Ragsdale

GROWING UP IN THE UNITED STATES: 

GROWING UP IN THE UNITED STATES Personal Stories From the North and South By Lori Ragsdale SLIS5440- August 7, 2002

Personal StoriesThis project compares and contrasts “growing up” stories from different parts of the U.S. and Canada: 

Personal Stories This project compares and contrasts “growing up” stories from different parts of the U.S. and Canada We enjoy listening to people’s personal stories because they: Entertain us Remind us of our own experiences Give us characters and/or events we can relate to Tell about other eras and places that are interesting Give us a sense of family and belonging

The stories in this presentation will be analyzed using the following structures of analysis:: 

The stories in this presentation will be analyzed using the following structures of analysis: Theme Setting Characters

The stories in this presentation come from:: 

The stories in this presentation come from: New York City Canada Rural Massachusetts Rural Wisconsin Suburban Arkansas Rural Texas Suburban Texas

The theme of all of the stories is “growing up”. The stories take place when the characters are 4-11 years old. : 

The theme of all of the stories is “growing up”. The stories take place when the characters are 4-11 years old. Lori was 4 years old in her story Elaine and Lena were 6-7 years old Maria, Jean, and Susie were 5 years old Sheila was 8 years old Ernestine was 6 years old Becca was 11 years old

Though only Lori, Lena, and Elaine actually lived the Mr. Softee Ice Cream incident, most everyone would agree that eating ice cream is part of growing up!: 

Though only Lori, Lena, and Elaine actually lived the Mr. Softee Ice Cream incident, most everyone would agree that eating ice cream is part of growing up! A Bronx Vignette/Mr. Softee- Elaine Friedman I spent my formative years growing up in a New York City housing project in the Soundview section of the Bronx (the Castle Hill Projects). There were twenty apartment buildings, some had 12 floors and others had 20 floors.  I lived on the 19th floor of 635 Castle Hill Avenue.  There were always many kids to play with, which is what I did each afternoon after school.  I could play in the front of the building, where there were benches and many people passing by or the back, where there was a very large playground.  During the spring and summer, I usually chose to play in the front of the building. My reason for this was simple.  The front which faced Castle Hill Avenue was a main street and the ice cream truck always stopped by around 4:00 or 4:30. And my favorite ice cream truck to stop by was Mr. Softee.  Mr. Softee made the creamiest soft ice cream ever!!! A vanilla cone with chocolate sprinkles was the way to go!!!  So each afternoon when I heard the Mr. Softee ice cream truck approach my neighborhood, all the neighborhood kids and myself would yell:"Ma, I need money for ice cream".  And in a few moments, one would see money wrapped in a small baggy come flying out numerous windows from assorted floors.  Now don't forget, I lived in a 20 story building.  Can you imagine the wrapped changed flying out of assorted windows?  It was always great fun searching for it in the grass and running over to the Mr. Softee ice cream truck in a great hurry.  I can still taste my vanilla cone with sprinkles every time I remember this sweet story. The End.

The stories all contain a fond or funny incident that influenced the girls while growing up. Each event provokes positive memories for the storyteller. : 

The stories all contain a fond or funny incident that influenced the girls while growing up. Each event provokes positive memories for the storyteller. Lori- playing with her dolls Elaine- getting Mr. Softee ice cream Susie- trying to be a big girl and ride the bus Jean- being a flowergirl in a wedding Sheila-playing with a special sled made by her father Ernestine- Shirley Temple and going to horror movies Becca- a vacation at her family cabin Lena- learning how to read “Dick and Jane” Maria- a special breakfast with her father

Ernestine grew up in Arkansas. No matter where we grew up, most of us can identify with her experience –we wanted to be special!: 

Ernestine grew up in Arkansas. No matter where we grew up, most of us can identify with her experience –we wanted to be special! “Shirley Temple Ernestine” Click on the icon

The settings of the stories in this project differ quite a bit. Some of the storytellers grew up in rural areas, others in suburban or urban areas. The stories take place in different parts of the U.S. and Canada.: 

The settings of the stories in this project differ quite a bit. Some of the storytellers grew up in rural areas, others in suburban or urban areas. The stories take place in different parts of the U.S. and Canada. Lori- The Bronx, NY Elaine- The Bronx, NY Susie- Little Elm, TX Jean- Wisconsin Rapids, WI Sheila-Lynn,Massachusetts Ernestine- Pine Bluff, AK Becca- Denton, TX Lena- The Bronx, NY Maria- Edmonton Alberta Canada

These true personal stories took place in different decades from the 1930’s- the 1980’s.: 

These true personal stories took place in different decades from the 1930’s- the 1980’s. Ernestine- 1930’s Susie and Sheila- late 1940’s Maria, Lori, Lena, and Elaine- 1960’s Jean- Early 1970’s Becca- late 1980’s

Lori’s story takes place in The Bronx, NY in 1960. She was 4 years old.: 

