Perspective Discussion #2 - TheUtmostTrouble Forum

2. Group B---omanson27

cstubbs10 — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 14:02:48 +0000

In the Ted Talk “How using perspective transformed my world,” Michael explains he has been a respiratory therapist for 28 years and one night he had an emergency C-section that led to the death of a newborn baby boy named Tory. This led him to understand the difference between perspective and perception and how it changed his life and mindset. Michael helps us to understand that when you have perspective, it creates deeper connections. He now sees things for what they are instead of only seeing a task or a “thing.” The novel “The Sun Is Also A Star” by Nicola Yoon shows how two teenagers experience the first stages of “love at first sight” in their own unique ways. Daniel is a lot more spiritual than Natasha in the fact that he believes in fate and love. Poetry is one of the things he loves which his parents think is basically a waste of time. He is fairly different from the rest of his family, his older brother goes to Harvard and he feels the need to be like “the perfect son” and his parents are being pushy for him to go to Yale while he tries to follow in his brother’s footsteps but also trying to make his own decisions. Especially when Natasha comes into his life. Natasha is a “keep to herself” kind of person. She is scheduled to be deported back to Jamaica, but she’s nervous to go back to her old life that she’s already left behind. Being deported is not her decision, it’s the government’s decision because she is an illegal immigrant, with a false social security number, which is also not her decision. Unfortunately the day that she is set to meet about the deportation she, literally, bumps into Daniel, or “Red Tie” and starts to fall for him. As Natasha and Daniel continue spending the day together in New York City, they are getting to know each other better. Natasha meets with an immigration lawyer to try to stop her family’s deportation, but she learns there is little he can do to help. Meanwhile, Daniel keeps trying to prove that two people can fall in love in a single day by asking Natasha deep and personal questions. He brings her to a karaoke place and he sings a song almost perfectly to show Natasha his talent. Natasha sang a song too, but she was all heart and no skill. Then they went onto each other, which both of them had been waiting for all day. When they share their thoughts about family, dreams, and the future, Natasha slowly begins to open up to him. Even though they grow closer, Natasha still worries about having to leave the country soon. When they leave the karaoke place, Natasha tells Daniel the truth about her deportation and they have a big fight, leaving them both guilty in their own ways. My book and the Ted Talk are connected because of how gaining perspective creates a deeper understanding or connection to someone. Both say, in a way, that you may or may not like that shift or change, but you should let it happen and be patient. A quote from my book that helps to show this is, “We’re not meant to be, Daniel. I’m an undocumented immigrant. I’m being deported. Today is my last day in America. Tomorrow I’ll be gone”(Yoon 189). A quote from the Ted Talk that shows this is, “We need to make that conscious effort to step outside ourselves, put ourselves in someone else’s shoes, try to understand and recognize what battles they might be fighting, what hopes and fears they might have”

Does your character have a problem or situation that they didn’t tell until later? Is there a way that your character can learn from this?

2. Group C---jsmith27

jennifer.chick@rsu4.org — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 17:00:18 +0000

In Phuc Tran’s book, Sigh, Gone, he discusses the difficulty of figuring out his identity as an immigrant in a mostly American neighborhood. From questioning his name to determining where he fits in the social structure of his high school, Tran has to navigate learning who he is with an additional barrier to the average teenager, having a whole other culture as a large part of his life. One way that Tran finds ways to carve out his place is to read, not just to improve his vocabulary, but so he can have the same cultural references as the typical white guy, using Clifton Fadiman’s The Lifetime Reading Plan as a guide.

At one point in the story he references The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and how Hester agrees to the social contract of being labelled as an adulterer with the scarlet A on all of her clothing. He transfers this piece of literature to the experiences he had in the second grade where one peer relentlessly referred to him as a “gook”. Despite not knowing what this meant, he handled it as a great insult, punching the other student in the face, therefore creating a social contract that he was, in fact, a “gook”, “I could have ignored it or allowed my ignorance to shield myself, but that very ignorance would have further isolated me, and ultimately dehumanized me…But if I allowed myself to be harmed by words, I was showing them that I belonged at least by virtue of understanding their language. And all I wanted was to belong.” (Tran 56).

Based on this, and your own text, how impactful is language in how immigrants are assimilating? What are other types of social contracts Americans hold immigrants to? Are these helpful or harmful?

