Quiz

Quiz – Waiting for Snow in Havana
1. List three conflicts and describe them
· The first conflict is between Carlos and himself. He feels conflicted in his Private School where the monks teach at because they teach him all about sin and going to hell. This is a conflict for him because he always feels like in life that he is doing something sinful that will land him in hell. This is why he was so nervous in the part of the book where he went to Confession; much to his relief he was forgiven for his sins (his kleptomania, blowing up lizards, etc…). Carlos also feels conflicted because he doesn’t understand why his father cares more about his collectibles and his antique collection then he does of his own children.
· I would say that the second conflict is between the new communist government in Cuba and the citizens of Cuba. Thousands are taken to jail, only to be thrown in front of a wall (Paredon!) and shot at by a firing squad (Sometimes they would even use blanks just to scare the prisoners). Life as Carlos once knew it was destroyed once Fidel took power, and there is much tension between the citizens and the new communist government.
· The third conflict is maybe between Carlos and God. God is mentioned a lot in this book, Carlos attended a private Catholic school, and God followed him everywhere. God was prevalent in his family and culture. He had conflicts with God because often he would want to do something that was sinful, yet he knew he shouldn’t in fear of landing in hell.

2. Choose three motifs and describe:
· Lizards – Lizards are mentioned in almost every chapter and they are very significant in the story. I think the Lizards represent the people of Cuba. They are hopeless and helpless. Carlos and his neighborhood friends would blow up the lizards without the lizards having any protest or chance to defend themselves, similar to the people of Cuba with Fidel Castro. Also, I remember in one chapter, Eire finished it by saying that a dismembered lizards tail was flapping in Castro’s project, comparing it to the people of Cuba.
· Clouds shaped as Cuba – Once Carlos moves to the States he seems over eight thousand clouds shaped as the island of Cuba. This shows his irretrievable loss of Cuba and his longing for his once blissful life there.
· Sunset – I think the sunset is a motif in the memoir because whenever Carlos talked about the “tangerine sunset” he was always happy and safe and with his family. It represents the good days, before Castro.

3. The major theme of the book is loss and longing. Carlos loses the Cuba he once knew and longs for it (this is shown in many instances of the book. Example: clouds shaped as Cuba).
The minor theme of the memoir would be forgiveness.

4. Carlos’s childhood was picaresque. An unexpected memory of his childhood to me would be:
· When Carlos was wave riding on the beach in Havana and the wave was so large and strong that it pushed him back into the sand face first. Ernesto then sat on his face and further buried him into the sand. He remembers the pain of the sand in his eyes and ears; yet he mentions his laughter afterwards.
· His memory of his rock fights with his friends and the apricot pit being thrown at his face. This is one of his greatest childhood memories; him and his brother and neighborhood friends having rock fights, while Louis XVI would watch. Yet, it was also very painful for him. Like the time the apricot pit hit above his eye. And the time that Eugenio (I think it was Eugenio) had a large rock, almost a boulder, fall on him during one of the rock fights. It was a bittersweet memory.

5. Carlos is full of forgiveness. The priest forgives him for his sins. He forgives his enemies. I remember once he even wrote something like this: “Forgive your enemy always. If they want to rape or murder you, let them. If they want to steal from you, open your pockets to them…but always forgive them.” This is part of his religion. As hard as it may seem for Carlos, he forgives Fidel and Cuba.
Eire was also very humorous in the book. His curse words and irony were very funny to me. He was very ironic, and made fun of many things. He made fun of his parents and his family in very humorous ways. He made fun of the Revolutionaries and Fidel (he saved them all from being gay.) His irony was very funny to me.

Quote

I really like Carlos's quote: "Dying can be beautiful and waking up is even more beautiful. Even when the world has changed."
I think this really sums up one of the main themes of the book.
Also: "Have mercy on me Lord, I am a Cuban."

I found a really good book review of the book:
http://archives.umc.org/interior.asp?mid=5010

My response to Jill's Memoir

You're memoir is really touching and very well written. I really got a good look into the lives of Jews during the Holocaust and it was a very good and realistic portrayal of the emotions and life was like during that time. I can't imagine what it must have been like to be a Jew during this time, being verbally and physically abused, wathcing your fellow Jews being killed in front of you, and being prosecuted just for your religion. I think it's amazing that your grandmother is a survivor of the Holocaust and the story was very touching. I especially thought that Chapter 6, your grandmother's description of her first night in the ghetto, was especially moving.

Chapter 29

Bombing and gunfire are in this chapter and it frightens Carlos and his family. This is the beginning of a rude awakening of the communism in Cuba. Also, Carlos and his friend are picking flowers and cars pull up and begin shooting each other. The police question Carlos and this scares Carlos because he's afraid that they are going to take him off to jail just like they did to Fernando and Filo.
Fernando's experiences in jail were really scary and saddening. It's even more sad that they would tell Filo that the gunshots he was hearing were his son being shot. This, along with other experiences, makes Filo go mentally insane and changes him as a person forever.

