How does the narrator of "The One Who Watches" change from the beginning of the story to the end? What do you think causes the changes?
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Doris, the main character and narrator of the story, had changed throughout the story. Her personality and actions had showed it. In the beginning of the story, Doris said, “I was born to follow the leader.” The leader was Yolanda and she was the follower. Yolanda was the outgoing and sassy one, as Doris was the more reserved and quiet one. Yolanda would have her and Doris skip school just so she can take a bus to go look around the city. She would go into stores that they couldn’t afford to buy anything, and would get kicked out. For instance, Yolanda sneaked into one of the dressing rooms at a big store on Thirty-four street, with Doris following her. Yolanda put on a dress for the modeling show at the store, Doris knew that they would get in trouble, but she didn’t stop Yolanda, she was too afraid to stick up to her friend because she knew what would happen if she did. It is because Doris knew what happened to Yolanda’s old friend, Connie Colon and how Yolanda treated her. So, she didn’t want that happening to her. When Doris was over at Yolanda’s place, Yolanda asked, “You got money?” she was wearing a big raincoat that was her mother’s, and it had huge pockets. Yolanda took Doris to one of the most expensive stores in the city and shows her what she really wanted. It was a black beaded evening bag that had a long strap. In the store, Yolanda took the bag and put it into her coat pockets after she took the tag off. Doris knew that she was stealing the bag. So, she finally knew to leave Yolanda this time. She backed away and ran out of the store as she heard a police car siren go off, running home were her mother sang to her. Doris has changed from being low-self esteemed to higher-self esteem. She finally had listened to her conscience, to choose from right and wrong.
In the beginning of the story, Doris was very reserved and followed Yolanda in whatever she was doing whether Doris thought it was right or not. Doris skipped school to go shopping and other things with Yolanda only because she thought she would decide not to be her friend anymore if she didn't. Doris also had very low self-esteem, at one point in the story, she called herself "invisible" and "a nothing". By the end of the story Doris gains the courage to stand up to Yolanda, not with words, but with her actions. She runs away from Yolanda while they are in the store, as she is stealing the purse and in the end she says that she isn't going to be Yolanda's friend anymore. I think Doris changed because of all the things she had done with Yolanda, they just didn't add up to that one event in the store. I think Doris knew that what Yolanda was doing was beyond wrong and knew she had to stand up for herself.
Doris changes from the beginning of the story to the end, because in the beginning, she was a follower. Her mother even agreed and told her that she was “born to follow the leader.” Doris had very low self-esteem in the beginning of the story. She described herself as an “invisible” person who is short and plain. Her low self-esteem is probably what willed her to follow someone like Yolanda, who is her exact opposite: flashy and daring. Doris felt that if she was not friends with Yolanda, no one would even know she was around. Following people around can lead to trouble, though, when Yolanda decides to start shoplifting. She forces Doris to come with her, and Doris is terrified of getting caught. However, she is also terrified of losing Yolanda as a friend. Doris is torn, but in the end her conscience wins over peer pressure. She finally musters up the courage to bail on Yolanda so that she won’t get into trouble for something that Yolanda did. At the end of the story, Doris is free from Yolanda and relieved, realizing she is “sick of following Yolanda into trouble.” Doris is now ready to make her own identity for herself. These changes in her character happened because she was tired of being pushed around and not being able to make her own decisions.
Doris, the narrator of “The One Who Watches” by Judith Ortiz Cofer, changes dramatically from the beginning of the story to the end. For instance, in the beginning, Doris always followed Yolanda around and did what she wanted. Regardless of what she knew was right, she went along with Yolanda. She was a pushover but she was comfortable with it. An example of this is on the first page of the story, when Doris recalls: “She’s always telling me to look at something. And I always do. I look, she does. That’s the way it’s always been…I was born to follow the leader, that’s what my mother says when she sees us together, and it’s true.” You can tell from this quote that Doris was used to feeling less important, and she sort of talked herself into being a lesser being.
