Summarize chapter 7 in American Chica.
Chapter 7 in American Chica is entitled “Earth,” and it centers around the changes in the author's family and the upheaval they cause.
The chapter opens with a legend about a stone from Machu Picchu that embodied evil and caused havoc in the lives of the people who kept it. This leads to a discussion of Pachamama, the earth mother, and the traditions that the author's friend Antonio taught her.
One day, very abruptly, Arana's father announced that the family would be moving because of his work. There was hardly time to say goodbye before they were gone. The author describes their journey and speaks about their cousin Cito and her limited perspective during that time, not thinking much beyond her immediate surroundings and circumstances.
The author then describes their new town of Paramonga and contrasts it to Cartavio. The author and her brother explored their new home and neighborhood...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
and were disturbed by the strange incident of a dead dog. The author explains how in Paramonga “real life” was “close by,” and the world made its way into their lives.
Arana continues the chapter by talking about the family's new German shepherd, and she explains how she and her brother grew closer while their older sister, Vicki, became further away as she grew up. Their mother seemed to be sinking into a depression, but the children did not notice very much. They were too busy playing with their neighborhood friends. The author focuses on Carlos Ruiz and their club. Arana also details the divide between boys and girls. She always played with the boys, but she realized about this time that there were different expectations for young ladies.
As the chapter continues, Arana tells the story of Old Wong, a Chinese man, and about her growing realization that her mother was not Peruvian. There was a difference between Arana and her brother and the other children because Arana's family was part American, and this made her angry. Arana speaks of the fortaleza that she liked to visit and of Dr. Birdseye, the naturalist, who taught Arana and George about how much better it was to be hybrids, “half and half,” Peruvian and American.
Arana ends the chapter with an earthquake and the death of their dog as well as a reflection on the “widening gap” between her parents.
What is the summary of chapter 8 in American Chica?
In chapter 8 of the book American Chica by Marie Arana, the author recounts the circumstances that result in her first visit to America.
Marie's maternal grandmother is on her deathbed, and the author's mother decides to be by her side during her last days. Mother, father and Arana's two siblings, George and Vicki, are on their way Wyoming, America.
The author's perception of America being inhabited by the likes of Davy Crockett and Sitting Bull comes unfounded as the family travels in a Greyhound bus and the countryside unfolds over the journey.
During a train journey on the Union Pacific Pullman, Marie Arana and Vicki have their first brush with the overt racial discrimination in America. Bathrooms at the St. Louis Railway Station are marked "Colored" and "Whites," Marie learns that she's white.
During the road journey to Rawlins, the author, used to the trees, streams, deserts, and hills that she has experienced in Peru is struck by the unending prairie under the blue skies.
Marie meets her grandmother for the first time, and notices that the frail lady is accepting her fate stoically. She learns about her mother's family and how the Clapp family claimed descent from John Quincy Adams.
Marie develops feelings for her elder cousin, Nub and dubs him her "love friend." After the passing away of her grandmother, Marie Arana and her family depart for Boston.