Beautiful & Cruel By Sandra Cisneros and Trip in a Summer Dress by Annette Sanford

Beautiful & Cruel

By Sandra CisneroAn ugly daughter (narrator) received nothing while a beautiful daughter (Nenny) is spoiled. I am trying to figure it out the character of narrator and who she possibly could be. I am not sure if I understand the story 100%. When I see the name Minerva, this reminded me of Cinderella. So, I thought this story could be similar to Cinderella story. Later on, I realized it probably totally different.

Nenny seem to get everything she can get even though she have a baby as the author quotes, "Nenny has pretty eyes and it's easy to talk that way if you are pretty". I suppose this can be true even if she is cruel she can talk to people out of it to get what she want.

Right is the narrator name is Minerva?

Well if it is then Minerva decided not to be like Nenny instead she want to be humble but tough like a man instead of being "like others who lay their necks on the threshold waiting for the ball and chain". Minerva and Nenny have different personality and look as well that display different characteristic.

Trip in a Summer Dress

By Annette Sanford

The narrator was moving with Bill Richards to marry him since marriage things it the big things for Bill and he think that Matthew is the narrator's mother's son. Really, Matthew is the son of the narrator. I felt like the narrator choose to be with the man than being with her own son but at the same time she could have bring Matthew with her after her marriage.

The narrator life is almost parallel to her mother's life since both have child at fifteen years old. Her mother got married but then soon the narrator will get marry.

I thought it was interesting how the narrator compare herself as Moses' sister when she had to send her own baby away and eventually was received by the queen while the narrator's child is taken care by her mother. I still do not understand why the narrator's mother have to take care the narrator's child. The story itself does sound heartbreaking and sad. She did said that it was hard for her to forget about Matthew since he is still in her heart as she stated, "I didn't look once at Matthew, but I felt him, even when he wasn't crying. He had hold of me way down deep and wouldn't let go for love nor money." She was a patient enough to let her mother to be the son of her child but she did stated that she want her son to know who his real mother. How can ones leave their love ones but then she said she have a reason for that. I still could not figure it out why. As I read carefully, the narrator had stated that she would never leave her son so does that mean her mother do not allow her to take care of her own son?

The narrator accidentally got pregnant by the wrong man I suppose from E. E. Davis and does not really love him. That very common for many young girls who accidentally got pregnant.

This story can be hard to follow because of so many flashbacks that got me confused sometime.

The narrator had told her child a story about the redbird when she took her son to the park. She try to tell Matthew that what happen to the cowbirds that was feed by the redbird is the same situation that applied to him but he is still kind of to young to understand although kids are smart and they will remember things. Matthew think his mother is the one that suppose to be his grandmother.

When the narrator was riding on the bus she saw a young girl remind her of Matthew. Later at the end of the story when the young girl have to meet her parents that does not really care about their daughter. When the narrator told the girl's parents that the girl is in the bathroom the girl's parents was digusted with it.

I agree with the narrator when she said, "If I was my mother, I'd get mighty tired of always being right." on page 131.

I find it hard to "leave the child". This almost remind of serrogate as it hard for the mother to give away their child from their body to someone else since some women can not get pregnant.