I hope you're having a great day bloggers! Today, I'm happy to welcome Andrianna, Karran, Arianna, Sara, Haneen and Hannah to our second ever discussion of Sketches by Eric Walters! As you may already know, my name is Melissa, and I will be hosting the discussion for section #2. In our first section, we had an excellent discussion! I hope this discussion will be excellent as well! In our second section, we had to read pages 43-76, and here's my question for you today!
In this section, we met Spencer, Anna and their dog Squat, and in the beginning of the second section, Dana was petting a stray cat, and giving the cat the rest of her Chicken McNuggets. The young people have very miniscule amounts of food out on the streets of Downtown Toronto, but they're very caring to animals like Squat and the stray cat, why do you think that is?
Comment whenever you can. In two weeks, I will be posting a summary on what you guys thought of my question. Thank you, and have a super duper fantabulous day!
30 comments:
Melissa, I would just like to make a correction that we were supposed to read to page 76!
And here's my response:
I think Spencer, Anna and Dana care about those little animals for many reasons. First of all, I think that they have starved before and not just any starvation...
A starvation for love, care and last comes food. So I think part of why they care for pets is empathy! Second of all, I believe that if you give out something, god will give you something back and as twice as much as you gave. Therefore, I think that if they care about pets and feed them, god might help them and give them as twice as they have given away. However, I REALLY disliked how Ashley thought that Dana should have saved the nuggets for herself! How greedy of her. Don't you think too guys? I am really glad that Brent stood up for Dana! I think Ashley is my least favourite character so far. I think Dana has a big heart and big ambitions though she lives on the streets! I think her big heart is also another reason why she cares for those pets on the streets. I would like to talk more about Dana since she's our protagonist. I think she's just reflecting the way she was treated! She's just treating the stray cat the way Brent and Ashley treated her. When they saw her in need for support and care they gave her a hand. They just became her spine that she can't live without! In other words, you know how if you get bullied you gain the desire to bully someone else to make yourself feel better? Thus, Dana is acting the good side of it. She is treating the animals because she was given support and care when she needed it. That means, she now reflects the care she gained on the stray cat. And that might apply on Spencer and Anna as well!
Hit me up with your answers fellows!
-Haneen
Hello guys, I agree with Haneen in that Ashley was being selfish when Dana was giving the nuggets to the cat. In reality though, Ashley was just thinking about them and if they will have enough food or if they need to save. I think that they're very caring to the animals because they feel the same way as them. Being a stray, you don't have an owner to get you food and feed you on time, so they have to look after themselves and won't get enough food. Dana probably felt bad for the cat and didn't want it to go through what she is. Either that or she's just very nice!
Oh yeah! We read up to page 76! Thanks Haneen for correcting me! This is an excellent answer Haneen! Everyone else should respond soon! I'll respond to this question very soon!
I agree with Haneen as well as Karran does. Ashley was being so vain when she found out that Dana gave the rest of the Chicken McNuggets to the stray cat. Like Karran said, she was just worried that her, Dana and Brent won't get enough food. Karran also made a good point, maybe the cat needed the food more than Dana did, because the cat has no home and no owner which means no food and no love or support. Dana probably felt empathetic for the cat, because like Karran said, she knows how it feels to be living on the streets and gave it food, because she wants it to survive and not go through was she's going through. For Dana to give the cat the rest of her food is very kind and generous. Excellent point Karran! This is going to be another excellent discussion! Everyone needs to come and comment very soon! I'll respond to my question very soon!
Were there any words that you found in the second section of the reading that you never even heard of or never knew the definition of? Maybe someone will not know the same words that someone else will not know!
Very interesting question Melissa! Spencer and his lady, Anna have a dog named Squat and they love him a lot. They keep him as a pet not only because he's a stray and has no place to go, but also because Squat is sort of like raising a child to them. Brent says something along those lines too, at the end of page fifty-one. Since it's really hard to raise a kid while you're living on the streets, Spencer and Anna decided to raise a dog because it doesn't cost as much as raising a kid. The reason why Dana was so caring to the stray cat was because it sort of reminds her of herself. The cat is a stray one and she is a stray kid. She had empathy for the cat because if she hadn't met Brent and Ashley she would end up like the stray cat, by herself with no one to help her, that's why I think she was so kind to the cat. The street kids that we read about in the book are very caring towards stray animals because they have empathy. Not all street kids are very caring towards the stray animals. If I was a street kid I wouldn't feed any stray animals because it would be hard enough to find food for myself. When I do have food to spare (which would rarely happen) I might give it to the stray animals, but I would most likely give it to other kids who were starving on the streets.
