Gathering of pearls study guide 6-12

Chapter 6

1. Sookan's sister had made plan for Sookan, she think Sookan should work with her as a nun together, should write her letter and Sookan shouldn't be swept away by the America culture. But as Sookan arrived in America, she has know so many difference between Korean society and American society, friendship with Ellen and Marci also makes her realized she can express herself, became more open, should in charge of her own life. This is the conflict between Sookan's sister and her. Also, Sookan has internal conflict, she is struggling. She doesn't know if she should disobeyed her sister. Because in Korean culture, it's not right to let elder down. She felt guilty about this but still want to be a independent person. This is important to the novel, because conflict between her sister and her, internal sister are one of main parts of this book. It leads Sookan consider that what kind of person she will be.

Chapter 7 

1. Ellen thought the important thing to do is to check out the social scene.

2. On one hand, Ellen is a outgoing girl, she thinks Sookan should enjoy more social activities in college instead of doing too many extra works, to be like a diplomat. On the other hand, Ellen speaks openly and frankly, she has own opinion about the marriage, she know what kind of person she will be; this makes Sookan reconsider if she should be more open, independent and enjoy her college life, not follow her sister.

3. I think Sookan is right to listen to Ellen. Sookan is not a girl always obey the elder, for example: she insisted to study in America although her families didn't agree with. This means Sookan has own thought, she wants to be a independent girl. Then Sookan sister believes that being a nun is good, but this doesn't mean same thing to Sookan. Sookan will be a mature woman in the future, she should have right to decide what kind of person she will be.

Chapter 8

1. Sookan went to the little lounge next to the assembly hall to write the letter to her sister during the election, so she missed the afternoon attendances and got five demerits.

2. Yes, I think she made right decision. Because Sookan has too much study and works to do. If she didnt sneak out to write her sister letter. She won't have that much time any more. This will cause more conflict between her sister and her. Also her sister has wrote Sookan letter and said she hope to got letter from Sookan as soon as possible. To not make her sister so disappointed, Sookan has to sneak out and write a letter.

3. Sookan wrote about her babysitting job in professor's home and how she went on well with friends. And mainly said the difference between America culture and Korean culture she found. Such like: see men in the kitchen for cooking, the communication between different age groups is open, women are sociable and can express themselves. She felt American society is open, equal and individualistic than Korean.

4. I think her sister will be angry and disappointed when read the letter. Because she always hope Sookan can be a nun and do the work together. She thinks that's right thing to do. And she didnt want Sookan be swept away by the American culture. She believed that Sookan should maintain Korean culture, obey elders and do right things.

Chapter 9

1. Thanksgiving with Ellen's family is good for Sookan. Because Sookan found Americans show love to their parents in a more loving and lighthearted way. She got the gift of clipping and generous accomplishment from Ellen's mother. Also she had a good rest in Ellen's home.

Bad thing is that when Sookan saw Ellen's family, she became more homesick and miss her families a lot.

Chapter 10

1. Sookan's secret study spot is the bathtub in the shower room.

2. She felt stomachache and dizzy, at last fainted in the bath room.

3. Sister Reed told Sookan that she can go to Marci's house or be together with Marci and Ellen, but she can't take any books to Marci's.

Chapter 11

1. In Sookan's sister's letter, she showed the anger and disappoint to Sookan because she accept American culture with too much enthusiasm and she shouldn't lose Korean culture. In mother's letter, she felt proud with Sookan and let Sookan not be too stressed out. I think Sookan's sister always want  Sookan obey her plan and believes that being a nun is right thing to do in life. Sookan's mother has different view point, she can understand how Sookan struggling in new life. And let her enjoy more life, don't worry too much about home.

Chapter 12

1. Sookan cooked salad, sticky white rice and bulgogi-kind of marinated and grilled beef.

2. Marci baked brownies. Ellen brought a poinsettia, some cut flowers, red table cloth, napkins Christmas butter cookies, serving plates and phonograph.

3. Ellen, Kyle, Marci, the Bennetts, sister Reed and sister Casey.

4. The gathering is important for Sookan. Because this is the Christmas gift she made for everyone who takes care of her, encourages her, and helps her, include: Ellen, Kyle, Marci, the Bennett's. Sister reed and sister Casey. They make Sookan feel proud and happy in college. This Korean dinner represents Sookan's appreciation to those people.

gathering of pearls

Gathering of pearls

Chapter 1

1. Women in 50's always get married right out of high school or in college. Even many women went to the college just for finding a MRS degree--husband. Some women choose to learn more in college, but they were not taught mathematics and science. Women have to be a perfect mother and wife, this was the society standard at that time.

