July 27th Readings

I think that The Schooldays of an Indian Girl and Leaves from the Mental Portfolio of the Eurasian actually have a lot in common. In the first story, the little girl is stared at by the other white people on the train, people look at her different. In the second story that little girl constantly catches people staring at her as well. I think that both children felt out of place and had a hard time feeling like they really belonged to something. I could never imagine feeling that out of place at such a young age. However I am in complete awe of how these experiences seemed to strengthen the girls. I know that when you are in middle school you are so paranoid of what other people think, when someone glances at you you immediately think that they are talking about you. How horrible would it be to not only be paranoid, but to actually be correct in your thoughts!
I think that the stories also are different. In the first film, the little girl is taken from her mother. She actually has to endure physical changes. She has to cut her hair off, change her shoes, learn new rules. Her whole life is altered to try to be something she isn't. I think that this little girl has it a whole lot worse than the girl from the second story. The other little girl still has her mom, she just has to deal with emotional strife. (Which I know is just as cruel at times). I feel sorry for the little girl because she has to hear such cruel things about her race. She has to hear comparisons to other races, and how those races are much more superior. I also felt like their was a huge barrier between her mother and herself. I know that her mother was there in the story, but the little girl felt like she couldn't talk to her. My mother is like my bestfriend now, I talk to her daily, I tell her everything. I think that it would be so hard on me if I felt like I had a life disrturbing issue and couldn't go to my mom with it.