"Idea Paper"

I will write a reader response paper on the role of Mr. and Mrs. Zuniga in the novel.  Why I believe Sonny visits the Zunigas and what he searches or sees in them.  I believe the Zunigas have a big influence on Sonny life.  I will attempt to show this with Sonny's visits with the Zunigas throughout the book.

"Sonny"

Well Sonny is still a fifteen year old teenager who I believe at this point of the book is only more confused and lost than at the beginning of the book.  He seems to be going back to his old habits of stealing and drinking as well as smoking weed with Cindy and enjoying it.  Instead of doing the right thing which at the beginning of my character evaluation of Sonny I believed he was going to do.  Even though he still does his chores around the apartment building I believe he does this to keep his mind off of the bad things he knows he is doing and to spy on all the tenants.  His only two friends the twins I believe have little to no influence on him which he uses as enjoyment and a good laugh.  I believe Sonny is getting himself into deeper problems ones that he is not going to be able to handle.  Instead of bettering himself in his education and setting certain goals I thought he could of accomplished he is disappointing himself.  I believe he will not improve his lifestyle or carry himself any better.  I believe that Sonny still wants to improve his situation but does not know how to because he was not taught any better.  Sonny still has not learned the time and patience he needed to have learned by now.  I predict he will just end up getting caught and end up in trouble and maybe even in the street.  Cloyd will not put up with dishonesty or stealing in his home especially from a Mexican like Sonny.

"Money"

The way that things are happening in the novel I believe is very frustrating and confusing for Sonny.  Sonny I believe is loosing focus in every perspective of his life right now.  He is not thinking straight and seems to be doing certain things because he does not care about the consequences.  I believe Sonny is going to end up leaving Cloyd's apartment thinking he could go a long way with this money.  In the process I believe he is going to attempt to take Nica by asking her to come along far away maybe Spain like Nica wants in order for both of them to be happy.  Nica sees herself in a trapped place but is extremely happy when she is with Sonny so I think she would jump at the chance to once in her life be happy.  If I were in Sonny's position I would of stuck it out a little longer until I got through school if my mom was willing to stay with Cloyd.  I would of improved my education and set my goals to better myself and get a good job and maybe even attempted to go to college for a good career.  In the long run it would benefit me and maybe then I would of gotten together with Nica because then I would have something good to offer her and put her up in a nice environment like both of us have always dreamed of.

Car Salesman

Pinkston who Sonny calls Pink through the novel lives in number six, a one-bedroom.  He has wiry hair mostly white with a hint of orange and red in it.  He has freckles and a river of a scar that cuts from the side of his eyebrow, where it trickles down, winding down to his jaw, where it gets wider and disappears under his neck.   Pink, an albino man is always standing in the front of the building selling used cars.  I believe the significance of Pink the car salesman is to show the significance of racism in the novel.  The racism that is depicted from Cloyd towards Pink.  I also believe that Pink has anger towards Cloyd because he can sense his racism and this is going to give Pink the opportunity to try and turn Sonny against Cloyd to help Pink better himself in The Flowers.  I believe in the long run Pink is a bad influence for Sonny because he already has given him beer and expects him to drive when he is not even of age.  Pink only wants to better himself and does not care about anyone else other wise he would remember simple facts such as Sonny not being old enough to drive.  In the long run Pink will use Sonny for his own benefits like Cloyd is doing right now with Sonny.  If Sonny keeps listening to Pink he will end up in serious trouble I believe not only with Cloyd but also with Silvia his mother.

Metacognitive Reflection

As a teenager I have always loved to read.  Even though I enjoy many types of novels, I would have to say my favorite are romantic novels.  I do have to say though ever since I had my first born I read less but, never stopped reading completely even if just thirty minutes out of my busy day.  As my children got older I would take a walk down the revein near our home and plop my self down to read.  This would give me time alone and some relaxation time which I very much enjoyed and at the same time did not cost me anything.  But, most of the time I take some time to read at least three times out of the week right before bedtime when my kids are in bed and my husband is watching T.V..  Of course, I have ear plugs in because I do not like to be disturbed while reading and my family knows that.  Since I have always loved to read I have no problem with this aspect of the course.  Scheduling my reading for the novel The Flowers is one of the easy and relaxing things to do on my never ending list.  Especially, when I enjoy reading a novel and the novel we are reading I find very interesting and am always wanting to read ahead because, I'm curious of what is going to happen next.  When I read a book I like to be in silence because I like to picture what I am reading.  With any book I read I visually picture or imaging in my head what is going on which helps me understand and be aware of whats going on throughout the novel.

"Free Write"

My father always...made it a point to try and give me everything I ever asked for. My father always inspired me to be independent and attain as much education as I could for my own benefit. My father always provided materialistic things thinking that would replace time spent with him. But my father always knew he was loved even though we hardly had any quality time with him.

"Passage/Reader Response"

"When my eyes closed, it was the desert, black space and sparkly stars, so up there it made me feel both old enough for this and way young-thought of and seen so much, it had all been too far away or hidden from what I knew about- a sky too high and far away that I could have never seen it from this city if I were to look up, straight at it, as someone kept pointing it out like constellations I didn't see."  Throughout the novel we have read how Sonny places himself in different imaginary scenarios.  I believe Sonny does this when he does not know exactly how to go about handling a certain situation he is being pushed into or he is just confused about what he should do or how he should react.  Sonny feels he is old enough to fully experience what Cindy is willing to offer.  But in his mind knows he is not mature enough and visually pictured himself older.  This experience was still very far from Sonny's thoughts at least with this person and would not happen any time soon because, this had always been hidden from anything that he knew about.  Sonny was almost one-hundred percent positive that an experience like this was nowhere near especially, were he was moving too even if it had hit him in the face literally.  For example, the passage I quoted arises from the scene in which Cindy begins to seduse him as they are in her apartment.  She begins to get closer and closer to Sonny to the point which she is making him feel uncomfortable but, at the same time arousing him to become excited.  She not only made Sonny feel comfortable but, strongly guided him to what she wanted him to do.  But Sonny confused and in his mind thinking he should stop he just lays there.  Not sure of what Sonny should do with many thoughts running through his head.  "I'm sure if I touch her she won't stop me," but the unsure feelings make him just lay there even as she undressed him and caressed his manliness.  Sonny once again falls into another imaginary scenario as she proceeds to arouse him knowing that at this point if she hasn't stopped he is not about to stop her. At this point Sonny wants Cindy to continue doing what she has started.  Sonny feeling good but, in sudden shock with what just occurred is unable to speak.  Following I believe with immediate humiliation and embarrassment of the unkind words he felt Cindy had said to him which he felt were undeserved.  Which in turn brought back feelings of anger as in the past which made him want to go back to his old habits of stealing.  Due to the fact that he believed Cindy made him feel like he was worthless and at the same time made him look like a punk.  He felt there was no way he could defend himself.