My e-mail to Yoani Sanchez

Hola Yoani,
Me llamo Summer, y soy un estudiante en el decimo grado en Miami Country Day School. Tengo algunas preguntas sobre tu vida en Cuba. En mi clase de historia estamos aprendiendo del comunismo en Cuba y la crueldad de Castro. Me gustaria saber historias de gente que han intentado huir de Cuba. Tambien me gustaria saber de la opresion que el gobierno causo en las vidas de algunos Cubanos. Muchas gracias por leer mi mensaje y espero escuchar de ti pronto.
Gracias, Summer

chapter 27 and 28

Carlos writes about Fernando's experiences in prison for twenty-something years. I couldn't imagine what it must be like to be in prison for that long, and to have to be shot at by the firing squad not knowing whether the bullets are blank or real.

Students and teachers are disappearing from Carlos's new school (he had to transfer schools because of the danger of being acknowledged as a first class citizen in Cuba). Carlos encounters his first love in fifth grade.

chapter 25

Carlos is prohibited by the Cuban government to see 20,000 leagues under the sea, even though he has seen it multiple times before. This stripping of freedom infuriated Carlos and only foreshadows how the freedom of all Cubans is diminshed.
"It was there, on that sidewalk, standing next to a well-worn poster for 20,000 leagues under the sea, bathed in the light of the marquee, that i first felt that repuslive feeling of someone trying to invade my mind and soul. It was the first lancing. The blade of Fidel's scalpel had attempted the first incision, the first step towards the gradual head transplant." (pg. 244)

Chapter 23

We see young Carlos's desire to leave Havana and move farther north, to the snow and the cold and the darkness. Perhaps he was influenced from Western movies and the thought of Christmas. He mentioned that his father should have been smart and left Havana the first second Fidel came into power. His father even recognized the destruction Fidel would bring. Yet he stayed in Havana with the things that are most important to him: his art collection.

Carlos's Transformation

Carlos becomes a mature young adult in chapter 21 and 22. His innocence is no longer prevalent. He catches himself glimpsing at the topless bar on walks home from work in Chicago. He never would have done this before, and he understands that it is a sin, but temptation persuades him to look. Also, in chapter 22 Carlos talks with complete admiration and obsession when he mentions blonde American movie stars like Marilyn Monroe and Kim Novak. He is no longer an innocent young boy; he has transformed into a teenager.

Chapter 21

The chapter opens with Carlos many years later in Chicago freezing in the cold winter. His description of the cold, and the Underworld-like Subway station, and the mucus dripping from his nose makes the reader feel like his life is no longer good without Havana. Everything seemed brighter and happier in Havana, and more gloomy and somber in The States. Carlos says he has come a long way from Cuba, but it seems like there is some irony in that statement, since he seems to be upset about it, instead of joyful.
I also found this chapter very sad. It was sad to learn of the such harsh life Carlos, Tony and Marie Antoinette now had to go through. Carlos had to work all week at night, go to school, and manage to do all his homework. It must have been a very tough life. Tony also worked non-stop. And Marie Antoinette couldn't get a job because she didn't speak english, she was crippled, and she had no working experience. Their lives seemed glum and depressing, and it's so sad to me that one man, Castro, could change a whole family like this forever.

Chapter 20

After the happy and delightful Christmas, the chapter ends on a more somber note. Fidel's victory is just around the corner, and this marks the beginning of chaos in Carlos' and Havana's life. The victory of Fidel over Cuba is the foreshadowing of the destruction of their world and the gracious submission of the people of Cuba. Foreshadowing is prominent in this chapter.

Lizards

Lizards are really symbolic in this book, and they appear many times throughout the novel. I have noticed that in chapter 20 lizards are mentioned quite a lot in similes: ""He showed no surprise, no concern, nothing at all. Just like a lizard" (pg. 189).
Another: "...like the lizards who fall off trees onto the shoulders of white-haired grandfathers and are swiftly brushed off. Just like lizards, I'm afraid." (pg. 192).
Chapter 17 ends with: "And behind me, in the inky darkness, my tail was flapping like mad in Fidel's pocket" (pg. 161). Carlos is comparing himself to a dismembered lizard's tail.
Also, Carlos watched chameleons change colors all the time, which led him to believe that by eating dark colored (brown or black) foods his skin would turn black. This frightened young Carlos.

