Journal 6 Duncan Driscoll

My favorite chapter in The House on Mango Street is No Speak English. It is a story about a lady across the street that does not speak any English. A man saved his money to bring her her because she was alone with a baby. She mostly stays inside because of the fact she does not know English. This particular story story stood out to me because this entire story I can paint a picture so clearly unlike the other stories. The way Cisneros describes the lady and how you can feel empathy for her. The writing was at its best when the man was yelling at the lady due to his frustration of her not knowing English. During the arguments Cisneros writes "Mamacita, who does not belong, every once in a while lets out a cry, hysterical, high, and if he had torn the only skinny thread that kept her alive, the only road out of that country" (Cisneros 78). The lady is feeling trapped and in a box because shes living with this man. And his unwillingness to try to understand the situation only hurts her more.

When I was 6 years old, I lived in a neighborhood near woods and creek. Being outside in the mud was just another day. This older kid named Nate was 10 years old, and I thought he was the coolest kid I have ever met. There was a certain distance we were allowed to play in the creek because it was owned by the farmer. Nate convinced me to keep going further and I thought nothing could go wrong, but the farmer ended up catching us and he called our parents. Nothing serious or bad happened but since I looked up to him, I threw out the rules that my parents gave me and followed him.

 When I got older in high school I met a group of friends that were my age. We all became very close and inseparable. Even though we did not always make the best choices, they pushed me out of my comfort zone. Looking back I did not always appreciate in the moment but I think in order to grow as a person you sometimes need to be pushed out of your comfort zone.