A blog devoted to Chae Sweet's ENG073 course at Hudson County Community College. Students will discuss "Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx."
Shortly after the trip from Florida, it was Serena’s eighth birthday celebration. Milagros promised to take the children to Coney Island and they went and had lots of fun. Coco and Milagros began partying. In that summer of June 1993, Coco moved into Thorpe House (a shelter home). At that time she was five months pregnant with Cesar second baby. She received a small amount of money from welfare and tried very hard to maintain a living and keep her children cleaned and well dressed. The new house was boring at first and Coco did not like the fact that the nuns were into her business. Milagros had also planned to move to a better neighborhood. Coco admired her sister Iris’s accomplishment. Every week she would rearrange her apartment and longed for visitors but no one showed up. Lourdes always made excuses. Coco did not like to be far away from her mother Foxy. She would visit her often. In the mean time, Coco get in contact with Cesar but he was far away and the visiting cost a lot and she could not afford it. But then he was transferred to Rikers and Coco and the children were excited to go see him. That same morning Cesar saw his father after years have passed and he was happy. During the visitation, Coco and Cesar did not talk much. After Coco went home she started to cry. In that winter, Cesar was transferred back at Coxsackie and Lourdes went to visit him. Cesar was not pleased when he discovered that Lourdes husband has been beaten her. Lourdes was upset as well. Even though Coco cheated on Cesar, Cesar still loves her with all his heart and she loves him a lot too. But Cesar was confused about his feelings. He was unsure to marry Coco. He wants a pretty girl who would help him out and he realized that Coco was the only one who stood beside him. Lizette and Roxanne were with other boys. Cesar never lie to Coco about other girls, he always tells her the truth. He was loyal to her. Cesar desired for a son. Before he moved back to Coxsackie, his daughter Mercedes saw her grandfather. Jessica was very upset when she heard because that was the man who abused her when she was small. She did not trust him around anyone. That same October, Coco gave birth to baby Nautica. Mercedes was with her at the hospital meanwhile Nikki was with her father Kodak. Coco birthday was coming up shortly and that year it fell on thanksgiving. Coco was desperate to go out dancing and stay out late with her friends. However, she and Terry went out that night. Cesar did not call Coco on her birthday but he wrote her a letter stating that he wanted to have a relationship and a family with her. He knew she was the only one who cared for him. Coco was happy and her distress went away. She was ready for a better life and go back to school. That Christmas everyone was broke. Cesar spent his Christmas in a lock-down because he got into a fight with Muslim and was shipped further upstate to Southport for his punishment. However, at that time Coco and Wishman (her puppy love boyfriend) was writing letters and Cesar and Giselle was also exchanging letters and became close friends. That winter Coco went to get a tattoo. She and Cesar broke up and got back together several times. She was going to school for her GED. Coco went once again with Mercedes and Nautica to visit Cesar. During the winter, Wishman was released from prison. He and Coco had been seeing each other for a while and unfortunately she was pregnant. Cesar heard the rumor and wanted Coco to get an abortion because he still loves her and wanted to have a family. But Coco knew she had no chance with Cesar. Wishman on the other hand wanted Coco to get an abortion as well because he did not want his girlfriend to discover that he cheated, but Coco refused. Jessica requested a transfer in Danbury Connecticut when she was aware that Lourdes would never make it to Florida. There she had a job at compound power plant and a young guard that supervised her named Torres. Torres was very kind and generous. He reminded Jessica of Boy George. They soon began talking and sharing their stories. During Jessica’s night shift, she would wear lingerie, makeup, and dance for him. Family day was a big event for prisoners and Jessica was devastated because none of her family showed up. However not long after, Jessica had fallen for Torres. She and her friend became roommates and very close. Jessica had planned to have a future with Torres after she is released from prison and he divorced his wife. She did not want to return to the Bronx anymore.
