Characters:
Billie Holiday - The autobiographer the blues", was also knows as Eleanora Fagan. She was a legendary jazz singer who found her calling at a desperate attempt or a job.
Piano Player - The piano player at "Pod's and Jerry's" who was the first person to notice her singing abilities
Terms:
Ermines - The fur of the old world white easel, with a black tip at the corner
In this excerpt of chapter three in "Lady Sings the Blues," Billie Holiday goes around desperately looking for a job. Finally she comes across a club to audition for a dancing position. With no dancing skill what so ever, Billie was turned down and was almost thrown out again. A decent piano player took pity upon Billie and asked if she could sing. With the sound of her voice, the whole audience became speechless. For the first time in Billie's life, she made enough money to support herself as well as her mother by receiving a job where she performs at often. She even found her mother a position at the club as well. All of this thanks to one piano player who asked one simple question.
If the piano player hadn't asked Billie if she could sing, would she have been discovered another way? Or would her talent die along with her?
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
From Tonya
Assigned Reading- The Erlking
1. Identify and briefly define important words, terms, concepts, or characters.
The Erlking- The spirit that comes to take the life of the child
The Father- The father tries his best to keep his son from “Crossing over to the other side
The Son- Heavily influenced by the Erlking’s manner of speaking
2. Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
It seems as if the child is sick and is between a life and death situation. The Erlking uses persuasion to try and lure the child away from the father and to him. One can elude that the Erlking is something like death. The Erlking’s persuasion is very appropriate when talking to a child. He entices the child by agreeing to play with him and telling him that there are other children there with him as well. The father tries turn his son away from the Erlking by telling the child that it is only the wind and to ignore what he think he hears. Eventually the Erlking takes the child and the father is left with the son’s lifeless body.
3. Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
The Erlking has a distinct way of capturing the child attention. For example, “My handsome boy will you come with me?” and “I will play the prettiest game with you”. What if the father had not dismissed the calls of the Erlking and the son was still alive? What could the father have sad to keep his son from dying?
1. Identify and briefly define important words, terms, concepts, or characters.
The Erlking- The spirit that comes to take the life of the child
The Father- The father tries his best to keep his son from “Crossing over to the other side
The Son- Heavily influenced by the Erlking’s manner of speaking
2. Summarize the main idea, theme, action, or event of the reading. Be sure to include quotation that best captures the overall feeling or mood of the reading.
It seems as if the child is sick and is between a life and death situation. The Erlking uses persuasion to try and lure the child away from the father and to him. One can elude that the Erlking is something like death. The Erlking’s persuasion is very appropriate when talking to a child. He entices the child by agreeing to play with him and telling him that there are other children there with him as well. The father tries turn his son away from the Erlking by telling the child that it is only the wind and to ignore what he think he hears. Eventually the Erlking takes the child and the father is left with the son’s lifeless body.
3. Formulate a question for discussion. The question should be relatively substantial, based upon a specified passage or scene from the text, and capable of sustaining a thoughtful discussion.
The Erlking has a distinct way of capturing the child attention. For example, “My handsome boy will you come with me?” and “I will play the prettiest game with you”. What if the father had not dismissed the calls of the Erlking and the son was still alive? What could the father have sad to keep his son from dying?
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