Ellen Foster Essay, Research Paper
& # 8220 ; When I was small I would believe of ways to kill my daddy. & # 8221 ; [ P.1 ] , says eleven-year-old Ellen. Thus the immature storyteller begins her life-story, in the procedure painting an extraordinary self-portrait. & # 8220 ; Ellen Foster & # 8221 ; is a powerful narrative of a immature miss turning up in a onerous universe. As one reads this work presented by Kaye Gibbons, a iciness runs down their dorsum. Ellen, the chief character is faced with a difficult life covering with eternal losingss, with the deceases of both her parents and her grandma being included. Why would one acquire a iciness you wonder? This person has ideas and feelings that many have ne’er experienced and can non show. Ellen is simply a kid no older so the age of 10s but if non cognizing this fact, readers would believe she was an elderly adult female who has lived their life sufficiently.
In this book Ellen refers to herself many times as & # 8220 ; Old Ellen.
& # 8221 ; I believe that she uses this name because throughout the book Ellen is ever taking attention of person beside herself: her coloured friend, Starletta, and her deceasing female parent. Ellen & # 8217 ; s parents dice, and her grandma dies, but this International Relations and Security Network & # 8217 ; t truly a great loss for Ellen. Her female parent was a frail and ill adult female whom Ellen was invariably protecting from her drunken male parent. For a clip, Ellen & # 8217 ; s Art instructor, Julia, and her hubby move Ellen into their place. She feels, for the first clip, that she is apart of a loving household. She describes, in the book, & # 8220 ; the three of us could go through for a household on the street. & # 8221 ; { P. 55 } Unfortunately, the juvenile tribunals system must ever step in, and her average old Grandmother takes over her life. Her grandma treats her severely. She acts as if Ellen is to fault for her girl & # 8217 ; s decease. This is how Ellen describes the beginning of hers & # 8217 ; and her grandma & # 8217 ; s relationship,
“My mama’s mamma picked me up in her long auto that was like the project auto merely hers was pick. I told Roy and Julia on more clip I did non necessitate to travel. If we have to populate together the least you could make is speak to me like you know I am in your auto is what I thought to state to her. I figured she would warm up to me. But all she asked on the manner to her house was when does school get down once more? Lord it merely ended and I sure am looking forward to the summer at your house I said for the iceboat. I asked you when school starts. I do non necessitate the commentary is what she said back to me hot. So September. I said September. I said my reply quick and on clip like the army manner. I saluted in my head.” { P. 61 }
Ellen finds a adult female at church that takes in orphan misss, but will at that place be any room for her? Will it merely stop up being another misinterpretation, like with her aunt, who was under the premise that she would merely be sing for a few yearss. It is Ellen & # 8217 ; s finding which finally lands her a topographic point in a loving place, with loving company.
Against all odds, Ellen ne’er gives up her belief that there is a topographic point for her in the universe, a place that will fulfill all her yearning for love, credence, and order. Her eventual success in happening that place and bravely claiming it as her ain is a testimony to her firm religion in the possibility of good. Ellen is my favourite character in the book, because she ne’er loses that religion, and she ne’er loses her sense of wit.
This book was difficult to maintain up with, at foremost, because the writer jumps back and Forth between past and present memories of Ellen & # 8217 ; s life. I kept myself focused, and finally bind in both timelines of past and present. I would urge this book for a speedy read, particularly for Spring interruption readers!
