Bronx Masquerade Compare and Contrast

     The character that I think changed throughout the book "Bronx Masquerade" was Tyrone.  I think this because towards the beginning he wasn't interested in school, all he cared about was wanting to stay alive. He didn't accept others because they were different. Tyrone states, "School ain't nothin' but a joke." This shows that he doesn't take his education seriously. Nikki Grimes had a page for Tyrone after every other character. I think that was very helpful because it showed the reader how Tyrone felt and what his thoughts were on each person. Tyrone doesn't accept others, he treats them differently if they aren't African-American like him and his friends. He is stereotypical. After Raul shared his "Zorro" poem Tyrone says, "...I didn't know he knew that much English!" This shows that Tyrone believes stereotypes because since Raul is a latino, he assumes that he won't know as much english. He would judge Raul because he didn't care how much money he got for working, he was just happy to do it. I felt that towards the beginning, Tyrone wanted everyone else to be like him.

     Towards the end of the book Tyrone changed his perspective on things. He learned to accept others for who they are, and that everyone has feelings and problems. The Open Mike Friday's was what helped him realize those things. After Diondra's first poem, Tyrone was talking about how fast she read and not explicitly making fun of her, but it was implied. Later on after Diondra's "Self Portrait" poem, Tyrone understood what she meant. He says, "I didn't get her first few poems, but I dig this one. The future is ours. Let us have it. That's what she's saying." On her first poem, Tyrone didn't understand the deeper meaning to it, but now that she's read more and expressed her feelings, he understands what she's going through.

     The plot, setting, conflict, and characters of a story influence each other because they all make a difference to the story. The setting of the story impacts the characters because it shows why they act a certain way. If a character is from a bad neighborhood, the characters attitude or reputation will reflect on it. The character can have a bad reputation because of what he/she does. The plot impacts the conflict because the plot is the events that lead up to the problem. Everything that happens before the conflict/problem is what leads up to it. Without one of the elements of a story, you will not be able to tell the mood of the story.

Spine poem 2/24/16

Poem:

Children Of The Night

Reached

Dreamland

Waiting for the Rain

Dancing on the Edge

    The theme of my spine poem is fear because the kids of the poem are afraid of growing up. The children decide to go to dreamland where they can be kids forever and are dancing in the rain and having the time of their life.

     The main point of my poem is to live life to the fullest because you'll grow up with regrets because you never did your biggest dreams. The children go to dreamland and do all the things they wanted to do in their life. Whenever someone enters dreamland, you are automatically a kid again.

Found Poem 2/24/16

     The theme if my found poem is effects of the past because the girl in my poem is having flashbacks about a conversation with a friend. About her telling a secret and it is driving her crazy because of her guilty conscience. She is full of regret and wants to take it back but cannot because the past is the past and she has to live in the future.

     The main point of this poem is to show what can happen to you if you do something wrong. I decided to draw a silhouette of a person to show her thoughts and the words in her mind. She is filled with sadness and guilt. I think that it has a deeper meaning with the silhouette because it is showing what she is thinking and that the words aren't actually being spoken, but being remembered.

"Where I'm From"

Bronx Perspectives Take One- 2/16/16

     The book Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes is about a high school that contains students that are completely different from one another. All these students do not show who they really are because they are afraid of being judged. Instead, they express themselves throughout poetry. Their poems show who they really are, they talk about what they want to be. They have an event called Open Mike Fridays, where the students can go and share their poems to the rest of the class. After each character talks about themselves and shares their poem, Tyrone, the main character, shares is thoughts about each character.


     Two characters that I found to be similar were Diondra Jordan and Devon Hope. I think that these two characters are similar because people judge them based on their looks. Everyone assumes that since Diondra is tall that she plays basketball, but she actually hates it. Her dad wants her to be in the WNBA. She wants people to see her for who she really is, she loves to draw and write poetry. Devon also gets judged on by his looks as well. Everyone assumes that just because he loves basketball and wants to be a basketball player, that he doesn't care about his education. He actually really likes poetry, he just doesn't want anyone to know because he thinks that he'll get made fun of. Both characters are keeping a secret from the rest of the students because they do not want to get made fun of.


     Two characters that I found to be different were Lupe Algarin and Gloria Martinez. I think that these two characters are different because Lupe wants to have a baby to feel loved, and Gloria thinks that having a baby won't make a difference. Lupe is having trouble at home because her dad left her, and her mom and stepdad do not really pay attention to her. She thinks that by having a baby she will feel loved. Lupe thinks that having a baby is the ONLY way to be loved. Gloria on the other hand is already a teen mom. She's a single parent so it is harder on her to care for a baby and go to school. She doesn't regret having a baby but she does wishes she could go back to hanging out with friends and not worrying as much. She doesn't think that a baby is the only way you could get someone to love you. Gloria wants Lupe to rethink about having a baby. I think that Gloria will eventually convince Lupe that a baby will not solve her problems, but only complicate them more.