“The somebody” is talking about a Mexican boy who lives in Eastside in old Los Angeles. His gang name is Chato de Shamrock. He doesn’t get along well with his parents. His friends and their families have moved away because the S.P. Railroad buys up the whole street and every house except his father’s. The boy is left alone. He decides to go to work as a writer so he quits school and writes his name everywhere to attract others’ attention and even his rival’s, the Sierra Street gang. He dreams that one day in the future, the Sierra, the police and everyone will try to stop him writing his name but they will never know who he is except his gang name. He will be a somebody.
The narrator of this short story is a Mexican-American teenager, who seeks recognition of friends to make up for the lack of attention of his parents and is going through a rebellious phrase. In addition, the background of this story is that the purchase of the Shamrock Street by the S.P. Railroad displaces his friend and their family. The house where the narrator and his family live dose not be bought, so they remain resident in there. Due to the separation of his gang and the loss of recognition, the narrator acts to gain recognition.
Additionally, since the story is written in the first person, readers can not know the facts of the events. What readers learn are merely the viewpoints of the narrator. What’s more, the narrator is unreliable, because of his brags and rebellious characteristic. Therefore, readers may focus on the details that are not stated. The followings are our point of views about this work.
First, the narrator achieves recognition by being a “writer” which means write his name on stuffs everywhere. His purpose is to attract the opponent’s attention and gain fame. So the piece is entitled “The Somebody.”
Second, to make the narrator himself big, he usually talks to the reader in an arrogant way, such as “I’m telling you” (line109). And this situation increase as the story develops.
Third, the narrator’s comments reveal his wishes or dreams. For example, “I think she wants to adopt me.” (line80), “I know they had me on their mind.”(line131), “She wanted to know me, I could tell.”(line234)
Fourthly, the two short love episodes disclose the narrator’s double standards. When Crusader Rabbit asks him to write together, he rejects her because it may harm his reputation. When a green-eyed beauty appears, he images he can go off with her hand in hand though he does not take action.
Fifthly, the narrator usually moves secretly and quietly. For instance, “I slid into the dime store…(line 92)”.
Sixthly, the narrator’s father has some expectation on him, but his father is less concerned about the narrator.
Seventhly, there is sense of race in this story. “It’s a Mexican word because that’s what I am, a Mexican.(line7)”, “Mrs. Cully was her name and she was real nice, for an Anglo.(line77)”
Eighthly, Mrs. Cully is an interesting name, for cully means one easily tricked.
Finally, the narrator’s great will is to be somebody. And he abandons many things to chase his dream and makes it come true.
1.What does the narrator look like? (a.) Chato which means cat-face (b.) Chato which means tiger-face (c.) Chato which means lion-face (d.) Chato which means dog-face
2.What does the narrator feel like? (a.) a ghost (b.) an adult (c.) a grandmother (d.) the answerer who answers this question
3.What is the narrator's super natural power? (a.) Smelling a cop for half a mile (b.) walking quietly like a ghost (c.) being writing his name in public places without notice (d.) all above
4.Why the narrator doesn't write his name with spray cans? (a.) He thinks that is too old-fashioned. (b.) He thinks the letter comes out very dead with spray cans. (c.) Spray cans cost too much money. (d.) He can't buy any spray cans.
5.How to make connections between Odyssey and The Somebody?
6.Does the narrator really do not want any partners? Why does he agree with Crusader to write names together at first, but reject the idea afterward?
P.36 navy (n.)海軍 arsenal (n.)軍火庫，兵工廠 tire iron (n.)撬胎棒 Tire chain (n.)(車輛的) 防滑鏈 spike (n.)[C]牆頭釘; 尖鐵 zip gun (ph.)自製的小手槍 tangle (v.)(n.)爭論、口角 spit (v.)吐口水; 吐痰 Start off 出發; 開始 rod (n.)棍子,棍棒,杆子,釣竿,教鞭,鞭子 holler(n.)叫喊 (v.)叫喊; 發牢騷 dump (n.)[C] 1.垃圾場 2.髒亂的地方; 下流場所 3.(軍需品)臨時堆積處
P.37 khakis(n.)卡其褲; 卡其服裝 horsehide jacket(n.)馬皮夾克 stack (n.)(整齊的)一堆, 一疊 bulldozer(n.)推土機、欺凌者 sierra street 塞利昂街 rub (vt)擦 pay a call 拜訪 catch up with sb. – cause trouble/ punish in person 獨自一人 cruise (vi)漫遊 sloppy (a.)草率 cop (n.)警察
Summary
ReplyDelete“The somebody” is talking about a Mexican boy who lives in Eastside in old Los Angeles. His gang name is Chato de Shamrock. He doesn’t get along well with his parents. His friends and their families have moved away because the S.P. Railroad buys up the whole street and every house except his father’s. The boy is left alone. He decides to go to work as a writer so he quits school and writes his name everywhere to attract others’ attention and even his rival’s, the Sierra Street gang.
He dreams that one day in the future, the Sierra, the police and everyone will try to stop him writing his name but they will never know who he is except his gang name. He will be a somebody.
