Title: Narrative Essay: Experience with Injustice
Standards Addressed:
2.1 Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories:
a. Relate a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience.
b. Locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
c. Describe with concrete sensory details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; use interior monologue to depict the characters' feelings.
d. Pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
e. Make effective use of descriptions of appearance, images, shifting perspectives, and sensory details.
Purpose of the Assignment: To use techniques we have been identifying and analyzing in reading short stories in the writing of a personal narrative about the student’s experience with injustice.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
"The Man I Never Met" by Anonymous
I always wondered what he was like. I never met him but everyday that I have lived I wished I would’ve had. I’ve heard stories from my mother how he was so outing and full of life. Oh how he never gave up he always went all the way with whatever he stared. He was a man that could be trusted and would never harm anyone or anything. But nobody ever knew not even him that his life would be over in a blink of an eye.
It was a dark rainy night, the helicopters roamed around the sky. He was tired and frustrated. Such a long way he had come he wasn’t going to stop. He was so close to freedom he could feel it on the tips of his fingers. As he went through with this mission he kept having flashbacks. He couldn’t wait to get across the border to see his beloved children and wife. He thought he was so far but little did he know he was so close to holding them in his arms. Three years had past since he had last seen his wife and his three children. He remembered the day that his family had left that only they had the chance to escape to freedom he would never forget the looks in their faces. The sadness in their eyes. It was all still so clear in his head of how they looked that day. So he was determined to get to them alive or dead but he was never going to give up.
A couple months later he was finally reunited with his family. But even though they were together they still had a big problem. They had no place to live no place to go.
They were out in the street. They had no money no nothing. One of his sons developed a sickness soon. They took him to a hospital; they had no idea of how they were going to pay the medical expenses. My grandfather told his wife that he didn’t care as long as he knew that his son would be okay. Of course in his head he was also worried about what he was going to do.
About a week and a half his son got better. He was out of the hospital. But everyone was still worried about how they were going to afford to pay for this. So, eventually my grandfather decided to go and try to find a job that paid at least a minimum. That was hard for him he wasn’t as young he wasn’t as educated. He applied to a couple of places but he was rejected. He never gave up though, he applied and applied. He knew he had to get one if he wanted to support his family.
About four weeks later he finally got a job interview with a company. He and his family were so full of joy. They had hope that maybe their worries will be lifted their shoulders with the interview, that maybe he could get a job and support the family.
The day of the interview April 8, 1968, he got all dressed up in his best slacks and shirt; he wanted to make a good impression. He took the bus all the way to his interview with his family beside him. Outside of the building my grandma wished him luck and kissed him. He went into the building not knowing what to expect. Finally the someone called out “Raul Arias.” He was so nervous you could hear his heart pounding. He entered and greeted the owner Lorenzo Martinez he noticed he was also Hispanic. He went on with the interview and the owner explained that he had a fifty percent chance of getting the job because another man named James brooks was also going to have an interview for the same job as him. This didn’t really discourage him that much he had a good chance.
He had given it all he had, but he was really hoping to nail the job. About a couple weeks later Lorenzo Martinez called him up.
He told my grandpa, “Congratulations Mr. Arias you got the job.”
Such relief came upon the family that day. Everything had calmed down.
Two days later, my grandpa went of to work so proud and excited. He got there greeted the boss and saw a man arguing with him. He started to yell and stared at my grandpa while saying “You gave a job to that piece of crap and not to me?!” He was furious when he laid eyes on my grandpa.
Then Mr. James Brook started yelling louder “You just gave him the job because he’s of your own kind and you didn’t even give me a chance because I’m not Hispanic.”
Mr. Martinez was shocked and tried to calm him down by saying “This has nothing to do from where you come from.” He was still very upset and replied “You know it does! And you know what, I’m going to sue the company.” This threat had frightened everyone including my grandfather. What he said was true.. They got a letter saying they must show up in court. Mr. Martinez asked my grandpa to come to court and listen to the case just in case if they need him as a witness.
The day came when the court was in session and my grandpa couldn’t stop thinking that he might loose his job and have to go back to the old ways. The court proceeded and Mr. Martinez explained that he had given my grandfather the job for a certain reason not because he was of his own kind. The judge saw that this was true so he closed the case. My grandpa was relived. He was thinking thank goodness!
Then the unexpected happened about four days later when my grandpa was coming out of the building he walked to the bus stop and someone drove up to him and shot him. Some witnesses said they heard them say “That’s what you get for being the Hispanic kind.” He just flashed out of our lives like that. Nobody even got the chance to say goodbye.
The police and our family were notified. The investigation started right away witnesses were interviewed to see what they knew. But the witness that actually experienced the tragic death of this great man told what he had heard and seen. There it was proven that James Brooks was guilty of killing my grandfather.
It's because of that man “James Brooks” that I never got to meet one of the biggest hero’s of my life. He really didn’t know that it would just affect his family that was currently with him but that it would also affect his family in the future. I always wish I would have met my grandpa though, he would of had taught me so much. I love him and he is my hero no matter what.
