Analysis Of Jimmy Santiago Baca's Coming Into Language
Many will never be able to grasp the full capacity of the power of language. Although, some of us can experience the depths of its ability through personal experience of upbringings and struggles. Jimmy Santiago Baca in “Coming into Language” talks about his own obstacles he had to overcome and how language became a way of life through the dark times of hopelessness. Whereas, Christine Marin in “Spanish Lessons” used language to find and learn about her identity to later become a voice for it and also make a difference in the community. These stories and our own backgrounds with language allow us to understand its capabilities of how it can transcend the mere means of just communication into a world of discovery and exploration.
Jimmy Santiago
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As more and more words emerged, I could finally rest: I had a place to stand for the first time in my life. The island grew, with each page, into the continent inhibited by people I knew and mapped with the life I lived. (Baca 154)
After discovering that reading could remove him from the reality he was in, Baca found the motivation to improve upon his skills. Confined in his prison cell with no sense of hope, he found comfort in reading and writing during his stay. Stuck in the destined path of isolation, Baca broke away from the misery of jail through the discovery of language to find his own freedom. Just like he had mentioned, “Writing bridged my divided life of prisoner and free man.” (Baca
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Contrary to Baca, Marin knew how to write well and excelled in it. As a Mexican-American, Marin struggled with her identity as she wasn’t fluent in Spanish and desired to know more about and fully embrace her culture. Through out her life, she encountered many instances of discrimination toward her knowledge of language. During college, which was an accomplishment in itself, phrases like “Mexicans don’t write that well.” and “You people don’t even speak the language correctly.” (Marin 162) were only some examples of the oppression she faced due to her ethnicity. Marin aimed towards exploring her culture to better the community and create a voice for the people that experienced the same types of struggles throughout their lives. She wanted to empower individuals while also educate the public with the knowledge she acquired through her search for cultural
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