At the end of the story, however, Doris becomes more comfortable with herself and has a clearer image of who she is. An example of this is on page 15, the last page of the book, when Doris thinks: “Yes. I am sick. I am sick of following Yolanda into trouble. She has problems that make her act crazy. Maybe someday she’ll work them out, but I have to start trying to figure out who I am and where I want to go before I can help anybody else.” From this quote you can conclude that Doris is more confident and is really trying to distance herself from Yolanda. I think that this change is caused by Doris’s mother becoming more interested on her life. There is an example of this on pages 13-14, when her mom says: “I bet you’ve been following that Yolanda around again. Nina, I’m telling you that senorita is trouble. She’s trying to grow up too fast, sabes? Mira…” You can tell from this quote that Doris’s mother cares about her more than she thinks, because she doesn’t want her to hang around with a bad influence. That is why I think Doris changes so much from the beginning of “The One Who Watches” to the end.
In the story "The One Who Watches," the narrator, Doris, is a very dynamic character. In the beginning of the story, Doris constantly follows her friend Yolanda. Wherever Yolanda is, Doris is by her side. Doris even confessed, "I was born to follow the leader, that's what my mother says when she sees us together, and it's true." For example, Yolanda skipped school one day seeking adventure, with Doris following closely. They had quite the adventure that day. Yolanda snuck into a dressing room and inserted herself in the lineup of professional models ready to ascend to the runway, despite her lack of modeling training. Soon she got caught and was yelled at and threatened to be arrested. Doris saw this all coming and was very scared. ''I have enough problems without getting arrested," she says, "So I tell myself that if the police come, I'll just make myself invisible and walk away. Then I'd really be alone. If Yolanda knew how scared I really am, she'd leave me anyway.” This shows how Doris really has no self confidence. She fears her friend’s leaving her, confessing that she is a ‘nobody’ without Yolanda by her side.
However, these feelings of fear, dependence, and lack of self confidence soon disappear when Yolanda tries to steal yet another item from a high-end fashion store. When entering this situation, Doris begins to feel dizzy and nervous. She knows that yet another theft situation and yet another dangerous encounter with higher authority is going to unravel. The whole world seems to spin before her eyes and she instantly has to escape the mad world Yolanda has sucked her into and she does. She runs out of the store to the safety of her home, away from Yolanda.
This escape is an example of how Doris changed. In the beginning, she was afraid of Yolanda’s authority, and therefore followed her. However, at the end, she has to break free from the person she has been following for such a long time. It is her time to not be a follower but a leader of her self and her own actions. “I am sick of following Yolanda into trouble,” she says, “She has problems that make her crazy… but I have to start trying to figure out who I am and where I want to go before I can help anybody else.” Perhaps it is this feeling of ‘sickness’ with Yolanda’s behavior and need for independence that caused Doris’s transformation. It may also be her Mami’s influence telling her that “that señorita is trouble… and is trying to grow up too fast.” But without Yolanda in her life, Doris has the freedom to be who she wants to be, not who Yolanda wants her to be.
The narrator, Doris, of “The One Who Watches” by Judith Ortiz Cofer changes drastically from her meager, quiet self in the beginning of the story to someone completely different. In the beginning of the story Doris, a Puerto Rican teenage girl, fully admits to being a follower. In fact her mother says, “I was born to follow the leader… and it’s true.” She follows the sassy girl named Yolanda who influences many bad choices and manipulates Doris. One way Doris is easily manipulated by Yolanda is when “Yolanda and I (Doris) skipped school.” When, clearly Doris didn’t have any intention of deliberately skipping school. Another way she is easily manipulated in the beginning of the story is when they sneak into a department store fashion show and Yolanda forces Doris to come with her even though Doris is scarred silly. For example, she is always thinking she is going to get caught like when she nearly passes out when a department store worker starts talking to Yolanda. Doris always wishes she could stand up to Yolanda, but she thinks that without Yolanda she is invisible. Also, she is worried she will end up being like Yolanda’s last best friend, Connie Colon, who she treats so poorly, “Yolanda gets a cold look in her eye when she talks about Connie, like she wants her dead.” However, as the story progresses Doris begins to show her back bone. When Yolanda plans to steal something from a store Doris begins to back away from the scene. As Yolanda continues to steal Doris moves back to the light of the door and runs home. Finally she has decided to not be a meek little follower and stand up against Yolanda, by running away to her house. Doris also realizes that, “You have to run fast to catch love.” And that is exactly what Doris does, runs fast so she can catch real love and not be so controlled by Yolanda.
