Somers Matulat 803 discussion

This is where you should post your open ended questions!

How does James' life parallel his mothers life?

Why does Ruth keep herself so withdrawn from the world? Why doesn't she reach out to the people she loves more?

What are some of the main differences between Dennis' and Ruth's family?

How did Ruth affect James' life?

How did James change his act and what was his motivation to do so?

Why do you think Ruth drove so recklessly when James tried to teach her?

Do you think it was a good idea for the McBride family to move to Delaware? Why or why not?

When Ruth told Dennis that she was hanging out with Rocky, Dennis disapproved. What did Dennis say that persuaded Ruth that what she was doing was wrong? Why did his comments affect her so easily?

How does Ruth's leave to New York, and her family's reaction lead to her behavior in the future?

What might have happened to James if the mother had decided to stay in New York?

Ava wrote: "How does James' life parallel his mothers life?"

James' life parallel his mother's life because James makes it into college and she does not. Yet, they are not that different, they both at one point emotionally disconnect their selves from others.

Ernest wrote: "Why do you think Ruth drove so recklessly when James tried to teach her?"
Maybe because she was feeling so many different things about her husband and being in his car that she lost control a little bit. How did she know that James knew how to drive?

James would have fell further into his addictions and continued to hang around the corner. He might have gotten into a serious conflict with another person that could have lead to violence.

Does James look up to anyone like his mother,siblings, passed father, or friends ?

Gabriella wrote: "Why does Ruth keep herself so withdrawn from the world? Why doesn't she reach out to the people she loves more?"

Rachel (Ruth) chooses not to reach out to others because she is absorbed in keeping herself and her children safe. When she first moved to America, her desperation to fit in caused her to try to become more American. As she removed herself from society, replacing it with Ruth, she became distant, and could no longer attach to others. One thing worth noting is she seems to be running from others. What do you think she fears most from them?

Taylor wrote: "When Ruth told Dennis that she was hanging out with Rocky, Dennis disapproved. What did Dennis say that persuaded Ruth that what she was doing was wrong? Why did his comments affect her so easily?"

On page 176 he said "Ruth, your parents haven't done nothing to you that was so bad as to make you run around with this man. He's a pimp and he's leading around by the nose" I guess this comment affected her so much because she was the starting to realize how ridiculous her actions were.

Conor wrote: "How does Ruth's leave to New York, and her family's reaction lead to her behavior in the future?"

Well, it's quite simple... See all of the pressure went towards her mentally, and she lost her way. She forgot how to drive, which is probably because of the pressure

Taylor wrote: "When Ruth told Dennis that she was hanging out with Rocky, Dennis disapproved. What did Dennis say that persuaded Ruth that what she was doing was wrong? Why did his comments affect her so easily?"

Dennis had probably known of him for a while, and he cared about her and didn't want her to fall into "that" business. She took his word because she was in love with him, and because she trusted him and his opinions. After all, he had lived in New York longer than her too.

Demitrius wrote: "What are some of the main differences between Dennis' and Ruth's family?"


- Well Dennis' family is more open to the idea of Dennis dating Ruth despite the color differences and religious beliefs. On the page 195, the story says "They took me in with open hearts and made me one of their own; the only thing was it sometimes took a minute for them to get over the shock of seeing a black and white together..." But for Ruth her family wasn't even happy when she left home to go to New York. The idea if seeing two different colored people together has changed now, but then was not a common thing. Ruth just has to keep the secret from her family and be happy with Dennis.

Ernest wrote: "Why do you think Ruth drove so recklessly when James tried to teach her?"
Ruth's reckless driving is a reflection of her lost self. In an effort to forget her past, she distances herself from it, to the point of forgetting things that remind her of anything she used to do. It also represents her grief for her husband, as he used to drive, and she feels lost without him. Her family is falling into ruins and she is steering it without guidance. Why do you think she chooses to forget driving? What is it's significance?

Christian wrote: "What might have happened to James if the mother had decided to stay in New York?"

James probably would have never went to college because he would have been around the wrong influence and would have kept smoking reefer and cigarettes and other bad habits that were reflected on the people he hung out with.

Taylor wrote: "When Ruth told Dennis that she was hanging out with Rocky, Dennis disapproved. What did Dennis say that persuaded Ruth that what she was doing was wrong? Why?"

Dennis basically told Ruth what Rocky represented on page 176 when he said "that man's a pimp. He is a pimp and he is leading you around by the nose." To begin with, even Ruth would know that a pimp isn't someone you want to be around and also it may have showed Ruth that she needs to think about her future. So far she had only experienced people taking care of her and even though she is working for herself she still has people that love her surrounding her and that sense of security of having someone you care about is slipping away as her grandmother becomes more and more ill. Ruth needs to figure out how to actually take care of herself and being taken advantage of by a pimp is probably not the best way to learn how to be a hard worker and a stand up person

Christian wrote: "What might have happened to James if the mother had decided to stay in New York?"