The theme that is present in pages 139-203 is mainly about poverty and the different effects it has on Coco and her mother Foxy. On page 143 it talks about Coco being five months pregnant on her third child. Coco decided to become homeless, so she could become on a long waiting list and she could get her own apartment. Since Coco was pregnant she qualified for emergency placement. Coco was sent to the Thorope House which was a good effect for Coco and her children. For example she didn't have to worry about paying rent because the nuns covered the rent and everything except food. Coco was getting away from poverty a little bit, but she still was going where poverty was, like her mother Foxy's house who had seven people living with her. Coco was kind of supporting her mother by giving food stamps and W.I.C. checks. It seemed like the more she wanted to get away from poverty the more poverty was pulling her down, because she could not say no to her family which sometimes effected her. If she gave her mother money sometimes it might mean Coco had no money for her appointment and she would then miss it.
Two pivotal scenes covered in pages 139-203 are when Cesar breaks off with Coco for good because she was fooling around with Wishman. Cesar did not write to Coco about the break up, but instead wrote to her mother, Foxy. In the letter he told her that he really did love Coco and wanted a family, but that she obviously did not want the same cause she was pregnant again. He said he gave Coco another chance, but she blew it and all he wanted was a lot of pictures of Mercy and Naughty. Jessica was transferred to a prison in Danbury, Connecticut where she met a Dominican named Ernesto Torres who supervised her. They would flirt with each other and stay up all night talking. He became her new boyfriend and she planned a future with him in it. Jessica would tell Serna that they would move some where happy and far away with her new boyfriend because she did not want to return home to the Bronx. These two scenes are important because Coco and Cesar have been very close through the whole book. Coco and Cesar dedicated alot of their time to each other even while Coco was in the shelter and Cesar in jail. Coco was loyal to Cesar because that is all she ever talked about, she even went as far as getting a tatto "Coco love Cesar". Now that Coco and Cesar are finished we will have to see what unfolds with their lives without each other. Jessica's transfer to Connecticut is a big change because she seems to totally forget about Boy George after she meets her new boyfriend Tores. She plans her future far away from the Bronx with Serena and Tores. Will Jessica stick it out with Tores or is he just another one of her flings.
I'm a writing professor at Hudson County Community College. I have been teaching here for about 10 years, and I love working with the eclectic bunch of students I meet each semester.
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Summary:
Shortly after the trip from Florida, it was Serena’s eighth birthday celebration. Milagros promised to take the children to Coney Island and they went and had lots of fun. Coco and Milagros began partying. In that summer of June 1993, Coco moved into Thorpe House (a shelter home). At that time she was five months pregnant with Cesar second baby. She received a small amount of money from welfare and tried very hard to maintain a living and keep her children cleaned and well dressed. The new house was boring at first and Coco did not like the fact that the nuns were into her business. Milagros had also planned to move to a better neighborhood. Coco admired her sister Iris’s accomplishment. Every week she would rearrange her apartment and longed for visitors but no one showed up. Lourdes always made excuses. Coco did not like to be far away from her mother Foxy. She would visit her often.
In the mean time, Coco get in contact with Cesar but he was far away and the visiting cost a lot and she could not afford it. But then he was transferred to Rikers and Coco and the children were excited to go see him. That same morning Cesar saw his father after years have passed and he was happy. During the visitation, Coco and Cesar did not talk much. After Coco went home she started to cry.
In that winter, Cesar was transferred back at Coxsackie and Lourdes went to visit him. Cesar was not pleased when he discovered that Lourdes husband has been beaten her. Lourdes was upset as well. Even though Coco cheated on Cesar, Cesar still loves her with all his heart and she loves him a lot too. But Cesar was confused about his feelings. He was unsure to marry Coco. He wants a pretty girl who would help him out and he realized that Coco was the only one who stood beside him. Lizette and Roxanne were with other boys. Cesar never lie to Coco about other girls, he always tells her the truth. He was loyal to her. Cesar desired for a son. Before he moved back to Coxsackie, his daughter Mercedes saw her grandfather. Jessica was very upset when she heard because that was the man who abused her when she was small. She did not trust him around anyone.
