Thursday, December 14, 2017
The Distance Between Us/Discussion Questions
AGENDA:
Check out Reyna Grande's website (see link on blog)
Interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtn_h7iAWY4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Rv-hP6hflU
Discussion Questions
1. Reyna is two years old when her father leaves Iguala for El Otro Lado (the other side). Why does he leave? Why do Reyna, her mother, and her two siblings—Mago and Carlos—stay behind?
2. When Reyna turns four, her father sends for her mother. Reyna, Mago, and Carlos are left to live with their father’s mother (Abuela Evila). Describe Reyna’s feelings regarding her mother’s leaving and her mother’s absence during these early years.
3. Who is “The Man Behind the Glass”? What does he symbolize?
4. Reyna wishes to stay with Abuelita Chinta instead of Abuela Evila. Compare and contrast the two grandmothers and their attitudes and behaviors toward their grandchildren. Are Reyna, Mago, and Carlos better off once they begin living with Abuelita Chinta? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
5. Who is Élida and why is she favored by Abuela Evila? Is her behavior toward Reyna, Mago, and Carlos justified? Why or why not?
6. In what way does Tía Emperatriz come to the aid of Reyna, Mago, and Carlos? Could she have done more for the three siblings? Why or why not?
7. Describe Reyna’s relationship with her sister Mago. Why does Mago feel responsible for Reyna?
8. Describe the hardships Reyna, Mago, and Carlos face growing up in Iguala.
9. What reactions do the three siblings have when they learn they have a younger sister, Elizabeth? Who seems the most impacted by this news and why?
10. Why does Reyna’s mother, Juana, return alone from the United States? How does life change for Reyna, Mago, and Carlos when she returns?
11. Who is Rey and why do Reyna, Mago, and Carlos not like him? What happens when he visits the family during the holidays?
12. Compare and contrast Mago’s and Reyna’s feelings toward their mother as time after time she chooses her own needs over those of her children. Does she love her children? Use evidence from the text to support your response.
13. As Carlos matures, he has a need for a father figure. Identify the male role models in his life and explain the influences they have on his development.
14. When Reyna’s father returns from the United States after an eight-year absence, Reyna is almost ten. How does she feel about his return? Why does he return and why does he offer to take Mago back to the United States with him? Why does he want to leave Reyna and Carlos behind?
15. How does Reyna feel about the possible separation from Mago? Why does their father decide to take all three children back with him? Describe their harrowing journey. Is life better for them once they reach the United States? Support your answer with evidence from the text.
16. Mila is Natalio’s second wife. What are Reyna’s earliest perceptions of her? What influence does Milo have on Reyna, Mago, and Carlos?
17. Reyna attends school in both Mexico and the United States. Compare and contrast her experiences in both places. What can readers learn about the challenges poor children have in negotiating school?
18. Reyna does not speak English when she enters school in the United States. How does she overcome this challenge? How is she received by her teachers? By her classmates? What accounts for her ability to succeed?
19. Reyna’s father believes in education and supports Mago and Carlos when they enroll in college. Why does he not help Reyna? How does his refusal impact Reyna?
20. To whom does Reyna owe thanks for her success? Why? Do you agree or disagree and why?
(Questions issued by publisher.)
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ReplyDelete1. Reyna is two years old when her father leaves Iguala for El Otro Lado (the other side). Why does he leave? Why do Reyna, her mother, and her two siblings—Mago and Carlos—stay behind?
Reyna’s father leaves in search of a better life. To get the money needed in order to make his dream house that they would all live in someday. They stay behind because it would cost too much for all of them to go, they couldn’t. He had to go and take care of things first, then he would come back to them.
2. When Reyna turns four, her father sends for her mother. Reyna, Mago, and Carlos are left to live with their father’s mother (Abuela Evila). Describe Reyna’s feelings regarding her mother’s leaving and her mother’s absence during these early years.
