Sonny Loves His Money!

Sonny's always had a thing for money. But Cloyd's hidden stash wasn't like the other pocket change people left lying around. In fact, Sonny had even refused to steal "an envelope with twenties, coming out to $200... [because it] was so much it got [him] scared" (49).  The first time Sonny attempted to steal the money he noticed "all the killed eyes in his office, eyes like Goofy's" (131). In his most recent attempted he had made a decision and "opened the drawer like an oven and took the envelope" (158).

Throughout The Flowers Sonny's always enjoyed the sensation of stealing money, but not necessarily spending it. At certain times he picks up a few dollars because the owner seems to treat them like trash, but at other times there's been an underlying reason for his actions; usually it’s his anger with that person. For example after Cindy tells Sonny he "came too fast" he "wanted to yell at her for saying that... I wanted to steal something of hers" (87). And more recently when Bud confronts Sonny about stealing the magazines he feels an urge" to steal something from him. Put nails under his tires" (196).

With so much money, Sonny could be doing a lot of things with his money, but I doubt he'll spend any of it. In the past he's always been frugal with his money; spending as little of it as possible and always feeling that he "was spending too much." If I had a chance to meet Sonny in real life I'd predict that he'd continue to save his money, counting it every once in a while to make himself feel better. But since Sonny exists in a story, I can be more imaginative with my predictions. Lately Sonny and Nica have been bonding, I believe he will spend the money in order to enjoy something with her. They might end up running away or simply going on a late night adventure. It's only a matter of days before Cloyd discovers his money's been stolen. He'll probably throw a giant fit and accuse Sonny; after all he did steal those magazines. No matter what way Sonny spends his money, I think he'll learn something about himself and the world around him. He may end up discovering stealing is truly unethical or he might end up realizing why he sees colors at random times, but he will definitely realize something.

If I were in Sonny's position I wouldn't have stolen the money to begin with, but that's a boring response. If I did end up stealing the money I would probably have used it to travel to Notre Dame, perhaps even taking Nica along. Based on my analysis of Sonny, I think he'd like to escape from the troubles in his current life and start a new one; away from Cloyd, Cindy, and even his mother. It might help sooth his addiction to stealing, visions of exploding colors, and even the random blasts of anger; I know it would help me.

A Partnership

Pink's always liked Sonny; Sonny's always liked Pink. But their relationship is a bit odd; it started off as a partnership -- and still is. When Sonny first met Pink, he was selling used cars in the parking lot. To make the sale Pink asked Sonny to move the garbage because "[we can't] have these garbage cans in the dark next to my Bird" (34). At first Sonny may just have agreed to Pink's request because he didn't want to cause too much trouble, but as he continues his work he meets Pink more and more often. They develop a relationship and even go on a car ride, where Sonny even gets to enjoy a man's drink -- a beer. And now Pink has offered Sonny something no teenager could resist -- an amazing car for free, sort of.

Pink and Sonny have now agreed to a new partnership; in exchange for the car Sonny has to "be some wide ears ... listen for me, thats all ... talking about your step-dad [Cloyd]" (139). The partnership sheds new light on the relationship between Cloyd Longpre and Pink. Ever since the first encounter Pink has always shown his distaste toward Cloyd; "when it comes down to it, I'm on hers and your side, understand me?" (34). And Cloyd has always shown his feelings about Pink as well; "he [Pink] was talking to you? ... he's [Pink] working some angle ... selling that car to the black man" (35). But Cloyd isn't the only one who dislikes Pink, Bud also loathes the fact that Pink sells cars to black men, going as far as saying "I don't like [him or] the blacks around my home"(110).

Pink wouldn't have given up the Bel Air if he didn't feel Sonny was an asset of some kind. The nicer side of me wants to believe that Pink is just doing something nice for Sonny, but knowing that he is a used car salesman I have to view the deal with suspicion. Sonny may not like Cloyd, but he is family now. There must be some reason why Cloyd and his friends all hate Pink. It may just be because he does business with black people, but I have a feeling there's more to the story. Now that Sonny has agreed to take the car I predict that he will get into some trouble not only with Cloyd, but also with himself. I could easily see him taking Nica for a car ride and getting into some serious trouble with her father. Sonny may end up giving Cindy a ride, perhaps finally taking her to the beach. And events with Cindy always end up in troublesome situations. It's important to note that Sonny does not have a driver's license and has barely driven; he may end up in an accident or a fight with law enforcement. Pink is now a very important character. I look forward to finding out just how he'll fit in; will he be a villain or will he be a hero?

An Encounter With Mr. Josep

Sonny meets a variety of people during his daily chores, but the encounter with Mr. Josep was one of the most memorable and relatable for me.

Recap: (You can skip this if you remember the scene)

The scene starts off with Sonny sneaking toward Nica’s apartment. Sonny notices Mr. Josep, but “[he] was sitting on his chair, staring out. [Sonny] didn’t think he ever noticed [him] or anything else” (Gilb, 82). Just as Sonny finishes his mental note of Mr. Josep, he waves for him to “go up the stair and come to here” (Gilb, 83). Mr. Josep offers Sonny a chair, but he kindly says "he doesn't need one" (Gilb, 83). The conversation turns into a discussion about high school and transitions into a commentary of Nica's decision to not go to school;"She doesn't go to the school....She doesn't know any English" (Gilb, 83). Meanwhile Sonny is trying to understand Mr. Josep's point of view and his cultural background; "I was wondering what language he spoke. It didn't seem to me like his accent had anything to do with Spanish" (GIlb, 84). Just as things begin to get interesting Cindy interrupts the conversation and calls for Sonny to meet her.