James would have fell further into his addictions and continued to hang around the corner. He might have gotten into a serious conflict with another person that could have lead to violence.

Johana wrote: "How did James change his act and what was his motivation to do so?"

James stopped smoking, doing drugs, and drinking alcohol. His friend from Kentucky motivated him to do so. When Chicken Man says, "You think if you drop out of school somebody's gonna beg you back? Hell no! They won't beg your black ass to go back. What makes you so special that that they'll beg you? Who are you? You ain't nobody!" James becomes motivated to change his ways.

Johana wrote: "Taylor wrote: "When Ruth told Dennis that she was hanging out with Rocky, Dennis disapproved. What did Dennis say that persuaded Ruth that what she was doing was wrong? Why did his comments affect ..."

We're her actions necessarily ridiculous? I think she kind of fell under rocky's spell, but he bribed her in a way. Taking her to clubs, out to dinner etc.

Conor wrote: "Gabriella wrote: "Why does Ruth keep herself so withdrawn from the world? Why doesn't she reach out to the people she loves more?"

Rachel (Ruth) chooses not to reach out to others because she is a..."


It seems that she's afraid of letting people be close to her because when she's done that in the past those people ended up leaving her( Whether by death or some other way). It also seems that she just doesn't like for others to know her personal business.

Malcolm wrote: "Do you think it was a good idea for the McBride family to move to Delaware? Why or why not?"

Yes I do, in fact, I think it was the perfect decision because it separated James and his friends. His friends were the ones who got him into drugs in the first place, so being that he is away from them, he can stay clean

Why did Ruth avoid to learn how to drive in the past ? And what caused her act the way she did when James tried to teach her ?

Malcolm wrote: "Do you think it was a good idea for the McBride family to move to Delaware? Why or why not?"

Although the move to Delaware affected the family negatively in most ways, it gave them all a little bit of a a break from their fast and busy lives in New York. It also opened up many opportunities for James and the solitude helped him focus on how to improve his future by letting him escape from the bad crowd of friends he had in New York City to focus on his schoolwork and music.

Ernest wrote: "Johana wrote: "How did James change his act and what was his motivation to do so?"

James stopped smoking, doing drugs, and drinking alcohol. His friend from Kentucky motivated him to do so. When C..."

In addition, James realizes where his life is going, and asks his mother for a new start in Delaware. He had always had an interest in music, but when he left, it grew in order to save him from addition. Your quote shows that James learned that he is not entitled, and he is motivated to earn his goals.

Lola wrote: "Does James look up to anyone like his mother,siblings, passed father, or friends ?"


James looks up to his step-father definitely! In the chapter "Chicken Man" going from page 137-152 James explains how hard the loss of his step-father impacted him. Ruth wants all of her sons to be like her oldest son named David, because he is an excellent student and is very caring/ charming, but I think that she now knows all of her sons are different. They do look up to each other but in different ways. He used to look up to his friends until the harsh reality of chicken man's words changed him and made him go back home and turn to god.

Lola wrote: "Does James look up to anyone like his mother,siblings, passed father, or friends ?"

I think that James looks up to his mother because he believes that she is a strong mother. He believes that she is strong to be able to raise a family mostly on her own, and that she is able to keep her head up in tough situations. For example, in the text it says, " She angrily placed the milk on the counter. The merchant looked at her, then at me... Right away they were at each other... She was sling full blast... when he made another remark, something that I missed... made the crowd murmur... holding the milk in her right hand... she turned around and flung it at him" This shows that she stood her ground. (pg 102-103)

Conor wrote: "Ernest wrote: "Why do you think Ruth drove so recklessly when James tried to teach her?"
Ruth's reckless driving is a reflection of her lost self. In an effort to forget her past, she distances he..."

Like you said, Ruth wants to rid herself of her past. Driving is directly connected with her past life in suffolk. Remembering how to drive would be incorporating her past into her new life.

Ernest wrote: "Johana wrote: "How did James change his act and what was his motivation to do so?"

James stopped smoking, doing drugs, and drinking alcohol. His friend from Kentucky motivated him to do so. When C..."

I agree. I also think that jack's comments about (p 161) choosing between what the world expects of you and what you want for yourself impacted his decision to fix up his life

Malcolm wrote: "Do you think it was a good idea for the McBride family to move to Delaware? Why or why not?"

It was definitely good for James, because the move offered him a chance to improve himself, and it was definitely good financially, but it was probably not good for Ruth. This is because she was leaving what she'd grown accustomed to, all her friends, and the conveniences of living in a city.

Johana wrote: "How did James change his act and what was his motivation to do so?"

