Read the passage - Reunion
Marty woke up much too early for a weekend. He was still a little groggy from staying up late talking with relatives he hadn't seen in five years. There was a house full of people in town for the family reunion. Marty, the oldest of the younger cousins, was ten years old at the last reunion, and almost all the cousins near his age were back for the reunion. Today was the day of the actual reunion at his grandparents' house in the country. His parents were hosting two of his father's five brothers and their families, which included three cousins near his age and three that were closer to his younger sister's age. Four boys-Marty, the two cousins who were also teens, and a nine-year-old cousin-slept in his room, and as Marty awakened, he could hear their soft sounds of slumber around him. His mother had suggested he give up his bed to company, but Marty and his cousins assured her that they could work out the sleeping arrangements among themselves.
Marty stretched now as his ears opened to the sounds outside his bedroom door. Clanging pans, adult laughter, and the smell of bacon told him that manna from heaven had arrived in the form of breakfast, which would be ready soon. Above the clanging of dishes he could also hear shrieking and what seemed to be giggling. Of course there was giggling. There were girls in the house, preteen girls who always seemed to giggle. Marty had learned long ago from his two sisters to ignore their giggles, as the giggling had nothing to do with him. He chuckled as their muffled noises reminded him of whimpering puppies down at the animal shelter where he volunteered. Puppies always seemed to make noises as they played and whined for attention from the older dogs or volunteers. He liked working in the smaller dog area, where all the older dogs looked out for the puppies, just like his family of older members looked out for the younger ones. He glanced over at his younger cousin, who was curled up in the sleeping bag. Andre was his name, and Marty towered over him like Goliath over David, but Andre didn't care. He was grateful to be with the big dogs, as he called his cousins. It made Marty smile as he recalled how Andre beamed when he found out he would bunk with the older cousins and then practically begged to sleep in the sleeping bag. He had never slept in a sleeping bag before, and he jumped at the chance. Marty hadn't wanted to be a Scrooge, so he agreed.
Marty sat up in bed and noticed that someone had put a pile of navy blue T-shirts on the chair by the door. He chuckled to see the "Wear These Today" sign that had been posted on the pile and stepped over his sleeping cousin, Charlie, to grab one of the shirts. He unfolded it, held it up to look at it, and smiled. There was the family name, Hamilton, printed in white capital letters in a semicircle at the top, the Statue of Liberty and a palm tree in the center to represent what they came to and came from, and the words "St. Croix-New York" in a semicircle underneath. His family had migrated to New York from the tropical island of St. Croix years ago, though by airplane and not through Ellis Island where European immigrants had first come. They hadn't seen the Statue of Liberty from Ellis Island as they waited to be processed, but his family paid tribute to the lady with the torch every summer, noting that they owed a lot to this country for the freedoms and opportunities it offered. Marty flung the T-shirt over his shoulder and turned to his sleeping cousins. "Hey, fellas," he called out to them as he tossed a T-shirt to each cousin. "Time to wake up and get this party started!"
How is the image of the Statue of Liberty used in this story?
- It symbolizes the freedom and opportunity the family found in the United States, showing that the family is patriotic.
- It reveals the destination that the family reached, showing that the family is adventurous.
- It suggests the connection between the United States and St. Croix, showing that the family feels strong bonds to both.
- It represents the New World, showing that the family has turned away from its past culture.