Doris changed from the beginning of the story to the end of the story in many ways. For example, in the beginning of the story she was a follower and always fallowed Yolanda. Also, she would do what ever Yolanda told her to do know matter what. Additionally, when Yolanda went to the teen fashion show and was impersonating a model Doris didn’t try to stop her just went along with it. Furthermore when Yolanda was shoplifting candy and things Doris just let it slide and didn’t interrogate any more then “where did you get the candy?” Finally, when Yolanda skipped school Doris went along with it with a protest.
At the End of the Story Doris was much different. For example, she walks away from Yolanda when she was shoplifting the purse and ran all the way home. This also infers that the next day she will have to stand up against Yolanda and I was what she was dreading for the whole story. Finally in the beginning her mom doesn’t really care what she does, but when she comes home after running from Yolanda her mother sings a song she used to sing for her during her child hood and actually puts emotion into it. This is how Doris has changed through out the story.
Doris, the narrator of “The One Who Watches,” changes significantly throughout the story. In the beginning, Doris is a quiet, reserved and even scared person. She describes herself, “I was born to be a follower…it’s true”. She even says that she is, “Invisible,” in front of her mother. Most of the story is spent describing her friendship and adventures with her best friend Yolanda. Yolanda is quite the opposite of Doris. She is a born leader, very confident, and super flashy. On many occasions, Yolanda gets Doris into trouble, but Doris is too afraid of loosing her best friend to stand up to Yolanda. For instance, Yolanda convinces Doris to skip school to go get kicked out of expensive stores. In the end of the story, Yolanda decides to steal an expensive handbag from one of these expensive stores. This is where Doris finally changes. When Yolanda slips the bag into her rain jacket’s large pocket, everything seems to slow down for Doris and she realizes what she has gotten involved in. She starts backing away from her friend faster and faster until she is running all the way home. Once home She finally realizes that,” I [Doris] am sick of following Yolanda into trouble. She has problems….someday she’ll work them out, but I have to start trying to figure out who I am…before I can go help anyone else.” This shows that for the first time in her life, Doris has the courage to stand up to Yolanda and risk loosing their friendship in order for her to find out who she really is besides being Yolanda’s follower. This change is most likely caused by some pent up anger from being ignored by her family and friends. Both of her parents are almost always busy with their band and her best friend basically ignores her and makes her follow her around all day. It is understandable how this could cause you to change your ways.
In the story “The One Who Watches” the narrator made a huge change from the beginning to the end. At the beginning the narrator, Doris, is friends with Yolanda who is a girl her age with a lot of confidences and she shows it. Doris is the complete opposite. She is quiet and likes to be invisible. She even states that, “ I was born to follow the leader, that what my mom says when she sees us together.” Also in the middle of the story Doris feels like she needs Yolanda and without Yolanda she would be nothing. At the end of the story Doris realizes that she does not need Yolanda. She realizes this when Yolanda tells Doris that today they were not going window shopping and figure outs she is actually going to steal the purse and starts to run away when she hears the cops. This shows got some confidences because she knows she will have to face her at school or in there neighborhood, but she still makes the right choice to leave the bad situation. That is one way Doris shows that she grew some confidence.
I think when Yolanda is going to steal the purse is when Doris changes. I think this because when she finally gets home she starts to process what just happened it finally gets to her that Yolanda has a lot of issues she has to deal with and that she needs to learn who she is. That is why I think when Yolanda goes to steal the purse Doris changes.
The narrator, Doris, in the story "The One Who Watches" is a dynamic character. This means that she undergoes a change from the beginning of the the story, to the end. In the beginning, Doris was very timid and had low self-esteem. She says, "If it wasn't for Yolanda, nobody would know I'm around." This shows that she doesn't feel that she can stand on her own two feet, and she needs Yolanda by her side. However, Yolanda is the opposite of Doris. Yolanda is adventurous and spends her days skipping school and getting kicked out of stores. The last thing Doris needs is to get arrested.
