ENGL 108 Assignment 2

ENGL 108 Assignment 2 | Canvas University

Jamila Goode

Eng.098

                                                                                                                          April 15, 2018

Reading Journal 3: Dreams of My Father (memoir)

Before:

Based off the title, Dreams of my father My prediction of this novel is about Barack Obama's childhood, his race, education etc. Also, how effective some things were to him in his life and how he overcame his obstacles to get where he is today in society. Overall, I feel that this novel will be very inspiring to us as readers and we will gain a lot of different and new knowledge that we can use in our everyday lives.

During (Active) Reading:

Background Knowledge:

(Pg. 19)" I ceased to advertise my Mother's race at the age 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites." This quote explains how Obama isdiscussing his understanding of racial divisions in the country.

(Pg. 41) In the novel it state's " it remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names." This quote exposes the pressure Obama was feeling to choose between races.

(Pg. 46) “My father grew up hindering his father's goats andattending, the local school, set up by the British colonial administration, where he had shown great promise." I feel this quote reveals how much Obama admired his father.

(Pg. 35) I realized throughout the novel, so far Obama has mixed emotions between the races that could never be clear. As stated from the texted " My identity might have begun with the fact of my race, but it didn’t couldn’t end there. At least that’s what I would choose to believe."

(Pg. 53) "We remained like that for several minutes, in painful silence, I sat on the edge of my bed and thought about my grandparents." These words reminded me of a time in my life when my brother and I lost our grandparents. It left a dent in our hearts we were quiet for days more like weeks, we were so speechless. Our grandparents meant the world to us. They lived a good life and were married for 53 years.

Inquiry:

Who are two people that influencedObama?

Describe Obama's relationship with his mother and grandparents?

On a scale 1-10 what would you rate this book?

What are the characteristics in Dreams of myFather?

Would you recommend this novel to others?