COMMENT: Christ in Concrete
Select a BRIEF quote from the book and copy it word by word.
Choose something that, in a few words, summarizes ONE of the larger themes of the book.
Explain the reason of your choice.
REPLY
When you find in the comments something YOU wish you had found first, tell the author. Maybe you would have given it a different interpretation. Explain the how and why of your reply.
Christ in Concrete carries many themes of struggle and poverty that are pretty evident within the first 61 pages. Of these pages, the quote that most went with the theme of struggle was "there are none to help--but many to take from us", where Dame Katarina is explaining the unfortunate circumstances that plague their lives. I felt as if at this point, the degree of poverty was nothing like I had previously imagined. It felt like a moment of despair for both Dame Katarina as well as Paul and was a geniune eye opening quote that highlighted Italians struggles during that time.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis is a really good quote from the kind lady. It demonstrates a contrast between the poor and the rich—where the poor receive no assistance and must work to the bone, while the rich feed off of the poor man’s labor.
Delete“The money that was to have bought your little house barely pays the burial and stone. You have no money.” (p. 44)
ReplyDeleteThis quote reaffirms the apparent poverty of immigrants of the time. Geremio had planned to use his money saved for a house, but it is now used for his funeral. I could feel the heavy burden that Annunziata had to bear, as well as the burden her brother, Luigi, decided to place on himself.
Yeah, that quote was literally a dagger to my heart or reopening of a scab. I was just recovering from the death like everyone in the book and then reality hits with this line.
Delete"Jesu my lord my God my all Jeswu my Lord my God my all Jesu my god my all Jesu my God my lord." (P.17)
ReplyDeleteFor me, this quote hits TWO major themes in the novel. Both faith and suffering. For those that may not know, in Italian, Jesu refers to Jesus. In continuously calling out to Jesus and God for prayer, we see a sense of angst and urgency as the characters are dealing with hard times. Dealing with grief is a huge theme in the novel as well as prayer and faith.
Wow. I had no idea what this meant. I wish I knew so it didn't confuse me so much. There were a lot of Christian related terms in the first 60 pages that confused me. Thanks for explaining this to me.
Delete"That night was a crowning point in the life of Geremio. He bought a house!"(P.6)
ReplyDeleteThis quote really puts into perspective how much it meant to Geremio (and Italians at the time) to be able to support his family. The crowning point of his life was being able to give his wife and children and fighting chance in America. This quote really showed me the dedication Geremio had to his family. Though he dies, he was still able to put a roof above his family. This is something many immigrants trying to make it in America were without.
This was a really great quote. At this moment, I realized how much hard work had to be put in for such a long time, for Geremio to be able to purchase a home after 20 years! I agree, his dedication showed all the way until he died. Even during his last moments, he was thinking of providing for his family. Such a memorable moment in the book!
DeleteI was happy when I read this . It's that moment when a person feels redeemed for all of the hardships and struggle that they have gone through in their life . This line stayed with me as well .
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDelete"Our children will dance for us... In the American style someday." (P.7)
ReplyDeleteFirst off, this was so weird to me because it makes me wonder "American's have a dance style?" Obviously, we all have dances we create and America has a lot, but aside from that is a bigger picture. In context the kids were happy and dancing and then Annunziata said this line, but I think this plays into the American Dream. America is a place of many immigrants because of opportunity and money. That is the enjoyment for the most part when people think of America and "the dream" so the mom saying her kids will dance for them one day American style in the context of them being happy is saying they will reach that dream one day. Plus, they have a lot of kids, so I am pretty sure they believe they will hit the lotto with one of them. Also, I feel like this is also a subtle way of saying that their kids will be assimilated into the American culture one day and they should prepare themselves for that. I know this is one line that I possibly stretched, but it literally popped out to me and I wrote it down before I knew of this post.
P15 " oh, if he could only hold out long enough to bite even the smallest hole through to air! He must ! There can be no other way ! He must ! There can be no other way ! He is responsible for his family ! " This line set the theme for the next few chapters of the book because Geremio's mindset turns out to be not only the truth , but also the mindset of everyone else . He is is families only hope for survival and despite the efforts of his son and brother in law, they are absolutely lost without him .
ReplyDelete"Geremio. The month you have been on this jopb, 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...?"
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important because it leads to the fact that Geremio is going to die. I feel like this sentence is like a foreshadow about the his death which will happened not far in the reading.
"Geremio. The month you have been on this jopb, 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...?"
ReplyDeleteThis quote is important because it leads to the fact that Geremio is going to die. I feel like this sentence is like a foreshadow about the his death which will happened not far in the reading.