Characters:
The boy, Andy, and his whole family.
Setting:
Where: Viola Street
When: Before Andy was ten/ In the old days
Plot:
The family’s apartment is too old so they want to have a new house.
Genre:
Realistic fiction
Perspective:
First-person viewpoint
The story, “A Castle on Viola Street'', written by DyAnne DiSalvo talks about a boy named Andy’s family experiencing the steps toward getting a new house with the help of the people from their neighborhood. Andy and his family live in an old, broken, rented apartment. One day, Andy at the Soap & Go laundry store sees a flier, saying “YOU TOO CAN OWN A HOME”. When arriving home, he tells his parents what he sees and the parents attend a meeting. After the meeting, the family signs up for the voluntary house project on Viola Street. Everyone in the family helps, even a little kid. Andy’s family first helps fix up the house for the Trans family. The house is beautiful when it is finished. Next spring it is Andy’s family’s turn to have the new house with the voluntary help from others. There are many valuable sentences that appear in the story. Let’s read one by one.
‘Someday, things will change around here.’ Maybe current life does not meet the expectation, but people need to hold hopeful beliefs for the future. Andy’s family live in a broken apartment without heat. Father comforts him that one day their living conditions would be changed. Father has positive attitudes toward the future. He is not defeated by the rough life. Instead, Father works really hard in earning money, hoping one day he could provide better quality life to the family. Life sometimes is difficult, but people should have positive faith that things will be getting better as long as they are willing to make the effort.
“Our family is rich in more ways than we can count.” People might lack material life, but people will never be poor in family love. Andy admires the fancy houses with gardens and porches in the magazines. Mother assures him that they are rich in family love even though they live in a rented apartment which looks old, sorry, and peeling. Andy’s family provides endless love. The family members not only support but also care for each other. Family love cannot be purchased by money. Family love is way more precious than money. Being poor could not have people purchase what they want, but the family love of the poor people is very rich.
“This organization buys empty houses and fixes them up like new”. This means that the organizations buy the old empty house for people but the organizations have people themselves fix the house like the new one. Andy sees a flier that is posted up front in the Soap & Go laundry store saying “YOU TOO CAN OWN A HOME” The organizations have the money to purchase the house while the poor people don’t. But the poor people are the main people to do the work of fixing up the houses. It seems that the organizations are doing charity for the poor people in improving their living conditions.
“If you're interested in helping to fix up a house for other people, then one day other people will help fix up a house for you.” When people help others to get what they want, others would show their appreciation by helping them back. In order to have a new house, Andy’s family first helps other people in the neighborhood to make a new house. Then, the people, whom Andy’s family has helped, would in turn help Andy’s family make a new house. People don’t need to be rich in order to help others. Poor people could use their own labour as a way to offer help. Whenever people have helped others to do something, others will help you whenever they can. Sometimes helping others will get a nice return without asking, when they are in need of help.
“Anyone who wants to can help. It’s called volunteering.” Volunteering doesn’t get paid. It is a voluntary act of a person or a group offering time, energy, and labor for community service.
but it can make you and others feel better. Andy’s family voluntarily join the house project on Viola Street. Even though the family is poor and they are not professional workers at all, they devote their time and labor without getting paid to helping their neighbors and themselves fix the house like a new one. Volunteering allows people to connect with others in the community and make it a better place to live. Meanwhile, volunteering provides people an opportunity to help others, bringing them a sense of happiness. Anyone can volunteer as long as they want to. Volunteering engages people in meaningful connections with others who share the same interests.
“Sometimes new things are hard to get used to and people are slow to change” New things could get some people excited; at the same time, new things might bring people some discomforts, thus resisting the change. When Andy’s family and other people are working on the house project, the lady next door does not like the noise around. She just does not like the change. Sometimes new things are hard for people at the beginning. Since the change would happen for sure and people have no control over it, then why not take some time and be adaptive toward the new change? Maybe the new change would bring unexpected happiness. Instead of complaining and being annoyed, people should spend time in coping with the new change for better life quality.
“Being little is no excuse to not pitch in.” Being little kids does not mean they are incapable of doing things or to be excluded from certain things. Andy’s sisters are small but they still can offer help. Andy’s mother has them squeeze lemon juice to make fresh lemonade. Then they take turns pouring and passing the cups all around. Too often, adults view little kids as being way too young so they think little kids cannot do anything to help. In fact, little kids are underestimated. They can contribute what they are able to do to provide their help. Even though they are little, they still want to fit into the group and have a sense of belonging. Don’t judge people by their appearance or ages. Little kids can offer a big, excellent help as long as they are given the opportunity.
“Big dreams are built little by little, and we are making a start.” To make the dream come true, people need to take an initial action, no matter easy or difficult, and then take further actions step by step. Andy and his family dream about having a new house. They start their dream by helping the Tran family fix their house. Soon, Andy’s family will get a new house of their own. They are working hard step by step to reach their dream. Have a big dream and take action as soon as possible. Don’t just sit and think. There is no better time to start the action for the big dream. Next, set up the plan and work on it, and act on small things little by little. There are many little things that people need to get done in order for the big dream to be captured. Dream big and Act small. Little things are what dreams are made of.
A Castle on Viola Street is a very encouraging story for me to read. It teaches me many lessons. Life might be difficult sometimes but people need to look at the bright side while they are making an effort to change the situation. Although people might be poor in materials, they are rich in family love which provides them endless support to do many things. To change the difficult situation, people need to dream big and act on small things step by step. New change might bring some irritation, which is normal especially in the beginning. It would be better for people if they could be adaptive toward the changes. This story provides me with a lot of wisdom in life that cannot be taught from school. I recommend this book to everyone.
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