my thoughts on chapter 15

King Louis XVI to me is a very unique individual. He believe he was Louis XVI in his past life, and he apparently knows the past lives of others. Lousi XVI also can see ghosts and talk to the spirits of the dead. Carlos's family also seem to be hypochondriacs. They believe that you could get cramps and strokes while swimming without your food fulling digesting and dying; they also believe that ridiculous things (like not wearing an undershirt) could make you get pneumonia and die.

chapter 14

This chapter, about sins, reflected the naivety and innocene of young children. Depsite his theft, pride, and other sins, he is still so naive and ignorant. His going to confession and confessing for all of his sins felt "like a leap of a cliff, blindfolded" (pg. 130). Carlos would say later in his life, while living in America that being a Cuban is the root of all of his problems. I wonder what it is like to believe that your own nationality is a disgrace and a problem that should be concealed. I would hate to be ashamed of my own culture and nationality. Reminding Carlos that he is a Cuban wounds his pride. It's really unfortunate that he has to be ashamed.

chapter 13

This chapter talked about luck. It talked about luck throughout Carlos's family (it doesn't seem like there was too much luck) and it talked about death and fear and starting over. We learn that Carlos has a fear and a hatred for reptiles (especially lizards, snakes, frogs...) and he inherits this hatred from his Aunt Lola.
I love how despite the burning down of Carlos' granfather's home, the death of his daughter, the burning down again of his home, the loss of his lottery ticket in the fire, the bank failure in 1929, Che Guevara seizing all his money, he still managed to stay happy and start all over again. He always started again, and with a smile. I think this is a good lesson to learn.
I find it amusing that Antonio, or rather Louis XVI believes he knows people from other lives and has himself been reincarnated. When he met his beloved wife, the supposed Marie Antoinette, he stops at no means to court her and make her his wife. I like his passion and persistence. Clearly, he really believes that she was once his wife in a past life.
I have to admit that after reading this chapter I am also a little bit afraid of licking an envelope.

chapter 11

I really enjoyed chapter 11. Carlos's description of him being sucked into the massive wave and buried in the wet sand, and Ernesto sitting on his head made me feel like I was in Cuba standing right next to him, watching the scene take place. I think his description is amazing. I think the boys are comical, despite their malicious and incessant pranks and even bullying.

Everything about Havana seemed to be great: "Great Storm. Great Waves. Great Beach. Great parents who let us play in killer surf. Great beach club that let us in for free and allowed us to bring as many guests as we liked..." (pg. 91). Carlos seemed to have had a great and enjoyable childhood. I also really enjoyed the church scene in this chapter. I thought it was interesting how he compared an optical illusion like the glass/two faces to the round shapes in the wooden pews. He was so interested in them that he even got his head stuck and disturbed the entire church sermon. Carlos then goes on to add a philosophical meaning to his near suffocation in the sand by Ernesto and his head being stuck in the pew.

So far I am really enjoying Waiting for Snow in Havana.
It really saddens me however, how much Havana has changed, and for the worse. When Carlos describes the amount of wealth present at that huge birthday party he went to,it shocked me at how much Havana has changed due to Castro. The birthday party seemed amazing, and the house seemed huge and beautiful. All of the presents, and cars, and the tropical oasis of the estate made it seem like a wealthy paradise. And Havana was once a wealthy paradise.
I like how Carlos describes fireworks and all of his experiences with them. The time he held a dud in his hand and it blew up, the time they tried to send the lizard to orbit the earth, and all the other crazy experiences he's had with them. I think Carlos writes his memoir in an easy-to-read, nonchalant way that is really entertaining. I enjoy reading about his memories, and it's interesting to me to get a taste of the old, wealthy, and brilliant Havana.

My Driving Question

My driving question is:
In what aspects does one significant event change someone's life forever?

My thoughts on Havana Movie

Watching the movie today in class really opened my eyes to life in Havana, Cuba. I couldn't believe how the previously beautiful, lively, and incredible city of Havana could turn into a ghost-town after Fidel Castro came into power. Seeing the ruins of once beautiful and popular streets and shopping and dining areas really made me realize how much negativity communism has brought to Cuba. It's as if it were a different city now. What startled me was when he mentioned that the beer he was drinking would've taken a doctor two weeks of his salary to pay for. People could barely survive over there, there is no future for anybody, and even being a professional and educated person was worthless. "We Are Happy" was written on walls and places around the city to make the citizens believe that they truly are happy, even though they are far from it. I find it ridiculous that Castro would write this on walls, as if to brainwash his citizens into believing that they are living happily. Also the "Socialist or Death" billboards and graffiti again showed the government's involvement in every aspect of it's citizens lives.
It was sad to see how beautiful Havana once was. It was also sad to see undercover restaurants trying to survive while trying to remain hidden from the police. I couldn't imagine living in a society where even people for owning restaurants or shopping stores were punished. The movie was a great way for me to get a taste of real life in Havana under communist rule.