All of your opinions of how Ashley was mean to say that stuff to Dana about feeding the cat was very persuading, but I disagree with all of you guys. Ashley didn't really say anything mean to Dana about feeding the cat. It was Brent who said that she should not have fed it because there are a lot of stray cats and a lot of them have diseases. I think Brent is right about that. It was nice of Dana to feed the cat, but I don't think it was a smart thing to do. You don't know where stray animals have gone or what they have touched, so it's better not to make any contact with them at all, especially if they have rabies. What if the cat had rabies and then it had bit her by accident because it was so hungry and was not paying attention. If that happened then Dana could have died. I'm not saying it was wrong of Dana to feed the cat, because it's certainly not, but she wasn't being really smart. She could have thrown it, but she kept it in her hand and the cat did scrape her hand with its teeth. The same thing goes for Anna and Spencer, they shouldn't keep the dog since it's a stray, but they kept it for a long time and it hasn't done anything to them since, so I guess that's okay, but they shouldn't have kept it in the first place. If I lived on the streets then I wouldn't feed stray animals because it's most likely that they would come back for more and bug you until you give them more and then they would do it again, also because they could have diseases and well I would need food for myself. It's hard finding food when you're living on the streets and if I do find food I wouldn't feed it to stray cats. If I wasn't hungry then I would feed it to the cat, but if I didn't then I would not feed it to the cat. Brent, Ashley and Dana are street kids and it's already hard enough for them to find food, but they could feed some stray animals if Brent and Ashley stop wasting money on cigarettes. Like Brent said, he already has pets to take care of, Ashley and Dana.
The reason why I think that these young people care for stray animals while they're coping with life on the streets of Downtown Toronto, is because for one thing, maybe the kids just want to have at least somebody to love and care for while they're far away from the people that they love. It's also kind of like a little distraction from all the bad things they experience. Who doesn't like an animal such as a dog or a cat, even though it might look a little rough? It's still lovely and desperate on the inside. Another thing is that animals such as dogs or cats don't have a brain like humans do. They rely on instinct to take care of themselves so for example, when they find food at the garbage, they would automatically go eat that thing in the garbage. It would be nice to give the animal some of what you have so it can feel loved, so Dana gave those Chicken McNuggets to the stray cat, because she thought the cat was more hungry than she even was. She was going to have those nuggets before she went to bed, but she cared for the cat even more than for herself at that moment. It even says this on the last paragraph page 43 continuing from page 44, "Maybe I have something for you", I said. I reached deep into my pocket and pulled out a piece of Chicken McNuggets. There were three nuggets left over from supper the night before. I'd been planning to have them as a bedtime but I'd forgotten. I pulled one out of the package. "I think I can afford to share one with you, Here you go." She snatched it from my hand. Her little sharp teeth scraping against my fingers. It dropped to the ground and she gulped it down hungrily. "You're even more hungry than I am, aren't you girl?" I looked at the two remaining nuggets. The cat needed them more than I did. Besides, they didn't look too appealing. I dropped them to the ground. She grabbed a second nugget , chewed it a couple of times, and then swallowed it down. The third was gone in seconds. The cat looked up at me. "That's all I've got," I said. "Sorry." She began rubbing up against me again. It felt good. "I don't have anything more...but maybe I can bring you something some other time." She looked as though she understood what I was saying." So Dana would even bring the cat something else the next time she sees that cat. She doesn't want the cat to go through what she's going through right now. For Dana to give that beaten up, mangy cat food was so nice, modest and generous. In conclusion to my response, people like Dana, Spencer and Anna care for stray animals such as Squat or the stray cat, because animals are weaker than us humans in their own way and humans do nice things like give them food so they won't go through what street kids go through and also because they want them to feel loved and to love them in return. The street kids will love an animal, because they miss their loved ones who are all the way back home. They hang with stray animals, because animals are loving no matter how rough you look or what you have been through.
You made a great point Sara! The cat had the Mange which is an itchy skin disease in which tiny skin sores form and the hair falls off in patches. It was an absolute generous thing that Dana did, but like Brent said it wasn't a very bright thing to do. That cat might have had other diseases besides the Mange. Dana might have had all these diseases, and she might have died days later. I think Dana will be off the hook, because like Sara said the contact between her and the cat could've gotten worse. If she's in contact with that cat again, she should be more cautious about her health. It's all about surviving out here on the streets.
