How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #7
So I got the idea of writing the words down in my note pad, long with their definitions, and memorizing them. I did this for the rest of the year. And after I left Miss Martin's class, I continued adding new words and their definitions to my note pad. I also wrote other things I needed to learn for school and things I wanted to know by heart, like spelling words, and math and grammar rules. I carried the note pad in my shirt pocket and, while I worked in the fields, memorized the information I had written in it. I took my librito with me wherever I went. (11.35)
Francisco is working hard in every single aspect of his life. Need him to work up a storm in the field? He's on it. Want him to persevere through schoolwork, too? No problem. In fact, it sounds like he's working hard on his school stuff all the time, since he says he's got his notepad with him "wherever I went." This kid takes perseverance to a whole new level.
Quote #8
The following morning, before going to work, Mamá and I covered my note pad with waxed paper to keep it clean. I then marked the spelling rules I wanted to memorize that day. As I picked grapes, I went over them in my mind, looking at my notes only when I had to. This made the time go by faster. (11.58)
These days, Francisco is unstoppable. He's persevering through schoolwork while working hard in the field, which is pretty impressive. What do you think about this simultaneous work? Does it sound like doing two things at once makes him more efficient or less? How so?
Quote #9
As days went by, Papá's back did not get better, and neither did his mood. Mamá, Roberto, and I took turns massaging him with Vicks VapoRub. When he was not complaining about not being able to work, he lay in bed, motionless, with an empty look in his eyes. He took a lot of aspirins, ate very little, and hardly slept during the night. During the day, when he was exhausted, he took short naps.
Early one evening, when Papá had dozed off, Mamá took Roberto and me aside. "I don't think your Papá can work in the fields anymore," she said, rubbing her hands on her apron, "What are we going to do?" (12.41-42)
We've seen our characters push through some ridiculously backbreaking work in this book, and now all that labor has caught up with Papá—he's injured and it sounds painful. So now the family needs to come together to figure out how they can get through this new struggle. We're thinking that this major injury is a reminder that too much perseverance isn't always a good thing. Do you see any positives to this injury?