Who Are You Today, Maria? Response to Literature Analysis

PROMPT A: What is a theme developed in lines 7-18 of the story?  Use two details from the story to support your response.

RESPONSE #1A: The theme developed is that clothing is another way of expressing yourself. “...let us know something about what has made you who you are by what you wear to school tomorrow.” This shows that you can show who you are by the way you dress. “Are you going to walk around as a joke or a poem?” This says that you can either take this as a joke or express yourself through it.

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PROMPT A: What is a theme developed in lines 7-18 of the story?  Use two details from the story to support your response.

RESPONSE #2A: The theme that is developed in lines 7-18 of our story is a suspense of culture. What I mean by this is they are suspicious about what culture dress they might wear. One lines 11 and 12 it says, Our school is already a united nations, a carnival and a parade.” Also is states, “There are students from dozens of different countries.”

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PROMPT A: What is a theme developed in lines 7-18 of the story?  Use two details from the story to support your response.

RESPONSE #3A: The author Judith Cofer developed an important theme early in our story by showing that people come from different countries, so we sometimes live different lives and learn differently. One detail to support this notion is on line 13, where it says, “Most of us are too shy to talk to others outside our little circles.” Another detail exemplifying these cultural differences would be on line 12, where it says, “There are students from dozens of different countries and we don’t always get along.” These two examples demonstrate how people from varying cultures sometimes struggle to understand each other fully until they are willing to open their minds and learn from others. It is an important theme that the author creates for her readers.

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PROMPT A: What is a theme developed in lines 7-18 of the story?  Use two details from the story to support your response.

RESPONSE #4A: The theme developed in lines 7-18 of our story is self expresion. It is good to show people who you are, and clotheing is one of the many ways to do so. In the text, it says, “I thought about my Who Are You Day outfit a lot.” It goes on to say, “Are you going to walk around like a joke or a peom?” These examples show that our chooce of clothing is an excellant way to express our individualty. We can say a lot about ourselves with out ever saying a word.

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PROMPT A: What is a theme developed in lines 7-18 of the story?  Use two details from the story to support your response.

RESPONSE #5A: Abuela says that she knows who I am and who I may be if I choose. I like this story a lot because I have an Abuela and she helps me pick out my clothes too.

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PROMPT B:  What does it reveal about Maria when she proclaims, “Today, I am a poem.”?  Use two details from the story to support your answer.

RESPONSE #1B: Maria’s statement reveals that she is proud of her family. In lines 30-42, she puts on her parents clothes to represent her love for them. Also, When Abuela gives Maria her shawl it completes the outfit because now she is representing her whole family, which Maria is proud of. When she says, "Today, I am a poem," she means she is beaming with pride.

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PROMPT B:  What does it reveal about Maria when she proclaims, “Today, I am a poem.”?  Use two details from the story to support your answer.

RESPONSE #2B: Maria is that school according to the article and the who are you day is crazy but she loves it alot.

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PROMPT B:  What does it reveal about Maria when she proclaims, “Today, I am a poem.”?  Use two details from the story to support your answer.

RESPONSE #3B: The phrase “Today, I am a poem” reveals multiple characteristics about Maria. First, it shows that she cares about her appearance. The phrase “I am a poem” is most likely a metaphor for how someone presents themselves. It conveys the idea that her outfit will make people think and react positively, as a poem would. Additionally, it seems as if Maria has created a piece of art with her outfit choices. In the text, she points to each piece of her ensemble and names the family member it represents. By doing this, she is showing that she created something meaningful and important to her, the same as if a beautiful poem had been written. In conclusion, Maria’s statement shows her depth because she is her her own work of art, her own masterpiece.

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PROMPT B:  What does it reveal about Maria when she proclaims, “Today, I am a poem.”?  Use two details from the story to support your answer.

RESPONSE #4B: This shows that Maria isn’t afraid to be honest. In the story, it says, “All day at school, i feel elegant. Whenever, anyone tries to make fun of my costume, I think of the words my grandmother quoted to me: I know who you are and who you may be if you choose” and then it says, “Who are you today, Maria? I will say by the way I walk in, head held high, that today I am a poem.” This shows that is is not ashamed of who she is.

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PROMPT B:  What does it reveal about Maria when she proclaims, “Today, I am a poem.”?  Use two details from the story to support your answer.

RESPONSE #5B: It reveals that Maria has become a confident young lady who doesn’t care what others think of her. For example, in line 56, she says that she feels elegant. Also, in lines 56 and 57, she says that whenever someone tries to make fun of her, she will remember what her Abuela told her. Lastly, in the process of picking out her outfit, she chose items that mattered to her, not ones that necessarily looked cool. She wore what she wanted to wear because she didn’t care what others thought of her. For those reasons, Maria is proudly more of a poem than a joke.

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