What is your favorite quote in the first book "Geremio"?
Is there something that struck you and gave you a deeper / better insight into the life and psychology of the characters? (I hope you didn't waste your time trying to remember who was who.)
Do not repeat something that has already been choses. Find an original moment.
REPLY to your favorite comment.
My favorite quote in the first book "Geremio"is "What mattered that it was no more than a wooden shack? I was his own." (pg.6 )
ReplyDelete- The quote shows how proud he was for finally accomplishing to get a place that he can finally call his own.
Another thing that struck me was the fact that Geremio has been molding the New World for twenty years, and he is only now able to buy is own place, that is no more than a wooden shack. This also reminds me of the hardships that Pascal and his father experienced in America, where Pascal's father said " we are no better here, than when we started". These two instances shows the difficulty of making it in America no matter where you are from.
I like this comment! Normally, someone working for 20 years would be able to afford something better than just a wooden shack. This leads us to think about what his salary and expenses must have been, especially since he was commanding others.
DeleteMy favorite quote so far is "Ah bella casa mio. Where my little freshets of blood and my good woman await me. Home where my broken back will not ache so. Home whee midst the monkey chatter of my piccolinos I will float off to blessed slumber with my feet on the chair and the head on the wife's soft full breast." (pg 5)
ReplyDeleteThis quotes shows us how important his family is to him. Despite how hard his day at work was, he was always able to come home to his family and forget all the bad things he has endured. His family and home was a sense of comfort to him.
I think something else that struck me as another sign of how much Geremio cared for his family is on page 7 when Annunziata asks him if his work is dangerous, but he fails to reply. To me, this indicates how he is willingly risking his life for his family on a daily basis. He knows he is in a dangerous line of work, but his main concern is providing for his family. He fails to tell Annunziata how dangerous it is because he does not want to worry her, which may have caused her to beg him to quit, disallowing him to provide for his family.
I actually remember this quote and remembered how much I liked it also. I agree that it shows us how important his family means to him no matter what he goes through during the day.
DeleteThere is a line that stood out to me especially, it is when Pietro describes the sweat on Lean’s face “Syrupy sweat seeped from beneath his cap, down his bony nose and turned icy at its end.” This description of something as simple as sweat, is envisioned in my mind to be as clear as day. I can feel the sweat dripping down my face, this feeling that is so familiar to any person is made to seem so spectacular and beautiful almost.
ReplyDeleteIf I’m being honest, I don’t feel as if I was given a better insight into the life and psychology of the characters. I feel as if the characters are briefly depicted as the familiar “working man” who supports his wife and children and works extremely hard. The men crack jokes about each other and they seem to have formed a friendship among the group.
I agree Sydney - this was a beautiful way to describe a very common bodily function and I think it shows us the depth of the author's poetic skills.
Delete“‘Laugh, laugh all of you,” returned Geremio, “but I tell you that all my kids must be boys so that they someday will be big American builders. And then I’ll help them to put the gold away in the basement.’” (Christ In Concrete, 2)
ReplyDeleteThis quote summarizes the plight of the immigrant, the endeavor of the outsider. It embodies the “American dream,” in a sense; the movement of the poor laborers coming to the United States for “a better life.” For many, this concept of a “better life” is synonymous with money and materialistic wealth- it is the definition America itself ascribed to the term (as evidenced by Patricia in L’Emigrante.)
Applying this quote to the characters themselves, I am able to catch a glimpse of the drive keeping these impoverished laborers going. This drive is composed of family, faith, and a hope for a successful life in a foreign land, and that is what Geremio describes as he states this to his whimsical workers. A central theme to the plot as well, it is a notion I will certainly keep in mind as I progress through the text.
My favorite quote is "Hey Geremio! Is your gang of dagos dead?" because of the casual use of the word "dagos." As I understand it from a previous assignment (Skyscrapers of New York), this is a derogatory term. This especially struck out to me because Geremio didn't even react to it in a negative fashion, he simply replied as if it were normal. I believe that this quote gives us insight into the mentality of the workers and the Geremio's position because of how commonplace it was. Based on his lack of reaction, it seems as though such language were commonplace.
ReplyDeleteI like your choice of quotation, as I do believe it shows us how Italians were perceived at the time. More importantly, it reveals the negative self-perception Italian immigrants had of themselves, as adopted in response to the ignorant and racist ideals of the dominant white American class (as we learn in this week's lecture). The constant mistreatment of the subordinate (Italian Americans) at the hands of the dominant (Anglo-Saxon) ultimately crushed the self-worth and inner strength previously held by Italians, and this quote embodies that notion.
DeleteA really interesting quote from our first read was on page 7, "Geremio. The month you have been on this job, you have not spoken a word about the work... And I have felt that I am walking into a dream. Is the work dangerous? Why don't you answer...?"
ReplyDeleteI feel as if this quote gives us a sense how Geremio and Annunziata's relationship is. Geremio does not want her to worry about him. He will get the money one way or another, it is not her place to worry about him. Based on Geremio not answering, Anunnziata is suspicious that the work he is doing is dangerous and he may not have answered because he is ashamed that he did not tell her.
I also loved this quote. It was my second choice. I too feel that Geremio keeps silent about his job because he does not want Annunziata to worry. I would have done the same if I was placed in Geremio's situation.
Deletethis was quotes that I wanted to use, but it was late)) I liked this quote that wife is always feels what happens in her family. good job!
DeleteMy favorite quote is on page 4. Geremio is describing his job and says "pushing the job is alright (when has it been otherwise in my life?), but this job frightens me. I feel the building wants to tell me something; just as one Christian to another."
ReplyDeleteThis quote is significant because it foreshadows the tragedy to come and it is just rich with other things such as spirituality and the idea that we as human beings can just sense when our life in this world may be coming to an end. It's also interesting because even Geremio's wife senses that something is off because she says that Geremio never talks about this job which is unlike him. This quote sets the stage for all of the tragedy and suspense that follows.
My favorite quote from "Geremio" came from page 4 when Geremio says “Yes, the day is cold, cold… but who am I to complain when the good Christ Himself was crucified?”
ReplyDeleteThis quote definitely gave me better insight into Geremio's character and what he is about. This quote shows us that Geremio is not the type to complain and he is a positive thinker. This quote also serves as an indication that Geremio is very religious. Ultimately, I respect individuals that are able to find the good in every situation they are faced with in life. Geremio's character is an example of that type of person.
One of the quotes that I underlined in my reading was in page 8: “the Lean as he fought his burden on looked to only one goal, the end. The barrow he pushed, he did not love. The great God Job, he did not love….. … Weight of the structures that he had to! Had to! Raise above his shoulders.”
ReplyDeleteHere we can see how immigrants work situation was and how they feel about their job, it was hard and dangerous work that they even did not like and still there was hunger. I feel this is always an issue that people have to suffer so much and they cannot do anything only choice is to keep going and work as they can, understand that this is only thing that they can do.