"Golden Glass" By Alma Luz Villanueva
Parental Guidance
Matthew B.
Everybody has problems with their parents, but for some, their problems are more serious. In ‘Golden Glass’, Ted has a shy and quiet personality. Ted decides to camp outside for the summer, alone, away from his whole family. He plans to build a fort and live in it for the whole summer. As Ted distances himself from the outside world and his family, he starts to realize what the important people in his life do for him and how they treat him. As Ted thinks more and more about the subject, he becomes more comfortable with the people around him and becomes less shy around them. He finally finds himself and his life becomes full again.
One thing Ted thinks about when he is building his fort is his mom. He thinks back to when they lived the poor part of the city. He remembers when he had a nightmare and he thought somebody was in his room. “He screamed to his mom, and she rushed into his room with a knife in one hand and a chair in the other”. He also remembers how hard she tries to get closer to him. Like one time Ted was having a good day and his mom tried to get close and talk to him, but she knew that if she made eye contact with him he would become quiet again and lose his good mood. He realizes how far his mom would go to protect him and how hard she tried to be a mother to him.
Another thing Ted thinks about is his father.”Ted thought of when his Father left, when they lived in the city”. He remembers to when he was little and his Dad left. He realizes that didn’t care about his dad whatsoever. His Dad had never helped him or his family when they were in need. When they were in desperate times in the city his dad was nowhere around. Him realizing this also added on to what his mom does for him. She had raised him with no help all his life. She never gave up and she always worked hard to provide a good life for him.
Toward the end of the book, Ted starts to take a stained glass class. In my opinion, the stained glass is symbolism of Ted’s life. You put broken pieces of glass together to make one full panel of stained glass. This symbolises Ted’s life because he puts all of his flashbacks together to make his life whole again. When Ted finishes his stained glass panel, he puts it back in his fort where he finally got his life back together. And now everytime he goes back to that fort he will remember what happened there.
Parental guidance and trust is a very big role in any kid’s life growing up. Without it, someone’s life could be severely impacted. When Ted finally thinks and realize what his parents do for him, he opens up and becomes more friendly. A successful life very rare and nearly impossible without parental guidance and trust.
Boy Doesn’t Miss His Dad
By Teagan S.
Going outside will give you clarity of the mind. I have spent time outside when I have a lot on my mind and it helps me figure out my problems. Ted’s father left his family nearly four years ago. He spends his summer outside to clear his head. Ted ends up thinking about his father. After he does that he makes stained glass. Ted spends his time outside to figure out how he feels about his dad.
Ted uses his experience outside to find out how he feels about his dad. He wants to find more about his dad. He wants to do this because his dad had left nearly 4 years ago. He was also confused about how he felt about his dad. “Ted hadn’t seen his father in nearly four years, and he didn’t miss him like you should a regular father he thought.” When Ted goes outside he figures out his confusion is because his father left.
He figured out in the middle of the story that he didn’t miss his father. “ His stomach hardened at the thought of his father.” “ He didn’t miss him like you should a regular father”.
These quotes prove that he doesn’t miss his dad.Ted, who felt comfortable making stained glass did that to cope with his father leaving and not missing him.
The author makes an analogy by using broken glass as a symbol for his life. Since Ted makes stained glass outside to cope with his father, he knows what helps him get through things. “There, he talked and acted relaxed,like a boy; no one expected any more or less.” As you can see from that quote he felt something there.Later he realized that he needs to deal with and learn how to cope with his father being gone.He used a hobby to cope with his problems.
In the middle of the story Ted realizes he doesn’t miss his father. He realized this when he was outside in his fort all summer.Since he had time to think he thought about his father and his feelings about him. Ted thinks about how his father left nearly four years ago and how his father might not’ve cared about his family.Although his father might’ve cared he didn’t have a good feeling about it.
A Boy Figuring Out his Feelings
By Alexis T.
Ted moves into a fort in the backyard all summer. In “Golden Glass” Ted brings all his belongings and moves into a fort he builds. He wants to separate himself from all noise and his family. He uses the outdoors and fort for help with his feelings. He ends up using stained glass as another way of help.Ted is confused about how he feels with family and life.
Ted moves into a fort all summer. He brings all the important things to live and went into a fort in the backyard. Here Ted is moving into his fort that he builds. Ted said “I’m building a fort and sleeping out in it all summer, and I won’t come in for anything, not even food. Okay?” Ted told Vida, his mom, that he was moving out for the summer.
He thinks about how he feels about his dad. He has a memory of his father throwing a football and hitting him to hard. As he’s building the fort he thinks about his dad. “Ted hadn’t seen his father in nearly four years, and he didn't miss him like you should a regular father, he thought.” He used this time building to realize how he felt about his dad.
He was always calm with the stained glass. He was very careful with the stained glass. If he ever ruined the glass he would curse himself.” There he talked and acted relaxed, like a boy; no one expected any more or less.” Stained glass helps Ted relax.
Ted’s feelings make him confused. He builds a fort in the backyard and moves in all summer. By separating himself all summer he’s able to figure out his feelings. Separating himself from all the noise helps him concentrate and figure his feelings out. Sometimes the best way to figure out your feelings is to be alone.
