Maricela In 'Seedfolks' By Paul Fleishman
ENG 1301-50047
30 October 2011
Reflection ESSAY
Young and dumb
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ― Albert Einstein; a quote that really hit home when thinking back on “Maricela” a story from the novel Seedfolks by Paul Fleishman. Maricela’s outlook on life went from being negative to positive, although it took time for her to realize the bigger picture her tone took a drastic turn from being suicidal and irrational to honored, during her pregnancy. In the beginning of Maricela’s story she is very selfish and regretful for being only six-teen years old and pregnant, she is worried she will no longer live a normal teenage life …show more content…
The story of Maricela is of a girl who is going through a difficult time in her life as a teenager, not only is she a pregnant six-teen year old girl which is looked down upon by many but she Is also Mexican. In Maricelas eyes being Mexican is a hard thing to be proud of in her neighborhood, as stated in the text “I’m a Mexican, pregnant sixteen-year-old. So shoot me and get it over with. I wouldn’t actually care if you did. In a way I’m already dead” (pg.67). Such harsh words to come from a mother to be, the baby is nothing but a burden to her, it’s almost as if she feels the baby is taking her life away as if she is “dead already”. Maricela is regretful and pessimistic because she can no longer live the life she lived before the baby was a reality, she narrates, “I used to be really, really hot. Because of the baby I’m as fat as a wrestler, I dropped out, I’ve been to exactly zero parties, and I’ve been asked out exactly zero times…” (pg.67).Obviously through her text she states that dating boys and going to parties is her priority, not focusing on the fact she is
30 October 2011
Reflection ESSAY
Young and dumb
“There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” ― Albert Einstein; a quote that really hit home when thinking back on “Maricela” a story from the novel Seedfolks by Paul Fleishman. Maricela’s outlook on life went from being negative to positive, although it took time for her to realize the bigger picture her tone took a drastic turn from being suicidal and irrational to honored, during her pregnancy. In the beginning of Maricela’s story she is very selfish and regretful for being only six-teen years old and pregnant, she is worried she will no longer live a normal teenage life …show more content…
The story of Maricela is of a girl who is going through a difficult time in her life as a teenager, not only is she a pregnant six-teen year old girl which is looked down upon by many but she Is also Mexican. In Maricelas eyes being Mexican is a hard thing to be proud of in her neighborhood, as stated in the text “I’m a Mexican, pregnant sixteen-year-old. So shoot me and get it over with. I wouldn’t actually care if you did. In a way I’m already dead” (pg.67). Such harsh words to come from a mother to be, the baby is nothing but a burden to her, it’s almost as if she feels the baby is taking her life away as if she is “dead already”. Maricela is regretful and pessimistic because she can no longer live the life she lived before the baby was a reality, she narrates, “I used to be really, really hot. Because of the baby I’m as fat as a wrestler, I dropped out, I’ve been to exactly zero parties, and I’ve been asked out exactly zero times…” (pg.67).Obviously through her text she states that dating boys and going to parties is her priority, not focusing on the fact she is