Potomac's eighth grade English students read and discuss The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. The book is a series of short vignettes that together capture the characters, setting, and stories of a particular neighborhood in Chicago. The vignettes are written from the perspective of a fictional narrator and are based loosely on Cisneros's own experiences as well as those of her students. Some of the vignettes are humorous or action-packed; some are heart-wrenching or shocking. All are deliberate in their use of figurative language, poetic elements, grammar conventions, and pacing.Each eighth grader composed at least one vignette for inclusion in this digital collection. They wrote in the style of Sandra Cisneros, as they interpreted it based on their notes and our class discussions, yet they set it in a time and place of their own choosing. While some of these vignettes are based on the author's personal experience, many of them are purely fiction, an imagining of characters and circumstances that seemed ripe for this assignment. Students also used this assignment to experiment with new vocabulary words and techniques involving punctuation and sentence structure.We encourage you to leave comments below vignettes that strike you in some way. Please keep your comments positive and specific; this is not the place for critiques or suggestions. Enjoy the creativity and vibrancy of these students' literary efforts.
The Wind That Blew the Warmth Away
The fireplace in our living room that provides warmth for many Christmas mornings, Thanksgivings and cold winter evenings. That nice smoky smell, and the warmth it gives off in our living room is hard to replace. The one with the black frame and clear panels. The one with the black slate and the red brick. That one. Our home wouldn’t be as special without the fire place. Everytime I’m there it is there too. However, since it caused the smoke to fill the room, it has been retired. Apparently, some of the brickwork fell out of place, which caused it to smoke. Our mantel turned black and the furniture smelled like smoke. My parents said we are never having another fire. Until we get it fixed, those evenings in front of the fire are gone. Those cold nights, Thanksgivings, and Christmas mornings will be without a fire in the fireplace. Maybe someday, they will return.
~ Will G.
Sad ending
ReplyDeleteI like your title and your vivid descriptions.
ReplyDelete