Chapter 11 & 12Deanna Lee

Allusion 1Truly this was a sweatshop. Half the time the air conditioner didn't work at all, and all the time the fumes made everyone's eyes water so furiously that contact lenses could not be worn on the premises p. 204

Sweatshops, or sweat factories, refer to places where the working conditions are unacceptable and very dangerous

Allusion 2I felt as though I had a blind date with destiny, and some had heard a rumor that destiny looked like Christopher Reeve.p. 216A very handsome man especially as he well-known role as Superman. He was paralyzed in a horse accident and suddenly died at age 52 in 2004

Allusion 3I'd learned of deserts from old Westerns and Quickdraw McGraw cartoons

p.217Quickdraw was a horse who was a sheriff in the American Old West. He was part of a duo in which a Mexican burro named Baba Looey was the other half. He was very famous for saying El Kabong! His alter ego was suppose to resemble Zorro

Allusion 4And she stalked the neighborhood like a TV detective

p. 227TV detectives were especially popular in the 70's as hard-boiled men and occasionally women who solve strange or excited cases. Nowadays, TV detectives are more brain and technology than brawn in a lot of cases.

Allusion 5Well don't feel like the Lone Ranger...

p.230The Lone Ranger was an ex-Texas Ranger who fought justice with his Native American partner, Tonto. He soon became an icon for American culture. Now Disney is releasing a new version of the tall tale featuring Johnny Depp as Tonto

CharacterizationYou'll never just sit around and let him dehydrate , or grow up without a personality, or anything like that.-Taylorp.210Taylor said this about Lou Ann to show how overly caring she is about other people and especially towards children, who she always seems to think of first.Direct

CharacterizationShe had stopped wearing it about the time she started working at the salsa factory, but now had put it on again, as though Angel might have packed a spy into the box along with the belt and the boots-About Lou Annp.212Lou Ann clung to Angel and most of her low esteem and attitude came from his treatment towards her. She didn't need him, but she laid all of herself on him and basically feel without him underneath her. Indirect

CharacterizationDoes it rain toad frogs in Arizona?-Taylorp.220This shows how alien Taylor is to a world outside of where she was born and raised. She is smart at times, but that doesn't hide the fact that the west is a completely different universe for her.Indirect

New Character/SettingRed Hot Mama'sThis is the salsa packing factory where Lou Ann began to work at

New Character/SettingSal Monelli It is actually a disease referred to as salmonella. Taylor sort of teases Lou Ann by breaking apart the word to make a name for the figure Lou Ann fears so much

New Character/SettingTucson Valley The specific place they went to was where they could see all the mountains and practically feel the rain coming up from the ground. It was most likely on a hill of some sort.

DiscussionWhat was the significance of Taylor's treatment towards the bird trapped in the apartment?

DiscussionWhy couldn't Taylor face Turtle after she found out what had happened to her?

DiscussionHow has Taylor's feelings towards Estevan effected her perspective of men and her independence?

DiscussionWhy did Mattie invite Taylor to smell the desert when the rain was pending?

DiscussionHow has the incident with Turtle effected Taylor's outlook on herself as a mother?

DiscussionWhy did Taylor definitively correct Lou Ann when she said retardeds?