Mora 1

Meranda Mora

Professor Erickson

English 115

16 October 2023

Gabi a Girl in Pieces

In this novel, Gabi's attitude towards her family goes through a great transformation as

she begins on her journey of acceptance and self discovery. To begin with, Gabi grabs onto a

sense of frustration and sort of isolation concerning her family members. This is particularly

towards her brother Beto, her tiá Bertha, and her father. Gabi views them through a lens.. This is

colored by misunderstanding and judgment. She was unable to appreciate their complex

situations and own struggles. However, as the description unfolds, Gabi's perspective slowly

shifts. It allows her to see her family members in a new and different kind of light. Through her

experiences and journey, she learns the true value of acceptance and unconditional love. Gabi

realizes that imperfection is something that is built in the average human. Gabi’s own

understanding of her family members shows her own personal growth. It symbolizes the wide

theme of acceptance and forgiveness that the novel shows. Through Gabi's narrative, the novel

powers through the journey of embracing one's roots and finding strength in the acceptance of

family, flaws and overall through it all.

Consider this, At the beginning of this novel, Gabi's relationship with her family

members is completely filled with tension and clearly a sense of misunderstanding. She

struggles to accept her brother Beto. He has to deal with his own demons, leading to conflicts in
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the novel and horrible interactions. Gabi having frustration with her Tiá Bertha begins from a

lack of understanding. Bertha is Someone who makes unusual choices and acts freely without

caring about rules or norms. It challenges Gabi's traditional beliefs. To add on, her father, who is

a figure of authority in her life, becomes a person to get angry at because he's too strict and

doesn't talk openly with others.

These early conflicts are the starting point for Gabi's evolutionary journey. As the

narrative continues, Gabi is confronted with a multitude of challenges and crucial moments that

force her to rethink her judgments. Through her heartfelt conversations, continuous shared

experiences, and moments of complete vulnerability, she begins to slowly peel back the many

layers of her family members' lives. In doing this, Gabi discovers their overall humanity, their

struggles, and their love for her. This understanding becomes the trigger for her changing

attitude. It allows her to embrace her family members with compassion as well as empathy. In

this article “When a Family is Fractured” it states, “For most people, estrangements and family

rifts are a source of chronic stress that threatens “mental, social and physical well-being”. To go

more into depth, Families can be torn apart easily by simply any disagreements. It can cause a

great amount of stress as well as that it can even affect people who aren't directly involved. This

can be triggered by multiple issues which include things like money, religion, or even past

traumas. Sometimes, misunderstandings can lead to family members cutting off ties which hurts

in the long run.. These separations can be really tough. From first hand experience, it has caused

my siblings and I emotional and physical problems. While in some to most cases, it might be

necessary to distance from harmful situations. As for me, it is also true to want that reconnection

however, unfortunately in my case, this can no longer happen. Family members might or most
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definitely need to let go of past grudges and focus on moving forward together. It can be worth it

to eventually find a way to mend what's been broken for quite some time.

Moreover, Gabi's progressing attitude toward her family is carefully and closely

connected into her own journey of self-discovery. As she navigates her life growing up, she

struggles with figuring out who she is, where she fits in, and how she is going to be able to

accept herself. In her journey to understanding herself, Gabi starts recognizing the

Interrelatedness between her own struggles and those of her own family members. She begins to

understand and comprehend that the flaws and imperfections within her family are not signs of

weakness however they are ways people are alike. Gabi looks inside herself and gets help from

people who aren't her family. They help her become stronger and face her ideas she had before.

She learns that acceptance is not just about embracing others however it is also about embracing

oneself even with the insecurities and uncertainties that come with it. This freshly discovered

self-acceptance allows her to understand her family, which gives an environment of love and in

general mutual respect. In the article, “Losing Their Clothes, Finding Themselves”, A mother

and her daughter started a project called "What’s Underneath" where people open up about their

personal struggles and accept themselves for who they are. Participants would share their stories.

