The first essay I read was Sunday. I liked this essay because it reminded me of the holidays with my family, eating large meals until we were full beyond belief. It made me laugh in the essay when it said "white people can't cook, they don't know nothin' about seasoning." This reminded me of my mom's cooking because when she cooks her food can be pretty bland (she'd kill me if she heard me say this). I know a lot of African American families cherish their Sunday dinners and this essay told about the Coleman family's Sunday dinner. The descriptive nature of this essay shows in the last paragraph when it talks about what they eat during Sunday's dinner.
I also read Mint Snowball which is closely related to the first essay I read, Sunday. The two are closely related in meaning because they both have a sense of remembrance. Both are about a memory of family traditions relating to recipe(s) that warm the heart. The following passage shows this: "the mint snowball tasted like winter. she closed her eyes to see the Swiss village my great-grandfather's parents came from. snow frosting the roofs roofs." Nothing brings back childhood memories like eating a familiar meal with your family. These two stories reminded me of the movie Ratatouille because at the end of the movie, the food critic eats a dish made by the rat that tastes just like his favorite recipe made by his mom.
The third essay I read was Mute Dancers: How to Watch a Hummingbird. I'm going to Eastern to pursue my passion in life - wildlife, so I really enjoyed this essay. The last paragraph is awesome when it says "Hummingbirds are iridescent for the same reason soap bubbles are. each feather contains tiny air bubbles at different angles, and that makes blazing colors seem to swarm and leap." This passage is excellent at creating a vivid image of the rainbow of colors on hummingbird feathers that act as a prism when hit by sunlight, like a soap bubble.
I enjoy reading the essays because they are more straight-forward than poems and fictional stories. You don't have to look super far into the material to get the meaning or message of the essays.
great responses!
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