She doesn't realize that she can make her own decisions and doesn't need Yolanda, the troublemaker, until the end of the story. This change was caused by a series of events, but mainly when Yolanda and her go into an expensive store where Yolanda tries to steal a purse that she wants. Never before has Doris stood up to her friend, until this day. Doris just slowly walks away from the dangerous situation, and thinks to herself, "I have to start trying to figure out who I am and where I want to go before I can help anybody else." This shows that she has changed, that she doesn't need Yolanda anymore, and that she has the power to be her own person and make her own decisions.
In the beginning of the story, “The One Who Watches,” Doris is a very insecure character who cares too much about what her friend thinks. She will do whatever her friend, Yolanda, wants her to. “I was born to follow the leader,” Doris says. But at the start, you can tel that Doris's friend is not a good person. They start out by skipping school just so they can go window shopping at the really nice stores. Then, they get into trouble because Yolanda impersonates a model and tries to get into a fashion show. But still, Doris will keep on following whatever Yolanda wants her to when they go to another store to do the same thing again. But, this time at the end of the story, Doris decides that enough is enough and runs away when she hears police cars coming to the store that Yolanda was attempting to steal from. She comes running home, crying, to the safety of her parents, whom she didn't even show or realize that she relied or needed so much. That is the change that occurred in Doris during the book. She goes from being an insecure follower who will listen to whatever her friend tells her to, to pretty much standing up to her friend and realizing that Yolanda is not a true friend for making her do all of these things. She does what she now has the courage to do, stop listening to Yolanda.
What I think causes this change in Doris was, what I think, her self-conscience. She realizes that what she and Yolanda are doing is wrong, and that is strongly shown when the police come to where Yolanda is stealing. “I hear a police car siren getting louder as I hurry across the street. I walk faster and faster until I am running and the world is going by so fast...” That shows that she saw just how serious the situation of her and Yolanda being together was. What also reinforced her decision was that when she went home, her mother was there and made her fell much better and important. “...Even if I'm the only one here to hear it. The song is for me.” That seems like something special that her mom did for her. That just showed her that going back to her parents for help instead of Yolanda was the better choice.
I believe that the narrator, Doris, changes from beginning to end by becoming independent from Yolanda. At first, Doris loves and reveres Yolanda, following her everywhere that she asks to be followed, without question. Here is a quote from page eleven, which states clearly her unswerving affection: ‘“Mira, Doris, Mira.” She shows me the earrings, which look like real gold. I hug Yolanda- I just love this girl.” In this particular section of the story, Yolanda casually sneaks into a fashion show (with Doris in tow) to try expensive clothes on. Doris clearly sees nothing wrong in Doris’s doings up to this point; it is only when the both of them are caught when Doris begins to place doubt in her friend’s choices. Here is Doris’s reaction to that situation, seen on page nine: “I just stand to the side and watch everything, pretending that it’s a play and Yolanda is the star.” Doris becomes very timid in situations like these, in which her position is compromised and she must choose a side. She, at this part of the story, would rather remain neutral. She never goes against Yolanda because she knows what would happen to their relationship afterward: Yolanda would break away from her immediately, only giving her a cold stare when they happen to pass by each other. I think that the change is caused when, during the weekend, Yolanda announces that she is going shopping (it is needless to say that Doris will come along with her). Doris gets an uneasy feeling at this point. Yolanda dons a large raincoat and tells Doris that she really wants something. They go to an expensive store and Yolanda locates the purse that she desires. Doris immediately backs off when Yolanda stuffs it in her pocket, thus breaking away from her leader and becoming her own master. Doris ignored the consequences and was rewarded with independence.