For participants:

-Never use a peer’s real name, only use their username

-Respond to the question based on your book, not your personal opinion

-If the question doesn’t directly apply to something that appears in your book, be clear about what you’re seeing instead

-Make sure to include a summary of your book so far

-Include a quote with the proper citation to give context to your answer

-Acknowledge your lead’s reply to your response with a comment that clarifies information, offer a question to them about their book, or simply give a thumbs up

To exceed: Incorporate a quote from a different Ted Talk or a different CommonLit text that has not yet been discussed in your group

2. Group B---jperry26

cstubbs10 — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 13:31:52 +0000

“From scratch” By Susie Castellano. The story talks about starting over from the beginning even when things get hard or you're uncertain. Then going on to talk about how those experiences can cause growth and self discovery.

“Behold the dreamers” By Imbolo Mbue. New York around 2008. Jende moves to New York from Cameroon to build a better life, he ends up getting a job as a chauffeur for Clark Edwards who's an executive at wall street. His wife eventually ends up in the US as well. The financial crisis starts as well so the family must balance their struggling financials, as well as getting immigration papers. It's about the family adjusting to their new life in the US.

Jende Jonga is the main character, Neni is his wife, Liomi is his son, Clark Edwards is his employer, Cindy is his wife, Vince is their son.

Both my book and the short story are about starting from nothing and working to gain a better life. Both people talk about starting up from the ground and keeping going despite the odds or pressure. The main character has left Cameroon to New York hoping to succeed, believing in the American dream, having said “I thank God, and I believe I work hard, and one day I will have a good life here… I believe that anything is possible for anyone who is American.” (Mbue, p. 48). Which is similar to the short story because it builds from nothing.

Another quote used from the story to connect it back to the book is “Priya thought about her mother browsing the long supermarket aisles with a clangy metal shopping cart, her dupatta swinging behind her in a wave of color. Suddenly her throat felt tight again” (Castellano, P. 38-40) Showing that since they have moved to America some things like going to the grocery store can be stressful.

How would your character react to being put in an unfamiliar situation?

2. Group G---zroy27

jennifer.chick@rsu4.org — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 18:01:28 +0000

In Interior Chinatown, the main character is a background character in a show and is trying to become one of the leads. He continues to go through his life, but is gathering information about other people involved in the show. Whenever he tries to interfere, something happens that prevents him from being successful. It feels as if there is an outside force working against him.

This connects to "Grammar, Identity, and the Dark Side of the Subjunctive" because Phuc is also struggling to be seen as successful.

Where in your novel is a character struggling with things beyond their control? What supports do they have to deal with that?

2. Group F---jpomerleau26

jennifer.chick@rsu4.org — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 17:31:44 +0000

In “Grammar, Identity, and the Dark Side of the Subjunctive” Phuc Tran has been raised differently than his father after they become refugees from Vietnam. His father was accomplished and a lawyer, but when they move to the US ends up running a cement mixer. As Phuc gets older, he realizes the differences between his father and himself. Eventually it leads to his dad being very concerned when Phuc takes a year off from teaching. His father is worried he is losing his job permanently, “Even though I assured my dad that it was just a leave of absence, he was unable to comprehend what was for him the sheer uncertainty of not having a job” (Tran).

In “The Tyrant’s Daughter” by J. C. Carleson, Laila’s father wasn’t a good man in public and he got killed, but had a great relationship with his family. His death caused the family to have to move to the United States. Ever since that, they’ve had to deal with the image of their father and the entire family is trying to separate themselves from him. Unfortunately, everyone is giving them a really hard time about it and are still bringing up the past. Laila is forced to deal with her father’s mistakes over and over again, “As I said, Laila, you seem like an intelligent girl,” he speaks quietly as if he doesn't want anyone to hear, "So, I'm sure you understand just how important it is that your family remain here in the U.S. Obviously I can't guarantee your safety if you go back home. No one can. I'd hate to see that happen" (Carleson 70).

In both these it shows just because a family member does something, doesn’t mean that the rest of the family has to follow them or will have the same experience.

Where in your novel does your character experience either a disconnect with their family or a difficulty because of a family member?

For participants:

-Never use a peer’s real name, only use their username

-Respond to the question based on your book, not your personal opinion

-If the question doesn’t directly apply to something that appears in your book, be clear about what you’re seeing instead

-Make sure to include a summary of your book so far

-Include a quote with the proper citation to give context to your answer

-Acknowledge your lead’s reply to your response with a comment that clarifies information, offer a question to them about their book, or simply give a thumbs up

To exceed: Incorporate a quote from a different Ted Talk or a different CommonLit text that has not yet been discussed in your group

2. Group E---rbelanger27

jennifer.chick@rsu4.org — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 14:00:45 +0000

Where has a character in your novel experienced a change in perspective?

