blog 11

               A Korean Child in NY

After all the reading. I think Sookan is a very brave girl, who is brave enough to study aboard in 1957, when Korean is not as open as today,but after all those things happened she make a great choice. But after all the challenge that her had, maybe is also happen on most of Asia student. When she choice to study aborad, there is no way back to the place where she live and study once before, and you only chance is doing weel in here which makes you will have a better future then others, but if you filed, no one will give you a second chance. So Sookan did want to catch this chance, she study so hard, to hard too rest, until her get silk. Those days Korean do not have a strange economic like today, which means only few people can send their child aboard, like today in North Korea, only Kim can go aboard. Those people are rich, but Sookan's family was not one of them, they are not rich enough to make this choice, I think her sister is kind of price to pay. Her sister is a non, which means she need to earn her own money for her life, and she aginest and care about sookan at the same time. As a sister she want sookan went to the way which her set up a good way, only in that time. But sookan learn most important thing in US, that was freedom. She had the freedom that make her own life, which maybe a way that her sister will never understand. She always feel bad because she may hurt her sister, but that never happened. She always know what is right to do and what is not have to do. The note is not important, the only thing important is her life, she need to understand the culture which is more then 8000KM away her home, she should use her simple English to study.She did a lot to finish what her study, take exam and the higher level class even to help other on the baby seting and the house care to earn the book. And during that time her never feel hopeless, her survive under both pressure form her family and the language, she did a lot try to become not special, and she also did a lot to remind who she is, what about her family. Lucky she have a good mother whihc understand the choice she made and proud of her.  When I arrive in US, I feel there is so much things I need to do, but in here, we have the people who face the same problem, they can help us and we can help eachother, we are not alone here but sookan did, in NY.She is so brave that can make the decedent and so brave to stay in NY. As a Korean student she did more then she should do and finish those thing perfectly.

Discussion Qs

When sookan got the letter, why did she decide to replay?

Why she choose to go to ellan"s home during the thanksgiving brake?

Study guide 6-12

Gathering of Pearls Study Guide: Chapters 6-12

 

Chapter 6

1. Reflect on the letter that Sookan receives from her sister. Describe the conflict between the two women. Also discuss the internal conflict (with herself) that Sookan has. Why is this important to the novel and to Sookan’s identity?

Those are her Mather and her sister, her sister did love her and care about her, but she did not understand why sookan chose to go to US and why she refues to reply  her letter. But her mum did understand the way she's choose. 

Chapter 7

1. What does Ellen think is important in college (and in life)?

Because Ellen support her in many ways. 

2. How does her friendship with Ellen make Sookan reconsider her future?

She know that she should have a self future plan. 

3. Do you think that Sookan is right to listen to Ellen or should she follow the model of her sister instead?

Yes , people should choose the life that they want but not the life that make other happly. 

Chapter 8

1. Why does Sookan get in trouble and receive demerits in Ch. 8?

She sneak out. 

2. Do you think she made the right decision in sneaking out?

Kind of. This decision changed her life and it worse it. 

3. What is the letter that she writes about?

About that she should have a plan for her self and not let them to plan for her. 

4. How do you think her sister will react to this letter?

Ido not think she will change, the only feel I can imagine was anger and disappointment. 

Chapter 9

1. Thanksgiving with Ellen’s family is both good and bad for Sookan. Why? Gice at least two reasons for each.

She learn a lot of about US couture 

She can stay in US and not going back. 

She is a Korean that makes her a little strange

She was not that suitable for the life style that belong to Americans

Chapter 10

1. What is Sookan’s secret study spot?

Shower room

2. What happened to her while she was studying for her final exam?

She got a stomachache and makes her fall down. 

3. What are Sister Reed’s instructions for Sookan over winter break?

Chapter 11

1. Compare the two letters from home: how is the one from her mother different from the one from her sister? What does this show about these two women and their different viewpoints about life and about Sookan?

Her min do care about how sookan think and what sookan feel a lot but her sister only think about what should sookan do. 

Chapter 12

1. What food does Sookan prepare for her guests?

Korean Food

2. What do Marci and Ellen add to the celebration?

Cookies and brownies 

3. Who joins them?

Sister reed

4. Why do you think this gathering is so important to Sookan?

Because she realized that her mum will support her, and she have a stable friendship with Ellen and Marci

Study guide 1-5

Gathering of Pearls Study Guide: Chapters 1-5

Post the answers to each reading question on your blogs on the due dates posted on the portal. There is a combination of fact questions, opinion questions, and thinking questions. All are important in understanding the novel.
Chapter 1

1. Sookan describes women in the U.S. as having much more freedom than she was accustomed to in Korea. Google “U.S. women’s roles 1950s” and read a little about the lives of women in this time period (remember that she mostly interacts with educated women who come from wealthy families). What were their lives like? In 3-5 sentences, describe what you found out.