The narrator from “The One Who Watches” changed in a big way in this story. In the beginning of the story she was a follower. She always did what Yolanda told her to do and she never shared her opinions with her. In the story, Doris says, “I just stand to the side and watch everything, pretending that it’s a play and Yolanda is the star.” This shows that Doris just watches everything go by like she’s Yolanda’s “side-kick”. Another quote is, “I’m practically invisible.” This shows that also her self-esteem is really low. As the story goes on, Doris starts to change in a big way. She starts to stand up to Yolanda in way. She doesn’t actually say anything to her. But the actions she makes make their point. When Yolanda decides to steal the purse while wearing the big rain coat, Doris makes her decision. Is Yolanda’s friendship really worth getting into trouble with the law? She ultimately decides no. She leaves the store and leaves Yolanda in there. The change she made is to stop following Yolanda. When she runs home and thinks to herself when her mom asks her if she is sick, “Yes. I am sick. I am sick of following Yolanda into trouble. She has problems that make her act crazy. Maybe someday she’ll work them out, but I have to start trying to figure out who I am and where I want to go before I can help anybody else.” She finally, in her mind, stood up to Yolanda. I think what brought on these changes were that Doris was just standing back and watching Yolanda get in trouble all the time. She skipped school with her, she snuck into the big store in New York City and she was there when Yolanda stole the purse. I think she was sick of having Yolanda push her around.
In the story “The One Who Watches” the narrator, Doris, changes immensely from the beginning to the end. One way that Doris changes is she doesn’t feel like she needs Yolanda to be someone. In the beginning Doris says, “…If it wasn’t for Yolanda, nobody would know I’m around.” At the end of the story Doris kind of stands up to Yolanda because when she realizes she is going to steel the purse she runs away, instead of staying with Yolanda and getting in trouble. That shows that she doesn’t feel like she needs Yolanda to be someone because if she still felt that way she would have stayed with her. Another way that Doris changes is she gains more self-esteem. For example on page 12 Doris says, “See, I’m not flashy like Yolanda. I’m practically invisible. My hair is kinky, so I keep it greased down and I’m short and plain. Not ugly, not beautiful. Just a nothing...” At the end of the story Doris recognizes that she can be her own person and her self-esteem rises. I think that Yolanda causes these changes. I think this because if Yolanda didn’t put Doris in those situations, Doris would never have learned that she can be her own person, and she wouldn’t have the confidence she has now.
“The One Who Watches” is a story about Yolanda and Doris, two very different friends. Doris changes very much from the beginning of the story to the end. In the beginning, Doris has no self-confidence. You can tell because she says things like “ I was born to follow the leader” and “I’m practically invisible… Just a nothing.” She follows Yolanda around because she believes that “If it weren’t for Yolanda, nobody would know I’m around.” She is scared of Yolanda, afraid of all the trouble that follows her and what would happen to Doris if she were to leave her.
However, toward the end of the story, Doris changes. When she and Yolanda go to the store, Yolanda attempts to steal an expensive purse. To Doris, this is the last straw, and she knows she must leave Yolanda. She says, “I am sick of following Yolanda into trouble.” She has finally conquered her fear of standing up to Yolanda, by standing up to her with her actions instead of words. Doris changes quite dramatically from the beginning to the end of the story.
In The One Who Watches the narrator, Doris, changes in quite a few ways. In the beginning, Doris calls herself ‘not pretty, not ugly, just plain, invisible.’ She follows Yolanda around for the excitement that she normally wouldn’t experience by herself. Doris confesses that she’s scared of Yolanda,of all the excitement surrounding her, and she tells of another girl, Connie Colón, who used to be Yolandas friend, until Connie got scared and told on Yolanda. Doris says that when Yolanda talks about Connie, her eyes get mean, and she would never want Yolanda to look at her like that. As the story progresses, Yolanda wants to steal an expensive bag, and Doris is scared. She’s confused, should she walk away, or should she stay and help Yolanda steal the purse? In her confusion, Doris becomes even more frightened, and runs away. She realizes that she can choose for herself, and she doesn’t need to be a follower. She can choose her own path.
In the short story, “The One Who Watches,” the narrator is Doris. Doris is 15 years old and has no money. At the beginning of the story she feels invisible and has low self esteem. She is a girl that is quiet and is a follower. You can see this when she and Yolanda enter the back stage of a fashion show and she goes and hides in the dressing area so she won’t get in trouble for sneaking in. she also just follows Yolanda around and does what Yolanda wants. This shows that she is a follower. Her and her best friend, Yolanda, go around from store to store looking at different cloths and want to buy them. They are often thrown out because the sales people learn that they have no money and do not intend to buy. Toward the end of the story Doris sees Yolanda is about to steel a purse from a department store because she pulled the price tags out of the purse and put it in the large pocket of her mothers rain coat. Doris then runs away and keeps running when she hears the police sirens that she thinks are going after Yolanda. This shows that she is able to think for herself and knows what is right and what is wrong. She also realizes that being Yolanda’s friend was not worth being arrested and that she would rather not be her friend at all.