Personal

But what made this scene memorable for me wasn't the conversation -- it was the nature of the encounter. I've come across a similar situation where I've been “called out” by someone who I didn't think was watching. The encounters have always been awkward, but I think that's what made Gilb's scene so memorable for me; they shared the same awkward feeling I'd been used to. In the scene Sonny tries to visualize himself in the Mr. Josep's seat. He notices all sorts of sounds which he didn't earlier; "I heard the traffic on the boulevard that I usually didn't hear... I saw the sky not like air but like gas, like clean fizz on a blank TV screen" (Gilb 83). It would seem as if the sounds from the boulevard, the motorcycles revving, and the dogs barking would be a very loud ruckus, but Sonny realizes just how quiet it is in contrast; "made me realize how quiet it was before" (Gilb, 84). What started off as an awkward event begins to interest even Sonny as he ponders other questions to ask Mr. Josep; "I was going to ask what [language] that was" (Gilb, 84).

The part I found most amusing was seeing that neither Sonny nor Mr. Josep was truly listening to one another. Mr. Josep responds "that's good" when Sonny tells him about how he hates school. And Sonny likewise responds "yeah" without really understanding Mr. Josep is talking about Nica. I think this happens in daily speech all the time, and to see it written made it so much more realistic.

Objective

Dagoberto Gilb uses the encounter with Mr. Josep as a scene to display Sonny's changing viewpoints. In the past Sonny would have been very impulsive to make decisions about people. But in this rare encounter, Sonny tries to perceive the world through Mr. Josep's eyes. He even becomes interested in discovering more about Mr. Josep. But like the other events in this story, Sonny is interrupted by Cindy just as he is about to get close to an important revelation. The story may act as a metaphor into Sonny's story; he begins as a sneaky trespasser, gets caught by someone new, and then almost always gets thrown back with Cindy. Sonny will likely follow this path for the entire novel and ultimately learn something new.

Conclusion

Both of these interpretations were about the same event, but they were very different. My personal reflection was mainly about how natural the encounter was. I loved reading the scene because I felt I was living through it. I actually didn't even see the metaphor or how it related at all with Sonny the first time. As I began to write an objective view all this came into sight and I began to think of encounter as not my own, but Sonny's, even leading me to a very important revelation.

I Am...

Hello!

I'm Paaras and I guess the best way to describe what I do in life is by saying that I am a dog.  Hopefully everyone loves dogs, but if not a panda or any other living thing that you wish to insert in the blank will do.  I enjoy randomly going up to people and saying "what's up?" If I was in a science class I'd say that I've been conducting my life as an experiment to see people's reactions.  Since I'm in English I'll try my hand at something more thoughtful and somewhat rhythmic.

A smile -- a hand -- and love exist everywhere and nowhere; they come as the wind and wash away like the waves.  A hard day comes across all our paths, but a warm welcome doesn't.  Giving it out isn't hard you just have to take the first step.

Well that was my attempt and I write things like that a lot.  I think I might even call it poetry, but the truth lies in your hands. Different -- unique -- genuine is what I look for in life and anything closely related to that definition draws me in.  I'll drive a toy jeep to school just because no one else has ever done it before.

I enjoy breaking things just to put them back together, but I never actually succeed.  My occupation varries; sometimes I'm the observer, sometimes the player, and sometimes neither.  Truly I'm just another 16 year old kid trying to find answers to life and this class has come across my path.  I know it'll be a class to remember and hopefully I can meet you all.

My Mother Never...

A mother's love is a wonderful thing. At times it’s a little too excessive, but you appreciate it anyways. A mother is an irreplaceable figure – a hero – a friend – and sometimes even a foe.

When I first glanced at this topic I instantly hit a wall. I could tell you of all the things she “always did” but when it came to “never” I was at a loss of words. Sure, she never drove on the wrong side of the road, or climbed the Empire State Building, but who’s mom “always did?” To truly answer this question I started by comparing things I’d known other mom’s to do. Some things I wish she had done, but others… I’m glad she didn’t.

My mother used to always walk me to my kindergarten class. All the other kids would hug their mothers and even get a kiss goodbye, but my mom never did. She didn’t even hold my hand! She often forced me to run ahead of her and go to class without her assistance. At the time I thought she was being cruel, perhaps to punish me for not eating my vegetables. But I never sat back to think about the theory behind her actions (how many kindergarteners would?). In retrospect I’m glad she never gave me a kiss goodbye. The other kids would wail the second their mothers left, but I would jump into a game of duck-duck-goose. Plus I would eventually grow out of the “getting-kisses-phase” and I’m not sure I could ever have told my mom to stop kissing me. It wasn’t like she didn’t love me; she just didn’t want me to grow up relying on her for everything.

Like any regular house with children, our home was always a mess. There were a million chores to do and only a minute to complete them. Unlike the other kids, my mother never asked me to help her with any of them. She never asked me to help her clean, cook, or do anything – she was truly independent. But there was more than just one thing going on here. I could never just sit back and watch her do work; it just wasn’t right. I’m not sure if she purposely played a “reverse psychology” game on me, but it worked. I did everything I could – sometimes even more than I physically could – to help her with everything from cleaning the home to cooking the food. I was only 6 at the time, so I’m sure there were times she didn’t want my help, but I sure felt she did. How could you not appreciate a 6 year-olds attempt at cleaning the windows with mud?

As I began to read The Flowers I noticed a similar experience with the main character. I predict that as the main character’s mother spends more time with her boyfriend she will begin to change. She will start to do things she never did before, and I feel the main character will be greatly hurt by this change. He will wish for things to go back to the old ways. Guess I’ll just have to find out.