Please Describe Estrella's Character and explain how she changes in Chapter 2.
What is your reaction to Estrella's world/environment? How is it relevant to today?
CHAPTER 5 POST -
1. How do you think Estrella sees herself at the end of the novel?
2. The title "Under the Feet of Jesus" suggests that religion will play an important role in the lives of these characters, but it doesn't. Why?
I would describe Estrella as a strong, independent character who tries to take it upon herself to shoulder a lot of burden.I feel like in chapter 2 she becomes more open with others as she gets to know Alejo. She also seems to question things more, especially as she's walking down the train tracks alone after a long day thinking to herself. She seems to almost mature a little as she opens up and begins to slightly let Alejo in.
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction to Estrella's world was a sort of shock. I was surprised by some of the things she went through and the hardships she and her family faced, such as working the fields through harsh conditions all day, every day. I of course had heard about a lot of these hardships but I never really spent time thinking about the reality of it. I think today it is relevant in both a historical and here-and-now sense. The environment Estrella and her family lived in was one that later went on to shape the country. America was built on the labor of many different people including immigrants and slaves, whether people choose to recognize this or not. Estrella's world is still seen today but in a different light. We still see immigration from many countries around the world and we still have hard working immigrants trying to make a life and living in America.
-Alexandria Hodges
1.)Estrella could be characterized as an independent individual and a person that keeps her thoughts to herself to avoid having anyone hurt her, like her father already did. In chapter one when Estrella was being scold at by Perfecto for taking the risk of the old barn collapsing and hurting her twin sisters, she didn't talk back to Perfecto to claim that he is not her father for him to be scolding at her, shows that Estrella doesn't expect anyone to understand her situation which is why she decides to say nothing and somewhat go with it. Now in chapter two Estrella starts to let in other individuals into her thoughts, to be more specific, with Alejo. She changed her understanding that there is actually someone who can comprehend her.
ReplyDelete2.) I don't really relate to Estrella's situation of loosing a father, therefore reading about how she feels towards the fact that her father left the family and the results of it such as the mother going insane over high bills and no money, makes me feel sympathy for her. The situation of Estrella is seen today in many families- a child loosing a father and/or not getting along with the current partner of the parent.
-Jennifer Zumaya.
In Chapter 2 of Under the Feet of Jesus, Estrella become wise and mature beyond her years. She starts to experience love with Alejo, she starts taking on the role of a mother, and she views the world differently. Estrella starts making more metaphorical connections with her world and objects around her like how she becomes emotionally attache to the barn and feels some type of way in destroying it. She starts becoming Strong mentally, spiritually, and physically.
ReplyDeleteI realized that her world is different from the world I live in now beacuse she keeps losing the male role models in her life (first her dad now Perfecto is trying to dip). She has to go and work in fields picking produce and gaining back pains while I just go to school. She has to learn how to stretch $1 between the members of her family and Alejo. While I loose $1 on a daily basis. Estrella and her family have to run from pesticide spraying as if this is the hunger games. Estrella and her family live in a condition that most people wouldn't survive in for 30 seconds. The conditions we live in vs Estralla's makes us want to be grateful that we aren't featured in their renidition of the Maze Runner.
-Precious A.
would characterize Estrella as wise, independent, and one who keeps to themselves, so she won't get hurt by anybody else. However I feel that in chapter 2 she's not like her old self, she becomes more open, specially after trying to get to know Alejo. She was more opened due to the fact that she learned that there are people who comprehend her and her ideas therefore she starts to take others ideas in to her own thoughts and decisions.
ReplyDeleteEstrella's world is based on her routine which includes the back breaking labor of picking fruits, and occasionally watching over her siblings. She goes through this back breaking labor to make at least $1 a day and to provide some for her family whereas I go to school, don't mind if I lose my $1 nor do I struggle to care for my family. She shows the hardships of being an undocumented immigrant, the difference between her and people today, and how we probably wouldn't last one day doing what she does.
1. Estrella seems to be a strong character that attempts to face her problems head on.In chapter 2 she opens herself to others after meeting Alejo. Estrella's character has matured and has become more inquisitive.
ReplyDelete2. Estrella's world seems just despicable to me. She has so many struggles and hard work and exploitation surround her. Her condition is one I will never know, yet many immigrants face it every day. Laborers work hard on the fields leaving their families back home. Those families have to wait for money to be sent back.
1. Estrella appears to be a strong independant girl who carries a lot of weight on her shoulders. Due to her not having her father and being the oldest, she tries to take care of her family in as many ways possible. In chapter 2 she somewhat seems to mature and comes to realization of many things such as socializing and how people around her are.
ReplyDelete2. Estella and many other immigrants world is one of work. It is obvious that her and her family struggle to maintain stable in one place. Many people today dont have it as bad as estrella and her family did but of course there is still a lot of poverty, yet they make money differently and ever rarely do people work on farms anymore.
1. Estrella appears to be a strong independant girl who carries a lot of weight on her shoulders. Due to her not having her father and being the oldest, she tries to take care of her family in as many ways possible. In chapter 2 she somewhat seems to mature and comes to realization of many things such as socializing and how people around her are.
