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Question 3. I thought this book was really good. I wasn't the greatest book I have read, but it was very enjoyable to read. I found the book to be very relatable as I myself am a mixed race individual. I have to live between two different lives being Mexican and Jewish, and I find that the dilemas that James finds himself regarding his indentity crisis. It's hard having to b

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Question 4. I would say that given Ruth's and James' background, their behaviors are pretty justified. In fact, their behaviors are better than I thought especially considering where Ruth is coming from. She could've let what happened to her as a reason to not succeed or try, but she did just the opposite. James is about what I would expect.

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James is talking about his father and the way he thought. He begins to read his father's journal, "We talk about other times, other places, other persons, and lose our living hold on the present. Sometimes we think if we could just go back in time we would be happy." I selected this quote because I find that it represents myself fairly well. I used to think that If I could go back in time to when I was happier and didn't struggle with people, I wouldn't be in the position I was. Of course I no longer think that way, however I was at position of such philosophy so I relate with Dennis McBride.

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This week's reading was really heavy and really hit me in a place that was still tender. Despite the weight of the topics, I still greatly enjoyed the chapters we read and I gained more information on how life was for Dennis and Ruth. I'm also glad that I finally learned how Dennis died. This book is an amazing one!

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Question 2. Economic conditions can determine the character's life, mainly by how difficult one's life can be. The less money someone has, the hardships one could have will come in more alarming numbers. However, the more money you have, the more care free you can live with a much easier life to live.

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James was harassed by a friend of his boss at a gas station. James did not take too kindly to that and tells Chicken Man he is going to shoot that man, “Everybody on this corner is smart. You ain’t no smarter than anybody here." I chose this quote because it best represents the social issue I chose to cover. James may be very intelligent when it comes to academics, but he has no more "street smarts" than anybody else. That, in the long term, really humbled James and also made him change his ways. He no longer smoked weed and showed himself as a kind and humble person.

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The biggest social issue in this section is definitely education. The reader is still provided with evidence that in James' life, Ruth included, held education at the highest priority behind family. However, at the same time being smart academically is not the same as being smart on the streets. James finds that out from the Chicken Man. James may have education, it doesn't make him any smarter than anyone else. Which is kind of contradicting in the sense that both interpretations are opposite.

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I thought this week's reading was really good and further answered my questions on Ruth's background. I'm also glad that I also learned more about what shaped James' life along with his siblings. Overall, a lot happened in this section. No offense to the author, but I feel as though in the chapters that were from his perspective had a lot of filler writing. I reiterate that I enjoyed this week and I can't wait to continue reading.

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Question 2. My values can alter my perception of the text by how I view the words. If I find that I personally don't agree with certain topics, I may see the text as something bad or think that the narrator/character isn't the best person from my perspective. I may also pick up a different tone or intensity than what the author is trying to convey.

Question 3. The different time period and ages may affect the perception of the text due to the different values those people may and the different society from those other time periods.

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James' step-dad Hunter bought a house in Queens that he loved, and he made it his, "They gave him 13,000 and he was gone. Twenty years later when I moved back to Fort Greene...with gentrification pushing poor blacks out..." I chose this quote I feel that it best represents the social issue in this book. If you are poor, you're life is so much harder leading to more misfortune at this point in time. You are more likely to fall subject to gentrification.

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I would say the social issue for what we've read would be social class. For example, James' step-dad got kicked out of his home essentially. He was bought out by someone who renovated the house and land, who then sold it at a much higher price which raises the cost of living for the people living around the house. This process is called gentrification. We really saw the effect of gentrification this week, as well as reading how hard of a rough spot James and his family was in.

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I personally thought this week's reading was really interesting and answered a few questions I had about James' mom. With the social issue I chose for this week's reflection, I cannot relate to. While I have been in a spot where my family didn't have money or decent housing, I was too young to understand and never even felt that we were broke. However, I find that from what I've read so far gave me a better understanding of certain characters which boosts my immersion of the story.

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Question 8. The tone changes very drastically in the 2 adjacent chapters titled "The Old Testament" and "The New Testament." The tone in "The Old Testament" is very dark and memories that are hard to communicate with, also giving a very intense time. In "The New Testament", which is told by James, is a more reformed tone. The times are still tough, but it's happier and a little bearable to read, also with this chapter not being so heavy.

Question 9. The effectiveness of James McBride's is very good. The dialogue such as "Mommy, Mommy!" adds great depth to a situation that was on the surface not as tense, but with the use of the dialogue it brought more tension.

Question 10. I really want the author to cover more on what the mom's life was like in Europe, and also if the Ku Klux Klan had a bigger effect on Ruth.

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James asks his mom, Ruth, why she doesn't look like his friends mom to which she says who cares what the other look and, "You stick to your brothers and sisters, that's it. Don't tell nobody your business." I chose this quote because this really represented what my mom used to tell me when I was younger. I was supposed to keep to myself and stick with my siblings.

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The social issue I chose is identity. Ruth's family was pretty discriminated on and hated by not only the KKK, but also the black community that they lived in. This is a continued problem throughout the chapter. Old Man Shilsky is what they called Ruth's father. He discriminated on the black community as much they did to him. Flash forward to James his mom is continued to be discriminated by their neighbors because she is white and Jewish.

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I have experienced discrimination for many reasons as Ruth has in the story. I'm glad that I learned these things from the story because it allows me to relate to the story and get more immersed in the story.