Often times it is difficult for children to find their niche, so many of them have to explore several very different lifestyles until they are happy. In Julia Alvarez’s poem “Dusting,” she expresses this very crucial time of her childhood in a unique and symbolic way. With this in mind, one must be educated on Alvarez’s childhood before examining this poem since it affects the meaning as a whole. Until she was about ten years old, Alvarez lived in the Dominican Republic (Biography). However, after an unfortunate situation in which her family failed at overthrowing the dictator, Julia and her entire family moved to New York in search of a better lifestyle. Consequently, Alvarez’s transition into the United States left her confused on how to conduct herself due to the cultural barriers and brain development occurring. “Dusting” delves further into the emotions of an experience like Alvarez’s through literary devices. In this poem, the title “Dusting” plays a significant role to the meaning of it as a whole. This title is …show more content…
Perhaps this literary device was used to show that the narrator, when she reached this specific emotional state, began to feel that all things around her were going against the same pressures of being normal that she desired to go against. Ultimately, the word “anonymous” sums up the whole fear of the narrator that the poem expresses. This simple word to end the poem symbolizes the mother, the action of dusting away one’s name, and the last thing the narrator wanted to be. Without the word “anonymous,” this literary piece would lack the most significant symbol and the readers may be confused due to an unclear conclusion. Therefore, the poem needs to end this exact
Function Guarantee Not Included Producing respect and admiration from children towards their parent’s demands, lectures, beliefs and traditions, would have more efficient impact in the child for a lifetime than implanting fear to oppose their parent’s expectations, negative consequences for disappointment from a parent directed to their child’s actions results in rancorous and strained relationships between children and parents. Jamaica Kincaid’s “Girl”, Junot Diaz’s “Fiesta 1980”, and Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome, are literary pieces that remark the use of fear instead of adequate education as young characters in them develop views in life during their young stages. Parents deeply inculcate their personal goals and expectations in their children
The narrator recalls feeling trapped in her daily life, “I felt trapped in a world I could never escape. Confined to mediocracy, a pale, thin, overprotected girl...at the McCoy I became like my mother, a new person…,” (Chavez, 1999, pg. 256). She became a woman who, “Felt mature, comfortable with myself, more alive, not exhausted and frustrated by a life nearly over,” (Chavez, 1999, pg. 258), where being around new people allowed her to be the person dreamed of becoming, where she and her sister Margo both longed for freedom. At the hotel, they also stayed with their mother’s younger sister, Chita, “Rooms where shared by two sets of sisters, one younger the other much older... both groups sought respite from intense summer…,” (Chavez, 1999, pg. 255).
Julia Alvarez, in her poem “’Poetry Makes Nothing Happen’?”, writes that poems do play a role in people’s lives. She supports her idea by using relateable examples of how poems might change someone’s life. Her first example is simple, poetry can entertain someone on long drives. This does not only aply to long dirves however, Alvarez uses this to show that poetry does not have to have a big influence on someone’s life, instead it can affect a person in the smallest of ways, such as entertainment. The second example describes poetry comforting someone after the loss of a loved one.
In her writing, Tan often describes her experiences as the child of Chinese immigrants, growing up in northern California and living in American culture. Tan explains how she has learned to embrace the many Englishes her mother speaks and how her background has also caused her to have different Englishes. While others classify her mother's English as "broken" she finds no fault in it. In Tan's view, just because something is broken does not necessarily mean that it is in need of fixing. In her essay, author Amy Tan addresses the connections between languages and cultures in describing the different Englishes her mother uses.
Recently I analyzed the memoir entitled, “The Money” written by Junot Diaz. The author describes in his memoir his family’s relationship to money around 1980 which was a time when immigration began to flourish. In his memoir Diaz’s purpose towards the reader is to show struggles and experiences that many immigrants faced and can still be facing today. While analyzing “The Money” I was also able to point out frustration and disappointment Diaz felt towards his mother as well as Mr. Diaz’s emotions as a young boy struggling with what seemed so important at the time, and his reflection on his memories which he shares with his readers.
When the inherent curiosity of a child is fostered in an encouraging environment, they flourish and become exceptional enthusiasts for knowledge. In the except from the novel, Under the Feet of Jesus, by Helena Maria Viramontes, Estrella, a young migrant child, struggles to grow in a oppressive setting, and learns how to achieve understanding and knowledge on her own. This excerpt illustrates Estrella’s growth from a curious child to a passionate learner through the struggles that she faces in different aspects of her life. At the beginning of the excerpt, Estrella is curious like any other young child, and the reader is introduced to the way her curiosity is different than other children.
