@ LITERARY ANALYSIS: MEMOIR ‘Amemoir is a form of autobiographical writing in which awriter describes important events in his or her life. Most memoirs + use the first-person point of view + are true accounts of actual events «+ describe conflicts faced by the writer «+ include the writer's feelings about events or issues ‘As you read, look for places where Julia Alvarez shares her feelings about the historic events taking place in the Dominican Republic. @ READING SKILL: RECOGNIZE CAUSE AND EFFECT Events are often related by cause and effect, which means that one event brings about the other. The first event is the cause, and what follows is the effect. Sometimes, one cause can have many effects. Asking questions about cause and effect relationships can help you understand important turning points, because you'll be aware of the consequences of events and actions. ‘As you read, chart the effects that the political struggle in Alvarez’s homeland had on her life. U) Effect Se eevee ——— —! efect: — NY eieets | political struggles MOCABULARY IN CONTEXT _Avarez uses the vocabulary words to help describe a traumatic = thlldhood experience. See how many you know. Make a chart like the one shown. Put each word in the appropriate column. contradiction replete Interrogation summon “| Think) Krew Dorit Know at Al Ua eral Julia Alvarez born 950 Where Is Home? Julia Alvarez emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the United States when she was ten, Her father had taken part in an underground plot against dictator Rafael Trujillo r&4a’yal' t06-He"ya), so the familys safety was in Jeopardy. Although Alvarez and her family escaped, she found it difficult being cut off from her homeland and adjusting to a new country. Books offered Alvarez a world where she did not feel alone. Through writing, she could begin to connect hertwo cultures. She likes to quote another poet in saying, Language is the only homeland.” APoet Fist Poetry frst drew Alvarez to writing, After receiving degrees in literature and writing, she spent x3 years teaching poetry at several Universities. Homecoming, book of her poems, was published in 1984, Since then, Alvarez has gone on to write in a variety of genres including Fition for both children andadults, BACKGROUND TO THE MEMOIR A Brutal Dictator The people of the Dominican Republic suffered under the brutal dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo and his supporters for 31 years (from 1930-1961). Under his rule, masses of people were slaughtered for“crimes" as ‘minor as nat hanging his portrait in their homes. Many brave Dominicans, including, Alvarez's father tried to overthrow this government, Those caught faced terrible consequences, OCS THINK Raa el Go to thinkcentralcor. KEYWORD: HNLE-I5My First "FREE Summer Julia Alvarez never had summer—I had summer school. First grade, summer school. ‘Second grade, summer school. Thirdgradesummerschoolfourthgradesummer- school. In fifth grade, I vowed I would get interested in fractions, the presidents of the United States, Mesopotamia; I would learn my English. “That was the problem. English. My mother had decided to send her children to the American school so we could learn the language of the nation that would soon be liberating us. For thirty years, the Dominican Republic, had endured a bloody and repressive dictatorship. From my father, who was involved in an underground plos, my mother knew that as américanos* hacl 10 promised to help bring democracy to the island. “You have to learn your English!” Mami kept scolding me. “Bur why?” Pd ask. I didn’t know about my father’s activities. I didn't know the dictator was bad. All I knew was that my friends who were attending Dominican schools were often on holiday to honor the dictator’ birthday, the dictator’ saint day, the day the dictator became the dictator, the day the diccaror’ oldest son was born, and so on. They marched in parades and visited the palace and had their picture in the paper. Meanwhile, I had to learn about the pilgrims with their funny witch hats, about the 50 states and where they were on the map, about Dick and Jane and 2o their tame litte pets, Puff and Spot, about freedom and liberty and justice for allwhile being imprisoned in 2 hot classroom with a picture of a man wearing a silly wig hanging above the blackboard, And all of this learning I had ro do in that impossibly difficuly, rocks-in-your-mouth language of English! 1. dictatorship id Gf} government under an absolute ruler, or dictator. 2, loraméileanos Vs o-ri8Vin8s) Spanish: the Americans. 2 DickandJane: characters na children's reading textbook Deel of The Siler of en ferns Bo Bate. Oilon pac, 1894» 21, Cou ofthese nd MEOW. Gallery, New (9 CAUSE AND EFFEC palyze, peailialsy Look atthe gis expression posture, and 4 clothing, 2s well asthe window she leans neat. 4 What do these details. suggest about her situation? What effect does Mr. 3 Alvare2's political involvement have on Julia's life? include thi in your chart.ND EFFECT @Somehow, I managed co scrape by. Every June, when my prospects looked iffy, Mami and { met wth the principal. I squitmed in my seat while they arranged for my special summer lessons. She is going to work extra hard. Aren'e you, young lady?” the principal would quiz me at the end of our session. My mother’s eye on me, Td murmur, “Yeah.” so “Yes, what?” Mami coached. “Yes.” I sighed. “Sin” Tes. wonder that I just wasn’ thrown out, which was what I secretly hoped far Bur there were extenuating circumstances the grounds op ‘which the American school stood had been donated by my grandfather. Infact it hhad been my grandmother who had encouraged Carol Morgan ro start her stool, The bulk of the student body was made up of the sons and daughters se mmerican diplomats