During these early years, all Reyna thought about was her mother. She didn’t forget her for one second. Her thoughts were filled with unanswered questions. Such as, When will her mother come back?, Would her mother be back? Did she forget all about them? ‘’Who would protect us if the devil came to steal us and take us far away where we would never see our parents again?’’ (Grande 16)
3. Who is “The Man Behind the Glass”? What does he symbolize?
The man behind the glass is their father. That’s the only picture that Reyna had of him, so it was very important to her. He symbolized the hurt she felt throughout the story. His absence was a big deal. She had no memories of him. All she had was that one photograph of Natalio. ‘’ ‘’ He’s my papi,,’’ I said, and I clutched the frame tight against my chest’’ (Grande 6) ‘’She didn’t understand that this paper face behind a wall of glass was the only father I’d ever known’’ (Grande 6)
4. Reyna wishes to stay with Abuelita Chinta instead of Abuela Evila. Compare and contrast the two grandmothers and their attitudes and behaviors toward their grandchildren. Are Reyna, Mago, and Carlos better off once they begin living with Abuelita Chinta? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
The two grandmothers are complete opposites. Abuelita Chinta is the friendlier one of the two. While Abuela Evila is the mean one. Abuela Evila likes to scare the children, and she isn’t nice to them because she doesn’t like their mother. She thinks that her son should’ve married someone other than her. The children prefer to live with Abuela Chinta although conditions are much worse. Chinta is poor, so she isn’t able to provide them with much. She loves them deeply, so the children would be better off with her. They got through the terrible conditions because they stuck together. Even through the times where there was barely any food. ‘’Abuelita Chinta did her best to look after us..’’ (Grande 113) and ‘’The thought of going back to Abuela Evila’s house filled me with dread’’ (Grande 154)
5. Who is Élida and why is she favored by Abuela Evila? Is her behavior toward Reyna, Mago, and Carlos justified? Why or why not?
Elida is another one of Abuela Evila’s grandchildren. Evila favors her because she was the daughter of one of her favorite daughters. She was watching over Elida because her mother had left her under her care after leaving for El Otro Lado. ‘’... the fashionable clothes Abuela Evila made for her on her sewing machine and the many gifts her mother sent her from El Otro Lado helped Elida transform herself from the little orphan to a privileged granddaughter. She was everything we weren’t’’ (Grande 18). Abuela Evila is wrong for treating Natalio’s children the way she does, just because she feels the way she does towards their mother. It isn’t their fault. She treats them as if they were some random children from the streets that she was forced to take care of. Abuela Evila doesn’t have a good reason to treat them the way she does. It’s wrong, she doesn’t care about them.
James Talada and Justice Salamone
ReplyDelete01) Reyna's father needs money to pursue his dream in the United States. The family doesn't go along with him due to being a financial burden.
02) Reyna feels sad and alone without her mother. She longs for the love of her parents.
03) She only knows her father from being behind the glass of the photo frame, making him "THE MAN BEHIND THE GLASS". This is the only connection she has to her father.
04) Grandmother Chinta is poorer and has no room for the kids to stay in. Chinta may be nicer, but can not provide for the family she wants to have live with her.
05) Elida is Reyna's cousin. Elida's mother sent money to Grandma Evila so Elida gets favoured by her.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. Her father leaves because he wanted to pursue his dream of building a house in a place with better income. Her, her mother, and her two siblings stay behind because it would’ve been too expensive to take all of them.
ReplyDelete2. Reyna hated that her mother had to leave and at the time couldn’t understand why.
3. The man behind the glass is her dad.
4. They all are better off because she is more caring and won’t use their money to buy things for the other people in their house and not them.
5. Elida is their cousin and she favors her because she is older.
1. Reyna is two years old when her father leaves Iguala for El Otro Lado (the other side). Why does he leave? Why do Reyna, her mother, and her two siblings—Mago and Carlos—stay behind?
ReplyDelete-He leaves to start working to earn money to finally build his dream house and help his family. Reyna, her mother, Carlos and Mago stay behind because it was dangerous to go to El Otro Lado,and it was also expensive.
2. When Reyna turns four, her father sends for her mother. Reyna, Mago, and Carlos are left to live with their father’s mother (Abuela Evila). Describe Reyna’s feelings regarding her mother’s leaving and her mother’s absence during these early years.
-Reyna was very dismal. She didn’t want her mother to leave. When her mother was leaving, Reyna ran after her but it was too late, she was already on her way to El Otro Lado. Reyna missed her missed every day.
3. Who is “The Man Behind the Glass”? What does he symbolize?
-“The Man Behind The Glass’ is a picture of Reyna’s father. He symbolizes the sadness she felt. The picture was the only thing she had that reminded her of her father. She doesn’t remember him much because he left when she was only 2 years old.
