth paragraph, it says "they make one story become the only story". Single stories are dangerous because there is more to the story that isn't just negative, that doesn't get told. 

The author has experienced single stories through out her life. Growing up all she read was British and American books, so when she went to write her own story, that is what she would write about. She didn't know people like her were even in books. On the first page, second paragraph, she says "I wrote exactly the kinds of stories I was reading: All my characters were white and blue-eyed.". The author also experienced being guilty of the single story. Growing up, her mother only talked about her house boy and his family as poor and nothing else. So when she saw there was more to his family then just being poor, she was surprised. On the second page, second paragraph, she explains "All I had heard about them was how poor they were, so that it had become impossible for me to see them as anything else but poor. Their poverty was my single story of them".

There are so many single stories around the world. When I was little I loved princess movies. I read so many books and watched so many movies about them. Movies and books like Cinderella gave me a single story though. They gave me a single story on what love should be like. In those movies and books, the prince comes and saves the princess, and they fall in love. So when I was little that is what I believed falling in love was like.

The Stolen Party

"The Stolen Party" is a text about a young girl that is the daughter of a maid of a rich family. The young girl, Rosaura, is invited to the daughter of the rich family's birthday party. Rosaura's mother tries telling Rosaura she is only invited because she is the maid's daughter. Rosaura doesn't believe it and thinks she was invited because they are "friends", so she ends up going.


Through out the party, the daughters mother, Senora Ines, treats Rosaura like a helper and not like a guest to the birthday party. In line 65, Senora Ines asks Rosaura if she wouldn't mind helping serve out the hot dogs. In line 74, Senora Ines asks her to help pass out the cake. Rosaura does not notice though. She feels special Senora Ines is picking her to help with things. In line 66, it says "as she knew the house so much better than the others". In line 75, it says "Rosaura had enjoyed the task immensely, because everyone called out to her, shouting "Me, me!". Senora Ines isn't the only one at the party that treats Rosaura like a helper though. When Rosaura helps the magician hold the money, he calls her "my little countess" in line 105. The magician is almost making a joke out of her because he knew she was the help. Rosaura doesn't seem to notice she was treated like the help at the birthday party until she is about to leave and Senora Ines gives her two dollars, when she gives all the other children a present with a toy inside.
Through out the text there are examples of ascribed status. Rosaura has an ascribed status because of her mother. Since her mother is the maid, Rosaura was treated like one too, and she has no control to change that. What are some other examples of ascribed status through out the text?


At the end of the text, in line 142, it says "As if the slightest change might shatter an infinitely delicate balance". The author puts this in the text for a reason. By "delicate balance", it means the balance between Senora Ines' class and Rosaura's class. If Senora Ines gave Rosaura anymore than two dollars, like a gift, it would mean they were equal, and Rosaura was equal to the other children. By Senora Ines giving Rosaura the two dollars, it was to remind her what her social class is and that she will always be a level lower than her family.

Girl

My first impression of this text, “Girl”, was that it was expectations of a girl or woman. This was easy to see. When I read into the text more a second time, I realized it was a mother telling her daughter what qualifies a woman or girl as “good”. The mother that speaks throughout the entire text, has a strong and stern tone. The writer created this strong and bold effect in her word choice. In line 10, the mother says to her daughter, “not like the slut you are so bent on becoming”. This proves she is stern and straight forward. What other words or quotes from the text proved the mother’s tone throughout the text?

According to the text, what qualifies a girl or woman as “good”? One thing the mother tells her daughter is housework: being able to cook and clean. In line 4 of the text, the mother says, “soak your little clothes right after you take them off”. This could be universal because most mothers teach their daughters how to cook, clean, and take care of the home. Another thing the mother says is to act classy around boys. In line 33, she says “don't squat down to play marbles”. The mother also tells her daughter how to not sleep around and how to walk away from a relationship. In lines 39 and 40, she says “this is how to catch a fish; this is how to throw back a fish you don’t like”. If you can handle all of this, you are a “good” girl or woman in this mother’s eye. Do you agree with everything this mother tells her daughter?

Throughout this text, there are various kinds of imagery, metaphors.. In line 12, the mother says, “don’t eat fruits on the street - flies will follow you”. She refers to the flies as lower class men. In line 39 and 40, she says “this is how to catch a fish; this is how to throw back a fish you don’t like.” In this line, the mother refers to the fish as men. She also means throw away as how to easily give your man away, if you do not want him.