We are considered very fortunate living in a society where we are given a contented amount of human rights. However, looking both at the past and present, we learn that there many people who struggled or are struggling to fight for their human rights and maintaining equality. From these situations, the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, “A Genetics of Justice” by Julia Alvarez and “Address to the United Nations” by Malala Yousafzai all have a common purpose of advocating for human rights. In the “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, King speaks up for African American rights against the white community and promotes equality through non-violent demonstrations.
Family is the most powerful weapon for people to live a delighted life. In the book, “Before we were free” and “In the Time of the Butterflies” by Julia Alvarez spoke about the brave families who struggled to bring freedom to the entire country. All the Mirable sister supported each other when they need each other help. “In the Time of the Butterflies” by Alvarez mentioned about Minerva, the main character of the book who fight against the dictator, Trujillo. Similarly, “Before we were free” Alvarez talked about Anita’s father and his fellow who fought against the ruler and bring freedom to the country.
This poem is about two children playing a game they call “La Migra”. “La Migra” is Mexican slang for U.S border agents. The name of this poem is very powerful. Throughout the poem, two distinct roles are played in the game. The two roles are the US border agent and the Mexican attempting to flee Mexico.
In Cristina Garcia’s Dreaming in Cuban, the author frequently uses conflicting desires, ambitions, obligations, and influences as a way of tearing the mind of a character into two, and causing them continuous struggle throughout the novel. As well, these conflicting forces often illuminate the meaning of the work as a whole, by revealing the theme of the novel through the characters’ resolution of their conflict. In particular, Pilar is often the victim of conflicting forces which cause her to struggle throughout much of the novel. The conflicting forces of a desire to reconnect with her Cuban grandmother and her mother’s harsh anti-Cuban influence illuminate the overall theme that once cannot be quick to pass judgment. Pilar’s connection
Exile Literary Analysis Unknown wonders do not always have to be a bad thing. The same thing can also be said for unknown sacrifices. Sometimes in life sacrifices must be made to better yourself or, your family, country, friends, and many other things. However, all sacrifices are different whether it be a small or big difference, For Julia Alvarez, having to flee her home and country was not an easy sacrifice to make, but considering the absolutely horrible things the dictator at the time was doing in Ciudado Trujllio the sacrifice her family made for her more than likely saved her life. The father in the poem “Exile” known as “Papi” creates quite a frantic and, suspicious tone in the beginning of the poem along with the help of multiple other characters like, ‘Mami” and the Uncles.
In Isabel Allende’s short story “Two Words”, readers follow the story of Belisa Crepuscalario, a woman who was born to an extremely poor family and sell words for a living. Colonel, a really tough and closed man who does not show his feelings easily and had spent his life serving homeland in the civil war. Late in the story she meets Colonel where the tough and closed man become a totally different person. In “Two Words,” Allende emphasizes the power of words through Belisa’s work to develop both Belisa and Colonel’s character, helping him realize that life is beautiful and enjoyable. To understand the power of words in Belisa’s life, it is important to know a little bit about her background.
Analysis on “Dusting” In the Alvarez, The main character, which remain anonymous, have depicted a normal day in the main characters house. The young character does not agree with her mothers outlook and disposition in life. Being a house woman is something the main character despises and frankly doesn’t want to become. The main character has made it a point to not be what her mother is, and the fact that her mother is a house woman is unappealing and unacceptable to her own self image.
Innocence is a trait that disappears with experience; we are unable to earn it back once we have lost it. We often correspond innocence with the idea of adolescence and unknowing and experience with wisdom and maturity. This is true in all cases, we grow each and every day and have many experiences where we learn new and different things, but we can never unlearn what was already taught we can only forget. “The Blue Bouquet” by Octavio Paz portrays this idea of the personal journey from innocence to experience or adolescence to maturity through showing the contrast between foreigners and commoners in Mexico. Through this contrast we discover how both characters had went through a journey from innocence to experience, this was shown through
Julia Alvarez poem Ironing Their Clothes, is an extraordinary example of love that she feel for her family. Julia carefully opens the door of her family life, but not satisfied with only that, she goes even deeper opening the door of her heart. Julia posses a great ability to connect the readers with most sensible part of human emotions. Alvarez submerged herself into the unconditional love that she feel for her family and translate that feeling to the poem. She also let us know that she feel at some point she feel forgetter for her family.