Lori’s story takes place in The Bronx, NY in 1960. She was 4 years old. “The Runaway Doll Carriage” Click on the icon

The characters in all of the stories are very similar. All of the characters are young girls between the ages of 4 and 11 years old. The characters may have different accents, but they all have something in common- they want to be “big girls”!: 

The characters in all of the stories are very similar. All of the characters are young girls between the ages of 4 and 11 years old. The characters may have different accents, but they all have something in common- they want to be “big girls”! Jean and Susie both wanted to be “big girls”. Jean succeeded a little better than Susie, but both had memorable experiences. Click here for Jean’s story Click here for Susie’s story “Flowergirl Jean” “Susie and the Red Flag”

In her story, Lena desperately wants to learn how to read. Most of us can identify with this goal, or another one that was important to us.: 

In her story, Lena desperately wants to learn how to read. Most of us can identify with this goal, or another one that was important to us. Reading With Dick and Jane- Lena Townsend In the middle of first grade we moved to a new neighborhood so I started in a new school.  There I remember being put in class 1-5 which was the next to the "slowest" class because in my new school, P.S. 107, children had formal reading instruction beginning in kindergarten and that wasn't so in my old school.  The teacher gave my mother copies of old Dick and Jane books because she said that I'd learned as much in a few months as the other kids had learned all year.  So, I remember spending every night reading Dick and Jane books with my mother before I went to sleep.  In April we received a letter stating that I wouldn't be promoted but, because I learned how to read those Dick and Jane books I was promoted to class 2-5.

Two of the stories, Maria’s and Sheila’s, shared good memories of the characters with their fathers. Not all of the storytellers had good relationships of their fathers. Stories and their characters can provoke positive or negative memories for the listeners.: 

Two of the stories, Maria’s and Sheila’s, shared good memories of the characters with their fathers. Not all of the storytellers had good relationships of their fathers. Stories and their characters can provoke positive or negative memories for the listeners. “Maria and Dad’s Breakfast” Click on the icon

Summary- I enjoyed this project, and I learned a lot from the experience:: 

Summary- I enjoyed this project, and I learned a lot from the experience: Gathering the stories was very enjoyable. My friends recorded the stories on Pure Voice or e-mailed them to me. I learned that most people have memorable experiences during childhood that they like to share with others. Some people were too shy to record a story, but they would write them down. Changing Pure Voice files into wav files actually works! I want to continue to gather stories from friends and relatives to add to this Power Point presentation for prosperity Personal stories are my favorite storytelling type. Making a Power Point presentation is a creative experience-like storytelling Growing up is universal, we can all relate to it , no matter where we grew up

Bibliographic Citations: 

Bibliographic Citations Dycha, Maria. “Maria and Dad’s Breakfast”. Personal Story. On a cold winter’s day in Edmonton Alberta Canada, 5-year-old Maria and her father share a special breakfast as they await the arrival of a new baby brother. Friedman, Elaine. “A Bronx Vignette/Mr. Softee”. Personal Story. Elaine reminisces about waiting for the ice cream truck and the unique way she and the other kids in the Bronx got their ice cream money. Gaines, Becca. “A Mishap at the Cabin”. Personal Story. Becca’s grandfather gives the family a run for their money when he tries to start a fire in the fireplace a little too enthusiastically.

The End: 

The End

Citations, Con’t.: 

Citations, Con’t. Hellner, Jean. “Flowergirl Jean”. Personal Story. Five-year-old Jean has her big day as a first-time flowergirl in her new pink dress. However, Jean is more concerned with the partying than the actual wedding ceremony, and steals the show. Ragsdale, Ernestine. “Shirley Temple Ernestine”. Personal Story. Ernestine and her mother were big Shirley Temple fans in the 1930’s. Ernestine’s “Shirley Temple Syndrom” began when a big pageant came to town—and her mother insisted she enter it. Ragsdale, Ernestine. “Ernie at the Movies”. Personal Story. When horror movies were playing at the movie theater, Ernestine always wanted to go with her big brother. She couldn’t help it, if she always got scared. Ragsdale, Lori. “The Runaway Doll Carriage”. Personal Story. While playing outside with the other little girls, four-year-old Lori has a traumatic experience when her doll carriage gets away and is blown down a hill.

Citations, con’t.: 

Citations, con’t. Scales, Sheila. “The Shamrock Sled”. Personal Story. Sheilah is the envy of her Massachusetts neighborhood when her father builds her the best sled ever. Townsend, Lena. “Reading With Dick and Jane”. Personal Story. When Lena moves to a new elementary school, she and her mother work hard to help her learn how to read so she can be promoted to second grade. Watkins, Susie. “Susie and the Red Flag”. Personal Story. Five-year-old Susie wants to prove she is a big girl by holding up the red flag to flag down the bus that will take her and her grandmother to Denton. Unfortunately, the bus is bigger than Susie thought.