In the story, “The One Who Watches”, the protagonist and narrator, Doris, lives in the shadow of her friend, Yolanda. Yolanda is a sly yet blatant troublemaker, while Doris is reserved and inconspicuous. In the beginning, Doris feels that she needs to live underneath the shadow of Yolanda or her existence would not be acknowledge, she would “disappear”. She is easily persuaded by Yolanda’s assertive personality. Doris questions Yolanda’s decisions in her mind, but never speaks up about it. Doris shadows Yolanda while they skipped school, to get kicked out of stores. Each of these instances shows that Doris is weak-minded, and she cannot muster enough bravery to cut her ties with Yolanda, even though she knows what they were doing was wrong. She even states in the story, “If it wasn’t for Yolanda, nobody would know I’m around.” She depends on Yolanda to give her an identity. However, when Yolanda takes it too far by trying to steal something, Doris lets her instinct take control of her and finally breaks away from Yolanda. Although it may have been more instinctive than anything else, she comes home and her mother sings for her. Doris’s confidence rises, as she realizes that she does not need Yolanda to be noticed, when she had her mother all along.
I cannot personally connect to Doris in this story completely, because I never lived with low confidence or in the shadow of someone else, because I created a name for myself. I had no need to live in someone’s shadow to become recognized. However I knew someone who did. (Will be referred to as “Anonymous”) Anonymous never had too many friends and was constantly picked on, unlike Doris who shadowed someone to gain an identity. He hid in the shadow of another, but, like Doris, found out that the price was too high. In the end, people stopped picking on him and he ended up happy yet still very quiet in nature. Just like Doris, Anonymous no longer was dependent upon the shadow of anyone but his own.
Doris, the narrator of "The On Who Watches", changes much of herself as the story progresses. In the beginning, she seems to be extremely dependent upon Yolanda; she is always 'hanging out' with her, following her out of school, and scarcely contradicts her. Yolanda has Doris completely in her sway. The quote, "She’s always telling me to look at something. And I always do. I look, she does. That’s the way it’s always been.", shows the severity of the dependence Doris has for Yolanda. It signifies that Doris already knows she’s reliant on Yolanda, but is either too unsure of herself or too frightened of Yolanda to make a stand for her own ideals and personality.
Fortunately for Doris, that aspect of her personality is overcome near the end of the story. This occurs when Doris runs from Yolanda after Yolanda attempted to steal the purse/handbag. “I finally begin to feel my legs under me. I am moving back, away from the scene…” In this quote, her moral values overcome her loyalty to Yolanda, and she takes an action which leads her away from Yolanda’s influence, a trend which is implied will continue.
The narrator of “The One Who Watches” changes significantly from the beginning of the story to the end, making her a dynamic character. In the beginning of the story, Doris admits that “I was born to follow the leader, that’s what my mother says when she sees us together, and it’s true.” Doris follows Yolanda blindly, ditching school and sneaking into expensive stores with her. She also seems to fear Yolanda’s wrath, most likely due to her insecurity and lack of self esteem. Doris even says, “If it wasn’t for Yolanda, nobody would know I’m around.” To Doris, Yolanda is crazy, fun and lovable. It isn’t until later that she sees the dark side of this. Doris changes when Yolanda is about to steal the bag. She runs and does not become involved with the theft. In the end of the story, Doris has clearly changed her opinion of Yolanda. Instead of admiring Yolanda, she recognizes that she is not a very good person. I can see this when she says, “I am sick of following Yolanda…She has problems that make her act crazy.” Also, Doris becomes more of her own person. She recognizes that she has to learn to stand on her own.
The change in Doris is caused by not only her fear of getting caught, but also by her realization that stealing is wrong. Before Yolanda steals, Doris feels uneasy and even sick about her friend’s plan. She has a conscience and this finally gives her the courage to stand up to Yolanda. I also think that Doris was aided in making this good decision by her mother, who isn’t perfect, but is clearly more of a parent than either of Yolanda’s.
