Act 2, Scene 9 "Return to the Barrio"

The beginning of this scene drove me a bit crazy, when everyone was speaking to Henry at the same time, but i eventually understood everything that was going on. I did sort of like it because the ending is for a person to decide what he/she may want the story to end like, but I would have still liked the story to have had an official ending.
Pachucho (to the audience/reader) pg. 94: " That's the way you see it, ese. But there's other ways to end this story"
The story can have a different ending to everyone, which can either be a tragic ending or a happy one, it's for the person to wonder and decide, therefore this can change the play in a completely different way, if the play were ever to have a continuation.
Question: Why do you believe that Valdez creates chaos when Henry returns home, causing so many problems to Henry in an instant? problems about love, family and the barrio. Explain.

Act 2, Scene 8 "The winning of the War"

At the beginning this scene was confusing because all that was spoken about, was the war and that didn't have anything to do with the story, but towards the end i understood. The shore patrol asked Rudy about certain important dates, all having to do with the war, leaving out an important day, Nov. 8th, 1944 when the boys and Henry Reyna were freed.
People (screaming in general to everyone):"FREEDOM!!" pg. 87
After the long fight and ups and downs of hopes, the war in the case of Henry Reyna and his gang was won. The yelling of freedom can represent both, cries from the release of 38th St. Gang and the end of World War 2. Freedom can also be an inspiration to fight against other injustices.
Questions: What do you think is the reason why Valdez decided to include in the beginning, the interview of World War 2? Explain.

Act 2, Scene 7 "Alice"

I had already sort of seen it coming that Alice and Henry would kiss, this scene is changing because Henry is trying at most to gain more hope to be free and Alice gives it to him but all of a sudden he is changed to another prison. I enjoyed this scene since, it brought a spin to the story by having Henry sent to another prison, he may not even reach time to get into that prison before he is free, but who knows, there will be a lot of controversy over this.
Henry to El Pachuco, pg.85 "You were wrong, ese... There's is something to hope for. I know now we're going to win the appeal. Do you hear me, ese? Ese! (pause) Are you even there anymore?"
Henry now believes that he will be a free man, and he says this in order to have proven El Pachuco wrong about everything that he has been saying to Henry. Having more hope will cause a bigger fight for freedom and with a bigger fight, more chances of winning and achieving freedom.
Question: Why do you believe Henry was changed to different prison? Do you believe that El Pachuco had already seen it coming?A change in prison, do you believe it is just to bring down everyone's hope for freedom?

Act 2, Scene 6 Zoot Suit Riots

The only part that was confusing to me is, whether if it was to El Pachuco whom had he's clothes torn off. So far this scene just proofs also what has happened to Henry Reyna and his gang, that the press has been manipulating the situation, making everything seem that, Mexicans are dangerous, wild, while in reality it had been the sailors who started everything.
"The sailors go back to Bertha and Lupe who resist. Cholo and Rudy go to their defense and a fight develops." (script pg. 79)
This part of the script proves how the "zooters" only have wanted to protect their own, the whites/sailors have been the problem this whole time. Whites were the ones to have started the Zoot-Suiter war, whites believed that they could do whatever they want, while all that the zooters have attempted to do is just protect their own. This script just contribute to the hate that whites and the press have for zooters/"minorities" but besides this it doesn't contribute to anything else, except just a hate theme from behalf of whites.
Question: What was the purpose of El Pachuco for showing this scene to Henry?

