Summary:
As an advocate for UNICEF, her task was to inform others and create awareness for the many starving children. Although she was not an expert in economics or politics, being a mother helped her understand the children's problems. UNICEF tried their best to free children from hunger, repression, and constant violence. UNICEF protected children agsinst famine, thirst, sickness, abuse, and death. The things that threaten mankind, in Audrey's opinion, was the presence/threat of war, deterioration of the enviroment, and poverty. After the trip in Somalia, on the plane ride to Switzerland, there was a risk of death for Audrey, due to the increase of pressure in the air, but she managed to survive that obstacle. When news of her sickness was leaked, paparazzi swarmed their house, even in helicopters. On January 10, Audrey died almost painlessly. She was buried on a plot of land, guaranteed to her forever. On that day, the paparazzi was no where in site, and 25,000 people lined the streets of their small village; a deafening silence echoed the small village.
Quote:
''These are not natural disasters, but man-made tragedies, for which there is only one man-made solution--peace.'' (Ferrer 201)
Reaction:
I chose this quote because it was the one truth that Audrey realized while visiting all the poor countries. She realized that the suffering of many were not due to natural disasters, such as tornados or earthquakes, but man-made disasters, such as war. To recognize the root of the problem, she hoped to stop the violence and promote peace in order to help the children, the future of the world. It shows that Audrey wanted nothing more than to help the children; to save them from something that the children couldn't protect themselves against.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
"Is there another time in your life when love, care, tenderness, food, and education, are more important than in childhood?" (Ferrer 181) Pg 150-190
Summary:
On December 1, 1992, the surgeon operating on Audrey had to sew her back up, due to the fast development of the cancer. The area was too irritated to operate. As a result, the family was free of uncertainty and instead focused on loving one another as if tomorrow was the last. Audrey's friend, Hubert de Givenchy, provided a private jet to take her home to Switzerland, which was bittersweet, since she returned home in luxury, but in bad health. Before the cancer, Somalia had been her last UNICEF trip. There, genocide and starvation plagued the people. After her visit there, and her awareness raising speeches, the press increased their efforts to bring up attention to the Somali cause. After Audrey died, the Audrey Hepburn Memorial Fund was created to give chances to African children chances through education (which Audrey deeply believed would help them).
Quote:
''Her style was only an extension of who she was, the person we all admired, because down deep we knew that what we saw was not just clever packaging but an honest and 100 percent genuine human being.'' (Ferrer 155).
Reaction:
Although Audrey was referred to as the most elegant and most stylish woman in the world, it wasn't just the clothing that made her appear that way, it was also her inner values. She was honest, had pure intentions, disciplined, respectful, and more. She believed in simplicity, so she stuck to her own style, instead of following seasonal trends, because of this, she was unique and stylish. Although it's not just all about the looks; she knew who she was, and stuck to it, making her truly 'genuine'. I chose this quote because it showed how her inner values, and outer appearance defined Audrey Hepburn as an actress, model, and well respected icon of fashion.
On December 1, 1992, the surgeon operating on Audrey had to sew her back up, due to the fast development of the cancer. The area was too irritated to operate. As a result, the family was free of uncertainty and instead focused on loving one another as if tomorrow was the last. Audrey's friend, Hubert de Givenchy, provided a private jet to take her home to Switzerland, which was bittersweet, since she returned home in luxury, but in bad health. Before the cancer, Somalia had been her last UNICEF trip. There, genocide and starvation plagued the people. After her visit there, and her awareness raising speeches, the press increased their efforts to bring up attention to the Somali cause. After Audrey died, the Audrey Hepburn Memorial Fund was created to give chances to African children chances through education (which Audrey deeply believed would help them).
Quote:
''Her style was only an extension of who she was, the person we all admired, because down deep we knew that what we saw was not just clever packaging but an honest and 100 percent genuine human being.'' (Ferrer 155).