ReplyDelete2. Estella and many other immigrants world is one of work. It is obvious that her and her family struggle to maintain stable in one place. Many people today dont have it as bad as estrella and her family did but of course there is still a lot of poverty, yet they make money differently and ever rarely do people work on farms anymore.
Based on chapter 1 the character of Estrella can be characterized as curious and innocent. From the beginning she has a lot of questions about her surroundings and her past. As the book continues into chapter 2 there is a shift in her character, instead of questioning things she accepts them.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading and getting a description of the tasks that Estrella must do on a everyday basis I was shocked. I myself can't relate to Estrella’s situation because I have never been place in something similar to it. However I believe that this topic is still relevant in today's time, people will constantly work in any type of conditions to provide for themselves and their families.
1) Estrella seems to be a strong individual, but keeps her thoughts to herself so she won't be hurt by others. In chapter 2 she begins to be more open towards people when she met Alejo.
ReplyDelete2) Estrella's world seems harsh. She has many problems, and is also hard working. Many immigrants these days life similar to they way she is living.
-Eduardo Vega
1.Estrella's character can be described as an inquiring and bold young girl who grows on her personality as her struggles age. She transitions from being a concealed hard worker in chapter 1 who had built in anger but swallowed her voice every time, to a more liberal child with hopes and feelings growing chapter 2.
ReplyDelete2. My reaction to Estrella's world was gruesome at the way their society was shaped and how there was an unequal balance of power between people. It is relevant to today in the exploiting of labor in various countries, the American legal structure that assists removal of migrant workers, and the unheard voices of these migrants. It doesn't shock me anymore, I hear it on the news all the time. And the majority of the votes are still casted on the man who plans to build a bigger wall/border.
1. Estrella seems to be a strong young girl that faces big situation that she does not have to go through at this age for example she is being force to mature. Estrella changes in chapter 2 because at first Estrella was a quiet girl and kept everything for herself, but later on uno chapter 2 she starts being more open about what she feels since she is maturing and coming to a point where she is beginning to just accept things.
ReplyDelete2. Estrellas world seems to be almost fallen apart, i can almost relate to that because of all the struggles she is going through and also all the harsh problems. It is reverent to todays world because immigrants leave their families behind at a young age to find a job to get paid better. It may not be the best job, and they might struggle everyday doing it, but they do it just to send back money. Therefore, their lifes are almost like Estrella's world.
-Jorge Rojas
ReplyDelete2}As a reader to Estrella's situation I genuinely cannot relate to it . Which Estrella's situation is that of an Immigrant in which she has to go through much hard work also while adding her fatherless situation . Althought her situation is very relevant to the people of our day as there have been always immigrants that suffer from the same situation as Estrella.
1}In chapter one we start to see Estrella as an independent, and hardworking individual. Noteably this is shown to us as the reader, for example when Estrella takes care of the boys by hereself or when we read about her working in the field aswell. While that is described to us readers we also start to notice the mant hardships Estrella faces such as working in the field, her situation with her dad, etc. Eventually Estrella starts to grsdually change in the fact that she becomes more open to others which to us as the reader is surprising when she finally decides to talk to Perfecto. In addition she also opens up to Alejo during the truck ride.
Based on Chapter 1 of the novel Under the Feet of Jesus, Estrella can be characterized as a bit quiet and reserved. Throughout Chapter 2, she becomes more outspoken and grows to be the leader of the family. When her friend and love interest, Alejo, becomes wounded she seems to be the only one to take some action on the situation. She is not afraid to overcome the obstacles set her and her family's way and at one point even threatens a nurse when she figures out she played her family out of their money. She transforms from a reticent and shy person to a forthright and determined being.
ReplyDeleteAs I became more familiar with Estrella's world I wasn't very surprised to read about how hard her family and her have it. There are a lot of immigrants across the world probably going through similar hardships, maybe even worse ones. They just have to be as determined as Estrella to get through them.
Cynthia Rodriguez
1. Estrella changes in many ways she becomes to unravel in a way because at first she was much more reserved. She seems very independent since the beginning and continues to be. While carrying the burden of her family she still manages to grow, mature and let open herself up to alejo.
ReplyDelete2. Reading what Estrella and her family and those around her had to deal with everyday made me so mad, mad that this book was written based on what people had to deal with in the past in order to survive and provide for their families but yet people all around the world still have to deal with such a tough life just to BARELY make it through although of course I was not surprised because of how common it is to hear about it WHICH IT SHOULDN'T BE!! people shouldn't have to go through so much, so much work, so much pain, so much sorrow just to barely make it, barely have enough food.
1. Even with the chaos and unrest, Estrella still matures. She's distant and remote at the beginning, but now, in the second chapter, she's opened up a bit, she's self-reliant, and a leader. She was pessimistic at first, and still may slightly be, but she acts to try to make things better, which gives her a sense of optimism. She has so many stuggles, and the fact that she has to break her emotional and physical back to survive isn't even the half, for she's also making a transformation into womanhood.
