"Maybe if I just stop wanting so much, they can't hurt me. I don't want to stand out anymore, Nadira. It hurts too much. I don't want to stand out. Not anymore."
This quote makes me feel that Aisha is giving up on doing her best. Aisha has not done anything in this chapter to get what she wants. In past chapters, Aisha has done so well to be nominated to be valedictorian for her class and now she is blowing off collage interviews. I think she thinks it will be easier to not want to do well so she is trying to discourage herself but I think that will be harder. The reason why I think it would be harder to stop trying, is because then all the teachers at her school and at the collages she is applying to will start asking questions. This will make things a lot worse because of her immigration status.
It will be hard for her to keep on trying but I think it is the best for everyone if she does. And who knows, maybe she will get a FANTASTIC scholarship form the school of her dreams, but that will never happen if she gives up.
You and Maya wrote about very similar opinions, but completely different quotes. I also think that Aisha has given up on her dreams of going to an awesome school. Like I said on Maya's Blog, I don't Aisha is going to regain her former self but she is going to try. I also think that there are no scholarships in her future.
ReplyDeleteI agree that you never know until you try! I think she is running into problems now that she has decided to stop standing out, because everyone is so used to her excelling so much, that now that she isn't she is stirring up more dust than she was when she was doing well. Probably better to keep on going with the flow than break the current is she is trying to stay out of the attention of others. They will and are noticing the BIG change in her attitude.
ReplyDeleteShe says she doesn't want to stand out, but she does because she has always been a good girl, but now she is skipping school and losing hope. She has basically lost hope. I agree with Sara L that there is a BIG change in her attitude.
ReplyDeleteIt's sad that she's given up, it's true, but are you surprised? Something of this magnitude is most likely going to change a person, either making them more devoted or less. It just seems that Aisha chose the latter. And that's too bad.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you guys have said before and with what Megan has said. I think she will be more noticeable if she stops being noticeable. I think that everyone in the book has this expectation for Aisha and when she doesn't reach it she will stand out even more.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alissa and Megan. It's really sad that's she is giving up on her biggest dream. I wouldn't give up I would try to break through, but that's my opinion. Great blog Megan.
ReplyDeleteAisha losing hope is bringing up a lot of questions and gets more attention focused on her. If she just kept excelling, like she always has, then it would seem like she's 'going with the flow', and wouldn't make her stand out as much as she does now.
ReplyDeleteAdding on to Alissa's point, Aisha really does seem to have been highly affected by this, decreasing her hope and cause. If you look at Taslima though, she is the opposite; this just pushes her forward, she is getting egged onward by the hell that she's going through.
I completely agree with Claire and Lighthall. Talia, what you said is very interesting and very true. It almost seems like she has hit her own version of rock bottom and is done even trying to be herself. Like everyone else has said, she has given up. To answer Alissa's question, I am a little, but I could have guessed. I would probably do the same thing if I was in her shoes. Great job, Megan!
ReplyDeleteI agree that if she stops being noticeable, she will be more noticeable. I also agree with Maya, on how Taslima is the oppisite.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Megan. But is there any other reason why you think that the teachers will ask questions, and that affects Aisha? Or am I not understanding what you meant?
ReplyDeleteNo, Alissa, not really.
ReplyDeleteI think that there's something so much bigger here, that you guys aren't getting. YES, it's sad that she's not going to college, (probably, at least,) but there is an even bigger shift in her character that no one is picking up on. Maybe regret. She's losing all of the control that she had. She cannot get Abba out of jail, she is probably going to be deported, and THAT is what is changing her character. I think it's kindof sad that we are having a giant pity party for Aisha, because she doesn't care about College anymore.
I think she's finally realized that her family is more important than even school, and regrets how she has treated them, especially her sister. I think this is a good thing. I think college can be put on the back burner for now until she figures out who she is, and what is it she really wants to do.
hey, i never noticed that since Aisha was a really good studet, then the teachers would notice her failing and ask her questions, which would force her to expand on the lie that Nadira and Aisha have to live. The lie just gets bigger and bigger, complicateder and complicateder.
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