'"But what if I put myself forward, and then they take everything away?" She shakes her head once more. "And then I realized. I can't do this anymore. It's too hard. Too big. Nothings working. Not the letters. Nothing. Maybe if I just stop wanting so much, they can't hurt me. I don't want to stand out anymore, Nadira. It hurts too much. I don't want to stand out. Not anymore."'
I felt really bad for Aisha at this point in the book. Aisha was getting to her breaking point. Her teachers and sister were disappointed in her, she missed a college interview, she can't get her father out of jail the way she planned, and she can't handle all of that at once. Aisha's giving up on herself, and giving up on others. She fees like there's nothing more she can do, or anything more she wants to do. I hope that Aisha learns that she can't be perfect, but she still needs to try. Even if she can't be perfect, or go to college right out of high school, she can still go, no matter how old she is, or if she's valedictorian.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Yay i'm the first one to post! thats so exciting!!! Anyway I totally agree. I think that Aisha is coming to the realization that she is not perfect, and that not everyone will do what she wants.She is realizing that arguing, being smart, being pretty, and wanting isn't going to solve all problems. I don't think that she can handle it, which is why she has given up on herself. She used to be able to say a couple words, and done. But this issue is bigger than that, and I think that she knows that she can't do anything more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with both of you. She is finally coming to her senses and showing her feared side. She finally can show her true self to Nadira, now she just needs to work on everyone else. I really like this quote too because she is not perfect at all, and she can work on its to show others. No one is perfect and i think she needs to think more about that, than trying to make herself be perfect, and forget who she really is.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Aisha is realizing the mess she is in. She knows she can not clean it up by herself. Aisha is freaking out about people taking away something from her. If you don't have anything in the first place then you end up having nothing both ways. It is better to take a chance.
ReplyDeleteI think Aisha and Nadira still have a chance if they work together and stay strong. Nadira has to convince Aisha not to give up.
I don't think Aisha is freaking out about what people are taking away from her. i think its more that she is scared if something is taken away, what would she do, and thats why she calmed more down, and is being more true to herself on the outside.
ReplyDeleteI really liked this quote too. I liked how Anna said that Aisha is at her "breaking point". I totally agree with that (and I even wrote this as annotation in my book when i read the chapter). I don't think that it was right of Aisha to miss the interview (like we discussed in class). This could be a life changing experience and Aisha might have blown it because she was nervous and sick. I wonder if Aisha would be this stressed if her father wasn't in jail. Would the school pressure still get to her?
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you Elana. What would happen if her father wasn't in jail? and if school would give her the same pressure. Those are really great questions.
ReplyDeletei think Aisha would be less stressed if her father wasn't in jail, but i do think that there would be a lot of pressure still at school.
I disagree with Karly. I don't think that Aisha is calming more down. It has seemed to be getting worse (from earlier collapsing and crying after seeing the busy lawyer to now skipping interviews, school, and even getting worse grades).
ReplyDeleteWhat i mean by calming down as like letting people see her inside. She is not freaking out on what people think of her anymore, and she is letting Nadira somewhat stand in her shoes.
ReplyDeleteNow i understand and agree with Karly! :) Before I miss understood what she meant.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if the term would be "calming down" but she is showing her inner feelings. I really think she isn't sharing her feelings with Nadira because she feels more open, but because she is sort of desperate and distraught.
ReplyDeleteI feel Aisha really needs pep talk from Nadira, but if she does she might just go back to normal self and ignore Nadira again. Then she will feel like chopped liver.
Yeah it's a common saying...Ew, I know...
I agree with Anna. I feel bad for Aisha, but also puzzled as to why she's been acting so differently. I guess you could say that it's because of the sisters' parents being away, but still, Aisha was so strong and confident before. Maybe she was TOO confident. She finally realizes that she can't solve all the problems coming at her and her family herself, and she almost starts moping about it, I guess you would say. I just wish Aisha would swallow her pride for once and talk to Nadira about everything, maybe even asking her to help with getting ready for college while they are also dealing with the family's problems.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sofia and Alex. Aisha is trying worrying that the people will take her away, which interferes with her dream of going to college. She needs Nadira there to help her clean up the messes she gets herself into.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex that if Aisha learns from Nadira, she could go back to being the controlling older sister like before. And Nadira will go back to feeling like "chopped liver" as Alex said.
Until this point in the book, Aisha always thought optimistically. She knew everything would go her way no matter what, and if it didn't she would find a way to make it work. Now she realizes that there is nothing more she can do to resolve her family's immigration status and it very well may be that she will not go to college.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I am starting to feel bad for Aisha. But, I also feel bad for Nadira. Nadira all of the sudden has to step up to the plate and take care of Aisha. She most deffinetly wasn't expecting this.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with Julianna and Alex. If Aisha goes back to the way she was, there would be pros and cons. Aisha being Aisha again might not be a really good thing. :s (that was a undecided face FYI.)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Karly. I think that the stress is a sum of many things. Esther would like this: (father in jail)+(school)+(everyday problems) = AHHHHH! (for Aisha). :)
ReplyDeleteI agree with Karly, I think that by calming down, she isn't relaxing as much as she is feeling more comfortable being herself around other people. I think that Aisha wants to be perfect but like she said, it was too hard on her and she needed to step back and become more comfortable being herself instead of putting on a mask of who she wants to be. Sometimes we put on masks to make us look a different way and sometimes we put on a mask to make us look good on the inside. I think that Aisha is trying to make herself look good both places and it's wearing her down. She needs to be herself for a while; she needs to remove her mask for everyone to see.
ReplyDeleteI sort of disagree with Anna. I don't think that Aisha is giving up, I just think that she is tired of the person she is trying to be. I think she wants not to be the star and the one who earns all the attention. I think that she wants to be good but not so that it causes people to think of her as someone she doesn't really want to be.
ReplyDeletenow that i've read everyone's comments i have changed my point of view a tiny bit. I think that Aisha is in between giving up, and tired of being perfect. I think that she still wants to be perfect, but she knows that it's not going to work out the way she plans so, she is confused, and this new way of thinking is really messing her up.
ReplyDeleteKarly,i don't think you meant calming down, but more ... realizing, getting comfortable with the fact that she is scared. I thin kthat her problem before was that she was fighting the fact that sh e was scared
ReplyDeleteI agree with Shino. She is more realizing that she is scared and not exactly calming down.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I agree with Shino and Jro :)
ReplyDeleteI think that Aisha is starting to really brake down. I think that soon she will not be able to do anything for herself and rely on Nadira.
ReplyDeleteI was really mad when Aisha said this. She is giving up on everything she has made for herself. Just throwing it away. I think that things are going to be really hard around their house now. Everyone except Nadira has kind of given up on the situation, so now it is up to Nadira to take the reins and move forward.
ReplyDelete