ReplyDelete2. I can relate to Estrella, even though we don't have the exact same struggles. I'm not oblivious of her specific struggles, but I don't go through them. We do compare, however, because we both go through a lot. We have different struggles but the same feeling, which is the feeling of being overwhelmed, wanting to be in control in your life but can't.
-Jordyn D.
Estrella's womanhood start to present itself. You see her making her own decisions and thinking for herself. When she stumbles to the bungalow and pulls out Perfecto’s pry bar, planning to defend herself against any immigration officials, i shows how she has grown up in one chapter. She was brave and independent when she planning to defend herself and that is a dramatic change from the first chapter.
ReplyDeleteEstrella’s life is filled with struggles and she lives in temporary camps and has to work, her mother Petra struggles to feed the family, while Estrella helps care for her siblings with all that is going on around her. I personally can not relate to any of these situations she is in, but I know that there are many people in our society that go through things just like Estrella and her family. I think it is crazy how we have terrible things like this in a country that was built off of immigrants
1. Estrella is a strong young woman who is put in a tough situation that she shouldn't have to go through, at her age she shouldn't be forced to grow up so fast and mature. Estrella makes a big change in chapter 2, in the beginning Estrella was a quiet girl that kept everything for herself, but as you read deeper into chapter 2 she starts becoming more open about her feelings since she is coming to a point where she is beginning to just accept things and being more mature.
ReplyDelete2. Estrella's world seem to be almost broken and falling apart, I can kind of relate to that because of some of the issues she's going through. It is reverent to todays world because immigrants at a young age leave their home countries and families in order to find a job to get paid better. It may not always be the best job out there, and they might struggle sometimes to make things happen, but they do it just so they can help their families have the lives they never did. That being said, the immigrants lives today are much similar to the lives of immigrants in Estrella's world.
-Isabel Benavides
1. Estrella is a strong young woman who is put in a tough situation that she shouldn't have to go through, at her age she shouldn't be forced to grow up so fast and mature. Estrella makes a big change in chapter 2, in the beginning Estrella was a quiet girl that kept everything for herself, but as you read deeper into chapter 2 she starts becoming more open about her feelings since she is coming to a point where she is beginning to just accept things and being more mature.
ReplyDelete2. Estrella's world seem to be almost broken and falling apart, I can kind of relate to that because of some of the issues she's going through. It is reverent to todays world because immigrants at a young age leave their home countries and families in order to find a job to get paid better. It may not always be the best job out there, and they might struggle sometimes to make things happen, but they do it just so they can help their families have the lives they never did. That being said, the immigrants lives today are much similar to the lives of immigrants in Estrella's world.
-Isabel Benavides
1. In chapter 2, Estrella is struggling in becoming a woman by facing harsh situations. She is also making her own decision by going through this process but somewhat fast. We can also see in the she is defining herself by opening up more and becoming true to herself by knowing her surroundings.
ReplyDelete2. She goes through a tough situation of losing her father which makes life harder for her because she has been through a lot already. This relate to today society because everyone loses someone everyday and they face this horrible situation and already go through a lot in life. - Jamelyn Williams
1. In chapter 2, Estrella is struggling in becoming a woman by facing harsh situations. She is also making her own decision by going through this process but somewhat fast. We can also see in the she is defining herself by opening up more and becoming true to herself by knowing her surroundings.
ReplyDelete2. She goes through a tough situation of losing her father which makes life harder for her because she has been through a lot already. This relate to today society because everyone loses someone everyday and they face this horrible situation and already go through a lot in life. - Jamelyn Williams
1. In chapter 5, I think Estrella feels powerful at the end of the novel. At the end of the novel she said that "she believed her heart was powerful enough to summom home to all those who strayed" shows the confidence she gained for standing up for herself and her loved ones. She also feels proud of being able to stand up and do the right thing.
ReplyDelete2.In this novels case,since the title is "Under The Feet Of Jesus" one would assume it is greatly related to religious matters. Although, it doesn't because Estrella doesn't embrace religious matters at all. "God was mean and did not care and she was alone to fend for herself" emphasizes Estrella's negative feelings toward religious symbols.Also it could be because the author probably intended for Estrella to learn to "fend" for herself, rather than relie on something else.
1. By the end of the story, Estrella is fully self empowered and knows the exact things that she is capable of doing. In page 151 she states “You talk and talk and talk to them and they ignore you. But you pick up a crowbar and break the pictures of their children, and all of a sudden they listen real fast," showing how she knows the type of things that she has to do in order to have her voice heard sometimes. By this point, she's aware of how courageous she can act in order to take care of the people she loves the most.
ReplyDelete2. The author, Helena Maria Viramontes, portrays how religion can let people down and isn't always something you should hold on to. She conveys this message in the scene where Alejo begs God for forgiveness after being poisoned, even though he couldn't have possibly done anything, and letting God, an unknown force take control of the situation wouldn't help at all. Alejo then starts blaming himself due to certain religious beliefs and not the unjust system that is truly oppressing him.