Matthew

=**Coming of Age In The 21st Century**=

Friday, March 18, 2011 "How to date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie" Junot Diaz P.249-254

1. Favorite Quote: "By the time your stomach gives out, a Honda or maybe a Jeep pulls in and out she comes."

2. So far in the short story, it is a father and son dialogged but the father is the main person who is talking. The father is helping his son how to pick up a girl and how to impress the girl. The father compares by the race and what they will do. He compares between a black girl, white girl, halfie and some Spanish girls. He also talks about stereotypes that the girls will do; the way they talk, interact and their appearance. A white girl would be super polite and well orderly. The father of the white girl will have to meet himself and his family. At the end the white girl will give you a (too sexually to say). As for a black girl, manners does not matter and it will just "fly." A halfie would be at half black and half white. Overall the father goes on and on about different possible outcomes and what other characters would say.

3. I like the book and the characters so far because they remind me of someone or an event that happened in my life. At one point in my life I remember doing something stupid like swinging on the cloths line and the line snapped. When the father told his son to do one thing he does another like my brother and I when we were younger.

4. The father in the story is sort of like my dad when he was still around. He would always tell me about girls and who I should date and get married to. My dad would compare why Asians would be the best for me. At that time I didn't really care but I was 8 or something. My favorite quote reminds me of a thing where every American either drives an Asian or an American car. The son reminds me of my brother and I when we were young. We had a very funny side and smart way of thinking when we were growing up. One time when my mom told us to go to sleep, we went to sleep instantly right on the spot.

5. The one question that still bothers me is; how does the title fit the stories if the book is basically a direct connection to only one character?