and business people, but afew Dominicans—most of them friends or members of my family—were allowed co attend. “You should be gratefull” Mami scolded on the way home from out do meeting, "Not every gris lucky enough to go v0 the Carol Morgan School” Ta fifth grade, straightened out. “Yes, malar!” learned eo say righ Vee: sit” "To wave my hand in sword-wielding swoops s0 could get called on vith the tight answer. What had changed me? Gratitude? A realization of my Mrekiness? No, sit! The thought of 2 fun summer? Yes, mam! I wanted to run wth ehe pac of cousins and frends in che common yard that connected al! our properties. To play on the trampoline and go off to le pla and get brown asa Bey, [wanted 10 be fee, Maybe American principles had finally sunk in! © “The summer of 1960 began in bliss: I did not have to go to summer school! “Astinude much improved. Her English progresing nicely. Artensive and cooperative so in elasroom. (grinned as Mami read off the note that accompanied my report card of Bs. Bor the yard replete with cousins and fiends that {had dreamed about 3 yeat was deserted. Family members wer leaving for the United Seats, sing veratever connections they could drum up. The ploc bad mncaeled- Every day “here greze massive arrests. The United States had closed its embassy and was advising Americans to return home. >My own parents were tetfied, Every night black Volkswagens blacked our driveway and stayed there until moming, “Secret police.” my older sister co “Why are they secret if they're the police?” I asked. Shut up!” my sister hissed. “Do you want to get ws all Killed?” Day aftr day, I kicked a deflated beach ball around the empey yard, feling asif id been eeked into good behavior by whomever God putin charge of ‘he lives of 10-yeas-olds. Twas bored. Even summer school would have been berter than this! @ provides an excuse foran action. 5. la playa (i ot’ Spanish: the beac. M8 UNIT: PLOT AND CONFLICT SOCIAL STUDIES CONNECTION Dictator Trujillo ‘established the SIM Dorninicans and engaged intorture and murder Trujillo's request. © MEMOIR What does freedom mean to Alvarez at t§) point inherlife? replete (1-piét) adj abundantly supplied © unravel (in-iv'ol) vto undo; come apart (@ CAUSE AND EFFECH What's causing Alvared to have boring summer?ies (One day toward the end of the summer, my mother summoned my sisters and oN ; me. She wore that too-bright smile she sometimes pasted on her terrified face. : “Good news, girls! Our papers and tickets came! We're leaving for the Unied States!” 70 Our mouths dropped. We hadn't been told we were going on a trip anywhere, no less to some place so far away. Twas the first to speak up. “Buc why?” ‘My mother flashed me the same look she used to give me when I'd ask why Thad o learn English. was about to tell her that I didn't want to go to the United States, where lo 4 summer school had been invented and everyone spoke English. But my mother fone lifted a hand for silence. “We're leaving in a few hours. | want you al co go get sapaice 4 ready! I'll be in to pack soon.” The desperate look in her eyes did not allow ‘ed on fellow for contradiction. We raced off, wondering how to fit the contents of our andengaged so Dominican lives into four small suitcases. @) dmurderat 3 Our flight was scheduled for that afternoon, but the airplane did not appear. rest. The terminal filled with soldiers, wielding machine guns, checking papers, escorting passengers into a small interrogation room. Not everyone retucned. “Ie’sa tap,” heard my mother whisper to my father. This had happened before, a cat-and-mouse game® the dictator liked t0 play. Pretend that he was letting someone go, and chen at the last minute, their family and friends conveniently gathered together—wham! The secret police would haul the whole clan away. Of couse, I didn't know that this was what my parents were dreading, freedom G99 Buras the hours ticked away, and afternoon turned into evening and evening, varez at this inco night and night into midnight with no plane in sight, a light came on in raat my head. If the light could be translated into words, instead, they would say: p16) ac. | Freodom and liberty and justice for all...I knew that ours was not a trip, but ysupplied MB atescape, We had to get to the United Scates. @ j + The rest of that night is a blur. Ie is one, chen two the next morning. A plane vivo Jands, lights flashing. We are walking on the runway, climbing up the stairs come apart into the cabin, An American lady wearing a cap welcomes us, We sit down, ready to depart. But suddenly, soldiers come on board. They go scat by seat, looking at our faces. Finally, they leave, the door closes, and with a powerful 420 roar, we lft off and I fall asleep. Next morning, we are standing inside a large, echoing hall asa stera American official reviews our documents. What if he doesn’t let us in? What if we have ‘© go back? I am holding my breath. My parents’ terror has become mine, He checks our faces against the passport pictures, When he is done, he asks, RECT 9 wed ieee ‘You girls ready for school?” I swear he is looking at me. boring ‘Yes, sir!” I speak up. ‘The man laughs. He stamps our papers and hands them to my father. Then, Wonderfully, a smile spreads across his face. “Welcome to the United States,” Says, waving us in. Og © etand-mouse game: cue, playful game to torment another, ‘summon (siim'an} veto send for, call contradiction {&n'tre-dk’shonl a denial;an express that is opposite to CAUSE AND EFF Why is Alvater’ f leaving for the Unit States on such shor notice? Mark this ir your chart interrogation (int8’e-ga'shen) a. an official or formal questioning © MEMOIR Reread lines 89-94 What changes have ‘occurred in Alvarez! thinking about the Dominican Republic and the United Stat