4. Reyna wishes to stay with Abuelita Chinta instead of Abuela Evila. Compare and contrast the two grandmothers and their attitudes and behaviors toward their grandchildren. Are Reyna, Mago, and Carlos better off once they begin living with Abuelita Chinta? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
-Mago, Reyna, and Carlos would be better off living with Abuela Chinta. She was much nicer and actually treated them much better than Abuela Evila. Evila didn’t leave them any food to eat. She didn’t let them sit at the table with everyone else. She had them clean while Elida was comfortable doing nothing. Evila treated Reyna, Mago and Carlos as if they were servants.
5. Who is Élida and why is she favored by Abuela Evila? Is her behavior toward Reyna, Mago, and Carlos justified? Why or why not?
- Élida is Reyna’s cousin. She was favored by Abuela Evila because Élida’s mother sent her gifts and other things from the other side. The behavior toward Reyna, Mago and Carlos is kind of justified. She talks down on them just because they are younger and don’t have nice things like she does, but they are all in the same situation. Their parents left them at a young age to go to El Otro Lado.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete1. Reyna's father left to America to pursue his dream of building his own house and leaves his family behind because of lack of finances and not being able to provide for them.
ReplyDelete2.Reyna feels abandoned when her mother also leaves and doesn't believe that she will come back for her because that's what she often hears happens to other families.
3.The Man Behind the Glass is a picture of Reyna's father and she calls him this because she hardly knows him and doesn't remember anything from before he left. He symbolizes the distance between him and Reyna, not only physically but mentally as well.
4.Abuela Evila doesn't like Reyna's mother for marrying her son and looks down on her and this reflects in the way she treats Reyna and her siblings (...my grandmother hadn't liked my mother...three grandchildren--later, she still disapproved..."(10)). Abuela Chinta is really fond of her grandchildren and is always bringing them candy and treats them as if they are her actual grandchildren which is the total opposite of Abuela Evila.
5. Elida is Reyna's cousin and her mother is in the US and sends a lot of money home but hasn't returned or sent for Elida for 8 years. I think this is why she treats Magos, Reyna and Carlos the way she does, she just wants attention and is jealous that their parents might come back for them.
ReplyDelete1) Reyna's father leaves because he has wants to make his dream home and he believes that jobs in Mexico will get him nowhere. Reyna’s mother and her siblings stay behind because their father doesn’t have enough money to bring all of them along.
2) At this time Reyna misses her mother more than ever, especially because she is with Abuela Evila, who isn’t the nicest person. Reyna and her siblings are constantly called orphans and they begin to believe that their parents have left them behind. They are constantly bullied and humiliated, even though they have no control over their lives.
3) ‘The man behind the glass’ is her father. He is known as this because she only knows her father because of a picture.
4) They all want to live with Abuelita Chinta because she is nicer and she truly cares for her grandchildren. They end up living with Abuela Evila, which they don’t like because she is so mean and prefers their cousin Elida over them. Abuela Chinta is talked about as a nice woman, but she is poor, and unable to take care of her grandchildren. While living with Abuelita Evila, they struggle because she gives them the worst. They aren’t clean at all times, they don’t receive a dime of the money their parents send and they are overall maltreated.
5) Elida is Mago, Carlos and Reyna’s cousin. Part of the reason why Elida is the favorite is that Abuela Evila hates Reyna’s mother. Elida is given better clothing and better treatment by Abuela Evila. Since she is the privileged granddaughter, she treats Reyna and her siblings very badly. The reason behind this is that she is angry because her mother basically left her behind and had a child. Even though she was left behind, it doesn’t give her a reason to be rude to her cousin. They are in the same boat and it just makes everything more difficult.
Mariangelis Gonzalez
ReplyDelete1. Reyna's father leaves because he wants to get more money to build the house he has always wanted for his family. Reyna, her mother, and her siblings had to stay behind because there wasn't enough money to send for them.
2. Reyna feels like crying and feels sad since her mother is not there. It is sad for her because she was the closest to her mother and spend most of the time together. She wondered why her father never sent for her and her siblings. She thought that there parents would forget about them once they were in El Otro Lado. She didn't want her mother to leave her.
3. The man behind the glass is Reyna's father. He symbolizes how he is on the other side and can't come back because. It was the only memory she has from him, which symbolizes his absence.