In the story The One Who Watches, there are two girls, Yolanda and Doris who are friends and do a lot of things together. However, their personalities are completely opposite. Yolanda is a bold, daring girl, willing to do anything, even willing to break the law, while Doris is shy and reserved. Doris even says that she isn’t as pretty or confident as Yolanda. In the story, she narrates that she’s “Not ugly, not beautiful, just a nothing. If it wasn’t for Yolanda, nobody would know I’m around.” Doris follows in Yolanda’s footsteps, doing what Yolanda tells her, without question, maybe it’s because she fears her, and doesn’t want to end up like Connie Colon, Yolanda’s last best friend, or maybe because she wants to get noticed. Towards the end of the story however, Doris finally becomes tired of Yolanda’s behavior and decides to stop following her. This is when Yolanda tries to steal an expensive purse, and instead of backing her up, and getting in trouble, she runs away (much to Yolanda’s surprise). This is probably because maybe she wants to finally stop getting in trouble, or maybe realized the truth about how bad Yolanda was, or heeded her mother’s words that Yolanda was, “…trying to grow up too fast…” In doing this, Doris becomes more calm and confident. She went from the shy Doris, to the more confident Doris because she finally stood up for herself, and ran away. In her head, she realized that, “…I am sick of following Yolanda into trouble. She has problems that make her act crazy. Maybe someday she’ll work them out, but I have to start trying to figure out who I am and where I want to go before I can help anybody else.” Even though Doris does not say this out loud, it shows that she closer to becoming her own person and becoming confident.
I can connect to this story, because when I first moved here at the start of seventh grade, I didn’t know anybody or anything. I was very shy, and I didn’t feel like talking to anybody, and I felt as though nobody wanted to talk to me because I was invisible. It wasn’t a fun time, being alone, with no one to talk to during lunch. Eventually though, I decided that enough was enough. I went up to someone who talked to me a few times before and managed to strike up a conversation. Before I knew it, he and I were great friends. I learned that sometimes, even if it seems hard, it’s up to you to make that first move. It’s up to you to go to that person at the table and talk with him, up to you to run away when you know something isn’t right. You can’t just sit around waiting for something to happen. You have to make it happen yourself.
The narrator of “The One Who Watches” changes from the beginning of the story to the end in many ways. Doris, the narrator, was a follower in the beginning of the story and was almost invisible. “I was born to follow the leader…” is what Doris says about herself. She also says that she’s not ugly and not beautiful, just a nothing. “If it wasn’t for Yolanda, nobody would know I’m around”, Doris says this about her friend who is very flashy and confident. Doris depended on Yolanda to make her “someone”. Doris also pleases Yolanda and is almost intimidated by her. She does whatever Yolanda wants even if they aren’t the smartest decisions. Doris especially avoids getting into arguments with Yolanda. She does this because one of Yolanda’s old friends told her mother that they had skipped school and was forever a snitch in Yolanda’s eyes. “Yolanda gets a cold look in her eyes when she talks about Connie, like she wants her dead. I don’t want Yolanda to ever look at me that way”. In the end, Doris changes. Her conscience takes over and she decides that she would be better off without Yolanda. At the end, Yolanda decides that they are going to go shopping in which she is planning on stealing something. Doris has a feeling that this is going to happen from the start. Once they are in the store and Doris sees Yolanda stealing something she decides to leave, “I am moving back, away from the scene that starts happening really fast in front of me”. Doris decides to change for a couple reasons. First, her mother influenced her a little. She must have listened to her mother when she said, “Niña, I’m telling you that señorita is trouble. She’s trying to grow up too fast, sabes?”. Also it shows that Doris had good morals and listened to her conscience. She finally stood up to Yolanda and spoke her own opinion even though she would now be looked at like Connie was looked at. This is how the narrator in “The One Who Watches” changed throughout the story.