That same October, Coco gave birth to baby Nautica. Mercedes was with her at the hospital meanwhile Nikki was with her father Kodak. Coco birthday was coming up shortly and that year it fell on thanksgiving. Coco was desperate to go out dancing and stay out late with her friends. However, she and Terry went out that night.
Cesar did not call Coco on her birthday but he wrote her a letter stating that he wanted to have a relationship and a family with her. He knew she was the only one who cared for him. Coco was happy and her distress went away. She was ready for a better life and go back to school. That Christmas everyone was broke. Cesar spent his Christmas in a lock-down because he got into a fight with Muslim and was shipped further upstate to Southport for his punishment. However, at that time Coco and Wishman (her puppy love boyfriend) was writing letters and Cesar and Giselle was also exchanging letters and became close friends. That winter Coco went to get a tattoo. She and Cesar broke up and got back together several times. She was going to school for her GED.
Coco went once again with Mercedes and Nautica to visit Cesar. During the winter, Wishman was released from prison. He and Coco had been seeing each other for a while and unfortunately she was pregnant. Cesar heard the rumor and wanted Coco to get an abortion because he still loves her and wanted to have a family. But Coco knew she had no chance with Cesar. Wishman on the other hand wanted Coco to get an abortion as well because he did not want his girlfriend to discover that he cheated, but Coco refused.
Jessica requested a transfer in Danbury Connecticut when she was aware that Lourdes would never make it to Florida. There she had a job at compound power plant and a young guard that supervised her named Torres. Torres was very kind and generous. He reminded Jessica of Boy George. They soon began talking and sharing their stories. During Jessica’s night shift, she would wear lingerie, makeup, and dance for him.
Family day was a big event for prisoners and Jessica was devastated because none of her family showed up. However not long after, Jessica had fallen for Torres. She and her friend became roommates and very close. Jessica had planned to have a future with Torres after she is released from prison and he divorced his wife. She did not want to return to the Bronx anymore.
The theme that is present in pages 139-203 is mainly about poverty and the different effects it has on Coco and her mother Foxy. On page 143 it talks about Coco being five months pregnant on her third child. Coco decided to become homeless, so she could become on a long waiting list and she could get her own apartment. Since Coco was pregnant she qualified for emergency placement. Coco was sent to the Thorope House which was a good effect for Coco and her children. For example she didn't have to worry about paying rent because the nuns covered the rent and everything except food. Coco was getting away from poverty a little bit, but she still was going where poverty was, like her mother Foxy's house who had seven people living with her. Coco was kind of supporting her mother by giving food stamps and W.I.C. checks. It seemed like the more she wanted to get away from poverty the more poverty was pulling her down, because she could not say no to her family which sometimes effected her. If she gave her mother money sometimes it might mean Coco had no money for her appointment and she would then miss it.
Two pivotal scenes covered in pages 139-203 are when Cesar breaks off with Coco for good because she was fooling around with Wishman. Cesar did not write to Coco about the break up, but instead wrote to her mother, Foxy. In the letter he told her that he really did love Coco and wanted a family, but that she obviously did not want the same cause she was pregnant again. He said he gave Coco another chance, but she blew it and all he wanted was a lot of pictures of Mercy and Naughty.
Jessica was transferred to a prison in Danbury, Connecticut where she met a Dominican named Ernesto Torres who supervised her. They would flirt with each other and stay up all night talking. He became her new boyfriend and she planned a future with him in it. Jessica would tell Serna that they would move some where happy and far away with her new boyfriend because she did not want to return home to the Bronx.
These two scenes are important because Coco and Cesar have been very close through the whole book. Coco and Cesar dedicated alot of their time to each other even while Coco was in the shelter and Cesar in jail. Coco was loyal to Cesar because that is all she ever talked about, she even went as far as getting a tatto "Coco love Cesar". Now that Coco and Cesar are finished we will have to see what unfolds with their lives without each other. Jessica's transfer to Connecticut is a big change because she seems to totally forget about Boy George after she meets her new boyfriend Tores. She plans her future far away from the Bronx with Serena and Tores. Will Jessica stick it out with Tores or is he just another one of her flings.
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