Mangy was one of the words that I never heard of and never knew the description of, so if any of you guys never knew either, I described it on my last comment before this one right now. Another word I've never heard of or never knew the definition of was the words "zine" (Page 63, paragraph 1). I looked it up in the dictionary and that's a shortened form of a magazine. Stupid me, I should've known that, it was obvious! Another word I've never even heard of or never knew the definition of was the word "saunter" (Page 56, paragraph 1). I looked that up in the dictionary and that means walking along in a slow, relaxed way. The final word I've never heard of or never knew the definition of was actually the word "squat" (Page 48, paragraph 4). I looked that up in the dictionary and that means to either settle on another's land without title or right or settle on public land to aquire ownership of it under government regulation. If you never knew any of those words, now you know! Were there any words that you found in the second section of the reading that you never even heard of or never knew the definition of? Maybe we didn't know the same words someone else didn't know! Everyone else needs to come and join the party!
Really good point Sara, Melissa and Karran
Melissa! This is fantastic that you looked up those words. Thanks! I knew what squat meant. But zine and saunter? Never heard of them. But certainly good vocabulary. This is also a good part of reading; it teaches you plenty of new words and ways of writing vivid, juicy lines.
In addition, on page 74, Brent says "Eating is important."
Do you remember how he said he'd rather smoke than eat? Do you think he has changed his way of thinking? Do you guys think he might catch the art bug from Dana? And quit smoking? That would be awesome! Smoking or drinking to forget about the tough times isn't always the best way! For me, poetry is my thought escaper and I know for Hannah its drawing. Youth these days need to find their hidden talents not just for wasting free time but to express them. Why don't we take the opportunities when they're in front of us? I think Dana has found her hidden talent. And I really hope Brent does as well, because I really don't have any hope in Ashley to find a better way to escape the terrifying thoughts!
One more thing...
We are all nice people here, and that's something certain. However, If you guys were to live on the streets right now, who would you mostly act like in the book and why?
Great addition Haneen! The Oshawa kids are missing all the fun! Please come soon!
You guys are making me read too much! Why would they make a short form of magazine, it's not that long of a word, it's just too much to remember(all the short forms). To answer Haneens question I'd probably act like a mixture of Brent and Dana. Id act like Dana for her kindness, and the way she treats everybody. Not that Brent isn't a nice guy, but from what I'v read, he doesn't seem to be the type, and that's a good thing on the streets because then people won't come and bug you a lot. You could just mind your own business. Dana seems a little too jumpy and gets nervous when she's scared, so she could be easily targeted. I'd like to be nice to everyone just because that's who I'd want to be, and if anything happened to me, hopefully the people that know me would help me. What about you guys?
GREAT question Melissa! I have read the section on page 45 that talks about Dana feeding cat. I completely agree with Sara that it was Brent being rude and mean to Dana, not Ashley. All Ashley said was, "Was that a cat?" It was Brent who said, "that's not too bright" and went on about how every stray cat was hungry and that she shouldn't have fed the cat the chicken nuggets. I really don't think either of them were being mean though, Brent was merely--as usual--watching out for Dana. I'm guessing since in the previous chapters Brent seemed like someone who was really nice and Ashley seemed more mean and judgmental. The way that Brent and Ashley tease Dana is in a sarcastic way, not a mean way. Personally I think what Dana did was very selfless and it shows that she has a big heart and is concerned for others. However, had I been in her place I probably would have kept the food for myself. To answer the question I think the street kids have pets and are caring to animals because they want to feel love and appreciation that they don't really get on the streets and maybe even back at home. They probably have empathy for the animals who can't just beg for money and food the way they do. I'm sorry if I repeated anything my fellow bloggers have said because I didn't read every single word you guys posted. Haneen brought up a good point in her first post when she said that on the streets they have a starvation for love and care. I never thought about it that way before. Karran and Melissa, a Zine is actually not a short form of the WORD magazine it's a short MAGAZINE. People generally make a zine to trade with another person and they include things such as art and poetry. They just got the word Zine from magaZINE. There are some excellent discussions going on here. I can't wait to get in on the action!
