Harmony at Home Essay Example

to be wealthy like the Beavers; therefore, he would walk around the neighborhood looking for work and collecting his dimes (Soto 26-31). Synopsis Two.

Another selection I enjoyed in Rereading America was “An Indian Story” by Roger Jack. This essay acknowledges the concerns growing up away from one’s father in an Indian culture. Also stating an intimate view of a nonnuclear family, the author points out defined social network. Jack endorses family views in a not so ordinary way one would believe a family to be. The mother passed away leaving a husband and son behind. The father then decided to remarry, and having two more children was hard on the boy. The boy then asks his mother sister Aunt Greta if he would be able to move in with her and Grandpa.

Because Aunt Greta having strong family views she allowed her nephew to move in and the boy’s home and school life showed a great improvement. Grandpa soon passed on, but not before giving his daughter her Indian name Old Woman Walking. Aunt Greta began teaching Indian Culture and language classes, for which the boy traveled along with her. Jack put a great emphasizes of the boy graduating high school. Aunt Greta and the boy took a trip to the Indian reservation one last time, for he was going to leave for college soon.

While at the reservation, the boy got drunk and tried to break up a fight, and he got arrested. Aunt Greta had to bail him out of jail. When arriving home the boy feels he should go have a talk with his dad. His father suggests that he should apologize to his

aunt, and that everyone will go through a phase in life. Soon the boy left for college to study accounting like his father. The boy gets so intense into his studies that he soon lost contact with his family back home. Dad called him one day, for Aunt Greta became ill.

The boy told his father that Aunt Greta would be fine, and not to worry about her. Jack insists in this narrative that family is very important, but sometimes there is other thing in life that you may feel more important (Jack 52-61). Critique. The narratives “Looking for Work” and “An Indian Story” shows comparisons, for both show strong family backgrounds. Both boys have great feelings for their families. The authors indicate that both of the boys grew up without the father’s being present.

They both also wanted something more in life than what was given to them. I had a nine year old’s vision of wealth that would save us from ourselves” (Soto 27). Differences show more than comparison for the narratives. “Looking for Work” does not show as much culture background as “An Indian Story” emphasizes on. Eventually, Aunt Greta became interested in tribal politics and threatened to run for tribal council, so Grandpa changed her Indian name from Little Girl Heart to Old Woman Walking, which he had called Grandma when she was alive. Aunt Greta didn’t mind. In fact, she was proud of her new name. Little Girl Heart was her baby name.

When Grandpa died a Couple of years later she was all alone. She decided Tribal politics wasn’t for her but began teaching Indian Culture and Language classes. That’s when I

walked into her life like a newborn Mathew or Grandpa or the baby she never had. She had so much love and knowledge to share, which she passed on to me naturally and freely; she received wages for teaching others. But that was gesticulation, she said. (Jack 53) In the essay “Looking for Work” the boy lives with his mom and siblings, and in “An Indian Story” the boy’s mom is deceased and he lives with his Aunt Greta.

Personal Reaction. Both “Looking for Work” and “An Indian Story” was interesting narratives. Although “An Indian Story” sparked my interest more than “Looking for Work”, Roger Jack reports more of attention to detail. When conversing about a family, one must provide detail all the aspects of the family and culture backgrounds. Jack states all the little details that one would wonder about while reading an essay. This narrative implies more culture background providing detail about the family’s views and beliefs. I am Indian myself so this essay struck my interest more.

I always strive for more information about my heritage, and I am always glad to learn more and more. When it comes to narratives full of information and detail, it almost seems as if one could picture it in his head as reading. An author that indicates more passion into his work will spark more interest. Jack acknowledges and endorses the joy of reading, and he seems to put pride into his work. “An Indian Story” states that family is important; therefore, family is also what they make of it. Family doesn’t always mean a mom and a dad, but who you choose to call your family.

My

family consists of my mom, two dads, one brother, and two sisters. Now I am making a family of my own with my husband and three children. Family is very important to me, for I believe family is the glue to most relationships. It is very much important to most. Family is a reason to celebrate holidays, and other get together. It is shared with the love of others, for not only must it consist of a mom, dad, brother or sister. Families come in all shapes and sizes, and it can consist of any member in your household.