The setting in Z.Z. Packer's story "Geese", was very important in understanding what the character went through by being a foreigner in Japan. Especially an American, African-american in Japan. Describing the setting down to the looks the native Japanese projected onto Dina, merely for her looks, because she stood out from the rest. Dina struggled immensely to lead a normal life, the Japanese looked down on her for her color, and at one point even made reference that the Japanese already look down on blacks and only see them fit for custodial jobs and cleaning or assume that they have a criminal background. Once Dina was out of the job at the water park, she had no luck in finding a job that was not custodial work, that she felt she deserved. Dina lived in a house with multiple people that were from all over who also had no luck and finding and keeping jobs. They were so broke through out the story they went with eating very little and having to steal for the things that they did have. Making their faces known around all the local stores because they had all gotten caught at some point shop lifting. The setting set the tone, for me to feel bad for Dina and the others, especially when she got to the point where she gave in to selling herself for money for food. That is something that I wish no one ever had to do, but with all the details from the setting Packer wrote I could see how Dina thought she had no other option to survive.
The same image can mean so many different things for many people. People analyze imagery from their own perspective, perception and life experiences. For some an image may trigger emotions that it may not for someone else. People reflect on images and try to relate. The song lyrics that mean so much to a person may be because they went through a similar experience or remember exactly what they were doing the first time that song played, etc. A quote from an assigned poem: Poetry Should Ride the Bus (pg.847) "poetry should hopscotch in a polka dot dress wheel cartwheels n hold your hand when you walk past the yellow crackhouse..." This image described in this poem here makes me feel like the author, Ruth Forman, is describing poetry as a comfort blanket. That poetry should be written in a way that is smooth and easy to read. As well as soothing for those harder times in you life, or scary times. Quote from a song: 'Car Radio by twenty one pilots: Sometimes quie...
I agree with everything you said! This story is so sad, but they all did what they had to do.
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