American society in the 1950s was geared toward the family. Marriage and children were part of the national agenda. And the Cold War was in part a culture war, with the American family at the center of the struggle.

Chapter 2
1. Define pocket money (p. 13) and honorific (p.15).
A little money which as a gift. A way to get honor
2. How does Sookan know that color coordination is important to Sookan?
It is a way that can get in the US society
3. What does Sookan’s scholarship pay for?
All the school fees
4. What does Sookan need to do in order to maintain her scholarship?
Helping a schlarship
5. What does it mean to “go Dutch” when two friends go do something together? They will pay for themselves.
6. Compare Sookan’s personality and life to Ellen’s. How are they different? Sookan are more quiet ellen more out going

Chapter 3
1. What courses doe Sookan take in her first semester at school and which is most difficult? History and ecomic
2. Who is Marci? Describe her appearance and personality.
Her friends a little bit keeper
3. What job does Sookan get to earn extra money for books?
treanstate
4. How does Sookan feel about her older sister? Describe her conflicting emotions.
She follow what the sister asked.

Chapter 4
1. Define melancholy.
sadness
2. Why is Sookan melancholy after reading her mother’s letter?
Because her family did not have a good time after her lift
3. Describe Sookan’s mother (her character and personality).
The parent who love her dauthger and also dought anout the decident that her made Chapter 5

1. Does Sookan enjoy babysitting? Why or why not?
2. While babysitting, what does she learn about the roles of men and women in the U.S. that is

different from their roles in Korea?
3. If you were babysitting, would you have done all of the extra things that Sookan did? Why or

why not? Why do you think she did them? She did enjoy this kind of co unite  work

In the Korea the woman have less right then US. 

Not sure because she enjoy those helping but I may not. 

A latter form sukang

Dear sister.

I haven't connect with you for a while. I am having a hard time in U.S. But I think it worth. There are many new things I need to learn, which is so different then Korea. I'm sorry to refuse the latter you ask me to write every day because I am to busy in the studying and living. I am happy here so tell mum and dad do not worry about me.

The Best
Sookan

blog 10

The film that I watched during the winter break was the Schindler’s list. The topic of this film was the Jews in the WWII. This was the topic people discuses until now. More the 9 million Jews killed during the WWII in poland and east Europe. Oscar Schindler was a number of German Nazi party, and he was a very successful business man. At that time, all Jews have to wear a bing David star and been took all the money by Nazi, but this is only a beganing after they been kick out form their own house, after all the luggage has been taken, they only can lived in a room which already had five other jews family. But the man with skill, like a skilled worker, they would not stay in the camp which only have Jews, they could get a “blue card” from the Nazi party, and they are free workers, this been notice by many German business man, like Oscar Schindler, he known how the party runs, and he made a lots of military officer in many club, until now, Schindler looks like a speculators,but people will change, and this was only the begining of the war, lost of cure things were not happen yet. Built a factory seem like a good choice, army always needs supply, and the jews worker was free, the only thing you need to do was buy them, form the Nazi. After all the prepare, 350 workers has been taken away for the death and have a better life. 

 The war runs the business, the war was cure and harmful, but that makes a lot of good chance to make money, people who may not be the best business man also can get the chance to make money more then peace life. At first, the list was a simple list of Jews worker, and it only shows how much he need to pay to SS, but after they been thought the war, the name on that list become the people should not lost, the factory become a little place that keep Jews people away form the war and the death, Nazi’s thought the factory was a important supply station, but there was the heaven and the protect for the Jews people. When they get in the factory, they laready seen how cure in the Nazi comp, SS can simply kill every one they like to kill and they would not get polished. The war will bring the evil side of the human, and on that side, people will enjoy to hurt each other and themselves. So the good in that dark time seem like a light, which give people life, make them different form the other Nazi number, and they will finally been admit, by the world after the war, by the people who surived. Rest of the world will be touched by his story, and thank for what he did. There is no price to become a good man. 

Sook Nyul Choi

Sook Nyul Choi is a Korean American children's storybook author. 

She was born in Pyongyang, North Korea, and during the korean war, she fled to South Korea.

She emigated to pursue higher education, earning her B.A. from Manhattanville College in 1962 and becoming a school teacher in New York. 

She is the widow of Nung Ho Choi, with whom she had two daughters. 

Gathering of Pearls got award: 1995 books for the Teen Age Award