Good point Hannah! I wasn't really sure anymore about Ashley being vain after reading Sara's comment about her disagreeing with Haneen, because I wasn't so sure, I don't remember reading that part in the book the day I commented that I agreed with Haneen and Karran, so I just checked page 45 in the book as well and I made my final decision. DRUMROLL PLEASE BUMBUMBUMBUMBUMBUM....I agree with...Hannah and Sara! Brent was the one that said it wasn't the smartest thing to do (Which was not at all a smart thing to do, but it was very humble of her) and not Ashley. Sorry for the misunderstanding. Anyway, that was just for the heads up. If Karran or Haneen want to switch sides, speak up!
Good respones, Karran and Hannah! And to answer your question Karran:
I would act the same as you said. I would acts myself and be nice to the people I trust if I were to live on the streets. However, this is the streets, you can't REALLY trust anyone that much. Well, you could trust the people you hang out with but not as much as you trust yourself, right? And I am the kind of person that trust people really fast. However, I've been through a few troubles with trusting people I should have not trusted, and I learned from my lesson. So what I am trying to say is I'll be nice to whoever is nice to me. BUT, if I see any people heading my way and they seem harsh, I will puff up myself and try my best to conceal my fear if I were to be afraid!
Karran, also, this is an amazing dicussion! Please tell the rest of you group to jump into this wonderful discussion.
Thank you.
I was re-reading the book and I saw on page 46 that Ashley was being vain and Brent was sticking up for Dana. It wasn't in the cat part! Brent asked Dana if she'd ever stolen something and Dana said yes and Ashley proceeded to say, "You probably didn't have time to steal anything because because you were too busy taking piano lessons and tap dancing classes. Brent then said, "Give her a break, Ash." To answer Karran's question, I would want to act like Ashley. As much as I dislike Ashley I like that she is confident and is open with people but not so open that they could use it against her. She knows who she is and although she bugs Dana a lot she doesn't really take sides. She cares about helping others yet she is still more concerned about herself, which is important on the streets. I honestly think I would be more like Dana; innocent, naive and not too knowledgable on survival. I wouldn't last long on the streets, I would need a Brent with me all the time. I think Brent feels obliged to watch out for Dana and Ashley. I'm not sure if it's a gender role thing or if it's because he's been on the streets and knows more.
Good point Hannah, but I'm confused now if I should agree or disagree. I'm torn! I should just stick with being torn, because I keep on switching sides back and forth. That's the power of discussion, talking about something, you agree, you disagree, you figure out which side is more convincing. I love it!
So do I! It's so much fun having these discussions, especially when there are disagreements. I read your Reader's Response and I agree with everything! I was also shocked about that creepy guy and wanted to continue reading.
I agree with you Melissa! Most of the time I start off with an opinion, but then after having a whole discussion about the topic, I change my mind! That's why I think discussions are awesome! If I were living on the streets I would act like Ashley the most. She's tough, but she's also nice, in a way. She would become friends with people, but then she would also be careful about what she says to people and she wouldn't give too much away. I would keep mostly to myself because it would be one of the safest things to do. I also agree with Haneen. You cannot really trust anyone on the streets because they would do anything to survive on the streets. I would be nice to them, but I wouldn't tell them everything I know. I agree with Karran as well,it's good to make a few acquaintances on the streets because you could probably get some tips on where the best place to panhandle is, or something like that. I would also feel better if I met someone like Brent on the streets, because I too would not last a few days on the streets!
I'm glad you liked my Reader's Response Hannah, and good job describing which character you would want to be in Sketches Sara! I'm still not sure, but I'll keep you posted. I both liked how you agreed with me too about discussions being so much fun! I think everyone will probably agree with that!
Well, to answer Melissa's question, I think Dana related to the cat in someway, so she gave the cat food, maybe she saw it from the cats eyes and, like everyone else said, was empathetic.
I agree that Ashley was being selfish, but considering the situation there in, I think most people would be to. I know I would. I mean after all she was just looking out for Dana.
Haneen I don’t think Brent has. I don’t think he will, untill something big hits him, and he realizes that he’s not going to survive on the streets with cigarettes, and cigarettes alone.
I usually never change my opinion. Most of the time I just try to get other people to see my point of view, so I can change their mind. But it's a good thing that most of you change your mind, it means that you are very good at understanding and relating to others opinions.
The character I would want to be is the.....Cat. Ha, you see I wouldn't want to be any of these characters. I wouldn't want to be away from home and living on the streets. It just doesn't appeal to me. But I guess if I had to choose I would choose Dana, because she seems like she has gotten into the least amount of trouble with her life.
Lol Arianna, but as the book said, the cat is a stray which means that it has Jo owner and no home. So in a way, the cat is like Dana and Ashley and is homeless.
