“My Bold Brother Carmen”

1. “My Bold Brother Carmen” Written by: Albert DiBartolomeo Prepared by: Sharon Jeremenko

2. EVIDENCE (QUOTE) IDEA (What is your “idea” of success?) How do you interpret the quote: Does it give evidence that the brother is successful? SO WHAT: What is successful about doing what he does? Who do you think is more successful?

3. EVIDENCE (13) “ …I moved into an apartment three blocks from our mother’s house” IDEA The author seems not to want to go far from home and mom. He doesn’t seem to have the drive to be an adult which is usually thought of as the first step toward success as an adult. Who do you think is more successful?

4. EVIDENCE (13) “He [Carmen] painted or drew, and I read novels for my college English classes.” IDEA Both boys are going to college which is considered a sign of success. Who do you think is more successful?

5. EVIDENCE (17) “Soon, postcards from romantic places began arriving in my mail slot.” IDEA Carmen getting to travel to foreign lands sounds exciting and fun—a mark of success because people have to have money to travel. Who do you think is more successful?

6. EVIDENCE (19) “I turned back to simple things. I discovered woodworking and started to make cabinets and furniture in my own shop.” IDEA The author finds a sense of personal accomplishment (sense of success) in making items of usefulness. Who do you think is more successful?

7. EVIDENCE (26) “I wanted to think of myself as an artist, too, but had been writing without success.” IDEA The author, Albert, feels like a failure because he has not been published. Who do you think is more successful?

8. EVIDENCE (27) ‘”I’m comfortable here,’ I said.” IDEA The author is happy living at home. People who feel happy feel successful. Who do you think is more successful?

9. EVIDENCE (28) “I wished I were more like him, because my expectations for myself had fallen miserably short. An internal voice said I lacked guts.” IDEA The author seems to lack self-confidence and feel like a failure. Who do you think is more successful?

10. EVIDENCE (30) …Carmen helped form his own graphic-design company.” IDEA To own his own business is a sign of success or accomplishment for Carmen. Who do you think is more successful?

11. EVIDENCE (30) “Vacations had him snorkeling off Cancun and strolling among the sword merchants and snake charmers in the bazaars of Maerrakech.” IDEA Carmen must be making lots of money (successful) if he can afford expensive holiday trips. Who do you think is more successful?

12. EVIDENCE (32) “The farthest I’d been from home, by contrast, was Rhode Island.” IDEA The author must not have the money or the desire to take vacations—doesn’t sound successful. Who do you think is more successful?

13. EVIDENCE (32) “More often than not, at the end of these visits, I felt like a failure next to him.” IDEA Poor Albert! He feels as if he has had no success. Who do you think is more successful?

14. EVIDENCE (33) “I returned to college for a master’s degree in creative writing, I’d been hearing murmurs about trouble in Carmen’s marriage, and then he told me that it was over.” IDEA The author is smart and hard working if he can earn a master’s degree in creative writing—a mark of success. Who do you think is more successful?

15. EVIDENCE (33) “I’d been hearing murmurs about trouble in Carmen’s marriage, and then he told me that it was over.” IDEA Carmen has failed in his relationship with his wife. Who do you think is more successful?

16. EVIDENCE (37) “He appeared tired and worn as if the pace of his life and battering that came with it had exhausted him.” IDEA Carmen’s hard-driving life style seems to be damaging his health. The cost of success seems like a sign of failure. Who do you think is more successful?

17. EVIDENCE (43) “‘I broke one heart,’ Carmen said, ‘and now I’m having mine broken.’ He choked on the last word…as though he were struggling with a great weight.” IDEA Carmen has once again failed in his relationship with his second wife. Who do you think is more successful?

18. EVIDENCE (45) ‘“I think I will,’ he said, and began to talk about the incremental failures that had led to this night.” IDEA Carmen is aware of his lack of success in marriages. Who do you think is more successful?

19. EVIDENCE (46) “I began to see that life was not just a battlefield where one’s bravery was put to the test. It was also a place where one could seek and receive compassion.” IDEA The author understands that success is not just measured by the ability to be courageous; it is also measured by the ability to be kind. Who do you think is more successful?

20. EVIDENCE (47) “Carmen had stood at the edge of a glittering pool of possibilities. He had dived in and made powerful strokes that took him away from home and family.” IDEA Carmen has big accomplishments and exciting experiences, but they cost him his comfort and relationships. I am not sure if this a sign of success or a sign of failure? Who do you think is more successful?

21. EVIDENCE (47) “I had only waded in and taken slower, more cautious strokes. But I, too, had achieved my goals and used my talents. I had opened a cabinetmaking shop…my family,” IDEA The author has his hobby, his education, his career; plus he has enjoyed the companionship of his wife and family. Is this a sign of success or of failure? Who do you think is more successful?