Sing Soft, Sing Loud

In "Sing Soft, Sing Loud" I found a couple of quotes to be pretty interesting. One quote was said by Iva, and she comments about the single window that she has in her cell. She appreciates watching the palm tree outside this window but then theorizes, "I think maybe they put it there just to make us miserable" (3). It just reminded me of our tour earlier this semester at ESP because I couldn't believe how little the windows were. I never realized the significance of windows and never took the time in my everyday life to understand why spaces are designed the way they were, but I'm glad our 360 is forcing me to do that now. We don't really notice windows and we also take them for granted. They can either feel like they're entrapping you in this space or freeing you by allowing you to see what the world has in store outside. I noticed that one of our dorms, Merion, has ridiculously tiny windows. Every time I visit some friends there I feel miserable because there's barely enough glass to let in some natural sunlight, which is something that Iva complains about too.

Another thing that caught my attention in this story was Iva's interaction with Rupert. They argue about what got Iva in prison in the first place. Rupert says, "You're in for hustling, Iva. Lots of other people need money and they don't hustle for it" (7). Iva shoots back that she had no choice and that she doesn't have the extra money to buy her freedom back like the call girls that are routinely brought in. It was kind of difficult to read for me  because I tried to relate to the story and see how I would feel and it somewhat depressing to read. It was just another reminder of how heavy this 360 makes me feel and I really do wonder how the women that we work with stay so positive.