Given the experience that Mercedes and Nikki have at the summer camp, what insight can you make about opportunities or new possibilities that come into their lives? Consider both their experience at the camp and what happens after Coco brings them home.
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I believe this camp experience helped change both Nikki and Mercedes's bad behavior problems. I think this experience helped Mercedes and Nikki communicate with others and see a different world besides poverty.This experienced taught the girls what fun really was. This example is expressed on page 276. It shows how much fun Mercedes had teaching Pearl, Nautica and Coco the words to the song "Boom Chicka Rocka Chicka Boom"that she learned while at camp.
I think the camp change alot of stuff. I think it broke the ice between the too Mercedes and Nikki that is. It showed them a whole world besides the one they lived in.They had a time away from the hood and had fun.
I see Mercedes and Nikki taking on skills from camp, such as being independent. They have a new attitude of achieving whatever they put their minds to. Mercedes favorite book at camp was Girls Can Do Anything, which shows a glimpse into this new outlook she has on life. Nikki became more outgoing by performing a small role in the talent show at camp. The girls they still missed home when they were at camp. When they returned home they were again surrounded by negativity. This might cause them to end up just like their mom, but hopefully they will retain the positive messages they learned at camp.
Mercedes is more connected with Coco than the other girls. They go everywhere together. Mercedes hates the sight of her mother going somewhere without her. She craves her attention. Coco would send her other girls off to her mother’s or friends’ house, but stayed with Mercedes. That winter in Ramapo, Nikki was excited to go to camp. Mercedes didn’t want to. She wanted to stay with her mother. The camp counselors had to pin her down and blocked her from reaching her mother. Coco felt bad when she heard her Mercedes wailing for her, but she took a risk of separating from her for the first time. Mercedes and Nikki wrote letters to Coco saying that they are having a good time. Mercedes made friends and learned new songs. Her behavior changed as well, pg 272. She was less of a fighter and shared with her siblings. But that didn’t last long. She returned to her old habits when she spent more time at home.
The camp experience changed bothe of the little girls Nikki and Mercedes. The bad behavior lowered and they got to interact with other children. They got away from the world of drugs and povery. For once the two children were able to live as real children reading books and performing in talent shows. Overall the camp experience for the children it changed them and gave them an opportunity to see something other then poverty.
Consider both their experience at the camp and what happens after Coco brings them home
The opportunities and possibilites that Nikki and Mercedes have is that when they go to camp they change their attitutes a lot. They didn't curse as much as before and Mercedes the trouble maker didn't get into fights at all but was the most popular girl in the camp. Everything was good until the girls got out of camp and went back home and everything went back to normal. At the beginning they were good they didn't yell and try to do things like they were used to in camp but didn't last long because Mercedes went back of how she used to act before.
The camp experience I believe somewhat made it hard for Nikki and Mercedes to return to the slums in which they live in. Showing the way that Mercedes was unprepared back and did not want to go to camp and then the way she comes home is a complete 180. When she returned home a sense of sadness came over her as in the example on page 272. "Like a lawyer assembling her papers after a weary court battle, she organized her drawings and sketches." This in my opinion shows that she is tired just like the rest of the family and preparing to go back into the Bronx.
The opportunities they both had were meeting new people and makeing a lot of friends. Mercedes had a lot of fun and she enjoyed boat riding. Coco thinks Mercedes changed a lot because before she use to fight a lot with her sister but ever since she brought them home from camp she hasn't fought with her sisters.
As what I believed, the summer camp had help these family to interact more with each other. Staying away from their grown up world, taught Mercedes and Nikki to enjoy life at their very young age. I think they deserved to enjoy their childhood days and they would never forget the experience indeed. What's more important now is they had a great bond as a happy family.
The camp experience was really good for both girls Mercedes and Nikki. They both learned a lot otherthan poverty life. While staying in the camp Mercedes also learned that she wanted to study and wanted to become doctor which surprised Coco. But Mercedes changed a lot because before she was very strong and was a trouble maker but when Coco went to pick her up from the Camp she saw how Mercedes starting sharing things with her siblings. I am surprised by the fact that Mercedes became same old again by staying home. As Mercedes she changed herself for better by staying home with her mother she is becoming same old Mercedes.
IF you are interested in some images that give you a view into the world of these characters, visit this website:
http://www.brendakenneally.com/
This is the photographer that worked with LeBlanc, although these pictures are not of our characters.
I think the camp really helped the kids. It taught them how to be more like kids and less fresh. The camp also gave them a different prespective of live and what else is out there for them besides sex and drugs.I think if they went every summer they would finally have a good role model to follow.They also met friends there they sang they played games.Most of all they wasn't around all the negativity.The kids was upset when they went back home but their attutides were different.
Also, Mercedes and Nikki learned to become independent.:)
What I see in the girls is that their attitudes have changed a bit. Also on the letter Mercedes writes to her mom she tells her all about the games they played and the party they had. She also writes to Frankie and talks about her favorite song and she wants to sing it to him. I think that at camp the girls saw what it felt like to being away from their mom and we saw how hard it was for Mercedes to say bye when she was dropped off at camp. I hope that this experience helps the girls and is something they remember for the rest of their lives.
The camp experience has helped both Mercedes and Nikki to be more independent and to make knew freinds. They get to live at camp without their mother for three weeks. Mercedes is always with her mother and her sisters. Going to camp was new. She didn't know what to expect and was not happy on the first day. In the end she was considered to be the most popular girl and had many friends. Mercedes and Nikki had bonded and are not fighting like they use to. This experience was also new to Nikki. What both girls have learned alot from the camp. They are teaching Nautica and pearl a few things such as songs. Also they get to see the difference of what society looks like. From what poverty is and what high society looks like.
The believe the camp experience has changed Mercedes and Nikki bad behaviors and they have the opportunity to make new friends. They learn how to be independent and learn new songs. This also show them a different world besides poverty and drugs. They had lots of fun and get to interact with other children.
I think summer camp gave Nikki and Mercedes a break from the harsh lifestyle they’re living in, surround by all the drugs and violence. The misbehaving mist away, as they enjoyed more of their childhood in camp than they did back at home. The getaway affected their lives positively, even though it might not last long after the return to their normal lifestyles.
Coco knew that sending the girls to camp was a good opportunity. It gave them a chance to learn new and fun things like kids are supposed to. They got a chance to socialize and be creative by doing artwork. Sending them to camp also helps because it prepares them for the future. They have to be on there own and know how to function in a different environment than what they are used to. Coco wasn't prepared for the reaction of Mercedes becuase she never been away from home that long before.
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