Reaction:
Although Audrey was referred to as the most elegant and most stylish woman in the world, it wasn't just the clothing that made her appear that way, it was also her inner values. She was honest, had pure intentions, disciplined, respectful, and more. She believed in simplicity, so she stuck to her own style, instead of following seasonal trends, because of this, she was unique and stylish. Although it's not just all about the looks; she knew who she was, and stuck to it, making her truly 'genuine'. I chose this quote because it showed how her inner values, and outer appearance defined Audrey Hepburn as an actress, model, and well respected icon of fashion.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
''...the work she dedicated herself to confirm for everyone that the twig they had fallen in love with years before had grown into a beautiful tree.'' (Ferrer 131). Pg 100-150
Summary:
The pages I read were mostly pictures of Sean Ferrer Hepburn and his mother, and his childhood. He wrote about his experience growing up with a celebrity mother. He did not grow up in Hollywood, but in Switzerland. Audrey had stopped accepting films when Sean started attending boarding school and couldn't visit her film sets, and her other son, Lucca started school. She stayed home most of the time. She understood the desire for a father, so she made sure that her kids, Sean and Lucca, remained in contact with their fathers (both children were half-siblings). Audrey's work with UNICEF required that she go to different countries, and after returning from Somalia one day, she started having stomach pains. But soon it was revealed by her doctor that she had an appendix cancer that had been growing for 5 years and just started affecting her health. Just before a big surgery, Audrey revealed for the first time, just how scared she was, and Sean reassured her that they would see through it together. They were successful in keeping her health from the press for a while.
Quote:
''The one thing I dreamed of in my life was to have children of my own. It always boils down to the same thing. Not only receiving love, but wanting desperately to give it...Having children was for her one of the great joys of her life, an opportunity to heal her own childhood.'' (Ferrer 140).
Reaction:
I chose that quote because it just shows how genuinely kind Audrey was towards kids. As a result of her fatherless childhood, she feels that she had to help other kids. She was a great mother to her own kids, and now she helped kids from poor countries who didn't have what her children had as kids. In a way, helping others also helped her help herself, since her childhood was lacking, like those children. She also felt that she had a 'natural connection' to the children she helped during UNICEF, and continued to help them until her health deteriorated due to cancer. I find that highly unselfish, kind, and wonderful of her to devote most of her time to children that needed help.
The pages I read were mostly pictures of Sean Ferrer Hepburn and his mother, and his childhood. He wrote about his experience growing up with a celebrity mother. He did not grow up in Hollywood, but in Switzerland. Audrey had stopped accepting films when Sean started attending boarding school and couldn't visit her film sets, and her other son, Lucca started school. She stayed home most of the time. She understood the desire for a father, so she made sure that her kids, Sean and Lucca, remained in contact with their fathers (both children were half-siblings). Audrey's work with UNICEF required that she go to different countries, and after returning from Somalia one day, she started having stomach pains. But soon it was revealed by her doctor that she had an appendix cancer that had been growing for 5 years and just started affecting her health. Just before a big surgery, Audrey revealed for the first time, just how scared she was, and Sean reassured her that they would see through it together. They were successful in keeping her health from the press for a while.
Quote:
''The one thing I dreamed of in my life was to have children of my own. It always boils down to the same thing. Not only receiving love, but wanting desperately to give it...Having children was for her one of the great joys of her life, an opportunity to heal her own childhood.'' (Ferrer 140).
Reaction:
I chose that quote because it just shows how genuinely kind Audrey was towards kids. As a result of her fatherless childhood, she feels that she had to help other kids. She was a great mother to her own kids, and now she helped kids from poor countries who didn't have what her children had as kids. In a way, helping others also helped her help herself, since her childhood was lacking, like those children. She also felt that she had a 'natural connection' to the children she helped during UNICEF, and continued to help them until her health deteriorated due to cancer. I find that highly unselfish, kind, and wonderful of her to devote most of her time to children that needed help.
Friday, October 8, 2010
''It is always a dramatic moment when the Phoenix rises from its ashes.'' (Ferrer 84) Pg 50-100
Summary:
This section of the book contains a lot about Audrey's life. Like how she sang really well in 'Moon River' really well because of her sincerity, not because she had an amazing voice. The composer of many of her films said that Audrey's singing was done perfectly because she had a 'slight sadness' that helped her understand the song really well. She was also described by people as
strong and independent, when in reality, she had a void inside her that the absence of her father left in her. However, that doesn't stop her from being a good mother to her children. She supports her children through everything and gave them the reassurance they needed.
