the trapped trees of mango street

2/WTRF

Written tasks rationale form: language A2

Submit to: Examiner Arrival date: 15 Mar / 15 Sep Session: May 2012

School number:

School name: ....................................International School Bangkok…..................................................................

Write legibly using black ink and retain a copy of this form. Complete one copy of this form for each task. Complete this form in the target language. The rationale will not be included in the word count. To complete this form, refer to the written tasks assessment details in the Language A2 guide.

Subject: _______IB English A2___________________________Level:____SL_________________

Candidate name: Naratchnan Kraichok_________________________________________________

Candidate session number:

Option to which the task is linked.If literary option, the text title(s) should be included (for example, George Orwell, 1984).If cultural option, the topic should be included (for example, propaganda).

Topic Option: Literally Option: The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros

Title (if appropriate): “The Trapped Trees of Mango Street”

Area of communication and type of text: Poetic Communication

Subject: Esperanza_____________

Purpose: To turn Cisneros’s poetic language in “Four Skinny Trees” in to an actual poem that was told by Esperanza

Audience: Readers

Context (where appropriate):____________________________________________________

Turn Over

Handbook of procedures for the Diploma Programme 2011

0 0 0 3 0 7

0 0

International Baccalaureate 2/WTRF (reverse)

School name:………………….…International School Bangkok............................................................

In the space below, provide the following information:

Your objective and how you have attempted to achieve them

My objective in writing this poem was to take the already beautiful and lyrical vignette, “The Four Skinny Trees” by Sandra Cisneros and tell the same story of Esperanza, her friends, and the trees on the street in the form of a poem. In order to do this I have used part of Cisnero’s writing style, but converted it into a poetry-oriented layout utilizing short lines, indents, and breaks to show where thoughts change and shift. In order to keep the feeling of the vignette, the same basic pacing was used along with some of the same vocabulary and thought patterns. I also attempted to keep the same theme of separation and lack of belonging so it would remain consistent to theme of not belonging that Cisneros focuses on “Four Skinny Trees”. I also took great efforts to make the end of the vignette clearer. While it ends on an upbeat note, it does not express very well the differences between the trees and the girls: the girls can leave, the trees cannot.

Specific examples showing how this was done

The use of Cisneros’ writing style and tempo was used in this poem. For example, Cisneros writes, “They are the only ones who understand me. I am the only one who understands them” in reference to the trees at the beginning of the poem. This theme and tempo was kept when I wrote, “Only I understand them / Those sad skinny trapped trees”. The theme of sadness must be maintained; otherwise the two pieces will be too different.

Additionally, although Cisneros uses vignette form, her words are often very poetic. For example, she uses “They send ferocious roots beneath the ground” to discuss the trees. I felt this, while beautiful, could also be expressed in a more purely poetic layout, which is why I wrote, Lonely trees, like lonely girls

Know they do not belongFighting with the dry concrete

Or the monochrome sky

This is an important difference, because it forces the reader to stop and think before moving on to the next thought.

Also, in order to maintain the sense of separation and longing by utilizing more imagery to present the thoughts and feelings of the characters by saying, “Rachel, Lucy, Nenny and I / Stand in the empty street / Looking like the four trees / Dreaming of open fields.” This shows very clearly the sense of longing that comes from being born (or planted) in an area where you have very little potential or ability to grow.

In order to highlight what I feel to be the meaning of Cisneros’ vignette, I clarified the end by personifying the tree saying “Unlike us, you don’t have roots / you don’t have to stay here / One day you can escape and find / the place truly your own” This demonstrates that there is hope. The trees give her inspiration and even if it feels dark sometimes. To keep on “keeping” and not let your surroundings keep you from doing everything you can to thrive.

Comments on how the task demonstrates understanding of the cultural or literary option on which it is based.

This task demonstrates my understanding of my literary option, poetry, because I feel I was able to recreate the feeling of The Four Skinny Trees in the form of a poem. While the medium is different, I believe it fundamentally expresses the same facts, feelings, and emotions. I feel the voice of Esperanza comes though clearly in my poem, as well as the desperation surrounding her


The difficulties I had in completing this task were word-choice issues, as it is sometimes hard to find the exact word to give the feeling necessary to maintain Cisneros’ setting throughout. For example, in the opening two lines, I was tempted to describe the trees as lonely, because The Four Skinny Trees has a very lonely feeling to it. However, the trees were not lonely because they had one another, even if that was all they had. My intial line was “Only I understand them / Those sad skinny lonely trees” but as I read over it again, I realized “lonely” was not applicable and spent a long time looking at various word choices.


The Trapped Trees of Mango Street

Only I understand themThose sad skinny trapped trees

All four thin brown trunksReaching towards the cluttered sky

Lonely trees, like lonely girlsKnow they do not belong

Fighting with the dry concreteOr the monochrome sky

Trees should be in the forestNot in a desolate dry ghetto

Girls don’t belong here eitherThey belong in a better life

Rachel, Lucy, Nenny and IStand in the empty street

Looking like the four treesDreaming of open fields

Angry for a much better lifeWith open sky and colors

Dreaming of a bright futureAnd of a world without pain

When I hear their gentle whispersI listen to their quiet lessons

“Keep it up kid” their leaves say“You will be alright”

Their trapped rustling remindsMe in my house of red bricks

They grew despite the concreteJust like me, they must stay

“You don’t have our rootsTo grab at the sad earth

But you can stand tall, sideBy side, with your sisters”

Word Counts: 175 words


the trapped trees of mango street

Technology