I feel like the reason that James changed his act was for his mother and his family. Before "Daddy", the stepfather, died, he told James to look out for his family and help his mother out. However, immediately after, James switched over to drugs and alcohol. This was his first change. He switched to get away and cope with his saddness. Instead of crying and greiving like most people do, he coped with his feelings by the use of alcohol and drugs. He knew in his heart that this was not beneficial to his family, but yet he continued. However, when he finally realized the condition that his mother was in, he knew that he had to change himself back. I feel that James changed back for both his mother and the rest of his family. He knew realized that with his mother in this condition, he would penalize his siblings by leaving them behind with his distraught mother. He wanted to change, so first he prayed to God, and eventually started changing back to himself. He did this in an attempt to save his family. For example, on pages 161 and 162 it says, " Like my own mother did in times of stress, I turned to God. I lay in bed at night praying to Him to make me strong, to rid me of anger, to make me a man, and He listened, and I began to change." This shows that James tries hard to change himself, and when he'd tried, he'd succeeded.

Ava wrote: "Lola wrote: "Does James look up to anyone like his mother,siblings, passed father, or friends ?"


James looks up to his step-father definitely! In the chapter "Chicken Man" going from page 137-152..."

I agree 100% Ava! But, I also have an "add-on" question: What was so special about what Chicken Man said, that was so influential to James decisions? What did Chicken Man say that made James want to stop following after the people on The Corner?

Johana wrote: "How did James change his act and what was his motivation to do so?"
James changed his act by not taking drugs, not drinking alcohol and starting to go back to his studies. His friends in the new school that he went to in Delaware helped him by accepting him into the band. On page 183 it says that "i kept away from the hang-out crowd and dealt with my music... The change was good for me and i gave up weed and drinking for the discipline of music with the help of the schools outstanding music teacher, a black man named C. Lawler rogers." His motivation to do so (change his act) was that he was starting fresh, seeing new faces. Also, the advice that the Chicken man gave him earlier on made him realize that he needed to change.

Everay wrote: "Ava wrote: "How does James' life parallel his mothers life?"

James' life parallel his mother's life because James makes it into college and she does not. Yet, they are not that different, they bot..."

Nice question, Ava.
Everay - this is a great start for a response, however you also need to include textual evidence and a question to continue the discussion.

Gabriella wrote: "Ernest wrote: "Why do you think Ruth drove so recklessly when James tried to teach her?"
Maybe because she was feeling so many different things about her husband and being in his car that she lost ..."

Nice question, Gabriella.
Ernest - Make sure you include both textual evidence and finish your response with a question to continue the discussion.

Malcolm wrote: "James would have fell further into his addictions and continued to hang around the corner. He might have gotten into a serious conflict with another person that could have lead to violence."

Interesting prediction - I think your idea is very valid. Which question are you responding to? Make sure to click reply under your classmate's question so that I can see the thread. Also be sure to provide specific textual evidence and a question to continue the conversation.

Lola wrote: "Does James look up to anyone like his mother,siblings, passed father, or friends ?"

Careful, Lola. Your question is written as a yes/ no question. Be sure that your open ended questions are debatable and will lead to rich discussion.

Conor wrote: "Gabriella wrote: "Why does Ruth keep herself so withdrawn from the world? Why doesn't she reach out to the people she loves more?"

Rachel (Ruth) chooses not to reach out to others because she is a..."

Excellent question Gabriella and very strong response Conor! I'd like to see this conversation continued with some of your other group mates.

Everay wrote: "Ava wrote: "How does James' life parallel his mothers life?"

James' life parallel his mother's life because James makes it into college and she does not. Yet, they are not that different, they bot..."

Nice start Everay. Now add textual evidence to support your response. Also add a question at the end of your response to continue the conversation.

Gabriella wrote: "Ernest wrote: "Why do you think Ruth drove so recklessly when James tried to teach her?"
Maybe because she was feeling so many different things about her husband and being in his car that she lost ..."

Gabriella, be more specific in your response. Try not to use "things" because it is very vague. I think you're on to something, but you need to back it up with textual evidence. Also, add a question to continue the conversation.

Johana wrote: "Taylor wrote: "When Ruth told Dennis that she was hanging out with Rocky, Dennis disapproved. What did Dennis say that persuaded Ruth that what she was doing was wrong? Why did his comments affect ..."

Very strong response Johana. Nice job using textual evidence! Now, add a question to continue the conversation.

Everay wrote: "Conor wrote: "How does Ruth's leave to New York, and her family's reaction lead to her behavior in the future?"

Well, it's quite simple... See all of the pressure went towards her mentally, and sh..."

Everay, please add textual evidence to support your response

Ava wrote: "Demitrius wrote: "What are some of the main differences between Dennis' and Ruth's family?"


- Well Dennis' family is more open to the idea of Dennis dating Ruth despite the color differences and ..."

Excellent response, Demitrius! Now add a question to continue the conversation.

Conor wrote: "Ernest wrote: "Why do you think Ruth drove so recklessly when James tried to teach her?"
Ruth's reckless driving is a reflection of her lost self. In an effort to forget her past, she distances he..."

Nice job Conor!