Quote:
''And when we, her children, were grown and had started our lives, she chose the less fortunate children of the world. She chose to give back. In that important choice lay the key to healing and understanding something that had affected her throughout her entire life: the sadness that had always been there.'' (Ferrer 98)
Reaction:
I chose that quote because it just shows how wonderful she was. She was a great mother to her kids, and when they were raised and on their own, she chose to help less unfortunate ones through her work with UNICEF. Also, it showed that she, too, had been sad due to the absence of her father, so now she understood that sadness and tried to alleviate that sadness from other children. Indeed, she was a person with a wonderful personality.
This section of the book contains a lot about Audrey's life. Like how she sang really well in 'Moon River' really well because of her sincerity, not because she had an amazing voice. The composer of many of her films said that Audrey's singing was done perfectly because she had a 'slight sadness' that helped her understand the song really well. She was also described by people as
strong and independent, when in reality, she had a void inside her that the absence of her father left in her. However, that doesn't stop her from being a good mother to her children. She supports her children through everything and gave them the reassurance they needed.
Quote:
''And when we, her children, were grown and had started our lives, she chose the less fortunate children of the world. She chose to give back. In that important choice lay the key to healing and understanding something that had affected her throughout her entire life: the sadness that had always been there.'' (Ferrer 98)
Reaction:
I chose that quote because it just shows how wonderful she was. She was a great mother to her kids, and when they were raised and on their own, she chose to help less unfortunate ones through her work with UNICEF. Also, it showed that she, too, had been sad due to the absence of her father, so now she understood that sadness and tried to alleviate that sadness from other children. Indeed, she was a person with a wonderful personality.
Friday, October 1, 2010
''She gets to spread her wings and fly away on a dancing whirl-wind that had been bottled up for years.'' (Ferrer 49) [Pg ix-50]
Summary:
The main plot of this story is a biography about Audrey Hepburn, Sean Hepburn Ferrer's mother. The main characters are the people in their family, like Sean Ferrer himself, his mother, Audrey Hepburn, and fathers. Secondary characters would be Audrey Hepburn's associates. The setting varies depending on the point in life Sean talks about. For example, when he talks about his mother's past, it takes place in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Sean talks about his mother in great depth and even clarifies information other authors have wrote about his mother, such as her name. He explains that Audrey's mother (his grandmother) changed her name to Edda during the war, so as not to alert the German forces their English identity. So her name is not Edda Kathleen Hepburn-Ruston, but legally Audrey Kathleen Ruston.
Quote:
''This is the story of a star who couldn't see her own light. Instead she saw herself as too thin, with a bump on the arch of her nose and feet too big for her size. So she felt honored and thankful for the attention, which is why she was always on time, she always knew her lines, and she always treated everyone around her with couresty and respect.'' (Ferrer xiii).
Reaction:
I can feel that the author was very close to his mother. He talks about her like he understands her more than anyone else, which he probably does, considering he's seen his mother through everything she's been through. The quote is important because it showed that although Audrey Hepburn was a big deal, and a famous celebrity, she was just like everyone else, only more modest and a bit insecure. Despite her difficult childhood, failed marriages, and sadness for the children of the world, she still works hard.
The main plot of this story is a biography about Audrey Hepburn, Sean Hepburn Ferrer's mother. The main characters are the people in their family, like Sean Ferrer himself, his mother, Audrey Hepburn, and fathers. Secondary characters would be Audrey Hepburn's associates. The setting varies depending on the point in life Sean talks about. For example, when he talks about his mother's past, it takes place in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Sean talks about his mother in great depth and even clarifies information other authors have wrote about his mother, such as her name. He explains that Audrey's mother (his grandmother) changed her name to Edda during the war, so as not to alert the German forces their English identity. So her name is not Edda Kathleen Hepburn-Ruston, but legally Audrey Kathleen Ruston.
Quote:
''This is the story of a star who couldn't see her own light. Instead she saw herself as too thin, with a bump on the arch of her nose and feet too big for her size. So she felt honored and thankful for the attention, which is why she was always on time, she always knew her lines, and she always treated everyone around her with couresty and respect.'' (Ferrer xiii).
Reaction:
I can feel that the author was very close to his mother. He talks about her like he understands her more than anyone else, which he probably does, considering he's seen his mother through everything she's been through. The quote is important because it showed that although Audrey Hepburn was a big deal, and a famous celebrity, she was just like everyone else, only more modest and a bit insecure. Despite her difficult childhood, failed marriages, and sadness for the children of the world, she still works hard.
Audrey Hepburn, Mel Ferrer, and Sean Ferrer.
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