Chapter 2

1. pocket money: a small amount of money given to children by parent.

    Honorific: a form of words to show respect.

2. When Sookan went to buy something for the room with Ella, she knew color coordination is important for Ella. Because she always choose something matching; when she bought curtain, she found a set of bright pink curtains and maching accessories and also her outfits matched right down to her nail polish and earrings.

3. Pay for tuition, room and board.

4. Sookan had to work fifteen hours a week in the college dining hall, earn good grades in all her courses and meet the social, moral, and religious standards of the school to maintain the scholarship.

5. Pay separately.

6. Sookan is from poor family and she knew how hard her mom work to give her small amount of pocket money so she never buy anything expensive and see the price tag before buy. Ella is from wealthy family, so she choose her favorite maching color stuff without worrying a lot about the price. Sookan lives in Korea, as tradition, she always respect to elder people especially when talking, she uses honorific term; and paid for friends when they are drinking soda. Ella is an American girl, she is comfortable to talk with elder students without worrying about the age difference, and paid separately when the bill comes.

Chapter 3

1. She took world literature, world religions, Greek and Roman culture, and early European history in the first semester. The most difficult one is early European history.

2. Marci is a girl who lived in the single room across the hall from Sookan and Ella. She is tall and thin, and very pale with straight brown hair. She wore no makeup and her clothes hung loosely. Sookan thought she is pretty in boyish way. Marci is really shy and likes reading, she lives in a single room and seldom talk with others. She is not as outgoing as Ella, but she also wants to make friends. So she tried to talk with Sookan. And she is very nice, she knew Sookan may miss the lunch, so she buys the sandwich and waits for Sookan. Marci is candid, she directly tells Sookan she has bad relation with her sister. And she tries to protect her friends when she knew Sookan didn't have time writing letter to sister but had to do so.

3. Babysitting for professor Bennett's children.

4. Sookan respects and is proud of her sister. On one hand, she wants to obey her sister because the older sisters asked to do and in the Korean culture, what elder people in family said is as important as parents; on the other hand, she really doesn't have time to write and feel sorry about that.

Chapter 4

1.melancholy: depressed

2. Because from the letter Sookan can feel that after she left hom, her mother worried a lot about her and her mom think herself is a helpless mother and feel guilty because she sent Sookan so far and she was so poor that can't mail a little pocket to money to her daughter.

3. Sookan's mother is a warm, kind, independent and she never complained the hardship, loves her children. She doesn't impose children or talk of filial duty; although life is hard, she never complain and always help people who are less fortunate. She is kind woman, she can be nice to mailman.

Chapter 5

1. Yes, Sookan enjoys babysitting. Because she got on well with two children. She read the book for Sarah; Jimmy corrected her pronunciation honestly and enthusiastically, Sarah fixed her hair which made Sookan look like a cartoon character. They had a lot of fun together.

2. In America, man also cook or help serving meal at home. But in Korea, every works in the kitchen such like cooking, surving are wife's job, sometimes daughter will help, but neither the husband nor brother will do those works.

3. Yes, I will do extra things. Because I want to give the professor a nice impression for the first time working. I think why Sookan do those works is that she appreciate professor Bennett. In Korea, babysitting neighbor's children doesn't need to be paid; but in America, Sookan can get some money to afford the book by doing babysitting, especially this is not a hard work, she had fun with those children. So she felt thankful to professor Bennett and wanted to do more things for them.

letter to sister

Dear sister,

I'm Sookan, I've been arrived in the college last week. I'm sorry that I don't write you a letter in time because I have course load. I'm really busy on studying and doing the job everyday. Everything goes well there. Sister Casey is a nice professor, she helped me a lot on the first day. I was worried at the beginning, I was afraid of being different with other students, but now I found they like me, they like talking with me and I get on well with my rommate Ella and Marci. Don't worry about me. Always love you and mom.

Facts about Sook Nyul Choi

She is a Korean-American children's story book author.

She was born in North Korea, during the Korean War, she fled to South Korea.

She went to United States for higher education, and graduated from manhattanville college.

She lived in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

She has two daughters.

She taught in the New York City public school.