The short story “The One Who Watches” has some dynamic characters. The narrator Doris is one of them. In the beginning of the story Doris is a passive teenager who will follow her friend Yolanda everywhere. This along with her low self-esteem will make it almost impossible for her to say no. This is shown when she says,” I was born to follow the leader, that’s what my mom says when she sees us together, and it’s true.” This quote shows us that she needs a leader or else she will be nothing. Yolanda is her leader, but she is not a good one. Yolanda gets her to skip school and sneak into a fashion show. Throughout the story Doris goes through some changes that make her very different. You can see this change when she says,” Yolanda … I finally begin to feel my legs under me. I am moving back, away form the scene … I walk faster and faster until I am running.” This quote shows the changes she has went through. Now Doris is not as afraid of Yolanda so she can walk away. I think that seeing her steal the bag pushed her over the edge. All the time she didn’t have the courage to walk away, now she did.
Doris changes from the beginning of “The One Who Watches” by Judith Ortiz Cofer to the end of the book is by standing up to Yolanda. This can be seen clearly on pgs 14-15 when Yolanda is making her move to steal the purse. “Yolanda,’ I finally begin to feel my legs under me. I am moving back away…” This shows how she finally stops watching and does something to express how she is feeling. Also one major thing that a change in Doris is her way of expressing her feeling. Before she would say that she is “practically invisible”, now she is getting her opinion through in her own way. This is largely due to her being uncomfortable with Yolanda and guilt. This can be seen when she says “I start feeling a little sick…” Even though she was scared of Yolanda and the look that she is going to get “Yolanda gets a cold look in her eyes when she talks about Connie, like she wants her dead. I don’t want Yolanda to ever look at me that way.” she does what she believes is right and doesn’t think about it. Doris also realizes that she is “sick of following Yolanda into trouble.” These are the ways that Doris, the narrator, changes throughout the short story of “The One Who Watches.”
The narrator of “The One Who Watches,” changes a lot form the beginning of the story to the end of it. In the beginning of the story, Doris says, “I’m practically invisible.” She goes on by saying, “I’m short and plain. Not ugly, not beautiful. Just a nothing. If it wasn’t for Yolanda, nobody would know I’m around.” During the whole story Doris watches Yolanda do all these things like almost go on the runway with the dresses she basically “stole”, take the purse and so many other stunts Yolanda wanted to do. Like Doris said in the short story, “ I just stand to the side and watch everything pretending it’s a play and Yolanda is the star.” Doris never said anything to make Yolanda stop, just watched. We learned that Doris was afraid of Yolanda. Doris knew what Yolanda did was bad but didn’t want to say anything because she doesn’t want Yolanda to look at her the way she looks when she talks about Connie Colon. At the end of the story Doris realizes that she can’t be around Yolanda anymore. She is going to be afraid of what Yolanda does to her but that’s better than getting in trouble with higher authorities. Doris is at Yolanda’s house and Yolanda is wearing her mother’s shiny bright green raincoat with huge pockets. Doris starts feeling sick and doesn’t want to go. The go to this store and Yolanda shows Doris this purse and starts sneakily putting it in her raincoat. Doris starts backing away until she is at of the store and runs away from Yolanda. That was Doris’s way of standing up to Yolanda. She couldn’t say anything to her but she knew she had to do something. So running away from Yolanda and her problems is what she did. She changed because in the end of the short story, Doris had courage. She spoke up, not verbally, but physically. Doris says at the end, “ I am sick of following Yolanda into trouble.” And in the beginning she says, “ I was born to follow the leader.” That shows that she doesn’t want to follow anymore. Maybe she will become a leader. Also in the end of the story Doris states that she has to start trying to figure out who she is before she can help anyone else. Doris is ready to get on with her life and not get stuck with the life she had by following Yolanda anymore.
In the beginning of the story, Doris was very reserved and followed Yolanda in whatever she was doing whether Doris thought it was right or not. Doris skipped school to go shopping and other things with Yolanda only because Doris thought Yolanda would decide not to be Doris' friend anymore if she didn't. Doris also had very low self-esteem, at one point in the story, she called herself "invisible" and "a nothing". By the end of the story Doris gains the courage to stand up to Yolanda, not with words, but with her actions. Doris runs away from Yolanda while they are in the store, as she is stealing the purse and in the end Doris says to us as the reader that she isn't going to be Yolanda's friend anymore. I think Doris changed because of all the things she had done with Yolanda, they just didn't add up to that one event in the store. I think Doris knew that what Yolanda was doing was beyond wrong and knew she had to stand up for herself.
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