Analysis Of My Beloved World By Sotomayor

With My Beloved World, Sotomayor creates immense pathos and through her incredible journey creates an incredibly compelling book. The parts I was most compelled by included when Sonia turned down the job at firm that asked discriminatory questions about her heritage and how she has benefited from affirmative action. Not only is she confident in who she is and her accomplishments, she was not willing to compromise her values to get ahead in her career, indicative of the moral compass that would serve her well in becoming a judge. Sonia never let anyone make her feel less than because of her heritage. It’s also amazing that… She also reflects on the meaning of affirmative action: “That was its purpose: to create the conditions whereby students from disadvantaged backgrounds could be brought to the starting line of a race many were
unaware was even being run.” I thought this was a great point about affirmative action. It’s amazing that it's some of its opponents believe that being a minority somehow means life is easier. If you look at Sonia’s life, she had to work for everything she achieved. Affirmative action may have played a part in her arriving at Princeton, but what she did once she was there was anything but the result of some unfair advantage. Affirmative action means that those with the talent to succeed but suffering at the hands of a system that has long favored the majority are given their opportunity to compete - to join the starting line.
The part I found most compelling, however, was the ending. When Sonia remembers running around the house with a piragua as she is sworn in to become the next Supreme Court Justice and declares, “I am blessed. In this life, I am truly blessed.” I thought it really encapsulated how her loving family define her as much her professional accomplishments do. In this moment, as she sits in the Highest Court in the Land, she counts herself lucky because she has always been surrounded by a warm and supportive community. It is reminiscent of what her mother said when she encouraged Sonia and her brother to study, and said “I don’t care if you clean toilets, just do it well” and emphasized the value of the journey over the final destination. Sonia’s journey is equally as impressive as her ultimate achievement. Her journey from growing up in poverty, as difficult as it was, was only possible because of how her background and upbringing shaped
her.
Sonia didn’t excel despite her obstacles (diabetes, poverty, an alcoholic father), but was shaped by them and was able to succeed because of the independence and value of hard work they instilled in her. As Sonia reflected on her cousin Nelson’s failure to live up to expectations despite a natural talent and present father she began to realize that natural gifts are only a small part of the equation when it comes to success. From the moment Sonia learned to give herself insulin shots, it set the tone of her independence and her motivation to get what she wants. She learned early to work hard and became slightly immune to to her unstable environment. Growing up without a father and having to self-motivate taught Sotomayor the core values that enabled her survival and success in her academic and professional life. She had always lived life without a safety net and had learned to adapt. As Nelson began to crumble when his parents divorced, Sonia excelled because of an ability to adjust to her surroundings. Sonia’s community also served as inspiration for hard work and determination. Her mother worked all day, and took care of not only Sonia and her Junior, but her husband as well. Sonia learned very early on that in order to succeed she had to have internal motivators. Not only was Sonia shaped by growing up in New York, she was also shaped by her trips to Puerto Rico. She describes, ”When we walked down the street in Mayaguez, it gave me a proud thrill to read the little signs above the doors, of the doctors, the lawyers, and the other professional who were Puerto Rican. It was not something I had often seen in New York.” Seeing Puerto Rican people in positions of power served as inspiration for Sonia as she pursued her goals. When you are part of a minority, it is often difficult to picture yourself in a powerful job because it seems like there is no one like you or who you relate to. Being Puerto Rico showed Sonia that her dreams weren’t unrealistic. As she opened in the book, “People who live in difficult circumstances need to know that happy endings are possible.” Her later work with PRLDEF and continued involvement with the Puerto Rican community reflects how being Puerto Rican is such a major part of her identity and demonstrates her need give back to her culture. Much of her legal journey involved her passion for her culture: interactions with Jose, her senior thesis, etc.
Sonia’s emphasis on determination and grit on being what is mainly responsible for her continued success in her life resonated with me. Her reflection on why Nelson failed and she succeeded reflected a quality that is more valuable than innate intelligence that is ingrained Sonia. Whether it be her taking the initiative to give her own shots, or scrape together the spare change to take the train alone into New Haven, Boston, and Princeton, she was always steering the course of her life. College marks the beginning of a true test of independence, of taking this natural self-motivation that Sonia has mastered her whole life. With an open curriculum at Brown, there is something to be learned by Sotomayor's focus on her goals