For participants:

-Never use a peer’s real name, only use their username

-Respond to the question based on your book, not your personal opinion

-If the question doesn’t directly apply to something that appears in your book, be clear about what you’re seeing instead

-Make sure to include a summary of your book so far

-Include a quote with the proper citation to give context to your answer

-Acknowledge your lead’s reply to your response with a comment that clarifies information, offer a question to them about their book, or simply give a thumbs up

To exceed: Incorporate a quote from a different Ted Talk or a different CommonLit text that has not yet been discussed in your group

2. Group F---mrossignol27

jennifer.chick@rsu4.org — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:57:34 +0000

In my book A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi the main character Tareq and his family escape war torn Syria and attempt to go to Germany for safety after his father and brother are killed by bombs in Aleppo, “‘I’m sorry, Habibi,’” he handed Farrah's wilted body over to her big brother” (Abawi 21). Tareq, his pregnant mother, and sister are forced to leave there home, they begin a dangerous journey across several countries hoping to reach Germany. They face hunger, fear, and the constant risk of losing each other,

In the TedTalk "Grammar, Identity and the Dark Side of the Subjunctive," Phuc Tran talks about how his family flees from Vietnam when he was younger and the danger he experiences, “And as that bus was loading passengers, I began crying, shrieking uncontrollably, so much so that my entire family decided to wait for the next bus. And as that bus pulled away from us, it was struck by artillery fire, it exploded and everyone on board was killed.” (Tran).

Some families experiences are lot danger and risk in order to get to safety.

Where in your novel do people deal with dangerous situations or risk-taking?

For participants:

-Never use a peer’s real name, only use their username

-Respond to the question based on your book, not your personal opinion

-If the question doesn’t directly apply to something that appears in your book, be clear about what you’re seeing instead

-Make sure to include a summary of your book so far

-Include a quote with the proper citation to give context to your answer

-Acknowledge your lead’s reply to your response with a comment that clarifies information, offer a question to them about their book, or simply give a thumbs up

To exceed: Incorporate a quote from a different Ted Talk or a different CommonLit text that has not yet been discussed in your group

2. Group D---apinard27

jennifer.chick@rsu4.org — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:52:57 +0000

“Why children of immigrants experience guilt-- and how strategies to cope” by Sahaj Kaur Kohli is a interview about the guilt children of immigrants feel, she talks about how there is healthy and unhealthy guilt, and how you should deal with it. Like identifying why you feel this guilt, “There’s also this sense of a thriver’s guilt or this guilt of growing, healing, accessing resources and opportunities that maybe our parents didn't have or our family and other parts of the world don't have access to.” (Kohli).My character can relate to feeling guilt because she is building her life and feels like she is abandoning her family.

In “Brighter Than the Sun” by Daniel Aleman, the main character is a young girl named Sol, who has to traverse across the border every day just to get a proper education. She attends school in San Diego, California. She is financially struggling with her family. She has to wake up early, about 5 am, to cross the border to arrive at school on time. Sol is the only person in their family who is a US citizen. This is because her mother was struggling with the pregnancy and could not go through with the pregnancy with the medical care they offer in Mexico. She moves in with her friend, Ari. Their mothers became friends years prior, because Sol and Ari were friends when they were younger, making it inevitable. Sol’s mother died a few years ago, making her take on the responsibilities of the family. She conflicts with herself, needing to get a job to help support her family financially, while needing to support them in their emotional or medical state.

The second half, starting on chapter 8 ½ Diego and a boy (Who cut the line and started being mean) get into a fight. The boy ended up needing to go to the hospital and him and his family are suing Diego (Diego got suspended for 5 days). Sol is particularly worried about this because he could be expelled, leading to not being able to go to a decent school. She goes back to Mexico for the weekend instead of hanging out with her newly acquired friends. When she goes back home, she brings back a pay check. Her (I forgot what she calls her, its her grandmother) is making bacon, she assumes that it was found in the back of the fridge at the restaurant and her father didn’t want it to go to waste. After she brings the pay check, her family can cook the holiday meal for the restaurant. They have a very busy day, so the rest of her family (Her brother and grand mother) go and eat at the restaurant with them.

What makes your character unique, likeable (or not), and what can you assume about the character by the end of your book?

For participants:

-Never use a peer’s real name, only use their username

-Respond to the question based on your book, not your personal opinion

-If the question doesn’t directly apply to something that appears in your book, be clear about what you’re seeing instead

-Make sure to include a summary of your book so far

-Include a quote with the proper citation to give context to your answer

-Acknowledge your lead’s reply to your response with a comment that clarifies information, offer a question to them about their book, or simply give a thumbs up

To exceed: Incorporate a quote from a different Ted Talk or a different CommonLit text that has not yet been discussed in your group

2. Group C---jgustafson27

jennifer.chick@rsu4.org — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:43:21 +0000

In the TedTalk “Why Children of Immigrants Experience Guilt –- and Strategies to cope” by Sahaj Kaur Kohli, Kohli explains that children of immigrants often feel guilt if they don't meet their parents expectations, because they know their parents worked hard or sacrificed a lot to give opportunities, “Many children of immigrants feel chronic sense of guilt for letting their parents down, for not being enough, for being too American, for seeming ungrateful. There’s also this sense of a thriver’s guilt or this guilt of growing, healing, accessing resources and opportunities that maybe our parents didn't have or our family and other parts of the world don't have access to.” (Kohli 0:53).

