Symbolism In Esperanza Rising

What if you only had one opportunity to a better life but you are too scared to face your dreams head on due to the fact it may not turn out the way you thought? Dreams do change as the journey goes on and that is okay. So, which is more important, realizing your dream is unrealistic and giving up or realizing your dream is different and knowing it is what is best for you in that moment? In Pam Munoz Ryan’s text, Esperanza Rising (2010), we learn about a girl named Esperanza, a wealthy girl without a trouble in the world and is largely ignorant to the problems of people around her but things take a sudden turn and the hopeful journey begins. Esperanza faces many challenges that lead to her finding hope and inspiration, which are represented through symbolism.

The book starts with Esperanza and her father who are both full of life and as happy as can be. The relationship they share can not be compared to many others. Papa teaches Esperanza to hear the heartbeat of the land, Esperanza forms a connection with nature and her father. The thing is, she just has to be patient and listen to the earth. From that point on her

After losing her father, she then loses her home, and everything she has ever loved. She must start over physically when she and Mama leave everything behind and move to the United States. "Do not be afraid to start over." (p. 15) Abuelita, who is Esperanza’s grandmother, says this to her and later, Esperanza utters these wise words herself. They are both speaking about the process of knitting, which serves as a metaphor for overcoming fears and reaching dreams. Just as the the zig-zag patterns Abuelita uses while knitting, each zig and each zag represent a hill that you have to get over and conquer, which Esperanza does. Abuelita tells her granddaughter about how she had to restart her life when she moved from Spain to Mexico just like Esperanza is going to have to do