4. Abuela Chinta is their mother's mother. They see her as sweeter and always caring for her. Abuela Evila is their father's mother, which they do not like. Abuela Evila has a favorite granddaughter, which is not any of them and she treats them wrong. Abuela Evila likes to scare the children and doesn't give them any privileges because she doesn't like their mother. Even though Abuela Chinta is poorer than Abuela Evila, she makes the children feel more comfortable.
5. Elida is Reyna's cousin and Abuela Evila's granddaughter. She is more favored because she is the daughter of Abuela Evila's daughter. Her behavior toward Reyna and her siblings is not justified because Elida gets all the privileges while Natalio's kids don't get much even though their parents send them money to get new clothes, shoes, and eat well. Elida is the orphan little girl, but is treated as the favorite granddaughter. Reyna and her siblings are seen as the orphans. It is also wrong fro Abuela Evila to treat them like that, because it is not there fault that she doesn't like their mother. She treats them like if they were strangers.
1. Reyna is two years old when her father leaves Iguala for El Otro Lado (the other side). Why does he leave? Why do Reyna, her mother, and her two siblings—Mago and Carlos—stay behind?
ReplyDelete-He left to pursue a dream of building them a house. The mother and kids stayed behind to wait for him to send for them when the house is built and he has enough money.
2. When Reyna turns four, her father sends for her mother. Reyna, Mago, and Carlos are left to live with their father’s mother (Abuela Evila). Describe Reyna’s feelings regarding her mother’s leaving and her mother’s absence during these early years.
-She was upset and angry, because she thought her mother talked as if her children didn't need her. When in reality they needed their mother and father not a big house and a lot of money. So she gets mad because her mother and father aren’t realizing that. But she also misses her mother and can’t help but reminisce to times when her mother was there.
3. Who is “The Man Behind the Glass”? What does he symbolize?
-The 'man behind the glass' is just a picture of her father. It symbolizes the father she doesn't have and the barrier between them. The picture of her father is the only father she has ever known because he is so far away.
4. Reyna wishes to stay with Abuelita Chinta instead of Abuela Evila. Compare and contrast the two grandmothers and their attitudes and behaviors toward their grandchildren. Are Reyna, Mago, and Carlos better off once they begin living with Abuelita Chinta? Why or why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.
-Because Abuelita Chinta was so much nicer she spoke softer and kindly to her grandchildren and she treated them well. She provided them with food as best as she could and she smiled a lot and was much happier. But Abuelita Evila was much more strict and ruder to the children she wasn't really nice like Abuelita Chinta. She didn't even give them an actual room to stay in just the corner of their grandfathers bedroom and she scares the children all the time. No I don't think they are better off living with their grandma because she is just rude to the children and basically mistreats them.
5. Who is Élida and why is she favored by Abuela Evila? Is her behavior toward Reyna, Mago, and Carlos justified? Why or why not?
-Elida is abuelita's niece, she is favored by abuelita evila because elida's mom has been working in El Otro Lado and sends her money so she can have a large house in town to show off to everyone. This makes abuelita evila happy and proud of her daughter so now she favors Elida more just because of that. No I don't think the way she treats them is justified because she is their grandmother she isn't suppose to treat them poorly it doesn't matter if one of her daughters lives better than the other it shouldn’t affect how she loves and treats her grandchildren.
1. Reyna's father leaves in order to pursue his dream of building his dream house. He says that a man should have his own land to pass to his children. He leaves his wife and children behind because he didn't have enough money to send for them, the same reason his children stay when he sends for his wife.
ReplyDelete2. Reyna is a mixture of sad, confused, and angry at her mother for leaving her and her siblings behind. She may feel betrayed because their father didn't send for her and her siblings, though this is a feeling more held by her older sister.
3. The "Man Behind The Glass" is Reyna's father. All she has of him is a framed photograph, hence the glass. He probably symbolizes Reyna's disconnect with her dad, having never met him.
4. The kids think that Chinta is sweeter and more loving towards them. Evila doesn't really care much for any of them because of her distaste for their mother. The kids prefer Chinta in spite of her having less money than Evila.
5. Elida is the cousin of the children, Evila's granddaughter. She's favored by Evila due to her closer relation. Of course the children's treatment isn't justified. Evila is cruel to them simply because she doesn't like their mother, which shouldn't have an effect on the way she treats the kids anyway.