Fairy tale of elegent princess

In the break I watched a film called Grace of Monaco. This is a French-American biography film about Grace Kelly. Nicole Kidman played the role of Grace in the film. In 1956, Hollywood star Grace Kelly got oscars and then married with Monaco's Prince Rainier III. During the six years life in Monaco, Grace still can't adapt the new royal life well. She felt upset to her new role-princess. In 1962, a six-months dispute between Prince Rainier and French president Charles de Gaulle occurred as well as Grace considered if she should return to Hollywood or to be a real princess to balance the relationship between Monaco and French. This movie is about conflict and how Grace choose.

Grace is a independent woman and has thought. She directly show her opinion about the politic crisis In front of the French president, this causes a even worse result. She remembered Ranier love her, because she speaks out what she thinks, that's may help her to be a outstanding actress, but not for princess. When she tried to rise money and support the Red Cross society, nobody stand on her side. The royalty life is not like what Grace imagined. She couldn't  do anything in Monaco and felt pain and lonely about this life. It uses many emotion expression in the film. Nicole Kidman did it well. A impression scene for me is that when Grace called her mom, the most closed person, her mom, even can't understand her. Grace felt desperate about her life and marriage. On one hand she tried to take responsibility for the royalty but on the other hand, she wanted to be back to Hollywood. Finally, when Grace decided to take responsibility for Monaco, but this movies became more like a fairy tale. 

Grace learned French, walked on the street and talked with people; joined in the social meeting; help Ranier to find the traitor in royal family. Everything suddenly goes well just like what happend in the fairy tale. After all in the fairy tale, politics can be such easy. In fact, about this this movie both of French government and Monaco royal family has declare the story In movie is not the truth. According to the historical facts in that period of time, "First Lady diplomacy" is obviously a faked story. 

Grace said her life is a fairy tale. It exactly is. She got success like what in the fairy tale, she has marriage with European prince, she also has the ending like a legend. I think it's not such important if she is a outstanding diplomat in the reality like she was described in the movie; for the people who doesn't know much about European history, this movie has been enough perfect.

Adventurer Can Make Dream Come True

Frozen In Time is the nonfiction book I'm reading now. It is written by America irfan writer Mark Kurlansky. The main character is a adventure who always keep curiosity and do something to make dream come true---the inventor of frozen food, Clarence Birdseye. Now, this funny name has been the brand of fast frozen good that we eat everyday. Think about this, if Birdseye didn't invent the frozen food, what will our life be look like? We still need to spend a lot of time on cooking, we can't save meat for a long time or it will go rancid. The adventurer, like him, is a kind of people willing to take risk to gain instead of dreaming. 

The world is fast changing; good thing for Birdseye is that he was born in Brooklyn, a third largest and fast growing city in US at that time. Since the end of 19 century, it was the time of the second industrial revolution, many things are invented; I think this kind of context is a component of success for Birdseye. Society is usually important for human, many people want to be a prominent lawyer or work on Wall Street, but still Birdseye was interested in things his peers doesn't care about just as what he did when he was a kid. He has own dream, keeps it and never change because of someone else. That's the point I admire him.

From the book, I can see how Birdseye was fascinated by science. Although he had to dropped out from college because of the financial problem, he still have passion and joined in the US Biological Survey. As a adventurer, he always keep his innovative spirit alive. He could work on Wall Street, be a lawyer and had a comfortable life in the city during all of his life. But he didn't, he went west where was an undeveloped rims, he went to Labrador where is a frozen land. Birdseye was a colorful character, inventions were just a part of achievements in his all life, as he said, he was a bank director, a president of companies, a fisherman, an author... 

Birdseye has enough courage and curiosity. If ask me, would I do what his did; I will say no. My dream is not to be an inventor and I'm not as intensely interested in science as him, I won't go to place such as Labrador and also I can't leave my family alone. But one thing same is that I will also keep my dream in heart and strive for it.

Vocabulary

Peculiar: strange, unusual.   P1

Admirable: deserving respect and approval.    P4

Astounding: be surprisingly impressive.    P9

Suspicion: doubt about something.    P11

Gripping: firmly holding the attention.    P11

Fixated: pay attention to something obsessively.    P15

Pragmatic: dealing with things realistically in a way that is based on practical experience.    P17

Eradicate: destroy completely.    P22

Insatiable: impossible to satisfy.    P27

Curiosity: want to learn more about something.    P27