In the novel The Sun is also a Star, Daniel Bae is the son of two Korean immigrants who had immigrated to the U.S. in search for a better life, and his parents are pushing him and his older brother to become a doctor by going to Harvard or Yale, “Maybe he doesn’t want to be a doctor…Maybe he just changed. But we’re not allowed to change in my household. We’re on track to be doctors, and there’s no getting off,” (Yoon 30). In the novel, Daniel and his older brother Charlie were expected to go to Havard to become doctors, however all that pressure that was pressed onto Charlie had gone onto Daniel because Charlie had dropped out of Harvard. Daniel had an interview with Yale, however, Daniel's true passion is in poetry, but he feels he cannot pursue his dream because of the weight of the pressure his parents put onto his shoulders.

These two sources connect Daniel and the feeling of guilt that comes from parents pushing their values onto their children, and the child not being able to pursue their own values and passions because of the lingering fear of disappointing their parents. Where in your novel is a character struggling with values that differ from their own? What are the values your characters have? Are those conflicting values holding your character back from something they have a passion for?

For participants:

-Never use a peer’s real name, only use their username

-Respond to the question based on your book, not your personal opinion

-If the question doesn’t directly apply to something that appears in your book, be clear about what you’re seeing instead

-Make sure to include a summary of your book so far

-Include a quote with the proper citation to give context to your answer

-Acknowledge your lead’s reply to your response with a comment that clarifies information, offer a question to them about their book, or simply give a thumbs up

To exceed: Incorporate a quote from a different Ted Talk or a different CommonLit text that has not yet been discussed in your group

2. Group A---rbabbidge27

jennifer.chick@rsu4.org — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:36:23 +0000

The TED Talk I am referencing is “Grammar, Identity, and the Dark Side of the Subjunctive” by Phuc Tran. In this talk, Tran explains how language can shape the way people think about their lives and identities. He discusses how English allows people to imagine different possibilities through phrases like “could have,” “should have,” or “what if.” Tran shares stories from his life as a Vietnamese refugee growing up in the United States and explains how language helped him think about who he was and who he might become. He also explains that the subjunctive tense allows people to imagine “possibility, potentiality, and counterfactuality” (Tran, 2:26–2:31). While this can inspire people to think about new futures, it can also make them think about regrets or alternate versions of their lives.

The book I'm currently reading is North of Happy by Adi Alsaid. It tells the story of a teenager named Carlos Portillo, who lives in Mexico and has dreams of becoming a chef. Everything changes for Carlos when his older brother Felix dies in an accident. After this tragic event, Carlos starts seeing Felix’s ghost, who encourages him to chase his cooking dreams. Carlos makes the decision to leave Mexico and head to the United States to pursue his passion. Throughout the narrative, Carlos faces challenges with grief, family expectations, and figuring out who he really is. His father wants him to take a more traditional and secure route, but Carlos feels a strong pull towards cooking and discovering the kind of life he truly desires.

Both the TED Talk “Grammar, Identity, and the Dark Side of the Subjunctive” by Phuc Tran and North of Happy by Adi Alsaid show how thinking about different possibilities can shape who you are. Tran says that the subjunctive lets us imagine “possibility, potentiality, and counterfactuality” (Tran, 2:26–2:31). In the book, Carlos thinks about what his life could be like if he follows his dreams instead of doing what his family wants: “I don’t know what my life is supposed to look like, but I know it’s not going to look like this” (Alsaid, 87). Both texts show that imagining different futures helps people figure out who they are and what they want.

Both the TED Talk and North of Happy show how thinking about different possibilities in life can affect a person’s identity. How do the characters in your book deal with choices, expectations, or imagining different futures, and how does that help shape who they become?

For participants:

-Never use a peer’s real name, only use their username

-Respond to the question based on your book, not your personal opinion

-If the question doesn’t directly apply to something that appears in your book, be clear about what you’re seeing instead

-Make sure to include a summary of your book so far

-Include a quote with the proper citation to give context to your answer

-Acknowledge your lead’s reply to your response with a comment that clarifies information, offer a question to them about their book, or simply give a thumbs up

To exceed: Incorporate a quote from a different Ted Talk or a different CommonLit text that has not yet been discussed in your group