ReplyDeleteRaina & Emani
1. Reyna’s father goes to America and leaves his wife and children behind so he can get a “head start” so to speak. They didn’t have the money for all them to leave at once so her father goes first to save up enough money and get a house for them all to live in. Once her father was financially stable Reyna and her mother and siblings would go over to America as well.
2. Reyna’s father left to build his family a home in the United States. He was quick to learn it wasn't the easy fantasy everyone made it out to be. However, he never made enough money to make his dream a true reality. Faced with the truth of his failure he decided to send for their mother instead. He didn’t want to go back to Mexico without accomplishing his goal. Reyna is heartbroken when her mother leaves. She “hate[d] [Papi] for taking [her] mother” (Grande, 13). She barely knew her father but she needed her mother.
3. The “Man Behind the Glass” symbolizes her father who left when she was only two years old. He left to pursue his dream of building a house. Therefore, her father behind the glass of the frame is the only father she had ever known.
4. Abuelita Chinta and Abuela Evila are very different. Chinta is kind and caring while Evila is harsh and strict. Evila treats Reyna, Mago and Carlos badly and doesn’t even trust that they are her grandchildren because as she says “‘one can’t trust a daughter-in-law. Who knows what your mother did when no one was looking.’” (Grande, 24). She loves and spoils Élidia but neglects the other children. Chinta is very sweet though and cares for the grandchildren. Reyna wishes they could live with her and they would be better off doing so even if she has less money.
5.Élida is Reyna's cousin. Élidia is favored because she knows that she is her actual granddaughter and her mother sends money to help care for her. Her behavior towards Reyna and her siblings is cruel and not justified. Her hatred towards their mother should not transfer to her children.
1)Reyna's father leaves for El Otro Lado becuase the economy in Iguala plummeted and the value of pesos went down causing everything to be expansive. The father also stated that he wants to earn money to make a house for them. The rest of his family stay behind because he wants to earn money for them and give them the house they deserve.
ReplyDelete2) Reyna's mother leaves for El Otro Lado because her husband asked her to come so they both can make money together. When she left Reyna was devastated and heartbroken. She didn't like when her father left and now that her mother left it made it worse.
3)The "Man Behind the Glass" is Reyna's father. He symbolizes how he left their family and the picture is the only thing Reyna has of him, not even memories.
4)Abuelita Chinta and Abuela Evila are two different grandmothers. Chinta is kind, caring, and loving towards her grandchildren and Evila is mean and she doesn't care about her son's kids at all. She fed them oil instead of a real meal and she always puts them last. The three kids were better off living with Chinta. They didn't feel like prisoners and they ate real food. Chinta treated them well.
5)Elida is a cousin of Reyna's. She is favored by Abuela Evila beacuse her daughter gave birth to Elida. She states that you can't trust your duaghter in law, that they could've done anything when no one is looking (page 24). That's why Evila doesn't like Reyna, Mago, Carlos, and their mom. Elida's behavior can be justified because she misses her mom and she's just jealous of Mago and her sister and brother.
ReplyDelete1.Reyna’s father leaves to El Otro Lado to make money to provide for all of them and to buy the house he has always wanted to buy. All of them stay behind because their father cannot pay for all of them to come with him.
2. Reyna gets really sad when her mother leaves but eventually that sadness turns to anger. She gets angry at her father for taking her mother away from her and her siblings when they need her the most. Reyna gets worried at times too because she has heard many stories about parents leaving their kids to stay in the other side forever.
3.The man behind the glass is Reyna’s father, she calls him this because she has never even seen him; she has only seen him behind the glass frame that hold his picture.
4.Abuela Chinta is much more caring unlike Abuela Evila. They say that Abuela Evila always had a frown and she never liked their mother, Juana. Abuela Evila isn’t an emotional person, she is very serious. “Abuela Evila looked away, as if embarrassed by Mami’s tears. Perhaps because she lived through the Revolution, when over a million people died and the one who lived had to toughen up to survive, my grandmother was not prone to being emotional.”
5.Elida is Reyna’s cousin, who was left by her mother that left to El Otro Lado as well. She is favored by Abuela Evila because in the story she kicked Abuelo Augurio out of the room to make space for her favorite grandchild, Elida.