Zoot Suit Act 2 Scene:5

This scene is pretty simple to understand, Henry is in the prison and el Pachuco is just trying to bring down Henry's hope of freedom. The only part that I am not liking is that El Pachuco is trying to bring down Henry's hopes of freedom. Henry before was listening to El Pachucho but now that he wants freedom, he has stopped listenning to El pachuco and because of this El Pachucho seems to be trying harder to take away Henry's want of freedom.
Henry: (directed to el Pachuco, pg. 77)" I miss them, ese...my jefitos, my carnalillo, my sis...I miss Della." "There's still a chance I''ll get out."
When a person has a desire of freedom, a desire to get out of jail either through desire to see family, friends or loved ones, a change of ways can occur. By Henry saying these words, it sounds that he wants to change his life, he wants to be a free man and be able to see his girlfriends and family, and in order to not have this happen again, it sounds like Henry will leave the Pachucos' ways and whatever bad life style he has been living, he will be a "good" boy now.
Question: Why do you believe that El Pachuco tries to bring down Henry's hopes for freedom?

Precis:2nd Chunk Fast Food Nation

Erick Schlosser's 2005 book, Fast Food Nation, explains the kinds of supplies the restaurants need for the food, in other words how and from where the food is made. He explains the process in a very factual and anecdotal way, by the describing the many companies that contribute to these fast food chains. Now in days the fast food has been created with artificial flavors, before everything was cooked in a very natural way, but now that competition is an everyday part of life in fast food chains; time and money is very important. Fast food restaurants look for good quality frozen food that can please, attract more customers, save time and money. For this reason food corporations like the potato companies attempt to make different types of fries, frozen fries that still taste good when reheated and also the companies tend to try to make new technology that will have a faster way of cooking the food and freezing them. Besides making faster methods the flavor is important also. Fast food chains have companies that they go to that supply them or make new artificial flavor for them. When a fast food company has new flavor food people tend to but it if it is something that they like. An example is the strawberry shake, it's artificial flavor yet people buy it because it still taste like the strawberry. At times this is good, the use of artificial flavors because, as Schlosser explains, that some fruit can contain a deadly poison and for that reason the artificial flavor is created. Not only is flavor the only issue but cattle and the low payment that ranchers and growers receive for their cattle. Some growers, is estimated that they make $12,000 a year (very low). Schlosser describes the suffrage and struggle of the growers and animals due to the whole process of the food chains through a very informative
Tone: Informative
Rhetorical Terms: imagery: "Hank was 42 years old and handsome enough to be a Hollywood cowboy, tall and rugged, wearing blue jeans, old boots, and a big white hat."
allusion: "The 1960s were the heyday of artificial flavors."
imagery: "J.R. Simplot has the sly grin of a gambler who's scored big."
Simile/allusion: "The dehydrated onion powder, he later recalled, was like "gold dust."
Discussion Questions: Clarification: How do restaurants and ranchers/suppliers tackle the same problem of wages?
Application: How can fast food affect us with all the new chemicals being invented?
Style: Does Schlossers informative book help people think twice before buying fast food?
Quotation: "I just hung on" (pg.116)

Precis:"On the Want of Money"

William Hazlitt's nineteenth-century essay, "On the Want of Money," focuses on the bad side of not having money through a very imaginative-negative essay. Hazlitt focuses on the difference between having money and not having money even though he does not know the actual effects of not having money, towards what life the person is going to lead to. Poverty will only get a person to a certain place while money can give importance to once life. Being poor will only cause a loss and neglection of friends, a cast away in one's own country. There will be no option but to live a crappy life, yet again there are those who can try to thrive in life, some may fail while others may succeed. Being wealthy, as Hazlitt explains, can cause attention from all classes, new and more friends, acceptance from the government/country, be respected, have a place to die with people to care for your will, there will be someone to commemorate your genius and misfortunes.
Tone: Negative/positive
Rhetorical Terms: Imagery: "...marry your landlady..."
Imagery: "...sit at a desk in some public office..."
Allusion: "...or to go out to the East or West Indies..."
Imagery: "...crowd round your coffin..."
Imagery: "...thrown into the background-or a goal (jail)..."
Discussion Questions: Clarification:
Application: How does money affect our daily life?
Style: Does Hazlitt's negative portrayal of poverty cause a desire for richness?
Quotation: "One cannot get on well in the world without money."