Analysis
ReplyDeleteThe narrator of this short story is a Mexican-American teenager, who seeks recognition of friends to make up for the lack of attention of his parents and is going through a rebellious phrase. In addition, the background of this story is that the purchase of the Shamrock Street by the S.P. Railroad displaces his friend and their family. The house where the narrator and his family live dose not be bought, so they remain resident in there. Due to the separation of his gang and the loss of recognition, the narrator acts to gain recognition.
Additionally, since the story is written in the first person, readers can not know the facts of the events. What readers learn are merely the viewpoints of the narrator. What’s more, the narrator is unreliable, because of his brags and rebellious characteristic. Therefore, readers may focus on the details that are not stated.
The followings are our point of views about this work.
First, the narrator achieves recognition by being a “writer” which means write his name on stuffs everywhere. His purpose is to attract the opponent’s attention and gain fame. So the piece is entitled “The Somebody.”
Second, to make the narrator himself big, he usually talks to the reader in an arrogant way, such as “I’m telling you” (line109). And this situation increase as the story develops.
Third, the narrator’s comments reveal his wishes or dreams. For example, “I think she wants to adopt me.” (line80), “I know they had me on their mind.”(line131), “She wanted to know me, I could tell.”(line234)
Fourthly, the two short love episodes disclose the narrator’s double standards. When Crusader Rabbit asks him to write together, he rejects her because it may harm his reputation. When a green-eyed beauty appears, he images he can go off with her hand in hand though he does not take action.
Fifthly, the narrator usually moves secretly and quietly. For instance, “I slid into the dime store…(line 92)”.
Sixthly, the narrator’s father has some expectation on him, but his father is less concerned about the narrator.
Seventhly, there is sense of race in this story. “It’s a Mexican word because that’s what I am, a Mexican.(line7)”, “Mrs. Cully was her name and she was real nice, for an Anglo.(line77)”
Eighthly, Mrs. Cully is an interesting name, for cully means one easily tricked.
Finally, the narrator’s great will is to be somebody. And he abandons many things to chase his dream and makes it come true.
Study questions
ReplyDelete1.What does the narrator look like?
(a.) Chato which means cat-face
(b.) Chato which means tiger-face
(c.) Chato which means lion-face
(d.) Chato which means dog-face
2.What does the narrator feel like?
(a.) a ghost
(b.) an adult
(c.) a grandmother
(d.) the answerer who answers this question
3.What is the narrator's super natural power?
(a.) Smelling a cop for half a mile
(b.) walking quietly like a ghost
(c.) being writing his name in public places without notice
(d.) all above
4.Why the narrator doesn't write his name with spray cans?
(a.) He thinks that is too old-fashioned.
(b.) He thinks the letter comes out very dead with spray cans.
(c.) Spray cans cost too much money.
(d.) He can't buy any spray cans.
5.How to make connections between Odyssey and The Somebody?
6.Does the narrator really do not want any partners? Why does he agree with Crusader to write names together at first, but reject the idea afterward?
答案是：a a d b
DeleteVocabulary
ReplyDeleteP.36
navy (n.)海軍
arsenal (n.)軍火庫，兵工廠
tire iron (n.)撬胎棒
Tire chain (n.)(車輛的) 防滑鏈
spike (n.)[C]牆頭釘; 尖鐵
zip gun (ph.)自製的小手槍
tangle (v.)(n.)爭論、口角
spit (v.)吐口水; 吐痰
Start off 出發; 開始
rod (n.)棍子,棍棒,杆子,釣竿,教鞭,鞭子
holler(n.)叫喊 (v.)叫喊; 發牢騷
dump (n.)[C]
1.垃圾場
2.髒亂的地方; 下流場所
3.(軍需品)臨時堆積處
P.37
khakis(n.)卡其褲; 卡其服裝
horsehide jacket(n.)馬皮夾克
stack (n.)(整齊的)一堆, 一疊
bulldozer(n.)推土機、欺凌者
sierra street 塞利昂街
rub (vt)擦
pay a call 拜訪
catch up with sb. – cause trouble/ punish
in person 獨自一人
cruise (vi)漫遊
sloppy (a.)草率
cop (n.)警察
p.38
handwriting (n.)筆跡
mellow (n.)超好看
bathing suit (n.)泳裝
Juvenile(n.) 少年法庭
barbed wire (n.) 蛇籠
slide into 悄悄溜到
dime store (n.) 廉價商店(雜貨店，柑仔店)
crayon (n.)蠟筆
spray can (n.)噴漆
territory (n.)[C]領地領土地盤
trail (n.)[C]痕跡
cement (n.)水泥
barber shop (n.) 理髮店
firehouse (n.)消防站
column (n.)圓柱
p.39
trademark (n.)[C]特徵
duck (vi)迅速蹲下/躲避
hearse (n.)[C]靈車
squeaky(a.)吱吱響
lamppost(n.)街燈燈柱
scratch off/out 刪除
initial (n.)名字的第一個字母
molested 被騷擾
sneak up偷偷走上前
whip (vt)猛然挪動
sweaty (a.)滿是汗水
punk (n.)笨蛋
sewer (n.)下水道
brag (vi)吹噓
inspect (vt)檢視
cash register (n.)收銀機
Cadillac卡迪拉克
Tactful (a.)機智
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ReplyDeleteV
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I agree
Deletewtf
Deletelol ~~ are u blind
Delete