In-Class Essay

You have two hours (and then lots of time at home) to craft a well-structured, thesis centered essay that:

• ·         Blends quotations (3) artistically and accurately, using MLA formatting rules (page numbers!!),
•   Illustrates how concrete detail can be used to support commentary,
•  Analyzes direct references in a nuanced and meaningful way,
•  Exercises composition strategies like RACER and/or PEEL,
•  Showcases effective structuring techniques that shows itself in paragraph construction, transitions, and conclusions.

 Due: 11/10 by 5pm on Turnitin.com

Prompts:

1.       1. How does Gabi’s self-image change throughout the book? And how do others affect the way she sees herself? Include several examples from the text that support your analysis of her growth and development while you chart and question where she starts and where she ends. Does she finally become the confident woman she dreamt of being? Or does she fall short? Think about all the catalysts that push her to that place.

2.       

2.Choose two themes from the book (such as white washing, sex positivity, embracing the self, and/or the value of communication, etc.) and explain how the two rely on one another. How does the author craft a story that weaves these two themes together? Does she pair them? Foil them against each other? Many novelists enjoy making two different novel elements interdependent to better illustrate their relationship; is that happening here? How so? Explain.

3.       

3. Many stereotypes are referenced throughout the novel. Ones about women, ones about sex, and ones about Latinos come immediately to mind, but issues about the stereotyping of homosexuals, sexually active teenagers, and drug addicts are also present throughout. How are these cultural issues treated throughout the novel? Which ones are primarily focused on? And for what purpose? What’s the big picture message?

4.      

4. Consider Gabi’s relationship with her mother. What does the relationship and its many highs and lows reveal about each character individually? And what does it say about parenting relationships in general? Why does Quintero make it such an important facet of the novel? What is she hoping to illustrate and convey to young females, her intended audience?