Wow! Hannah good point there. And thanks for correcting me! However, he still stood up for her when Ashley was being vain about feeding the stray cat! And you know what guys? I think I am changing my opinion to acting like all three of them! Because Dana is nice and caring and this also applies on Ashley and Brent. Though, Ashley is more caring about survival which I would absolutely care about if I were to live on the streets! I would also take part from Brent as being the cautious and intelligent guy. I would also like to steal the confidence Ashley has like Hannah pointed out! So I would say I would act like all of them but take specific qualities and mix them together. Because you can't live with being harsh with people and really over the point of confidence which I think applies on Ashley. I would be definitely confident like Ashley. Caring and sweet like Dana. Brave and cautious like Brent. I would just create my own recipe!
Karran!
Tsk, Tsk, using 'slang'.
I'm just kidding.
Good point Haneen. I think it would be really helpful to have a little of everyone's personality traits. I still don't like Brent, or Ashley. My opinion just doesn't seem to change. Maybe I will change by the end of the book.
Good, question Melissa.
This discussion is going amazingly!
In response to Melissa’s question, I think homeless kids are so caring to stray animals, is not because they have no one to give love to but because they feel that they are not receiving that love and attention that they once did, now that they live on the streets. Take Dana for example she seems like a very lonely person living on the streets, it states in the book that after she fed the cat, the cat was rubbing herself against Dana’s legs and it felt goods that’s because Dana is seeking love and acceptance from the cat. Dana does not have anybody to care for her on the streets Brent and Ashley may show her the ways of living on the streets but they are not there like Dana's’ sister would be. I have a prediction and that is that had Dana not run away from home and that Ashley and Brent were not homeless either if they had all met each other none of them would actually become friends or socialize with each other, possibly Brent and Ashley but definitely not Dana with either of those two, sorry if that didn’t make sense I didn’t quite know a way to word that properly.
Great discussion, guys!
Great answers Arianna and Andrianna! I can't believe how far this discussion has come. I'm very proud of all of you for your contributions! Starting tomorrow, discussion number 3 will begin. Thank you for visiting my blog, and responding to my question! If you have any last minute comments to type in before we move on to the third discussion, speak up!
Arianna, this is in response to your first comment. I think it's funny that you said you would want to be the cat but I actually think it would be worse to be the cat than Brent, Ashley or Dana. People living on the streets can beg for money and food whereas a cat cannot. However, a cat can fit into shelters easily and can eat scraps of food that wouldn't be appealing to most humans. So in a way I agree with you but in a way I disagree. Andrianna, great prediction! I don't think they would be friends either, they don't really have anything in common except for the fact that they are all homeless. Why do you guys think Brent, Ashley and Dana wont go stay at a shelter?
Great question Hannah! I'm not exactly sure why they would not go to a shelter, maybe because they're all paranoid about something. So far in the book we have not read about any place where homeless people can stay overnight. Maybe they're not safe and they would rather just stay at an abandoned building because it's safer. I've heard a lot of creepy stories that happened near places like soup kitchens. Well Andrianna, that sentence did make sense and I agree with it! They were all brought together because they were all street kids. Brent and Ashley would probably become friends, but Dana would definitely not befriend both of them. I agree with Haneen. To be the ultimate street kid you should have a mixture of Dana's, Brent's and Ashley's personality traits. You would be a friendly person like Dana, but you would also be smart and cautious (like Haneen said) like Brent and people would be nice to you, but would not dare to hurt you if you some of Ashley's personality traits. I disagree with what Haneen said. Ashley wasn't being vain at all about Dana feeding the cat. Brent was telling Dana to not do it again and he wasn't being vain at all, he was just looking out for Dana. Ashley was being vain after the cat feeding part, but she was just joking around. It was when Dana was telling them about how she never stole anything before and then Ashley was giving her some attitude, but it stopped and I know Ashley really likes Dana, but sometimes Ashley gets annoyed by how "perfect" Dana's life was before she ran away. I agree with Arianna, well I sort of do. Even though a cat can eat stuff that humans would never eat, it still cannot beg for money and eat healthier food, basically what Hannah said, I sort of agree with Arianna and I sort of disagree with her. All of your opinions on this book so far are great and the stuff you guys use to back up your opinions are very persuading. I think Arianna may be right, all of our opinions might change by the end of the book. This discussion is as awesome as the first!
I just want to say that Karran just posted his question for discussion number 3, so check it out! The third discussion has begun!
Post a Comment