Sometimes it would even strip down, both emotionally and physically, which would challenge

what society thinks is normal or beautiful. They put these stories in a book that celebrates

people's differences and encourages everyone to be their overall authentic self. In a world that

often focuses on being perfect, this project is about accepting yourself just as you are. It is a way

for people to show that it's okay to be different and of course become vulnerable. Throughout

each and every one of their stories, the project helps redefine fashion by embracing honesty and
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the realness of it. It teaches us that beauty will always come in many forms. A part of this article

that stood out to me was, “to encourage people to value the things that make them different, even

the things that they might hate about themselves — they’re what make you unrepeatable”. This

stood out to me because it carries a powerful message of a person's self acceptance. I have not

always been able to accept the way I look. It took strength, time, and a great amount of work to

be able to look at myself everyday through a mirror and be okay with what I am looking at.

Nevertheless as Gabi's perspective on her family members transforms, so does her ability

to find beauty in the middle of all the chaos. She learns to appreciate the distinct qualities that

make each family member special. You can acknowledge the strength that comes from diversity

as well as resilience. Through this acceptance, the interactions within her family shift from

disagreement to agreement. The once tense and uneasy relationships begin to heal. It begins to

create a nurturing environment where each family member can thrive. Gabi's journey becomes

evidence to the power of empathy and forgiveness which demonstrates that Getting along with

your family means understanding each other and loving them unconditionally no matter what.]

In the end, Gabi not only accepts her family for who they are but also becomes a source of

support. She inspires positive change and fosters a sense of complete unity. Her transformation

serves as a symbol of hope, showing that even when things are tough, families can get better by

accepting and understanding each other. In this article “Accepting Your Family For Who They

Are” it mentions overall about how we should be accepting within our families. As each and

every one of us grow older, we might notice issues within your family that bother you more. It

could be old patterns or even problems such as abuse. Accepting your family doesn't mean

agreeing with each and every little thing that they do or pretending that everything is okay. It is
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about allowing yourself to feel your emotions about your family while you are keeping your

independence as well as being able to have a healthy relationship with them. Acceptance takes

time. It might not happen in an ordinary or specific order, however it is about freeing yourself

from the stress of trying to change the things you absolutely cannot control.

In Gabi's story, learning to accept her family as they are becomes a powerful tale of

growing, love, and staying strong even when things are hard. Through the trials and errors, Gabi

faces tough times, misunderstandings, and finally, she changes and accepts things. Her story is

not at all just about her. It is a novel that is able to resonate with the readers from all paths of

life. It reminds us that families, like fancy tile pictures, are put together in varied pieces. This

means that each is unique in its own right. Being able to embrace these differences,

understanding the complexity of it, and offering unconditional love can put together even the

most broken up relationships. Gabi’s changing of herself from judgment to acceptance shows us

the truth that our shared imperfections are what make us totally beautifully human. In a world

often ruined by ongoing disagreements, her journey stands as proof to the enduring power of

empathy and compassion. Through Gabi’s eyes, we learn that accepting our family, our flaws

and all, is not simply an act of love but a transformative experience that enriches our own souls.

Gabi's story teaches us that in the weaving together of people, acceptance is the thread that puts

us together which creates a stronger, more resilient family bond. This is not just by blood but by

the unbreakable ties of understanding and love.

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Works Cited

Brody, Jane E. “When a Family Is Fractured.” The New York Times, The New York Times,

7 Dec. 2020, www.nytimes.com/2020/12/07/well/family/when-a-family-is-fractured.html.

Ferla, Ruth La. “Losing Their Clothes, Finding Themselves.” The New York Times, The

New York Times, 23 May 2017,

www.nytimes.com/2017/05/23/fashion/whats-underneath-self-acceptance-revolution-beaut

y-diversity.html.

Quintero, Isabel. Gabi, a Girl in Pieces. Listening Library, 2015.

Restadmin. “Accepting Your Family for Who They Are.” Restoration Counseling of

Atlanta, 10 Oct. 2022,

restorationcounselingatl.com/accepting-your-family-for-who-they-are/.