Zelzah: A Tale From Long Ago

Ashley Esteva

GSR 102

Zelzah: A Tale from Long Ago

            I have read books by Norma Fox Mazer before and I really enjoyed her work. When I began reading this short story I had the mindset that it would mirror another one of her works entitled Good Night, Maman. However, to my surprise it was greatly different. It was a remarkable story of courage, strength and happiness. I absolutely loved this story as a celebration of one woman’s story of her life. It was a beautifully crafted story about a family living in a small town in Poland. The family had five daughters and each had a name given to them by their mother which she though would help them throughout their lives, influencing their destiny. The story focuses on the second born daughter, Zelzah. She always tried to live up the name her mother gave her which roughly meant shade-in-the-heat. She tried to be calming and nice but she didn’t always know what to say. Throughout her life she had to work hard to help support her family. She worked on a farm and became strong through her work which she took pride in. when a letter came from her aunt in America; her mother told her that she would be moving to America to marry her cousin Jake. I was so excited for her to get a new life that would hopefully be easier on her that working such hours on a farm. For a while when I was reading the story I had high hopes. I saw Zelzah becoming stronger but as soon as I read that Jake wasn’t coming to visit her much anymore I knew it was bad news. I was heartbroken for Zelzah when I found out Jake had been having an affair and his “lady” was pregers. I was so upset! I had this whole idea of the life she would have with him, I had planed the happy ending for her and everything. I couldn’t believe she handled everything so well and with such a level head, I know I wouldn’t have acted as she did. Throughout the story from that point foreword she really grew into herself. She found work and got and education then got a better job with that education. I was even more proud of her when she became a teacher. She lived her dreams and aspirations and always remained calm and definitely defined happiness on her own terms and saw nothing less in herself because she didn’t fallow the conventional life plan for a woman.

Thank you for reading all of these blogs; this is my last one post.   

The Setting Sun and the Rolling World

Ashley Esteva

GSR 102

The Setting Sun and the Rolling World

            This was my least favorite story so far, I think I have read it many years ago and I don’t think I liked it then. I do not believe forsaking the past is a good thing to do. The past is what ties us to out family, our community, our country and our ancestors. When a person forsakes their past they can not succeed in the future, for if you do not know where you come from and do not understand where you come from there is no way to know where you are going. Nhamo had no respect for his past and his only concern was to leave and find better things outside his community. This is not to say that wanting better for oneself or wanting to better oneself is bad. I am saying that the manner in which Nhamo left was not good. All he wanted to do was leave and have more than his father. He wanted to leave all of the physical and mental ties of his previous life behind. He did not want to take his culture or identity with him into his new life. I just can’t justify a person dismissing their culture and their previous life in attempts to make a better life. It doesn't seem right or healthy to forget. Forgetting about all you have grown up with and has been passed on to you is not beneficial to anyone and I still maintain that you can not know where you are going if you do not know where you came from. Nhamo can not succeed if he throws away all he had before he left. He needs both his old and new life to be successful in his life, no matter where he goes.

Dawn

Ashley Esteva

GSR 102

DAWN

I am going to start something, kind of life/ perspective changing for me. I am going to do my blogs but I am going to write them as I see fit. So, please, read on and make your own opinion on my views and thoughts.

This reminds me of so many things throughout the story

• The 90’s
• Myself between Barnsey and Dawn
• Music
• Letting go
• Travel and exploration
• Pre conceived ideas

I think the story was based in the 1990’s. That time period was my childhood. I still think and will forever advocate that the 90’s were the best decade ever! The cassette tapes were the big thing back then and there is so much nostalgia attached to that little piece of plastic. The mix tape was the quintessential object of that time. Also the awesome scene of the time was British punk rock. Admittedly I was a little young for this movement of sorts but in my later years I somehow have gotten back to this craziness.

I think this is sort of where the story begins to remind me, well it reminds me of myself. Barnsey was who I was, I was a meek person who didn’t really go out of my comfort zone very often and I went along with the status quo. I did not want to make a scene. I think that is what Barnsey does all his life and even when he meets Dawn he is still reserved and is very conscious of how other people may view him. he is very cautious about what he says or does or who he hangs out with and then when he begins to talk with dawn he is exposed to new ideas and a different perspective. Dawn is who I have wanted to emulate, I know it seems outlandish but I was that kid in school, the one who was just a little TOO different and I saw it as Barnsey did, I saw it as being a problem. Until recently I began thinking that maybe it isn’t to late to try and be whoever I want to be. I want to fulfill something in my life that I will do it. I think Dawn realized long ago that there is so much out there to see and do and that she cant live how everyone else is living if it does not agree with her soul. She needs to live for herself because she is all she has for the rest of her life. It take great courage and self-strength to be able to be who you truly are on the inside and it seems to me that Dawn was capable of releasing her true self and letting it show on the outside.

The music was very telling for me. when my soul is angry or frantic or happy my music matches with what I listen to. Barnsey was so calm and reserved on the outside that all of his emotions were bottled within him and the only way to express those feeling was through his music. Dawn’s music reflected her as well, she was so outwardly expressive that her heart was calm, she was relatively at peace with herself and was able to focus on thought instead of rage when she listened to her music. Music is the one thing that tells the world more about us than any amount of words we could ever come up with ourselves.

T.B.C…maybe