It was a dark rainy night, the helicopters roamed around the sky. He was tired and frustrated. Such a long way he had come he wasn’t going to stop. He was so close to freedom he could feel it on the tips of his fingers. As he went through with this mission he kept having flashbacks. He couldn’t wait to get across the border to see his beloved children and wife. He thought he was so far but little did he know he was so close to holding them in his arms. Three years had past since he had last seen his wife and his three children. He remembered the day that his family had left that only they had the chance to escape to freedom he would never forget the looks in their faces. The sadness in their eyes. It was all still so clear in his head of how they looked that day. So he was determined to get to them alive or dead but he was never going to give up.
A couple months later he was finally reunited with his family. But even though they were together they still had a big problem. They had no place to live no place to go.
They were out in the street. They had no money no nothing. One of his sons developed a sickness soon. They took him to a hospital; they had no idea of how they were going to pay the medical expenses. My grandfather told his wife that he didn’t care as long as he knew that his son would be okay. Of course in his head he was also worried about what he was going to do.
About a week and a half his son got better. He was out of the hospital. But everyone was still worried about how they were going to afford to pay for this. So, eventually my grandfather decided to go and try to find a job that paid at least a minimum. That was hard for him he wasn’t as young he wasn’t as educated. He applied to a couple of places but he was rejected. He never gave up though, he applied and applied. He knew he had to get one if he wanted to support his family.
About four weeks later he finally got a job interview with a company. He and his family were so full of joy. They had hope that maybe their worries will be lifted their shoulders with the interview, that maybe he could get a job and support the family.
The day of the interview April 8, 1968, he got all dressed up in his best slacks and shirt; he wanted to make a good impression. He took the bus all the way to his interview with his family beside him. Outside of the building my grandma wished him luck and kissed him. He went into the building not knowing what to expect. Finally the someone called out “Raul Arias.” He was so nervous you could hear his heart pounding. He entered and greeted the owner Lorenzo Martinez he noticed he was also Hispanic. He went on with the interview and the owner explained that he had a fifty percent chance of getting the job because another man named James brooks was also going to have an interview for the same job as him. This didn’t really discourage him that much he had a good chance.
He had given it all he had, but he was really hoping to nail the job. About a couple weeks later Lorenzo Martinez called him up.
He told my grandpa, “Congratulations Mr. Arias you got the job.”
Such relief came upon the family that day. Everything had calmed down.
Two days later, my grandpa went of to work so proud and excited. He got there greeted the boss and saw a man arguing with him. He started to yell and stared at my grandpa while saying “You gave a job to that piece of crap and not to me?!” He was furious when he laid eyes on my grandpa.
Then Mr. James Brook started yelling louder “You just gave him the job because he’s of your own kind and you didn’t even give me a chance because I’m not Hispanic.”
Mr. Martinez was shocked and tried to calm him down by saying “This has nothing to do from where you come from.” He was still very upset and replied “You know it does! And you know what, I’m going to sue the company.” This threat had frightened everyone including my grandfather. What he said was true.. They got a letter saying they must show up in court. Mr. Martinez asked my grandpa to come to court and listen to the case just in case if they need him as a witness.
The day came when the court was in session and my grandpa couldn’t stop thinking that he might loose his job and have to go back to the old ways. The court proceeded and Mr. Martinez explained that he had given my grandfather the job for a certain reason not because he was of his own kind. The judge saw that this was true so he closed the case. My grandpa was relived. He was thinking thank goodness!
Then the unexpected happened about four days later when my grandpa was coming out of the building he walked to the bus stop and someone drove up to him and shot him. Some witnesses said they heard them say “That’s what you get for being the Hispanic kind.” He just flashed out of our lives like that. Nobody even got the chance to say goodbye.
The police and our family were notified. The investigation started right away witnesses were interviewed to see what they knew. But the witness that actually experienced the tragic death of this great man told what he had heard and seen. There it was proven that James Brooks was guilty of killing my grandfather.
It's because of that man “James Brooks” that I never got to meet one of the biggest hero’s of my life. He really didn’t know that it would just affect his family that was currently with him but that it would also affect his family in the future. I always wish I would have met my grandpa though, he would of had taught me so much. I love him and he is my hero no matter what.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Welcome to Honors Ninth Grade English!
To whom it may concern,
If you're reading this, you must be in Ms. Gharda's Honors English class. Welcome! I look forward to working with you. This blog will be a place where you can find daily agendas and relevant forms of media (i.e. film clips, photos, articles, etc.) to complement class studies and daily agendas. If you happen to misplace a handout or need one because you are absent, you can find those items at http://ghardahonors.googlepages.com/home. I would recommend bookmarking both sites so you can return to them often! I hope they will serve both of us well.
Yours sincerely,
Ms. Gharda
If you're reading this, you must be in Ms. Gharda's Honors English class. Welcome! I look forward to working with you. This blog will be a place where you can find daily agendas and relevant forms of media (i.e. film clips, photos, articles, etc.) to complement class studies and daily agendas. If you happen to misplace a handout or need one because you are absent, you can find those items at http://ghardahonors.googlepages.com/home. I would recommend bookmarking both sites so you can return to them often! I hope they will serve both of us well.
Yours sincerely,
Ms. Gharda
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